Happiness is a by-product. You cannot pursue it by itself.

Levenson’s line frames happiness not as a direct target but as an indirect result of living well. The metaphor of a “by-product” suggests that happiness emerges from other primary activities—meaningful work, relationships, service, or purposeful engagement—rather than from obsessive self-monitoring or chasing pleasurable feelings. The second sentence warns that making happiness the sole aim can be self-defeating: the pursuit turns inward, heightens dissatisfaction, and treats a fleeting emotional state as if it were a stable possession. The quote aligns with a long tradition (from classical ethics to modern psychology) that treats well-being as an outcome of values-driven action rather than a commodity to be hunted.