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'Contrary to what your culture and religion have taught you, nothing, but absolutely nothing, can make you happy. The moment you see that you will stop moving from one job to another, one friend to another, one place, one spiritual technique, one guru to another. None of these things, can give you a single minute of happiness. They can only offer you a temporary thrill, a pleasure that initially grows in intensity then turns into pain if you lose them and into boredom if you keep them.'

Anthony de Mello#48

HappinessConsumerismValidation

About this quote

What does it mean?
External things like jobs or gurus cannot make you happy; they only offer temporary thrills.
In plain terms
Nothing outside can make you happy; jobs and gurus only give temporary pleasure.
What can you take from it?
Stop chasing external things for happiness; they only provide temporary thrills.

Where it applies

  • seeking happiness
  • guru shopping
  • career dissatisfaction

Putting it to work

  • reducing dependency on others
  • internal reflection
  • gratitude practice

Questions to consider

  • What are you chasing for happiness?
  • Is that chase working?

Another view

It ignores that stable external conditions do support well-being.

More from Anthony de Mello

  1. You've got to drop something. You've got to drop illusions. You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something. Life is easy, li…

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  2. He considers Jesus as a master alongside others. The only difference from other men is that Jesus is 'awake' and fully free, while others are not. Jesus is not…

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  3. You know you are a Mystic when you wake up one day and ask, am I crazy or are they?

    Permalink to quote #46

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