Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally. — Nathaniel Hawthorne | Printable Wall Art

“Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally.”

Words by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) — American novelist, author of The Scarlet Letter.

About this quote

Hawthorne suggests that happiness cannot be achieved by pursuing it directly. Instead, joy arrives as a side effect of living fully, engaging in meaningful work, or caring for others. When people chase happiness as a primary goal, it often slips away. True contentment enters quietly while one is focused on other purposeful aspects of daily life.

This observation appears in Nathaniel Hawthorne's private journals, published posthumously in the nineteenth century as The American Notebooks. It reflects his characteristic preoccupation with human nature and the quiet complexities of the inner life.

People often hang this print in a study or home office to remind themselves to focus on meaningful work.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 19 typographic designs and 8 print sizes are available for this quote.

• Print-ready PDF with fully embedded vector type — sharp at any scale
• Exact trim size, no cropping required
• Print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to an online printer
• Instant download — no physical item is shipped

Sizes available

5" x 7" · 8" x 10" · 11" x 14" · 12" x 16" · 16" x 20" · 18" x 24" · 24" x 36" · A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)

Designs available

Atelier Serif · Quiet Garamond · Studio Left · Gallery Rule · Midnight Serif · Editorial Left Serif · Modern Sans Calm · Letterpress Caps · Poster Condensed · Script Whisper · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Night Script · Tracked Caps Unsigned

Digital product. Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers. Frames and props are not included.