"Always leave something to wish for; otherwise you will be miserable from your very happiness"

Baltasar Gracian’s words touch upon a paradox of human nature: fulfillment often breeds complacency, even discontent, when nothing is left unattained. The essence of happiness, he suggests, lies not in complete satisfaction, but in the ongoing pursuit of desires and possibilities. When every wish is fulfilled and there remains nothing further to aspire to, happiness can become static, even suffocating. Instead of savoring the contentment, one might paradoxically be overwhelmed by a sense of stagnation or emptiness, as if the very culmination of joy has stripped life of its dynamism.

The longing for more, the gentle tug of an unrealized wish, infuses life with anticipation and purpose. Wishes act as silent motivations, a reason to rise each morning, to persist despite setbacks, and to imagine a better tomorrow. Human happiness thrives on movement, on hope, on reaching and striving, rather than idleness in a garden of gratified desires. The process of wanting, even of yearning, becomes entwined with the very fabric of a satisfying existence.

Gracian's insight reveals that it is not the absence of lack, but the presence of meaningful dreams, that truly sustains a soul. When one’s heart no longer yearns for something ahead, life can flatten, becoming repetitive or predictable. Too much satisfaction can breed restlessness or ennui, a surprising kind of misery that emerges not from deprivation, but from abundance. By preserving something to wish for, we maintain a vital connection with possibility and hope. The hunger for what lies just out of reach keeps our sense of wonder and drive alive.

Ultimately, a fragment of unfulfilled desire can act as a beacon, illuminating new paths and sustaining enthusiasm. True joy may flourish best in the delicate tension between gratitude for the present and anticipation for the future, where happiness is both a reality and a horizon yet to be reached.