Q0083

“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig…” — John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism)

Verified English quotation. Primary source: Utilitarianism. Theme: happiness.

English

It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.
Thinker John Stuart Mill
School Utilitarianism
Source Utilitarianism
Theme Happiness
Another quotation More from this thinker

Source and attribution

The archive attributes this English wording to Utilitarianism and files it under Utilitarianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

About John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) refined utilitarianism and authored On Liberty, a classic defense of individuality against social and political tyranny.

How to read this passage

Greek eudaimonia, Buddhist analyses of craving, utilitarian happiness, and modern well-being research all contest the meaning of a good life. This passage enters that discussion through happiness, dignity, wisdom.

Concepts in this quote

Happiness
Happiness—or flourishing—is a central aim in ethics: what makes a life go well, and whether pleasure alone is enough.
Dignity
Dignity names the worth that persons claim simply as persons—and the respect that worth demands.
Wisdom
Wisdom is practical insight under uncertainty: knowing what matters, what one does not know, and how to act without false certainty.

How to cite this quotation

APA: John Stuart Mill. (n.d.). It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0083

MLA: John Stuart Mill. “It is better to be a human being….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0083.

Chicago: John Stuart Mill. “It is better to be a human being….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0083.

Frequently asked questions

What is the source of the quotation “It is better to be a human being…”?

The passage is attributed to John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism. The archive attributes this English wording to Utilitarianism and files it under Utilitarianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

What does John Stuart Mill mean by happiness?

Greek eudaimonia, Buddhist analyses of craving, utilitarian happiness, and modern well-being research all contest the meaning of a good life. This passage enters that discussion through happiness, dignity, wisdom.

Explore John Stuart Mill on happiness

Same thinker

More from John Stuart Mill

  1. The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs.
  2. The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.
  3. He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.
  4. It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.
  5. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.

All quotations by John Stuart Mill

Same theme

More on happiness

  1. The human good is activity of soul in accordance with virtue.
  2. Of all that wisdom provides for the happiness of a whole life, by far the greatest is the possession of friendship.
  3. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
  4. The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions…be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.
  5. Next to worry, probably one of the most potent causes of unhappiness is envy.

Browse the happiness theme