Man can only endure a certain degree of unhappiness; what is beyond that either annihilates him or passes by him and leaves him apathetic
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
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
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
We are never so defenseless against suffering as when we love, never so forlornly unhappy as when we have lost our love object or its love.
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic
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
There are only three types of people; those who have found God and serve him; those who have not found God and seek him, and those who live not seeking, or finding him. The first are rational and happy; the second unhappy and rational, and the third foolish and unhappy.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
It is better not to be than to be unhappy.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.
—Anne Frank (1929–45) Holocaust Victim
Medvienko: Why do you always wear black? Masha: I am in mourning for my life. I am unhappy.
—Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) Russian Short-Story Writer
To excite opposition and inflame malevolence is the unhappy privilege of courage made arrogant by consciousness of strength
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.
—Paul Dudley White (1886–1973) American Cardiologist
By becoming more unhappy, we sometimes learn how to be less so.
—Sophie Swetchine (1782–1857) Russian Mystic, Writer
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
It’s better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone – so far.
—Marilyn Monroe (1926–62) American Actor, Model, Singer
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
If there are quarrels between the parents or if their marriage is unhappy, the ground will be prepared in their children for the severest predisposition to a disturbance of sexual development or to neurotic illness
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic
Is anyone in all the world safe from unhappiness?
—Sophocles (495–405 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
I fear animals regard man as a creature of their own kind which has in a highly dangerous fashion lost its healthy animal reason—as the mad animal, as the laughing animal, as the weeping animal, as the unhappy animal.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
How bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes!
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
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
It isn’t necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy.
—Groucho Marx (1890–1977) American Actor, Comedian, Singer
Whoever does not regard what he has as most ample wealth is unhappy, though he is master of the world.
—Epicurus (c.341–270 BCE) Greek Philosopher
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
Most successes are unhappy. That’s why they are successes – they have to reassure themselves about themselves by achieving something that the world will notice.
—Agatha Christie (1890–1976) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
The world will never be long without some good reason to hate the unhappy; their real faults are immediately detected, and if those are not sufficient to sink them into infamy, an additional weight of calumny will be super added.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
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
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
O Lord! Unhappy is the man whom man can make unhappy.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
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
Nothing is funnier than unhappiness, I grant you that. Yes, yes, it’s the most comical thing in the world.
—Samuel Beckett (1906–1989) Irish Novelist, Playwright
All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration. You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won’t succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy.
—Wayne Dyer (b.1940) American Motivational Writer, Author, Motivational Speaker
Sadness is a state of sin.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
What is earthly happiness? that phantom of which we hear so much and see so little; whose promises are constantly given and constantly broken, but as constantly believed; that cheats us with the sound instead of the substance, and with the blossom instead of the fruit.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But then, one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be happy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness.
—Woody Allen (b.1935) American Film Actor, Director
Not necessity, not desire /no, the love of power is the demon of men. Let them have everything /health, food, a place to live, entertainment /they are and remain unhappy and low-spirited: for the demon waits and waits and will be satisfied.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
Philosophy is a study that lets us be unhappy more intelligently.
—Unknown
It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.
—Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American Self-Help Author
There’s always some aftermath, good and bad, makes-me-happy or makes-me-unhappy, for anything we choose to do.
—Richard Bach (b.1936) American Novelist, Aviator
Those who are unhappy have no need for anything in this world but people capable of giving them their attention.
—Simone Weil (1909–1943) French Philosopher, Political Activist
The unhappy derive comfort from the misfortunes of others.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
I look at what I have not and think myself unhappy; others look at what I have and think me happy.
—Philibert Joseph Roux (1780–1854) French Surgeon
All of our unhappiness comes from our inability to be alone.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
Let no one till his death
Be called unhappy. Measure not the work
Until the day’s out and the labor done:
Then bring your gauges.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61) English Poet
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
If we must lose wife or husband when we live to our highest right, we lose an unhappy marriage as well, and we gain ourselves. But if a marriage is born between two already self-discovered, what a lovely adventure begins, hurricanes and all.
—Richard Bach (b.1936) American Novelist, Aviator
Hell is of this world and there are men who are unhappy escapees from hell, escapees destined ETERNALLY to reenact their escape.
—Antonin Artaud (1896–1948) French Actor, Drama Theorist
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
The poor, the unsuccessful, the unhappy, the unhealthy are the ones who use the word tomorrow the most.
—Robert Kiyosaki (b.1947) American Businessperson, Author, Motivational Speaker
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
Simply put, you believe that things or people make you unhappy, but this is not accurate. You make yourself unhappy.
—Wayne Dyer (b.1940) American Motivational Writer, Author, Motivational Speaker