All the world knows me in my book, and my book in me.
Michel De MontaigneRead
The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness.
Interpretation
Wisdom is often reflected in a person's ability to maintain a cheerful demeanor.
This quote suggests that true wisdom is not just about knowledge or intellect, but also about the ability to approach life with positivity and cheerfulness. A wise person can face challenges and uncertainties with a light heart, indicating an understanding of life's complexities and the importance of a positive outlook.
In practice
During a motivational speech about resilience, quoting this can emphasize the power of a positive mindset.
All the world knows me in my book, and my book in me.
All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed.
Pythagoras used to say that life resembles the Olympic Games: a few people strain their muscles to carry off a prize; others bring trinkets to sell to the crowd for gain; and some there are, and not the worst, who seek no other profit than to look at the show and see how and why everything is done; spectators of the life of other people in order to judge and regulate their own.
There is not much less vexation in the government of a private family than in the managing of an entire state.
Those who have compared our life to a dream were right... we were sleeping wake, and waking sleep.
Such as are in immediate fear of a losing their estates, of banishment, or of slavery, live in perpetual anguish, and lose all appetite and repose; whereas such as are actually poor, slaves, or exiles, ofttimes live as merrily as other folk.
Economy is half the battle in life, but it is not so hard to earn money as to spend it well. Hundreds would never have known want if they had not first known waste.
Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?
The best athlete wants his opponent at his best. The best general enters the mind of his enemy. The best businessman serves the communal good. The best leader follows the will of the people. All of the embody the virtue of non-competition. Not that they don't love to compete, but they do it in the spirit of play. In this they are like children and in harmony with the Tao.
Faith is the ability to see things that don't yet exist. Faith, though, can turn difficulty into reality, positive reality.
Never sit at a table you canβt walk away from.
Another train will come. Why rush? Why worry? Why go crazy? Another train will come. And sure enough, another train going my way was pulling into the station. My bad mood evaporated. I entered the car smiling, certain that there would be more missed trains in my life, more closed doors in my face, but there would always be another train rumbling down the tracks in my direction.
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