Because I did not understand the difference between meaning and happiness, I did not appreciate that life could be meaningful without being happy. I didn’t understand that meaning and happiness are occasionally opposed, such that the self-sacrifice that yields meaning may come at the cost of the very things on which happiness most depends. I erroneously assumed that if I were unhappy then my life lacked significance. James Castleton
About This Quote

The quote, "Because I did not understand the difference between meaning and happiness, I did not appreciate that life could be meaningful without being happy. I didn't understand that meaning and happiness are occasionally opposed, such that the self-sacrifice that yields meaning may come at the cost of the very things on which happiness most depends. I erroneously assumed that if I were unhappy then my life lacked significance." is a great and powerful statement about the importance of knowing your values and what you stand for in life. Every person has a mission in life and should do their best to fulfill it but we need to know where we stand before we take any action.

If we don't know what we want then we will likely end up doing something that doesn't fulfill us or even shock us as to how little it means to us. Nobody should ever sacrifice their values for happiness as those decisions will only leave them feeling empty.

Source: Md, Mending Of A Broken Heart

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  1. Happiness is the sense that my life is good because my biological needs are being met. Meaning is the sense that my life is significant because it has met the needs of another. Happiness bestows the feeling that I am whole. Meaning bestows the feeling...
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