Happiness, n. An agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The quote claims happiness comes from seeing others suffer, offering a dark view of human nature.
- In plain terms
- People often feel happy when they see other people in trouble.
- What can you take from it?
- It warns that joy can be rooted in cruelty or envy.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where do you find true happiness?
- Is it natural to feel better than others?
Another view
Most people find happiness in positive connections rather than others misery.
More from Ambrose Bierce
Genealogy, n. An account of one's descent from an ancestor who did not particularly care to trace his own.
Permalink to quote #40 Helpmate, n. A wife, or bitter half.
Permalink to quote #42 Generous, adj. Originally this word meant noble by birth and was rightly applied to a great multitude of persons. It now means noble by nature and is taking a …
Permalink to quote #39
Related quotes
Few human creatures would consent to be changed into any of the lower animals for a promise of the fullest allowance of a beast's pleasures; no intelligent hum…
John Stuart MillJohn Stuart Mill quote #54 Nos vertus ne sont, le plus souvent, que de vices deguises.
Francois de La RochefoucauldFrancois de La Rochefoucauld quote #1 The good thing about being a hypocrite is that you get to keep your values.
Alan AldaAlan Alda quote #1