Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who has a low opinion of himself.
Anthony TrollopeRead
They who do not understand that a man may be brought to hope that which of all things is the most grievous to him, have not observed with sufficient closeness the perversity of the human mind.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the complexities of human hope and the irrationality of the human mind.
Anthony Trollope's quote explores the idea that humans can cling to hope even in situations that are ultimately painful or detrimental to their well-being. It highlights the paradoxical nature of human psychology, where individuals may find themselves yearning for outcomes that they know could lead to suffering, illustrating a deep-seated perversity in the way people think and feel about their desires and fears.
In practice
In a discussion about the nature of hope during a psychology lecture.
Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who has a low opinion of himself.
Romance is very pretty in novels, but the romance of a life is always a melancholy matter. They are most happy who have no story to tell.
There is no happiness in love, except at the end of an English novel.
That I can read and be happy while I am reading, is a great blessing.
A man's love, till it has been chastened and fastened by the feeling of duty which marriage brings with it, is instigated mainly by the difficulty of pursuit.
But she knew this,—that it was necessary for her happiness that she should devote herself to some one. All the elegancies and outward charms of life were delightful, if only they could be used as the means to some end. As an end themselves they were nothing.
...we shall board our imagined ship and wildly sail among sacred islands of the mad till death shatters the fabulous stars and makes us real.
I react pragmatically. Where the market works, I'm for that. Where the government is necessary, I'm for that. I'm deeply suspicious of somebody who says, 'I'm in favor of privatization,' or, 'I'm deeply in favor of public ownership.' I'm in favor of whatever works in the particular case.
Only then, approaching my fortieth birthday, I made philosophy my life's work.
For it is my opinion that we enclose and celebrate the freaks of our nation and our civilization. Yellowstone National Park is no more representative of America than is Disneyland.
A discussion should be a genuine attempt to explore a subject rather than a battle between competing egos.
I like fish, and I also like bear's paws. If I cannot have the two together, I will let the fish go, and take the bear's paws. So, I like life, and I also like righteousness. If I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go, and choose righteousness.
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