Each nationality contains its centre of happiness within itself, as a bullet the centre of gravity.
Interpretation
Happiness is intrinsic to each culture and nationality, rooted in their own values and beliefs.
In this quote, Johann Gottfried Herder suggests that each nationality or culture inherently possesses its own unique source of happiness, much like how a bullet has a center of gravity that determines its path. This implies that happiness is not dictated by external factors, but is found within the cultural identity and values of individuals, emphasizing the importance of understanding and appreciating diverse sources of joy across different societies.
In practice
In a speech about cultural diversity, one might say, 'As Herder noted, each nationality contains its center of happiness within itself.'
So says the most ancient book of the Earth; thus it is written on its leaves of marble, lime, sand, slate, and clay: ... that our Earth has fashioned itself, from its chaos of substances and powers, through the animating warmth of the creative spirit, to a peculiar and original whole, by a series of preparatory revolutions, till at last the crown of its creation, the exquisite and tender creature man, was enabled to appear.
Thus we build on the ice, thus we write on the waves of the sea; the waves roaring pass away, the ice melts, and away goes our palace, like our thoughts.
The savage who loves himself, his wife and child with quiet joy and glows with limited activity of his tribe as for his own life is in my opinion a more real being than that cultivated shadow who is enraptured with the shadow of the whole species
A poet is the creator of the nation around him, he gives them a world to see and has their souls in his hand to lead them to that world.
Those that embrace the entire universe with love, for the most part love nothing, but their narrow selves.
The happy people are those who are producing something; the bored people are those who are consuming much and producing nothing.
Repose, leisure, peace, belong among the elements of happiness. If we have not escaped from harried rush, from mad pursuit, from unrest, from the necessity of care, we are not happy. And what of contemplation? Its very premise is freedom from the fetters of workaday busyness. Moreover, it itself actualizes this freedom by virtue of being intuition.
Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who is gone at last! Even muggles like yourself should be celebrating this happy, happy day.
Every birthday is a gift. Every day is a gift.
It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself.
Your success and happiness are forgiven you only if you generously consent to share them. But to be happy it is essential not to be too concerned with others. Consequently, there is no escape. Happy and judged, or absolved and wretched.
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