Quote by Laurence Sterne
Alas! if the principles of contentment are not within us, the height of station and worldly grandeur will as soon add a cubit to a man's stature as to his happiness.
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Summary
This quote suggests that no amount of external success or material wealth can bring true happiness without the internal principles of contentment. The idea is that being in a high social position or having a grand lifestyle does not automatically make a person happier. Just as these external factors cannot physically increase a person's height, they also cannot guarantee an increase in happiness. Instead, true contentment comes from within and cannot be dependent on worldly achievements or possessions.