What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Happiness must be created, not just taken; it requires effort to produce.
In this quote, George Bernard Shaw emphasizes the idea that happiness is not a commodity that can be passively consumed. Just like wealth, which requires work and production to accumulate, happiness also necessitates effort and contribution. This reflects a deeper philosophical view that personal fulfillment and joy must be cultivated through our actions and the positive impact we have on others.
Themes
HappinessProductionEffortWealthContribution
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community service, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of contributing to others' happiness.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes βMarriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
George Bernard ShawRead
Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
George Bernard ShawRead
Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
George Bernard ShawRead
The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
George Bernard ShawRead
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