The Conquest of Happiness Quotes

“the typical modern man desires to get with it is more money, with a view to ostentation, splendour, and the outshining of those who have hitherto been his equals.”

― Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness

topic:moneyequality

“any pleasure that does no harm to other people is to be valued.”

― Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness

topic:pleasurevalue

“Boredom is essentially a thwarted desire for events, not necessarily pleasant ones, but just occurrences such as will enable the victim of ennui to know one day from another. The opposite of boredom, in a word, is not pleasure, but excitement.”

― Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness

topic:pleasureboredom

“Men who are unhappy, like men who sleep badly, are always proud of the fact.”

― Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness

topic:pride

“don't expect others to take as much interest in you as you do yourself.”

― Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness

topic:interest

“But with the introduction of agriculture mankind entered upon a long period of meanness, misery, and madness, from which they are only now being freed by the beneficent operation of the machine.”

― Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness

topic:misery

“Public opinion is always more tyrannical towards those who obviously fear it than towards those who feel indifferent to it.”

― Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness

topic:opiniontyranny