Do not give in too much to feelings. A overly sensitive heart is an unhappy possession on this shaky earth.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The inner speech, your thoughts, can cause you to be rich or poor, loved or unloved, happy or unhappy, attractive or unattractive, powerful or weak.
—Ralph Charell
No man is more unhappy than the one who is never in adversity; the greatest affliction of life is never to be afflicted.
—Unknown
Oh, the good times when we were so unhappy.
—Alexandre Dumas pere (1802–1870) French Novelist, Playwright
No sooner is it a little calmer with me than it is almost too calm, as though I have the true feeling of myself only when I am unbearably unhappy.
—Franz Kafka (1883–1924) Austrian Novelist, Short Story Writer
All happiness or unhappiness solely depends upon the quality of the object to which we are attached by love.
—Baruch Spinoza (1632–77) Dutch Philosopher, Theologian
Never lend books, for no one ever returns them; the only books I have in my library are those which people have lent me.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
Men are the only animals that devote themselves, day in and day out, to making one another unhappy.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
Happy or unhappy, families are all mysterious. We have only to imagine how differently we would be described – and will be, after our deaths—by each of the family members who believe they know us.
—Gloria Steinem (b.1934) American Feminist, Journalist, Social Activist, Political Activist
Let no one who loves be called unhappy. Even love unreturned has its rainbow.
—J. M. Barrie (1860–1937) Scottish Novelist, Dramatist
A perverse temper, and a discontented, fretful disposition, wherever they prevail, render any state of life unhappy.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
Throughout the long period of religious doubt, I had been rendered very unhappy by the gradual loss of belief, but when the process was completed, I found to my surprise that I was quite glad to be done with the whole subject
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
What has changed is that nothing has changed… . That’s what has made me more unhappy than everything else.
—Willie Nelson (b.1933) American Country Singer, Songwriter
The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.
—M. Scott Peck (1936–2005) American Psychiatrist, Author
Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
—Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) Russian Novelist
Habit is the beneficent harness of routine which enables silly men to live respectably, and unhappy men to live calmly.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
I have been very happy, very rich, very beautiful, much adulated, very famous, and very unhappy.
—Brigitte Bardot (b.1934) French Film Star
I remember one day sitting at the pool and suddenly the tears were streaming down my cheeks. Why was I so unhappy?. I had success. I had security. But it wasn’t enough. I was exploding inside.
—Ingrid Bergman (1915–82) Swedish Actor
If we cannot live so as to be happy, let us at least live so as to deserve it.
—Immanuel Hermann Fichte (1796–1879) German Philosopher
I think writing about unhappiness is probably the source of my popularity, if I have any-after all, most people are unhappy, don’t you think?
—Philip Larkin (1922–85) English Poet, Librarian, Novelist
There is not a more unhappy being than a superannuated idol.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
It is better not to be than to be unhappy.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
By becoming more unhappy, we sometimes learn how to be less so.
—Sophie Swetchine (1782–1857) Russian Mystic, Writer
No-one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.
—Groucho Marx (1890–1977) American Actor, Comedian, Singer
Fate often puts all the material for happiness and prosperity into a man’s hands just to see how miserable he can make himself with them.
—Don Marquis (1878–1937) American Humorist, Journalist, Author
The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whether you are happy or not. The cure is occupaton.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
The unhappy derive comfort from the misfortunes of others.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
The more refined one is, the more unhappy.
—Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) Russian Short-Story Writer
Hardly a man, whatever his circumstances and situation, but if you get his confidence, will tell you that he is not happy. It is however certain that all men are not unhappy in the same degree, though by these accounts we might almost be tempted to think so. Is not this to be accounted for, by supposing that all men measure the happiness they possess by the happiness they desire, or think they deserve?
—George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746–1816) British Nobleman, Politician
If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you’ll be unhappy for the rest of your life.
—Abraham Maslow (1908–70) American Psychologist, Academic, Humanist
There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them.
—Anthony de Mello (1931–87) Indian-born American Theologian
Call no man unhappy until he is married.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now.
—Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American Author
Since the things we do determine the character of life, no blessed person can become unhappy. For he will never do those things which are hateful and petty.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
It is our job to make women unhappy with what they have.
—B. Earl Puckett (1898–1976) American Businessperson
You don’t seem to realize that a poor person who is unhappy is in a better position than a rich person who is unhappy. Because the poor person has hope. He thinks money would help.
—Jean Kerr (1922–2003) Irish-American Author, Playwright
Men who are unhappy, like men who sleep badly, are always proud of the fact.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
All mankind’s unhappiness derives from one thing: his inability to know how to remain in repose in one room.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Perfect happiness, I believe, was never intended by the Deity to be the lot of one of his creatures in this world ; but that he has very much put in our power the nearness of our approaches to it, is what I have steadfastly believed.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
We degrade life by our follies and vices, and then complain that the unhappiness which is only their accompaniment is inherent in the constitution of things.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Irresolution on the schemes of life which offer themselves to our choice, and inconstancy in pursuing them, are the greatest causes of all our unhappiness.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
We are never so happy nor so unhappy as we imagine.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
A large part of altruism, even when it is perfectly honest, is grounded upon the fact that it is uncomfortable to have unhappy people about one
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
It isn’t necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy.
—Groucho Marx (1890–1977) American Actor, Comedian, Singer
I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking: I could well wish courtesy would invent some other custom of entertainment
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
There are people who can do all fine and heroic things but one: keep from telling their happiness to the unhappy
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
A man of action forced into a state of thought is unhappy until he can get out of it.
—John Galsworthy (1867–1933) English Novelist, Playwright
I am convinced that, except in a few extraordinary cases, one form or another of an unhappy childhood is essential to the formation of exceptional gifts.
—Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) American Novelist, Playwright