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The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.
Bertrand Russell
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Happiness comes from broad interests and positive interactions.

This quote by Bertrand Russell emphasizes that happiness is cultivated through a wide range of interests and by fostering friendly reactions towards people and experiences that intrigue us. By embracing a diverse array of interests and maintaining a positive demeanor in our interactions, we open ourselves up to joy and fulfillment in life.

Themes

HappinessInterestsFriendlinessPositivityWell-Being

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be shared at a personal development workshop to inspire attendees to engage with diverse interests.

More from Bertrand Russell

St. Paul introduced an entirely novel view of marriage, that it existed primarily to prevent the sin of fornication. It is just as if one were to maintain that the sole reason for baking bread is to prevent people from stealing cake.
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At all times, except when a monarch could enforce his will, war has been facilitated by the fact that vigorous males, confident of victory, enjoyed it, while their females admired them for their prowess.
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Moreover, the attitude that one ought to believe such and such a proposition, independently of the question whether there is evidence in its favor, is an attitude which produces hostility to evidence and causes us to close our minds to every fact that does not suit our prejudices.
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Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery.
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Quote by Bertrand Russell | QuoteProject