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The great end of all human industry is the attainment of happiness
David Hume
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The ultimate goal of all human efforts is to achieve happiness.

David Hume emphasizes that the primary purpose of all human activities and endeavors is to seek happiness. This suggests that regardless of the complexity of our goals or the nature of our work, the underlying motivation is the pursuit of joy and fulfillment in life.

Themes

HappinessHuman IndustryPursuitGoalFulfillment

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech about achieving personal goals.

More from David Hume

Your corn is ripe today; mine will be so tomorrow. 'Tis profitable for us both, that I should labour with you today, and that you should aid me tomorrow.
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Eloquence, at its highest pitch, leaves little room for reason or reflection, but addresses itself entirely to the desires and affections, captivating the willing hearers, and subduing their understanding.
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All that belongs to human understanding, in this deep ignorance and obscurity, is to be sceptical, or at least cautious, and not to admit of any hypothesis whatever, much less of any which is supported by no appearance of probability.
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There is a very remarkable inclination in human nature to bestow on external objects the same emotions which it observes in itself, and to find every where those ideas which are most present to it.
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To have recourse to the veracity of the supreme Being, in order to prove the veracity of our senses, is surely making a very unexpected circuit.
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... The idea of God, as meaning an infinitely intelligent, wise and good Being, arises from reflecting on the operations of our own mind, and augmenting, without limit, those qualities of goodness and wisdom.
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