Quote by Zhuangzi: “Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness.”

This paradox suggests that true contentment isn't found by actively chasing happiness, but by letting go of that pursuit. It means accepting the present moment as it is, without constantly desiring something different or better.

Zhuangzi often critiqued societal conventions and the constant human striving for external goals. His philosophy emphasized spontaneity, naturalness, and finding joy in the simple, present moment during a turbulent era.

Chinese Taoist philosopher of the fourth century BCE whose writings form the second major text of Taoism after the Tao Te Ching. Born in the state of Song, he rejected official positions and preferred parable and paradox to systematic argument. The Zhuangzi text, named after him, remains one of the most imaginative works in Chinese literature.