Happiness: an agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another.
Interpretation
Happiness can come from feeling above others' suffering.
This quote by Ambrose Bierce suggests that happiness might sometimes arise from the contrast of one's own situation with the suffering of others. It highlights a somewhat cynical view of happiness, implying that people can find joy in the misfortunes of others, which raises questions about the nature of true happiness and empathy.
In practice
This quote could be used in a discussion about the ethics of media consumption during tragic events.
PALM, n. A species of tree . . . of which the familiar "itching palm" ("Palma hominis") is most widely distributed . . . . This noble vegetable exudes a kind of invisible gum, which may be detected by applying to the bark a piece of gold or silver.
Human nature is pretty well balanced; for every lacking virtue there is a rough substitute that will serve at a pinch--as cunning is the wisdom of the unwise, and ferocity the courage of the coward.
Indigestion: A disease which the patient and his friends frequently mistake for deep religious conviction and concern for the salvation of mankind. As the simple Red Man of the Western Wild put it, with, it must be confessed, a certain force: 'Plenty well, no pray; big belly ache, heap God.'
Disobey n:To celebrate with an appropriate ceremony the maturity of a command
NOUMENON, n. That which exists, as distinguished from that which merely seems to exist, the latter being a phenomenon. The noumenon is a bit difficult to locate; it can be apprehended only by a process of reasoning - which is a phenomenon.
PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of ingratitude.
You have so much inside you, and the noblest happiness of all. Donβt just wait for a man to come along. Thatβs the mistake so many women make. Find your happiness in yourself.
Living with only the bare essentials has not only provided superficial benefits such as the pleasure of a tidy room or the simple ease of cleaning, it has also led to a more fundamental shift. It's given me a chance to think about what it really means to be happy.
If you refuse to be happy until you have no problems or challenges, you will probably never be happy!
Once we truly understand that God's will is that we be happy, we no longer feel the need to ask for anything other than that God's will be done.
Sometimes I have loved the peacefulness of an ordinary Sunday. It is like standing in a newly planted garden after a warm rain. You can feel the silent and invisible life.
I count my blessings far more than I count my money.
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