Ask yourself whether you are happy', observed the philosopher John Stuart Mill, 'and you cease to be so.' At best, it would appear, happiness can only be glimpsed out of the corner of an eye, not stared at directly.
Oliver BurkemanRead
True security lies in the unrestrained embrace of insecurity - in the recognition that we never really stand on solid ground, and never can.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Real security comes from accepting uncertainty rather than seeking absolute guarantees.
This quote emphasizes that true security is rooted in the acceptance of life's inherent uncertainties. By recognizing that we cannot always have a stable foundation, we can embrace our vulnerability and navigate life's challenges with resilience and adaptability.
Themes
SecurityInsecurityAcceptanceUncertaintyVulnerability
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about facing challenges and embracing risks.
More from Oliver Burkeman
All quotes βUncertainty is where things happen. It is where the opportunities - for success, for happiness, for really living - are waiting.
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Reassurance can actually exacerbate anxiety: when you reassure your friend that the worst-case scenario he fears probably won't occur, you inadvertently reinforce his belief that it would be catastrophic if it did. You are tightening the coil of his anxiety, not loosening it. All to often, the Stoics point out, things will not turn out for the best.
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The effort to feel happy is often precisely the thing that makes us miserable. And that it is out constant efforts to eliminate the negative - insecurity, uncertainty, failure, or sadness - that is what causes us to feel so insecure, anxious, uncertain, or unhappy.
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Realizing that we've surrendered our self-esteem to others and choosing to be accountable for our own self-worth would mean absorbing the terrifying fact that we're always vulnerable to pain and loss.
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