A contented mind is the greatest blessing a man can enjoy in this world. | |
— Joseph Addison | |
What I always hated and detested and cursed above all things was this contentment, this healthiness and comfort, this carefully preserved optimism of the middle classes, this fat and prosperous brood of mediocrity. | |
— Hermann Hesse | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | In That Moment |
Something A Little More Recent | |
A Request For Help (Indian Pop Music) | |
2020 | Above Her Sink |
In A Slower Lane Now | |
2019 | #DullDonald |
2018 | And Start With Charity |
2017 | First Things First |
2016 | Why Would We Expect Truth From A Liar? |
Unknown Fear | |
2015 | Something Pagan |
2014 | A Note To Self |
2013 | Determining Our Degree Of Freedom |
2012 | Journalism And Fantasy |
Known Knowns | |
Jerk, n. | |
2011 | Love Questions |
Posts Tagged ‘Optimism’
Two Views On Contentment
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Blessings, Comfort, Contentment, Hermann Hesse, Joseph Addison, Mediocrity, Middle Classes, Minds, Optimism, Philosophy, Quotes on November 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Maybe Faith Is Based On Hope
Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Family and Friends, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Faith, Happy Birthday Mom, Hope, Optimism, Philosophy, Quotes, Václev Havel on April 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. | |
— Václev Havel | |
[Happy Birthday, Mom! | |
You raised me with optimism, hope and faith… Love, Kevin] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | Guitar Music |
Yesterday | |
2021 | Maybe Faith Is Based On Hope |
I Want To See You Smile | |
2020 | Thank You (To Those Who Serve) |
Hanging In There | |
2019 | Her Job, Too |
2018 | Just Another Song I Like |
Earlier Still | |
2017 | Ten To Go |
2016 | Unstable Emergence |
2015 | 88 |
2014 | Some One-Liners Are Too Easy |
2013 | Greatness |
2012 | Memories Of Arlington |
2011 | Wake Up |
One Person
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Individuals, John W. Gardner, On Cynics, Optimism, Philosophy, Pragmatism, Quotes on July 17, 2020| Leave a Comment »
The cynic says, ‘One man can’t do anything.’ I say, ‘Only one man can do anything.’ | |
— John W. Gardner | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | More Likely Unsinging |
What’s At Stake… | |
2018 | But What Are You DOING About November? |
Or His Elected Position | |
2017 | Some Good |
2016 | Edges |
Sums | |
2015 | I Hope Not |
2014 | Study The Means Of Expressing Yourself |
2013 | That Stubborn Thing |
2012 | Like Mike |
2011 | Flawless Or Candid |
2010 | Browning… |
Let’s Make It So
Posted in Leadership, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Leadership, Noam Chomsky, Optimism, Philosophy, Quotes, Responsibility, The Future on April 23, 2020| 2 Comments »
Unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so. | |
— Noam Chomsky | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Today’s Question |
2018 | A Moment Of Union |
2016 | Symptoms |
2016 | Tossers |
2015 | Hunger |
2014 | Outside Dependence |
2013 | Doing Right |
2012 | A Short Course In Human Relations |
If Death Be My Future | |
Strive | |
Such A Fool | |
2011 | I’m Working For A Living |
When Looking Around
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Charlotte Brontë, Optimism, Philosophy, Quotes on March 10, 2020| 2 Comments »
I avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward. | |
— Charlotte Brontë | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | Putin’s War On Ukraine: Choosing Lies |
2021 | How Many Times |
I’m Breaking My Silence | |
2020 | When Looking Around |
2019 | Except Dying |
2018 | History Will Judge Him Favorably |
2017 | Are You Confused? |
2016 | The Golden Mean |
2015 | To Infinity And Beyond |
2014 | Taken Back |
2013 | Windows Or Doors |
2012 | All Rise |
2011 | Vote Weight |
25 Days Until The November Election
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged Attitude, Hope, Maya Angelou, Optimism, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes on October 12, 2018| Leave a Comment »
No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. | |
― Maya Angelou | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Better To Lie, Get Rich And Destroy Your Country |
Love Is All There Is | |
2020 | You Remind Me Of Someone |
When I Grow Up I Want To… | |
2019 | Running History, But I Don’t Expect Many To Match It… |
It’s Probably Easier When You Live Alone | |
2018 | 25 Days Until The November Election |
Old And Young | |
2017 | Universal Soul Sounds |
2016 | Not Rivals |
2015 | Dead Sure |
2014 | Are You Educated? |
2013 | For Myself |
2012 | And When I’m Gone… |
2011 | Complete Conviction |
Here And Hope
Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Family and Friends, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Bequests, Children, Hodding Carter, Hope, Optimism, Philosophy, Quotes, Roots, Wings on September 10, 2018| 1 Comment »
There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings. | |
— Hodding Carter | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | In My Unending Story |
Say You Will | |
2020 | A Day With No Sun |
A Beautiful Thing | |
A Moment To Rejoice | |
2019 | Where And Why |
Day 12: Pause Or Plateau? | |
Eating Later | |
2018 | Here And Hope |
2017 | Choose |
2016 | All I Ever Wanted |
2015 | Compassionate Toward Yourself |
2014 | All And None |
2013 | Voices In The Dark |
2012 | Does Uncommonly Flexible = Flip-Flopping? |
