Uncertainty is where things happen. It is where the opportunities - for success, for happiness, for really living - are waiting.
Oliver BurkemanRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Happiness is elusive and cannot be directly pursued; it often requires a more indirect approach to be experienced.
The quote suggests that the act of explicitly questioning our happiness can paradoxically detract from the experience of being happy. Philosopher John Stuart Mill's observation implies that happiness is a fleeting feeling that tends to be more accessible when we are not fixated on it, as it is best found in the moments of life rather than in the pursuit of verification.
Themes
HappinessPhilosophyElusivenessMomentExperience
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about finding joy in life rather than chasing it.
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All quotes →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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True security lies in the unrestrained embrace of insecurity - in the recognition that we never really stand on solid ground, and never can.
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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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