--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What leads to unhappiness is making…" description: "\"What leads to unhappiness is making pleasure the chief aim.\" — William Shenstone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/william-shenstone-4083_aim_what-leads-to-unhappiness-is-making-plea_1264461.jpg" --- # What leads to unhappiness is making pleasure the chief aim. ![“What leads to unhappiness is making pleasure the chief aim.” quote by William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/william-shenstone-4083_aim_what-leads-to-unhappiness-is-making-plea_1264461.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/william-shenstone-4083_aim_what-leads-to-unhappiness-is-making-plea_1264461.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/william-shenstone-4083_aim_what-leads-to-unhappiness-is-making-plea_1264461.jpg) > “What leads to unhappiness is making pleasure the chief aim.” [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prioritizing pleasure above all leads to emptiness and unhappiness. **In simple terms:** Chasing only pleasure causes unhappiness. Key Takeaway Seek deeper purpose beyond pleasure. Themes pleasure unhappiness purpose balance Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - consumerism - relationship choices - career goals Key Concepts hedonism existential fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What deeper goals give your life meaning? - How can you enjoy pleasure without it dominating? A Different Perspective Pleasure can be a healthy part of life when balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Unhappiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappiness/) ## Related quotes > [“When someone obtains peace and serenity, this shines a bright spotlight on others’ own unhappiness making their discomfort even more apparent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/when-someone-obtains-peace-and-serenity-this-shines-a-bright/) [David W. 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There must have been one, surely?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-abbott/she-searched-her-mind-for-a-single-day-when-it-had-felt-good-to-be/) [Rachel Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-abbott/) ## More by William Shenstone > [When self-interest inclines a man to print, he should consider that the purchaser expects a pennyworth for his penny, and has reason to asperse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/when-self-interest-inclines-a-man-to-print-he-should-consider-that/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Fashion is a great restraint upon your persons of taste and fancy; who would otherwise in the most trifling instances be able to distinguish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/fashion-is-a-great-restraint-upon-your-persons-of-taste-and-fancy-who/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Whoe'er has travell'd life's dull round, Where'er his stages may have been, May sigh to think he still has found The warmest welcome at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/whoe-er-has-travell-d-life-s-dull-round-where-er-his-stages-may-have/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [My banks they are furnish'd with bees, Whose murmur invites one to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/my-banks-they-are-furnish-d-with-bees-whose-murmur-invites-one-to/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [His knowledge of books had in some degree diminished his knowledge of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/his-knowledge-of-books-had-in-some-degree-diminished-his-knowledge-of/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Patience is the panacea; but where does it grow, or who can swallow it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/patience-is-the-panacea-but-where-does-it-grow-or-who-can-swallow-it/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [A large retinue upon a small income, like a large cascade upon a small stream, tends to discover its tenuity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/a-large-retinue-upon-a-small-income-like-a-large-cascade-upon-a-small/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Independence may be found in comparative as well as in absolute abundance; I mean where a person contracts his desires within the limits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/independence-may-be-found-in-comparative-as-well-as-in-absolute/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Taste is pursued at a less expense than fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/taste-is-pursued-at-a-less-expense-than-fashion/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Long sentences in a short composition are like large rooms in a little house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/long-sentences-in-a-short-composition-are-like-large-rooms-in-a/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Anger is a great force. If you control it, it can be transmuted into a power which can move the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/anger-is-a-great-force-if-you-control-it-it-can-be-transmuted-into-a/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Persons who discover a flatterer, do not always disapprove him, because he imagines them considerable enough to deserve his applications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/persons-who-discover-a-flatterer-do-not-always-disapprove-him-because/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [A man has generally the good or ill qualities which he attributes to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/a-man-has-generally-the-good-or-ill-qualities-which-he-attributes-to/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [A fool and his words are soon parted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/a-fool-and-his-words-are-soon-parted/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [It should seem that indolence itself would incline a person to be honest, as it requires infinitely greater pains and contrivance to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/it-should-seem-that-indolence-itself-would-incline-a-person-to-be/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) [Explore all 116 William Shenstone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) ## More Aim quotes > [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. 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Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [My aim is to be counted among the top players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/my-aim-is-to-be-counted-among-the-top-players/) [Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/) > [The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/the-single-aim-of-my-life-is-that-every-child-is-free-to-be-a-child/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. 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