2011 | A Modest Review Of A Modern Day Classic |
Encouragement Is The Path To Immortality | |
I Have Realities In My Past
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Man's Search for Meaning, Optimism, Pessimism, Philosophy, Quotes, Viktor E. Frankl on April 30, 2018| Leave a Comment »
The pessimist resembles a man who observes with fear and sadness that his wall calendar, from which he daily tears a sheet, grows thinner with each passing day. On the other hand, the person who attacks the problems of life actively is like a man who removes each successive leaf from his calendar and files it neatly and carefully away with its predecessors, after first having jotted down a few diary notes on the back. He can reflect with pride and joy on all the richness set down in these notes, on all the life he has already lived to the fullest. What will it matter to him if he notices that he is growing old? Has he any reason to envy the young people whom he sees, or wax nostalgic over his own lost youth? What reasons has he to envy a young person? For the possibilities that a young person has, the future which is in store for him? | |
‘No, thank you,’ he will think. ‘Instead of possibilities, I have realities in my past, not only the reality of work done and of love loved, but of sufferings bravely suffered. These sufferings are even the things of which I am most proud, although these are things which cannot inspire envy.’ | |
― Viktor E. Frankl | |
From his book: “Man’s Search for Meaning“ | |
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On This Day In: | |
2017 | Did I See You In Chapter 13? |
2016 | As I Recall |
2015 | Less And More Irritation |
2014 | That Marvelous Feeling |
2013 | Exceptional |
2012 | A Wild And Crazy Believer |
2011 | A Lack Of Scarcity |
The Joy Of Prevention | |
Who Will Thank (If Not Remember) Me
Posted in Environment, Family and Friends, Leadership, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Caecilius Statius, Family and Friends, Leadership, Marcus Tullius Cicero, Optimism, Philosophy, Planning For The Future, Quotes, Trees on April 11, 2018| Leave a Comment »
He who plants trees benefits another generation. | |
— Caecilius Statius as quoted by Marcus Tullius Cicero | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | A Little Epiphany |
2021 | Clear Global Standards |
A Girl Like You | |
2020 | Life’s Mysteries |
2019 | I Doubt I Ever Will |
2018 | Who Will Thank (If Not Remember) Me |
2017 | Reinforced Learning |
2016 | I Choose To Believe |
2015 | What They Don’t Teach You At School |
2014 | Still Trying To Die (5) |
2013 | Honest Doubt |
2012 | Choice |
2011 | Ownership Of Thought |
But The Clock Says It’s Already Two Minutes 30 Seconds to Midnight
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged #DumbDonald, Doomsday Clock, Optimism, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Stars on November 20, 2017| 2 Comments »
When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. | |
― Ralph Waldo Emerson | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Small Curves |
One For Me | |
2020 | Like Belief In Truth And Facts |
Hey #45, Are You Tired Of LOSING Law Suits Too? | |
2019 | Many Forms |
2018 | Serenity Prayer |
2017 | But The Clock Says It’s Already Two Minutes 30 Seconds to Midnight |
2016 | Towards No Regret |
2015 | 109 And Beyond |
2014 | Are You Waiting? |
2013 | Traditional Human Sacrifice |
2012 | A Division Of Men |
2011 | Miles, Legends and Superwoman |
Got Tragedy? | |
2010 | My Company For A Prince!! |
On The Shoulders Of Titans | |
Choose Life
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Attitude, Bad Things, Character, Life, Optimism, Philosophy, Quotes, Walter Anderson on October 11, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself. | |
— Walter Anderson | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Of Course The Term “Value” Is Undefined |
Waiting | |
2020 | I Hadn’t Thought Of That |
Keep Looking! | |
2019 | Knocking On Impeachment’s Door |
2018 | Do You Remember? |
2017 | Choose Life |
My Response To President Trump’s Threat To NBC | |
2016 | We, Us, All |
2015 | No Less |
2014 | Life Advice (50) |
Orange October (IV) – Giants Win Game 1 Of NLCS! | |
2013 | Running To |
2012 | Suddenly |
2011 | Liberal Washington |
2010 | Giants Advance To NLCS!! |
The Tide Will Turn
Posted in My Journal, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Harriet Beecher Stowe, My Journal, Optimism, Persistence, Philosophy, Quotes on August 20, 2017| Leave a Comment »
When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. | |
— Harriet Beecher Stowe | |
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On This Day In: | |
2016 | Dreamers |
2015 | Three Roars |
2014 | Be R-E-L-E-V-A-N-T |
2013 | Lacking |
2012 | So Small A Thing |
2011 | Is Your Time Valuable? |
The Best?
Posted in My Journal, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged James Branch Cabell, My Journal, Optimism, Pessimism, Philosophy, Quotes on June 8, 2017| Leave a Comment »
The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears this is true. | |
— James Branch Cabell | |
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On This Day In: | |
2016 | Timely Opinions On “The Donald” |
Even Allowing For Coincidence | |
2015 | First Things First |
2014 | Without The Other |
2013 | Earn This |
Seeking A View | |
2012 | Stumblin’ Along My Way |
We’re Proud Of You, Jr! | |
Union Card | |
Two Philosophies | |
2011 | Simply Unpredictable |