As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.
Interpretation
Our perceptions shape our reality; what we think determines how we feel about situations.
This quote by William Shakespeare suggests that the nature of things is not inherent but is defined by our thoughts and interpretations. Essentially, situations are neutral, and it is our mindset that categorizes them as good or bad, highlighting the power of perspective in shaping our experiences and emotions.
In practice
During a discussion on mental health, someone might say this quote to emphasize the importance of positive thinking.
As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
Even his griefs are a joy long after to one that remembers all that he wrought and endured.
Reality denied comes back to haunt.
Civilization depends on, and civility often requires, the willingness to say, 'What you are doing is none of my business' and 'What I am doing is none of your business.'
It 's no fish ye 're buying, it 's men's lives.
No mariner ever enters upon a more uncharted sea than does the average human being born in the 20th century. Our ancestors know their way from birth through eternity; we are puzzled about the day after tomorrow.
All [zoos] actually offer to the public in return for the taxes spent upon them is a form of idle and witless amusement, compared to which a visit to a penitentiary, or even to a State legislature in session, is informing, stimulating and ennobling.
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