Sigmund Freud Quotes

If we seek the most happiness we can as individuals, it sort of bleeds into other people's lives.

If we adopt a self-centered approach to life, by which we attempt to use others for our own self interest, we might be able to gain temporary benefits, but in the long run we will not succeed in achieving even our personal happiness, and hope for the next life is out of the question.

Anybody who's ever mattered, anybody who's ever been happy, anybody who's ever given any gift into the world has been a divinely selfish soul, living for his own best interest. No exceptions.

Happiness that is sought for ourselves alone can never be found.

Few are the giants of the soul who actually feel that the human race is their family circle.

Each person is living for himself; his own happiness is all he can ever personally feel.

If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years.

I have vanity and greed enough for one person. But at the same time, I feel in my bones you lose a lot of life's value if you don't see yourself as a member of the family of man.

We have observed that, in society and the world in which we live, selfishness has increased more than love for others, and that men of good will must work, each with his own strengths and expertise, to ensure that love for others increases until it is equal and possibly exceeds love for oneself.

I don't want to just love my family; I want to love all of humanity.

We're all basically made of the same stuff: generosity and selfishness, goodness and greed.

I'm really interested in the difference between selfishness and generosity. It confuses me to no end because sometimes it all just feels like pure indulgence on my part.

We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery.

All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers.

Our true nationality is mankind.

… men who are governed by self-interest will combine, whether white or black, and the generous and selfless will similarly unite

All men are children, and of one family. The same tale sends them all to bed, and wakes them in the morning.

Either you fight for everybody, or you're really just fighting for yourself and people like you.

I love feelings that are universal, things that tie every single person on this earth together. I think we all battle between what we know is right and what we feel is right every single day, and as much as that can be difficult it's absolutely human.

We are united in that we are all human beings, and we are all together on this horrible, painful, joyous, exciting, and mysterious ride that is being alive.

A happiness that is sought for ourselves alone can never be found: for a happiness that is diminished by being shared is not big enough to make us happy.

Men have been taught that their first concern is to relieve the suffering of others. ... To make that the highest test of virtue is to make suffering the most important part of life. Then man must wish to see others suffer in order that he may be virtuous. Such is the nature of altruism.

The roots of all commonwealth are planted in the understanding that we are all the same human beings.

Making you happy isn't making me happy.

I enjoyed my own nature to the fullest, and we all know there lies happiness, although, to soothe one another mutually, we occasionally pretend to condemn such joys as selfishness.