When do you feel happy? We don't need a one-size-fits-all concept of happiness. We know it when we experience it. According to Ancient Greek philosophers, we can separate it into two categories: the hedonic type for pleasure, comfort, and enjoyment, and the eudaimonic type for growth, meaning, and gratitude. Enjoy our happiness quotes that explore the many meanings of feeling happy, which are bound to bring a smile.
How can you be happy? First and foremost, give what your body wants because physical wellness directly translates to your mental well-being. So first, eat the rainbow of fruits and vegetables, healthy oil, fermented food, and dark chocolate as snacks. Second, stick to an exercise routine you enjoy performing consistently. And last but not least, get enough sleep alongside a consistent sleep schedule.
You have probably heard all these reminders and their benefits everywhere on the internet. So wear a smile while reading our happy quotes for a little light relief.
Quick links to our selection of happiness quotes:
Being happy is a primary emotion we experience in every stage of our lives. And it's also subjective. Your reason for smiling varies differently from my reasons. But one thing remains constant. We are happier when we socialize.
An 80-year-long study by the Harvard Study of Adult Development studied the lives of 724 participants beginning in 1938. After various examinations throughout the study, maintaining quality relationships stood out as the reason for positively impacting the participants' well-being.
For more in-depth details of the study, read the book The Good Life or watch this 2015 Ted Talk by the fourth research director, Robert Waldinger.
Meanwhile, check out our best happiness quotes that summarize the core of our collection. And feel free to share your favorites with a friend!
"Happiness depends upon ourselves."
"A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness."
"Wellness is associated with happiness. When you're happy, you're feeling good in your mind and body. That ties into being healthy, eating well, and exercising regularly. It also ties into being excited about things - like getting up in the morning and having a healthy breakfast."
"Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present."
"The secret to life is finding joy in ordinary things. I'm interested in happiness."
"Happiness is only real when shared."
"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will."
"The good life consists in deriving happiness by using your signature strengths every day in the main realms of living. The meaningful life adds one more component: using these same strengths to forward knowledge, power or goodness."
Maintaining a positive attitude isn’t always easy, especially in an undesirable situation. Accepting reality is healthy, but staying in the negative for far too long is not. That's why we should always bring back brightness to our lives by taking action.
Sometimes, it's as simple as pausing, connecting with nature, basking in the sunlight, and enjoying the quiet solitude.
If it's more complicated than usual, an effective way to be optimistic is through journaling. For instance, studies showed that 20 minutes a day of expressive journaling lowered the depression scores of people with Major Depressive Disorder1. Another study showed decreased stress and anxiety among high-tension medical students who did visual journaling4. In conclusion, move on from what you cannot control and take action on what you can - your happiness!
After reading our happiness quotes below, learn how to start a journal with an eco-friendly notebook.
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
"To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him."
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."
"Happiness is found in doing, not merely possessing."
"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet."
"Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking."
"We must have courage to bet on our ideas, to take the calculated risk, and to act. Everyday living requires courage if life is to be effective and bring happiness."
"I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them."
"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life."
"No one is perfect... absolutely no one. Like precious stones, we have a few flaws, but why focus on that? Focus on what you like about yourself, and that will bring you happiness and peace."
"If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present."
Do you often forget to savor life's joy when you overthink a bad memory from the past or dreams for the future? We all do this! As part of our evolution, we achieve stimulus-independent thoughts wherein what we think does not match the current sensory input. And based on a study, out of the 2,250 Americans, 46.9% experienced mind wandering, and it also made them less happy.
The researchers perfectly concluded their research, "a human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. The ability to think about what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that comes at an emotional cost5."
Even if living in the moment is not our mind's default, we can practice our way into it through mindfulness. And if you're still unsure of the future, you can check out the Japanese concept of Ikigai to find your purpose and happiness.
So move on from the past, plan for the future, and protect your present by living in the moment with our happy quotes below.
"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude."
"Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours."
"It is the ultimate luxury to combine passion and contribution. It's also a very clear path to happiness."
"The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it."
"The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us."
"Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."
"The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be."
"I'm a very positive person. My grandmother taught me that happiness is both a skill and a decision, and you are responsible for the outcome."
"It's OK to have a plan, to invest in your future - for your financial security, your love life, your personal fulfillment, and even your happiness. To have personal happiness as a stated goal doesn't detract from it if you get there."
Contentment and happiness are two of the most sought-after feelings in life, yet they are also two of the most elusive. Messages that tell us that more money, branded clothes, and millions of friends are the goal of life bombard us. But, in reality, this philosophy is misguiding us. Instead, it is better to practice minimalism and appreciate the simple things in life.
So does it mean money can't buy happiness? It can! A Harvard Business School article summarized three studies that showed how money could lower stress and provide options.
