Pride is founded not on the sense of happiness, but on the sense of power.
William HazlittRead
Indolence is a delightful but distressing state; we must be doing something to be happy. Action is no less necessary than thought to the instinctive tendencies of the human frame.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Being inactive can feel pleasant but leads to unhappiness; we need to take action to find true happiness.
William Hazlitt highlights the paradox of indolence, suggesting that while a state of inaction may seem enjoyable, it ultimately leads to distress. He asserts that both action and thought are essential for fulfilling our innate human desires, implying that engagement in life and activities is necessary for genuine happiness.
Themes
IndolenceHappinessActionThoughtEngagement
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming lethargy, this quote can emphasize the importance of taking action.
More from William Hazlitt
All quotes βThe world loves to be amused by hollow professions, to be deceived by flattering appearances, to live in a state of hallucination; and can forgive everything but the plain, downright, simple, honest truth.
William HazlittRead
Our repugnance to death increases in proportion to our consciousness of having lived in vain.
William HazlittRead
We can bear to be deprived of everything but our self-conceit.
William HazlittRead
There are few things in which we deceive ourselves more than in the esteem we profess to entertain for our firends. It is little better than a piece of quackery. The truth is, we think of them as we please, that is, as they please or displease us.
William HazlittRead
Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.
William HazlittRead
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