“Men can only be happy when they do not assume that the object of life is happiness.”

“The care of human life and happiness, and their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of a good government.”

“People or philosophers keep saying that our fundamental objective in life is to be happy! This is wrong! Our fundamental objective in life is to exist, either happy or unhappy!”

“He had passed his life in the pursuit of happiness, and had never learnt that happiness is best attained when it is not sought; and, moreover, is only known when it is lost. It is doubtful whether anyone can say "I am happy"; but only "I was happy". For happiness is not well-being, content, heart's ease, pleasure, enjoyment: all these go to make happiness, but they are not happiness.”

“No object, no event, no outcome or life circumstance can deliver real happiness to us. We have to make our own happiness—by working hard at activities that provide their own reward.15”

“Those who make happiness the chief objective of life are bound to fail, for happiness is a by-product rather than an end in itself.”