We are slow to believe that which if believed would hurt our feelings.
OvidRead
Minds that are ill at ease are agitated by both hope and fear.
Interpretation
Unsettled minds experience turmoil from their hopes and fears.
This quote by Ovid reflects on the human condition, emphasizing how uncertainty breeds anxiety. When our minds are not at peace, we find ourselves caught in a cycle of longing for what we hope for and dreading what we fear, highlighting the mental struggles we face as we navigate our desires and anxieties.
In practice
In a motivational speech about mental health, one could use this quote to illustrate the impact of our emotions.
We are slow to believe that which if believed would hurt our feelings.
All things human hang by a slender thread; and that which seemed to stand strong suddenly falls and sinks in ruins.
A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man's brow.
Fas est ab hoste doceri._x000D_ One should learn even from one's enemies.
Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you.
The end doesn't justify the means.
Let us be moral. Let us contemplate existence.
Your genuine action will explain itself, and_x000D_ _x000D_ will explain your other genuine actions._x000D_ _x000D_ Your conformity explains nothing.
God hath work to do in this world; and to desert it because of its difficulties and entanglements, is to cast off His authority. It is not enough that we be just, that we be righteous, and walk with God in holiness; but we must also serve our generation, as David did before he fell asleep. God hath a work to do; and not to help Him is to oppose Him.
Self-righteousness is the inevitable fruit of simple moral judgments.
I used to be monastic, almost. Now I'm like a Tibetan that has discovered hamburgers and television. I'm catching up on Americana.
But there are times when the little cloud spreads, until it obscures the sky. And those times I look around at my fellow men and I am reminded of some likeness of the beast-people, and I feel as though the animal is surging up in them. And I know they are neither wholly animal nor holy man, but an unstable combination of both.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.