Nothing is more durable than the dynasty of Doubt; for he reigns in the hearts of all his people, but gives satisfaction to none of them, and yet he is the only despot who can never die, while any of his subjects live.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Happiness, that grand mistress of the ceremonies in the dance of life, impels us through all its mazes and meanderings, but leads none of us by the same route.
Interpretation
Happiness guides us through life's journey, but each person's path to it is unique.
In this quote, Charles Caleb Colton personifies happiness as a 'grand mistress' who orchestrates our experiences in life. He suggests that, while happiness is a powerful force that influences our decisions and experiences, the path to finding that happiness varies for each individual, indicating the subjective nature of joy and fulfillment.
In practice
This quote is perfect for a speech about finding individual happiness in life.
Nothing is more durable than the dynasty of Doubt; for he reigns in the hearts of all his people, but gives satisfaction to none of them, and yet he is the only despot who can never die, while any of his subjects live.
It is astonishing how much more people are interested in lengthening life than improving it.
The benevolent have the advantage of the envious, even in this present life; for the envious man is tormented not only by all the ill that befalls himself, but by all the good that happens to another; whereas the benevolent man is the better prepared to bear his own calamities unruffled, from the complacency and serenity he has secured from contemplating the prosperity of all around him.
Our minds are as different as our faces. We are all traveling to one destination: happiness, but few are going by the same road.
Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.
There are three kinds of praise, that which we yield, that which we lend, and that which we pay. We yield it to the powerful from fear, we lend it to the weak from interest, and we pay it to the deserving from gratitude.
The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or largely freed, from the domination of outward conditions.
If one were to build the house of happiness, the largest space would be the waiting room.
Rest, nature, books, music...such is my idea of happiness.
What humans want is not just happiness. They want justice; they want meaning.
There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment.
...the face has limited space. My mother used to say, if you fill your face with laughing, there will be no more room for crying.
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