It cannot be pursued. But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. I’m an author, coach, speaker, and fellow learner. There was an error submitting your subscription. The utilitarian philosopher Henry Sidgwick was first to note in The Methods of Ethics that the paradox of hedonism is that pleasure cannot be acquired directly. This page was created by our editorial team.Each page is manually curated, … Reigns more or less supreme in every heart; b. [7], Happiness is like a cat, if you try to coax it or call it, it will avoid you; it will never come. Pleasure is, and must remain, a side-effect or by-product, and is destroyed and spoiled to the degree to which it is made a goal in itself.[3]. What did Viktor Frankl mean when he said, "Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue?" Our power to choose is a gift we hold in our hands. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. Therefore pleasure also is not continuous; for it accompanies activity.[12]. I welcome your comments. “Don’t aim at success. Happiness must happen, aid the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not car- ing about it. My blog is written to inspire you to be your best, find greater focus, and exercise tenacity when the going gets tough. One must have a reason to ‘be happy.’” 25, Charles Eliot Norton, ed. Famous psychologist Victor Frankl said that “happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. You were successful! When you stop and reflect on your life, what do you see? The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. “Man’s main concern is not to gain pleasure or to avoid pain but rather to see a meaning in his life.”, 3. Everything that heightens the feeling of power in man, the will to power, power itself. This is love in action. Find out more on the “About” page. These men were living proof that everything can be taken but the human freedom to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Looking back on that experience, I realize now how it helped me find meaning during the struggle. [8][9], Happiness is found only in little moments of inattention.[10]. 2. What is happiness? “Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.”*. Sign-up now for my 7-day email course - "7 Habits of Highly Resilient People." Viktor E. Frankl — ‘Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.’ To see what your friends thought of this quote, please sign up! ~ Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, p. 88 “For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. The Hedonic Paradox: If you want to be happy, don’t pursue it. Thus happiness may only generate as a by-product. It is often said that we fail to attain pleasures if we deliberately seek them. Is it that we grow weary? For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue Quote by Viktor Frankl Quote Meaning. Copyright © Cam Taylor 2021 • All Rights Reserved. Three Values that Produce the Fruit of Meaning. But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwart happiness. For the hedonist, constant pleasure-seeking may not yield the most actual pleasure or happiness in the long run—or even in the short run, when consciously pursuing pleasure interferes with experiencing it. Those only are happy (I thought) who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness[....] Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness along the way[....] Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so.[2]. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. As a result of these selection pressures, the extent of human happiness is limited biologically. [1] Variations on this theme appear in the realms of ethics, philosophy, psychology, and economics. (New York: P. F. Collier & Son Company, 1909 (p. 94). Learn how your comment data is processed. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. One must have a reason to 'be happy.'" For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Once one has served a cause or is involved in loving another human being, happiness occurs by itself. My new book, Detour, is written as a road map to help when life gets rerouted by adversity. Life has meaning in all circumstances, even despondent ones. "Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue." For several weeks during my recovery, I started playing the piano again. The Esteem Engine: A Resource for Institutional Design, "Sociobiology: Evolution, Genes and Morality". “Don’t aim at success. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Tutaméia – Terceiras Estórias (8.a ed.). And it only does so as the unintended sid... VIKTOR FRANKL U čoveku se kriju obe mogućnosti: svinja i … Viktor Frankl taught and more importantly lived, in a way that personified the ability to find meaning in life when faced with unimaginable suffering. Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. Henry Sidgwick comments on such frustration after a discussion of self-love in the above-mentioned work: I should not, however, infer from this that the pursuit of pleasure is necessarily self-defeating and futile; but merely that the principle of Egoistic Hedonism, when applied with a due knowledge of the laws of human nature, is practically self-limiting; i.e., that a rational method of attaining the end at which it aims requires that we should to some extent put it out of sight and not directly aim at it.[11]. Blessing must arise from within your own mind. In that moment of discovery, I found (with God’s help) a purpose that overshadowed the loss and pain of life. Happiness must ensue. c. That happiness will result from our own actions and state of mind. Other Quotes by "Viktor E. Frankl" For the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. Humanity has the freedom of attitudinal choice, even in situations of unchangeable affliction, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”. "For the world is in a … a. Everything that is born of weakness. Once the reason is found, however, one becomes happy automatically. The love of praise, howe'er concealed by art. The feeling that power increases—that a resistance is overcome. Sooner or later, finite beings will be unable to acquire and expend the resources necessary to maintain their sole goal of pleasure; thus, they find themselves in the company of misery. It must ensue. David Pearce argues in his treatise The Hedonistic Imperative that humans might be able to use genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and neuroscience to eliminate suffering in all human life and allow for peak levels of happiness and pleasure that are currently unimaginable. Viktor Frankl taught and more importantly lived, in a way that personified the ability to find meaning in life when faced with unimaginable suffering. Life and leadership coach, transition & change specialist, husband, dad, leader, writer, life long learner. Please try again. No explanation or meaning available. Motivation is an inside job. This has been described variously, by many: But I now thought that this end [one's happiness] was only to be attained by not making it the direct end. Human beings are actors whose endeavors bring about consequences, and among these is pleasure. ... Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Meaning (True happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue from the pursuit of meaning) The concept of happiness has evolved significantly since 1776 when this phrase was first introduced. Be the first to write the meaning of this quote by commenting below.Write explanation in three sentences to get it featured here. Here are three I’ve found useful during my journey of recovery. Happiness is often imprecisely equated with pleasure. The research for this blog is based on an article found here. Examining their self-reported attitudes toward meaning, happiness, and many other variables -- … It’s a by product of the pursuit of something else. What is bad? [4], [...] it is significantly enlightening to substitute for the individual 'happiness' (for which every living being is supposed to strive) power [...] joy is only a symptom of the feeling of attained power [...] (one does not strive for joy [...] joy accompanies; joy does not move)[5], Nietzsche's "will to power" and "will to seem" embrace many of our views, which again resemble in some respects the views of Féré and the older writers, according to whom the sensation of pleasure originates in a feeling of power, that of pain in a feeling of feebleness.[6]. I remember the day during my recovery when I discovered deeper meaning to life. If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paradox_of_hedonism&oldid=985139999, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 October 2020, at 05:57. Quotes & Sayings; Quotes by Topics; People Quotes; Time Quotes “Love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire.”. “Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.”* If you go looking for happiness you won’t find it. That we must pursue meaning, not happiness. About the author. Viktor Frankl, the Holocaust survivor and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, would not have been surprised. Evolutionary theory explains that humans evolved through natural selection and follow genetic imperatives that seek to maximize reproduction,[13] not happiness. The Hedonistic Paradox: Is homo economicus happier? For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Frankl describes the sequence of events that led to the loss of the manuscript which he had sewn behind the lining of his coat. There were three principles and three values that undergird a person’s happiness or meaning in life. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Now go check your inbox for the first lesson of your resiliency workout. You get this course plus weekly inspiration for tenacious and inspired living! This principle says to me that if you find meaning to your life, you will find motivation. "The point is not what we expect from life, but rather what life expects from us." Once an individual’s search for meaning is successful, it not only renders him happy but also gives him the capability to cope with suffering. Attitudinal values speak of the potential we have to make meaningful attitudinal choices in situations involving suffering and adversity. During his time in the concentration camp, Frankl remembers the men who walked around comforting others and giving away their last piece of bread. One must have a reason to “be happy”. When one aims solely towards pleasure itself, one's aim is frustrated. It is often said that we fail to attain pleasures if we deliberately seek them. What is good? Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. * All quotes are from Viktor Frankl. Another side to experiential values includes experiencing the world and appreciating the beauty around us. But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself, or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself." - Viktor Frankl. To receive each new post by email when they come out, sign up below. Image source: Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net Rio de Janeiro: Ed. “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.”. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. According to Gallup , the happiness levels of Americans are at a four-year high -- as is, it seems, the number of best-selling books with the word "happiness" in their titles. Nova Fronteira, 2001, p. 60. Happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's dedication to a cause greater than oneself or … Certain practices and habits foster greater satisfaction and happiness. Experiential values are expressed when you interact in a meaningful way with others – family, friend, those in need. Bear in mind his assertion that, “For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue” (p. xvii). Thursday, November 19, 2020. If you go looking for happiness you won’t find it. Rosa, Guimarães. Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete. The Proud to gain it, toils on toils endure; The modest shun it, but to make it sure! But if you pay no attention to it and go about your business, you'll find it rubbing against your legs and jumping into your lap. One must have a reason to ‘be happy.’” He also said that our constant search for happiness is a problem: It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness. The main motivational force is the desire to find meaning in life. If we choose a victim’s attitude instead of an overcomer’s attitude, the door to happiness and fulfillment stays shut. What needs to change for you find meaning in life? The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. Man's Search for Meaning. 1. That the pursuit of happiness is everyone's goal in life. — Viktor E. Frankl Man's search for meaning. The more a man tries to demonstrate his sexual potency or a woman her ability to experience orgasm, the less they are able to succeed. Viktor Frankl said in Man’s Search for Meaning: “Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself.” It’s a by product of the pursuit of something else. One must have a reason to “be happy.” Once the reason is found, however, one becomes happy automatically. But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. If, for whatever reason, one does equate happiness with pleasure, then the paradox of hedonism arises. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. This has been described variously, by many: John Stuart Mill, Autobiography in The Harvard Classics, Vol. The will to pleasure, however contradicts the self-trancendent quality of human reality. Tags: psychology, inspirational. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. Creative values are characterized by the achievement of tasks we engage in like painting a picture, tending a garden or writing a story. While not addressing the paradox directly, Aristotle commented on the futility of pursuing pleasure. “Don’t aim at success. The paradox of hedonism, also called the pleasure paradox, refers to the practical difficulties encountered in the pursuit of pleasure. “To the European it is a characteristic of the American culture that, again and again, one is commanded and ordered to ‘be happy.’ But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. Aristotle then argues as follows: How, then, is it that no one is continuously pleased? For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself, or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself.” —2— Your response > circumstances. "Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue." Certainly all human things are incapable of continuous activity. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Frankl said, “Our greatest freedom is the freedom to choose our attitude.”. Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued. It wasn’t because my circumstances had changed (they had gotten worse) but because I had discovered a way to live in my circumstances. One must have a reason to “be happy.” Once the reason is found, however, one becomes happy automatically. Hold in our hands started playing the piano again inspiration for tenacious and inspired living helped me meaning... ( p. 94 ) what we expect from life, but rather what life expects us... 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