First, 522 participants with a known income range tracked their daily events and emotional responses to them. All of them faced about the same number of struggles, but those with a higher income experienced less stress as they had more money to fix the problem.
By recognizing the joy and meaning in what we have, we can become content and enjoy life to the fullest. And take note that money is not the enemy! After reading our happiness quotes below, check out the other studies linked from the HBS article.
"You can be happy where you are."
"Perfect happiness is a beautiful sunset, the giggle of a grandchild, the first snowfall. It's the little things that make happy moments, not the grand events. Joy comes in sips, not gulps."
"A contented mind is the greatest blessing a man can enjoy in this world."
"Happiness comes from living as you need to, as you want to. As your inner voice tells you to. Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be."
"The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters."
"There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons."
"Happiness is a matter of one's most ordinary and everyday mode of consciousness being busy and lively and unconcerned with self."
"Values are principles and ideas that bring meaning to the seemingly mundane experience of life. A meaningful life that ultimately brings happiness and pride requires you to respond to temptations as well as challenges with honor, dignity, and courage."
"It is not in the pursuit of happiness that we find fulfillment, it is in the happiness of pursuit."
"Joy, rather than happiness, is the goal of life, for joy is the emotion which accompanies our fulfilling our natures as human beings. It is based on the experience of one's identity as a being of worth and dignity."
Is finding what brings us long-lasting delight a challenge? We often forget that the best way to find our own happiness is to make others happy. A great example of this is the famous internet story involving balloons.
Imagine a room filled with dozens of balloons, all of different colors, shapes, and sizes. Each one has a name. It's much easier to find the balloon owned by someone else than to find the one that belongs to you. It is the same with happiness. It's much easier to make others happy than to make yourself pleased, and it can be gratifying.
A series of studies on American university students showed the following results. First, it revealed that their experience of making others happy gave them greater well-being. It also proved that they feel more joy when they are on the giving end than the receiving end. And finally, it still satisfied them even if they helped a stranger who couldn't see their good deed.
After reading the happy quotes below, let your souls blossom by making someone's day. And for more inspiration about giving to receive, check out our giving-back quotes.
"The happiness of one's own heart alone cannot satisfy the soul; one must try to include, as necessary to one's own happiness, the happiness of others."
"If you want happiness for an hour—take a nap. If you want happiness for a day—go fishing. If you want happiness for a year—inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime—help someone else."
"There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved."
"The most worthwhile thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others."
"My mantra is: Let there be happiness in my soul, and let me share it with the world."
"In my life I've learned that true happiness comes from giving. Helping others along the way makes you evaluate who you are. I think that love is what we're all searching for. I haven't come across anyone who didn't become a better person through love."
"Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends."
"Your successes and happiness are forgiven you only if you generously consent to share them."
"I knew everything and received everything. But real happiness, is giving."
"A hug is like a boomerang you get it back right away."
"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
Gaining happiness during tough times can be challenging, but it is possible. Instead of criticizing ourselves, we should accept our flaws. We should focus on what we can control rather than what we cannot. Practicing self-compassion and self-care is essential on the rocky roads of our life.
Does having confidence solve the problem? It's more than that. Self-esteem depends on external factors, whereas self-compassion is about empathy toward ourselves.
A study set up five scenarios to test self-compassionate people's cognitive and emotional processes in dealing with unpleasant life events. Results revealed that self-compassion decreased their reactions toward adverse events in a way different from self-esteem2.
Watch how Dr. Kristin Neff, a self-compassion advocate, speaks more about this in her Ted Talk, or enjoy our compilation of some of the best positivity talks for more.
Free yourself from negative thoughts by browsing the following happy quotes. Remember to take deep breaths and be kind to yourself!
"Do not set aside your happiness. Do not wait to be happy in the future. The best time to be happy is always now."
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us."
"For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness."
"No medicine cures what happiness cannot."
"Feeling sorry for ourselves is the most useless waste of energy on the planet. It does absolutely no good. We can't let our circumstances or what others do or don't do control us. We can decide to be happy regardless."
"I never dwell on what happened. You can't change it. Move forward. Don't waste your energy on being angry at something that somebody did six months ago or a year ago. It's over. Done. Move forward."
"Are you so unobservant as not to have found out that sanity and happiness are an impossible combination?"
"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost."
"It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace."
Hearing stories from famous people bring us a spectrum of joy, from Walt Disney, who created the happiest place on earth, to Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl who endured the Holocaust. That's two contrasting stories, yet both can teach us something about happiness.
