“ to be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness. ”
Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness (1930). copy citation
| Author | Bertrand Russell |
|---|---|
| Source | The Conquest of Happiness |
| Topic | happiness want |
| Date | 1930 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://russell-j.com/beginner/COH-TEXT.HTM |
Context
“The man who acquires easily things for which he feels only a very moderate desire concludes that the attainment of desire does not bring happiness. If he is of a philosophic disposition, he concludes that human life is essentially wretched, since the man who has all he wants is still unhappy. He forgets that to be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.
So much for the mood. There are, however, also intellectual arguments in Ecclesiastes. The rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full. There is no new thing under the sun. There is no remembrance of former things.” source
So much for the mood. There are, however, also intellectual arguments in Ecclesiastes. The rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full. There is no new thing under the sun. There is no remembrance of former things.” source
Meaning and analysis
