The unexamined life may not be worth living, but…
Page 36. The unexamined life may not be worth living, but neither is the over, examined one. Ask yourself if you are happy and you ceased to be so. This is the pleasure of paradox. The more we try to grab happiness, the more it slips from our grasp. Happiness is a byproduct, never an objective. It’s an unexpected windfall from a life well lived.
— from Enjoy the Flight (Living/Balance/Happiness/Passion) · Socrates Express, In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers By Eric Weiner
In the book
Which is why it can't be hunted directly. Happiness is a byproduct, never an objective — an unexpected windfall from a life well lived. Viktor Frankl said it best: don't aim at success or happiness, because the more you make them a target the more you'll miss; they can only ensue, as the side effect of devotion to something larger than yourself. […] Look out the window. Come back to the present; the one person who can hand you lasting happiness is you. Stop chasing it head-on. Happiness ensues from a life well lived; aim at meaning and let joy be the byproduct. Lower the second number. Your happiness rises as the gap between your perception and your expectations narrows. — Enjoy the Flight (Living/Balance/Happiness/Passion)