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.
Interpretation
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.
In practice
This quote can be shared at a personal development workshop to inspire attendees to engage with diverse interests.
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.
Freedom comes only to those who no longer ask of life that it shall yield them any of those personal goods that are subject to the mutations of time.
Of these austerer virtues the love of truth is the chief, and in mathematics, more than elsewhere, the love of truth may find encouragement for waning faith. Every great study is not only an end in itself, but also a means of creating and sustaining a lofty habit of mind; and this purpose should be kept always in view throughout the teaching and learning of mathematics.
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.
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.
Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery.
The happiness of the drop is to die in the river.
Joy is not gush. Joy is not mere jolliness. Joy is perfect acquiescence ~ acceptance, rest ~ in God’s will, whatever comes.
One reason I don't drink is that I want to know when I am having a good time.
Smile, though your heart is aching_x000D_ Smile, even though it's breaking_x000D_ When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by _x000D_ If you smile through your pain and sorrow_x000D_ Smile and maybe tomorrow, _x000D_ You'll see the sun come shining through for you.
Today, let us swim wildly, joyously in gratitude.
Joy is our goal, our destiny. We cannot know who we are except in joy. Not knowing joy, we do not know ourselves.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.