Francis Bacon Quotes

If there is nothing left to desire, there is everything to fear, an unhappy state of happiness.

Not being happy really is my fear.

It is fear that is the greatest cause of misery in the world.

Be contented with whatsoever is; never ask for more. The moment you ask for more you have asked for hell. The moment you ask for more you have asked for misery. The desire for more creates misery.

The world's oldest wisdom: each evil thought infuses the mind, sooner or later, with an unholy fear.

In all of my looking at happiness, one thing I noticed right away is that the opposite of happiness isn't unhappiness or even depression, it's anxiety. It is something that can constantly block our happiness, or our chance to reach that sort of meditative state in our work or our home lives.

Luckier than one's neighbor, but still not happy.

I am quite miserable because I'm never satisfied with what I've got. You're always looking for that next high, and that is what I would define as happiness.

The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.

There are two kinds of people on this Earth: Those who are content and those who are not.

There is no such thing as perpetual tranquillity of mind while we live here; because life itself is but motion, and can never be without desire, nor without fear, no more than without sense.

You know, the standard state for people is 'mildly pleasant.' Negative emotions are quite rare, and extremely positive emotions are rare. But people are mildly pleased most of the time, they're mildly tired a lot of the time, and they wish they were somewhere else a substantial part of the time - but mostly they're mildly pleased.

I am weary of happiness, both as a word and as a concept.

There is no such thing as pure pleasure; some anxiety always goes with it.

He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.

Happiness is best defined by its antonym, which is less 'unhappiness' than 'anxiety.' Anyone who is not oppressed by intolerable worry or grievous pain is almost certainly happy, whether rich or poor, well or ill, successful or frustrated.

I think people who sit around and are always yearning for the next thing are not always the happiest people.

It seems like a lot of people seek their peace in things. And most of us are not even satisfied with the things we have... we always want more.

Your doubts are generated by fear, and fear is a series of distorted thoughts.

Much thought has at its root a dissatisfaction with what is. Wanting is the urge for the next moment to contain what this moment does not. When there is wanting in the mind, that moment feels incomplete. Wanting is seeing elsewhere. Completeness is being right here.

When is enough enough? In envy's eyes, enough never is. Somebody else always has something we want.

The feeling of satiety, almost inseparable from large possessions, is a surer cause of misery than ungratified desires.

Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?

He who has few things to desire cannot have many to fear.

It is impossible that happiness, and yearning for what is not present, should ever be united.