--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Happiness is a byproduct of function…" description: "\"Happiness is a byproduct of function, purpose, and conflict; those who seek happiness for itself seek victory without war.\" — William S. Burroughs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/william-s-burroughs-528_conflict_happiness-is-a-byproduct-of-function-pur_582296.png" --- # Happiness is a byproduct of function, purpose, and… ![“Happiness is a byproduct of function, purpose, and conflict; those who seek happiness for itself seek victory without war.” quote by William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/william-s-burroughs-528_conflict_happiness-is-a-byproduct-of-function-pur_582296.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/william-s-burroughs-528_conflict_happiness-is-a-byproduct-of-function-pur_582296.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/william-s-burroughs-528_conflict_happiness-is-a-byproduct-of-function-pur_582296.png) > “Happiness is a byproduct of function, purpose, and conflict; those who seek happiness for itself seek victory without war.” [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True happiness emerges when one fulfills purpose, engages in meaningful function, and embraces conflict as growth. **In simple terms:** Purpose and conflict create happiness. Key Takeaway Align actions with purpose, accept challenges. Themes purpose conflict happiness Mood thoughtful motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - team leadership - personal development Key Concepts meaningful work psychological growth Questions to Reflect On - What purpose drives you? - How do you view conflict as growth? A Different Perspective Seeking happiness alone can ignore deeper fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Happinessis a byproduct of function. Those who seek happiness for itself seek victory without war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/happinessis-a-byproduct-of-function-those-who-seek-happiness-for/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [Don't seek happiness. If you seek it, you won't find it, because seeking is the antithesis of happiness. Happiness is ever elusive, but freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/don-t-seek-happiness-if-you-seek-it-you-won-t-find-it-because-seeking/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Seek happiness and you may or may not find it; seek grievances and you are guaranteed success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-easterbrook/seek-happiness-and-you-may-or-may-not-find-it-seek-grievances-and-you/) [Gregg Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-easterbrook/) > [There are those who seek happiness and those who seek to destroy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-amorelli/there-are-those-who-seek-happiness-and-those-who-seek-to-destroy-it/) [Jennifer Amorelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-amorelli/) > [“If you put your happiness on self-start, and if you are happy by your own nature, relationships will become a means for you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/if-you-put-your-happiness-on-self-start-and-if-you-are-happy-by-your/) [Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/) > [Don't Seek Happiness. If you seek it, you won't find it, because seeking is the antithesis of happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/don-t-seek-happiness-if-you-seek-it-you-won-t-find-it-because-seeking-2/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Do not just seek happiness for yourself. Seek happiness for all. Through kindness. Through mercy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/do-not-just-seek-happiness-for-yourself-seek-happiness-for-all/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“To recognize and comprehend what influences us and others is to function with purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-henderson/to-recognize-and-comprehend-what-influences-us-and-others-is-to/) Mark David Henderson > [On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/on-this-day-we-gather-because-we-have-chosen-hope-over-fear-unity-of/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“The purpose of conflict is to create.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-meade/the-purpose-of-conflict-is-to-create/) [Michael Meade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-meade/) > [“The purpose of conflict is to restore harmony...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-n-hunter/the-purpose-of-conflict-is-to-restore-harmony/) Brent N. Hunter > [“Problem, purpose, conflict, goal. Use them. Think about them while you are in the planning phase of your novel; keep these elements at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-a-whitney/problem-purpose-conflict-goal-use-them-think-about-them-while-you-are/) [Phyllis A. Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-a-whitney/) > [Happiness is a byproduct of an effort to make someone else happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretta-brooker-palmer/happiness-is-a-byproduct-of-an-effort-to-make-someone-else-happy/) Gretta Brooker Palmer > [“Real security only comes when we are comfortable with who we are, real happiness is a byproduct of a life well lived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gottlieb/real-security-only-comes-when-we-are-comfortable-with-who-we-are-real/) [Daniel Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gottlieb/) > [“Happiness is a byproduct of what we share with others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-m-lawson/happiness-is-a-byproduct-of-what-we-share-with-others/) Douglas M. Lawson ## More by William S. Burroughs > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Well as, one judge said to the other, 'Be just and if you can't be just be arbitrary.' Regret cannot observe customary obscenities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/well-as-one-judge-said-to-the-other-be-just-and-if-you-can-t-be-just/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say 'I want to see the manager.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/after-one-look-at-this-planet-any-visitor-from-outer-space-would-say/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [For seven days she lay in bed looking sullenly at the ceiling as though resenting the death she had cultivated for so many years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-seven-days-she-lay-in-bed-looking-sullenly-at-the-ceiling-as/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [When you stop growing you start dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-you-stop-growing-you-start-dying/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [Life is a cutup. And to pretend that you write or paint in a timeless vacuum is just simply . . . not .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/life-is-a-cutup-and-to-pretend-that-you-write-or-paint-in-a-timeless/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [When all lies, deceit, pretense is stripped away, what remains? The truth of a painting, or a book or a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-all-lies-deceit-pretense-is-stripped-away-what-remains-the-truth/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“There is no final enough of wisdom, experience - any fucking thing. No Holy Grail, No Final Satori, no solution. Just conflict. Only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-is-no-final-enough-of-wisdom-experience-any-fucking-thing-no/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“For John Dillinger In hope he is still alive Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1986 In hope he is still alive Thanks for the wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-john-dillinger-in-hope-he-is-still-alive-thanksgiving-day/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Did I ever tell you about the man who taught his asshole to talk? His whole abdomen would move up and down, you dig,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-the-man-who-taught-his-asshole-to-talk-his/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [You need a good bedside manner with doctors or you will get nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/you-need-a-good-bedside-manner-with-doctors-or-you-will-get-nowhere/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [There couldn't be a society of people who didn't dream. They'd be dead in two weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-couldn-t-be-a-society-of-people-who-didn-t-dream-they-d-be-dead/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I prefer cats to people, for the most part. Most people aren't cute at all, and if they are cute they very rapidly outgrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-prefer-cats-to-people-for-the-most-part-most-people-aren-t-cute-at/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [ \[Arab peoples\] are stuck back thousands of years and they think they're going to get out with a TV set. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/arab-peoples-are-stuck-back-thousands-of-years-and-they-think-they-re/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“It is not the intensity but the duration of pain that breaks the will to resist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/it-is-not-the-intensity-but-the-duration-of-pain-that-breaks-the-will/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Explore all 484 William S. Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## More Conflict quotes > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [There is a conflict in the Middle East between two entities, and they're both right, each in their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/there-is-a-conflict-in-the-middle-east-between-two-entities-and-they/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [Conflict isn't negative, it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-crum/conflict-isn-t-negative-it-just-is/) [Thomas Crum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-crum/) > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [The irrepressible conflict propounded by abolitionism has produced now its legitimate fruits - disunion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-irrepressible-conflict-propounded-by-abolitionism-has-produced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [“While there is battle and hatred men have eyes for nothing save the fact that the enemy is the cause of all the troubles;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-butterfield/while-there-is-battle-and-hatred-men-have-eyes-for-nothing-save-the/) [Herbert Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-butterfield/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [All men have an instinct for conflict: at least, all healthy men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/all-men-have-an-instinct-for-conflict-at-least-all-healthy-men/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) > [“How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/how-we-traverse-the-space-between-us-when-conflict-arises-has-a/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) [Browse all 3,969 Conflict quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Happiness is a byproduct of function, purpose, and conflict; those who seek happiness for itself seek victory without war.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William S. 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