“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects.”
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Probable attribution
A source trail connects this quotation to Albert Einstein and As quoted by Ernst Straus in Einstein: A Centenary Volume by A.P. French (1980), p. 32., but the exact English wording has not been confirmed in a primary text. The attribution is therefore probable rather than definitive.
Likely origin: As quoted by Ernst Straus in Einstein: A Centenary Volume by A.P. French (1980), p. 32.
Review the attribution sourceAbout this quote
This page records the wording "If you want to live a happy life, tie it…," which centers on happy, people, objects. A concrete trail points toward Einstein, but the exact English form remains unconfirmed; the page therefore labels it as attributed to him while preserving its happiness and life context.
When to use it
- Use "If you want to live a happy life, tie it…" in a happiness discussion, then ask which concrete claim the wording makes.
- Compare its treatment of happy with people in a lesson, essay, or editorial note before drawing a conclusion. Use the closing phrase "goal, not to people or objects." to distinguish the example.
- Before sharing it as Einstein's exact words, display the attribution caveat and follow the evidence link recorded on the page.