Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
Has joy any survival value in the operations of evolution? I suspect that it does; I suspect that the morose and fearful are doomed to quick extinction. Where there is no joy there can be no courage; and without courage all other virtues are useless.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Joy is essential for courage and virtues; without it, one may face extinction.
In this quote, Edward Abbey suggests that joy plays a crucial role in the evolutionary process, as it fosters courage and the ability to thrive. He implies that individuals who lack joy are likely to be overtaken by fear and negativity, ultimately leading them to fail in both survival and the practice of virtues that are vital for a fulfilling life.
Themes
JoyCourageEvolutionVirtuesHappiness
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about resilience, one might quote Abbey to highlight the importance of maintaining joy in challenging times.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes βI love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
Edward AbbeyRead
If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
Edward AbbeyRead
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
Edward AbbeyRead
I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
Edward AbbeyRead
Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead
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