Trifles make up the happiness or the misery of human life.

The line argues that everyday “trifles”—small courtesies, minor slights, routine comforts, petty annoyances—accumulate into the felt quality of a life. Rather than locating happiness or misery in rare, dramatic events, it emphasizes the cumulative power of the ordinary: mood and well-being are shaped by repeated, seemingly insignificant experiences. The thought also carries a moral implication: because small acts are frequent and within reach, individuals and societies can meaningfully influence one another’s lives through attention to minor kindnesses and avoidable irritations. In a literary context, it reflects a realist sensitivity to the texture of daily living and the way character and circumstance are revealed in small details.