"If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, and that is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are"

This quote by Charles de Montesquieu speaks with the human condition of wanting more than what we have. We frequently compare ourselves to others and believe that they have something that we don't, and that if we had it, we would be better. However, Montesquieu suggests that this is not the case. He recommends that if we only wanted to enjoy, it would be simple, however due to the fact that we wish to be happier than other people, it is generally challenging. This is because we often overstate the happiness of others, and think that they are happier than they in fact are. Montesquieu's quote motivates us to be content with what we have, and to recognize that true joy comes from within.