Quotation by

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit, and it leads us a wild-goose chase, and is never attained. Follow some other object, and very possibly we may find that we have caught happiness without dreaming of

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Understanding this quote AI Analysis

Hawthorne is saying that trying to chase happiness directly often ends in frustration because it is not something that can be grabbed by force. Instead, by focusing on other meaningful goals or activities, happiness may come unexpectedly as a byproduct.

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The unproductive tillage of human cattle takes that which of right belongs to free labor, and which is necessary for the support and happiness of our own race.
Purring would seem to be, in her case, an automatic safety valve device for dealing with happiness overflow.