Full Idea
Happiness, or lasting contentment, consists of continual advancement towards a greater perfection.
Gist of Idea
Happiness is advancement towards perfection
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Antoine Arnauld [1686], 1690.03.23)
Book Reference
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'The Leibniz-Arnauld Correspondence', ed/tr. Mason,HT/Parkinson,GHR [Manchester UP 1967], p.171
A Reaction
To the modern mind this smacks of the sort of hubris to which only the religious mind can aspire, but it's still rather nice. The idea of grubby little mammals approaching perfection sounds wrong, but which other animal has even thought of perfection?