Thursday 29 November 2012

The Most Beautiful English

Chapter 2 : On Happiness

I have never been basically pessimistic, although I have appeared so to some readers.
I have taken life so seriously as to be disposed to optimism.
Pessimism is a waste of force ---- the penalty of one who doesn't know how to live.
Happiness is in action, and every power is intended for action.
I have always found that it's more painful to do nothing than something.
Of all the virtues, cheerfulness and enthusiasm are the most profitable.
Enthusiasm flourishes more often in adversity than it does in prosperity.
Contentment grows out of an inward wuperiority to our surroundings.
We fall into the mistake of supposing that to look forward must mean to look anxiously forward. It is just easy to look forward with hope as with sadness.
The source of nearly all the evil and unhappiness of this world is selfishness. We know it; but we still keep on being selfish.
Fame without happiness is but a sorry at best.

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