After pondering over creating a safe and fun space for his daughters, Walt Disney reinvented amusement parks in the 1950s resulting in the now-famous Disneyland. To this day, kids and even kids at heart love the whole experience the dreamy park offers. In fact, Streetlight Data found that among the 2018 Walt Disney World Florida visitors, 36.7% came from a household with children under 18. So tap into your inner child and have fun!
On the other side, Anne Frank is a child born in a cruel period of our history. Yet, in her two years of hiding, she compiled in her red-checked diary her experience and thoughts that brought inspiration and hope till today. Anne's story is a powerful reminder that happiness is present even in the darkest places.
Get more insights from famous people through their happy quotes below.
"Happiness is a state of mind. It's just according to the way you look at things."
"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."
"Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give."
"Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life."
"Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears."
"The world is full of a lot of fear and a lot of negativity, and a lot of judgment. I just think people need to start shifting into joy and happiness. As corny as it sounds, we need to make a shift."
"I am a spiritual person in an eastern religion kind of way. I learned that happiness for all of us is a switch that you flick in your brain. It doesn't have anything to do with getting a new house, a new car, a new girlfriend, or a new pair of shoes. Our culture is very much about that; we are never happy with what we have today."
"The mere sense of living is joy enough."
More than connecting with people, social media can be an avenue for creativity and self-expression. Studies have shown that it can be a pathway to positive relationships3, self-concept, coping, personal growth, and happiness. From cat videos to tear-jerking true stories or from making someone laugh to inspiring through vulnerability, social media has brought so much joy to our daily lives.
However, we also cannot dismiss the potential adverse effects of social media use on our happiness and mental health. For instance, harmful social comparison, trouble sleeping, distraction, and cyberbullying. Expounding on the last example, Pew Research Center found that nearly half of U.S. teens experienced at least one type of cyberbullying.
At the end of the day, social media is just a tool. So let's be responsible by making it a safe place not just for others but for us as well. Use the quotes below to make your online friends smile today and empower them with a bit of happiness wisdom.
Related: For more reading, you might like our selection of mental health quotes and our article on how nature benefits mental health.
"The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are, and not who people think you are."
"My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations."
"Happiness isn't getting what you want, it's wanting what you got."
"There is no such thing as the pursuit of happiness, but there is the discovery of joy."
"Make space in your life, space for health and happiness."
"Happiness is a warm puppy."
"Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower."
"In order to have great happiness you have to have great pain and unhappiness – otherwise how would you know when you're happy?"
"I relate to happiness as an ecstatic moment - something you don't create, you encounter."
"There is nothing that you can't overcome. So it's never too late for happiness."
"Being happy never goes out of style."
Technology and the internet permeate most aspects of our modern lives. Based on a global survey by GWI, internet users are already spending almost 7 hours per day online. We often rely on it for entertainment, communication, and even inspiration. However, even the literary artists of the past, who had no access to the technology we have now, found ways to enjoy life and share happiness.
One of the most pleasurable activities is observing nature. Whether we visit a park, beach, or forest, we can find solace. Another way to appreciate nature is to go outside and participate in activities like hiking or gardening, which can bring a sense of accomplishment. Look for the joy in your own life by ditching technology once in a while and relishing natural beauty. You will be sure to find joy and happiness in the great outdoors.
Before unplugging, use the rest of our happy quotes below on your social media posts. TRVST wishes you all the happiness you deserve!
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
"Happiness is not a possession to be prized, it is a quality of thought, a state of mind."
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."
"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."
"Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness."
"A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not."
"Happiness is the harvest of a quiet eye."
"Growth itself contains the germ of happiness."
"Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness."
"Happiness is the cessation of suffering."
| 1 | Krpan, K. M., Kross, E., Berman, M. G., Deldin, P. J., Askren, M. K., & Jonides, J. (2013). An everyday activity as a treatment for depression: the benefits of expressive writing for people diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Journal of affective disorders, 150(3), 1148–1151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.05.065 |
| 2 | Leary MR, Tate EB, Adams CE, Allen AB, Hancock J. Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant events: the implications of treating oneself kindly. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2007 May;92(5):887-904. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.887. |
| 3 | Vaingankar JA, van Dam RM, Samari E, Chang S, Seow E, Chua YC, Luo N, Verma S, Subramaniam M. Social Media-Driven Routes to Positive Mental Health Among Youth: Qualitative Enquiry and Concept Mapping Study. JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2022 Mar 4;5(1):e32758. doi: 10.2196/32758. |
| 4 | Amanda Mercer, Elizabeth Warson, Jenny Zhao, Visual journaling: An intervention to influence stress, anxiety and affect levels in medical students, The Arts in Psychotherapy, Volume 37, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 143-148, ISSN 0197-4556, |
| 5 | Killingsworth MA, Gilbert DT. A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science. 2010 Nov 12;330(6006):932. doi: 10.1126/science.1192439. |
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