When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always get worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that both good and bad situations are temporary, and that there is always the potential for change.
Malcolm Forbes highlights the cyclical nature of life, where during challenging times, we find solace in the idea that conditions can worsen, and conversely, when facing deep struggles, the hope arises from the belief that a turning point for the better must eventually come. This perspective encourages resilience and a hopeful outlook, reminding us that no situation is permanent.
In practice
Sharing this quote during a motivational speech to inspire those going through tough times.
Over the years, I've evolved a somewhat heretical but time-and mind-saving approach to books, articles, editorials that deal with weighty matters. More often than not, by beginning at the end and contemplating the conclusions, one can determine if it's worth going through the whole to get there.
Those who enjoy responsibility usually get it; those who merely like exercising authority usually lose it.
To live long and achieve happiness, cultivate the art of radiating happiness.
The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.
If you never budge, don't expect a push.
It's never a good deal when only one party thinks it is.
If one can only see things according to one's own belief system, one is destined to become virtually deaf, dumb, and blind.
Never lie, never cheat, never steal.
The object of reflection is invariably the discovery of something satisfying to the mind which was not there at the beginning of the search.
A remark generally hurts in proportion to its truth.
It is up to us to give ourselves recognition. If we wait for it to come from others, we feel resentful when it doesn't, and when it does, we may well reject it.
What care I if it be "wild and improbable" and "lacking in literary art"? I refuse to be any longer hampered by such canons of criticism. The one essential thing I demand of a book is that it should interest me. If it does, I forgive it every other fault.
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