The hunter for aphorisms on human nature has to fish in muddy water, and he is even condemned to find much of his own mind.
F. H. BradleyRead
The secret of happiness is to admire without desiring. And that is not happiness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True happiness comes from appreciating what we have rather than longing for more.
F. H. Bradley suggests that happiness is rooted in the ability to admire and appreciate the present moment and its experiences, without falling into the trap of desire and longing for things we do not possess. When we focus on wanting more, we often miss the joy found in gratitude and acceptance, which is central to true happiness.
Themes
HappinessAdmirationDesireGratitudeAppreciation
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about cultivating a positive mindset, one might say, 'As F. H. Bradley wisely noted, the secret of happiness is to admire without desiring.'
More from F. H. Bradley
All quotes βWhere everything is bad it must be good to know the worst.
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True penitence condemns to silence. What a man is ready to recall he would be willing to repeat.
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Our live experiences, fixed in aphorisms, stiffen into cold epigrams. Our heart's blood, as we write it, turns to mere dull ink.
F. H. BradleyRead
Metaphysics is the finding of bad reasons for what we believe on instinct.
F. H. BradleyRead
One said of suicide, As long as one has brains one should not blow them out. And another answered, But when one has ceased to have them, too often one cannot.
F. H. BradleyRead
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Jack KornfieldRead