Happiness is about health of body and soul.
The sentence is intended to mean that "happiness is health of body and soul" or that "happiness consists in health of body and soul".
Does it mean so? Is "to be about" used in such sense?
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If something is about something else, it isn't the thing. Wealth is power. Wealth is about power. Hmm– LambieCommented Mar 27, 2021 at 19:23
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1 Answer
Yes, the sentence basically means that happiness is health of body and soul.
We use "be about something" to talk about the most basic or important aspect of something (Macmillan English dictionary).
So, happiness is about health of body and soul = the most basic and important part of happiness is health of body and soul.
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No, it doesn't mean that. It means that happiness is about health. A book about health is not a book that is health. Commented Jun 3, 2019 at 3:35
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2@JasonBassford but I was not talking about a topic of a book. I just meant that "happiness is about health" is like "happiness is health." And "happiness is a matter of health" is similar to "happiness is about health." It was all in the context of the given sentence only.– EngurooCommented Jun 3, 2019 at 4:01
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It doesn't matter. The grammar is the same. That something is about something else does not mean that it is the thing it's about. I'm all about health ≠ I am health. Happiness is about health ≠ Happiness is health. Commented Jun 3, 2019 at 4:15
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@JasonBassford I agree with you, but in my answer I said that "to be about something" (follow the link I have added) is for the most basic aspect of something. Therefore, health is the most important aspect of happiness. So, one may claim that happiness is health, but it doesn't mean that it's literally so.– EngurooCommented Jun 3, 2019 at 4:28