Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but… — William Butler Yeats | Printable Wall Art

“Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing.”

Words by William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) — Irish poet and Nobel laureate.

About this quote

Yeats redefines happiness not as a static state, a reward for good behaviour, or a fleeting pleasure, but as active personal movement. True contentment comes from evolving, learning, and expanding our inner life. When we stall, we lose that sense of purpose. We feel genuine joy not when reaching a destination, but while we are actively growing.

This passage appears in Yeats's autobiographical writings from the early twentieth century. It reflects the Irish poet's lifelong belief that art, thought, and human character must continually evolve rather than remain comfortable and fixed.

People often hang this print in a home office or study to encourage continuous learning and daily personal progress.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 18 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 · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Tracked Caps Unsigned · Editorial Justified

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