There sure are a lot of these 'instant' products on the market. Instant coffee, instant tea, instant pudding, instant cereal... instant dislike.
Charles M. SchulzRead
Linus: What would you say you want most out of life, Charlie Brown? To be happy? CB: Oh, no. I don't expect that. I really don't. I just don't want to be unhappy!
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a desire for the absence of unhappiness rather than the pursuit of happiness itself.
In this exchange between Linus and Charlie Brown, Charlie articulates a common sentiment that rather than striving for an idealized state of happiness, many people simply wish to avoid unhappiness. This reflects the complexities of life where the pursuit of happiness may often feel elusive, leading individuals to prioritize a sense of contentment and the prevention of negative feelings over the chaotic chase for joy.
Themes
HappinessUnhappinessLifeContentmentExpectation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a therapy session to discuss the complexities of human emotions.
More from Charles M. Schulz
All quotes →Well, I know about loneliness. I won't talk about it, but I was very lonely after the war. I know what it feels like to spend a whole weekend all by yourself and no one wants you at all.
Charles M. SchulzRead
What's this? That little red-haired girl dropped her pencil... Gee... It's got teeth marks all over it... She nibbles her pencil... She's human!
Charles M. SchulzRead
Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don't worry...I'm here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you.
Charles M. SchulzRead
Sometimes I lie awake at night thinking about all the dumb things I do every day... If I live to be eighty and I do ten dumb things each day... That would be about two hundred and ninety thousand dumb things... When you add up all the dumb things you do, it's best to use round figures.
Charles M. SchulzRead
Dear Sweetheart, Without you my days are endless. Days seem like weeks... Weeks feel like months... Months like years... Years like centuries... Centuries like... You get the idea.
Charles M. SchulzRead
Similar quotes
But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?
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When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.
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I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.
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