The deepest quality of a work of art will always be the quality of the mind of the producer...No good novel will ever proceed from a superficial mind.
Henry JamesRead
A swift carriage, of a dark night, rattling with four horses over roads that one can’t see--that’s my idea of happiness.
Interpretation
Happiness can be found in the thrill of adventure and the unknown.
Henry James suggests that true happiness lies in the excitement and unpredictability of life's journey. The imagery of a swift carriage racing through the darkness evokes a sense of freedom and exhilaration, indicating that joy can often be found in embracing the unknown and the adventures that life presents.
In practice
During a motivational speech about finding joy in life's unpredictability.
The deepest quality of a work of art will always be the quality of the mind of the producer...No good novel will ever proceed from a superficial mind.
What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but the illustration of character?
Never say you know the last word about any human heart.
I adore adverbs; they are the only qualifications I really much respect.
We care what happens to people only in proportion as we know what people are.
Of course what he most intensely dreams of is being taken out on walks, and the more you are able to indulge him the more will he adore you and the more all the latent beauty of his nature will come out.
Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.
I believe compassion to be one of the few things we can practice that will bring immediate and long-term happiness to our lives.
In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy. It is necessary, then, to cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.
Reacting to the world with a smile instead of a curse, a wave instead of the middle finger, will actually help you live longer.
You don't have to justify a beautiful stroke of good luck. Accept it. Smile and say thank you.
Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.
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