True peace of mind comes from accepting the worst. Psychologically, I think it means a release of energy.
Lin YutangRead
Reality - Dreams = Animal Being Reality + Dreams = A Heart-Ache (usually called Idealism) Reality + Humor = Realism (also called Conservatism) Dreams - Humor = Fanaticism Dreams + Humor = Fantasy Reality + Dreams + Humor = Wisdom
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote illustrates the relationship between reality, dreams, and humor in shaping our understanding of life.
Lin Yutang's quote explores the complex interplay between reality and dreams, suggesting that each has a significant role in human experience. He indicates that without humor, dreams can lead to unrealistic idealism or fanaticism, whereas humor combined with reality and dreams contributes to wisdom, providing a balanced perspective on life. This reflection emphasizes the necessity of humor in navigating the intricacies of existence, ultimately advocating for a thoughtful approach to understanding our place in the world.
Themes
RealityDreamsHumorWisdomIdealismFanaticismRealism
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of balancing ambitions with practical perspectives.
More from Lin Yutang
All quotes →All women's dresses, in every age and country, are merely variations on the eternal struggle between the admitted desire to dress and the unadmitted desire to undress.
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This I conceive to be the chemical function of humor: to change the character of our thought.
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If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.
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It is that unoccupied space which makes a room habitable, as it is our leisure hours which make life endurable.
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The wise man reads both books and life itself.
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