Happiness is always a byproduct. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular. But it is not something that can be demanded from life, and if you are not happy, you had better stop worrying about it and see what treasures you can pluck from your own brand of unhappiness.

—Robertson Davies

life happiness worry unhappiness temperament

About Robertson Davies

Portrait of Robertson Davies

William Robertson Davies (28 August 1913 – 2 December 1995) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. He was one of Canada's best known and most popular authors and one of its most distinguished "men of letters", a term Davies gladly accepted for himself. Davies was the founding...

More quotations from Robertson Davies

A happy childhood has spoiled many a promising life.

—Robertson Davies

Never harbor grudges; they sour your stomach and do no harm to anyone else.

—Robertson Davies

The love of truth lies at the root of much humor.

—Robertson Davies

Pornography is rather like trying to find out about a Beethoven symphony by having someone tell you about it and perhaps hum a few bars.

—Robertson Davies

Few people can see genius in someone who has offended them.

—Robertson Davies

More quotations tagged with “unhappiness”

I find to my astonishment that an unhappy marriage goes on being unhappy when it is over.

—Rebecca West

relationships happiness marriage unhappiness

The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It's more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit.

—Gretchen Rubin in The Happiness Project

happiness belief effort generosity feelings discipline energy unhappiness selfishness care selflessness lightheartedness

Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart, and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.

—Frederick Douglass

history heart sorrow tears unhappiness slavery songs relief

The core of all humor, the reason for it all, is unhappiness.

humor unhappiness dissatisfaction

Despair is as addictive as heroin and more popular than sex, for the single reason that when one is unhappy one gets to pay a lot of attention to oneself. Misery becomes a kind of emotional masturbation.

despair sadness sex misery unhappiness masturbation

History

15 Mar 2014 Added