To Seek Happiness by Changing Anything But One’s Own Disposition Will Waste Life in Fruitless Efforts

Samuel Johnson? Noah Webster? Orison Swett Marden? Charles Caleb Colton? Tryon Edwards?

Question for Quote Investigator: If one’s contentment depends upon external forces and events that one cannot control then one should expect continual heartache. Seeking happiness requires changing one’s own dispositions. This notion has been attributed to the famous English lexicographer Samuel Johnson, the noteworthy U.S. lexicographer Noah Webster, and the popular motivational author Orison Swett Marden. Would you please help me to determine the originator together with a citation for the precise phrasing?

Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1750 Samuel Johnson wrote a piece in the London periodical “The Rambler” in which he discussed the philosophy of Stoicism:^[1] 1756, The Rambler of Samuel Johnson (Reprinted), Volume 1 of 4, Fourth Edition, Issue Date: April 7, 1750, Quote page 28, Printed for A, Millar, in the Strand, London. (Google Books Full View) link

That man should never suffer his happiness to depend upon external circumstances, is one of the chief precepts of the Stoical philosophy. . .

Johnson discussed a poet who fantasized about traveling to America to attain a life of leisure and retreat. Yet, Johnson believed that the cause of the poet’s unhappiness was internal and achieving contentment required a mental shift. The word “trial” was spelled “tryal”. Boldface added to excepts by QI:^[2] 1756, The Rambler of Samuel Johnson (Reprinted), Volume 1 of 4, Fourth Edition, Issue Date: April 7, 1750, Quote page 33, Printed for A, Millar, in the Strand, London. (Google Books Full View) link

He would, upon the tryal, have been soon convinced, that the fountain of content must spring up in the mind; and that he who has so little knowledge of human nature, as to seek happiness by changing any thing but his own dispositions, will waste his life in fruitless efforts, and multiply the griefs which he purposes to remove.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

In 1782 “The Lady’s Magazine” of London published an essay containing a rephrased version of the Johnson’s passage about seeking happiness:^[3]1782, The Lady’s Magazine Or Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex, Volume 13, The More We Have, the More We Desire, Start Page 315, Quote Page 315, Printed for G. Robinson, London. (Google Books … Continue reading

The source of contentment must spring up in a man’s own mind; and he who is so unacquainted with human nature, as to seek happiness by changing any thing but his own disposition, will spend his life in fruitless labour, and only multiply the griefs which he intends to remove; for the great mistake of mankind in the pursuit of happiness, is casting their looks at a distance for blissful regions, while the prospect so much sought after blooms unnoticed around them.

“The Rambler” was published by Samuel Johnson between 1750 and 1752. All of the issues have been collected and reprinted several times. For example, in 1785 the material appeared in the series “Harrison’s British Classicks”. Thus, the quotation under examination continued to circulate.^[4] 1785, Harrison’s British Classicks, Reprint of the periodical “The Rambler” of Samuel Johnson, Volume 1 of 4, Printed for Harrison and Company, London. (Google Books Full View) link

In 1805 “An American Selection of Lessons in Reading and Speaking” by Noah Webster included a version without attribution:^[5]1805, An American Selection of Lessons in Reading and Speaking by Noah Webster, Revised Edition, Chapter 8, Quoter Page 20, Printed for Joshua Cushing, for Cushing and Appleton, Salem, Massachusetts. … Continue reading

The foundation of content must be laid in a man’s own mind; and he who has so little knowledge of human nature, as to seek happiness by changing any thing but his own disposition, will waste his life in fruitless efforts, and multiply griefs which he purposes to remove.

In 1853 Tryon Edwards compiled a book of quotations titled “The World’s Laconics: Or, The Best Thoughts of the Best Authors”. He published the work using the pseudonym Everard Berkeley. An entry for the quotation under examination credited Johnson:^[6]1853, The World’s Laconics: Or, The Best Thoughts of the Best Authors, Edited by Everard Berkeley (Pseudonym of Tryon Edwards), Topic: Contentment, Quote Page 50, M. W. Dodd, New York. (Google … Continue reading

CONTENTMENT, IT’S FOUNTAIN.—The fountain of content must spring up in the mind; and he, who has so little knowledge of human nature, as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own dispositions, will waste his life in fruitless efforts, and multiply the griefs which he purposes to remove.—Johnson.

Oddly, the 1853 compilation contained another entry which credited “Colton” instead of “Johnson”. The name “Colton” probably referred to Charles Caleb Colton although QI has found no substantive evidence supporting this attribution:^[7]1853, The World’s Laconics: Or, The Best Thoughts of the Best Authors, Edited by Everard Berkeley (Pseudonym of Tryon Edwards), Topic: Disposition, Quote Page 70, M. W. Dodd, New York. (Google … Continue reading

DISPOSITION—The man who has so little knowledge of human nature, as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own dispositions, will waste his life in fruitless efforts, and multiply the griefs which he purposes to remove.—Colton.

In 1897 “Rising in the World: Or, Architects of Fate” by popular motivational author Orison Swett Marden included an instance without attribution:^[8] 1897, Rising in the World: Or, Architects of Fate by Orison Swett Marden, Chapter 13: Rich Without Money, Quote Page 249, The Success Company, New York. (Google Books Full View) link

He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts, and multiply the griefs which he purposes to remove.

In 1989 popular self-help author Stephen R. Covey published “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” which included an instance credited to Johnson:^[9]1989, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic by Stephen R. Covey, Part 2: Private Victory, Habit 1: Be Proactive, Quote Page 93, Simon & Schuster, New York. … Continue reading

Samuel Johnson observed: “The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition, will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposes to remove.”

In conclusion, Samuel Johnson deserves credit for this quotation. Noah Webster and Orison Swett Marden employed versions of the quotation after it was already in circulation. Tryon Edwards incorrectly attributed an instance to Charles Caleb Colton.

Image Notes: Illustration of a woman experiencing joy depicted as a silhouette against a sunrise from geralt at Pixabay.

(Great thanks to Stacy Clopton whose inquiry led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration.)