“Want to be counted among happiest? —Have goals and pursue them all in earnest. Want to be counted among the saddest? —Have no goals except to work, eat, and rest.”
“What things must I observe to stay healthy, now that I know how precious health can be? Oh, how I love my dreams—get them I must, I need health lest all of them go to dust! Oh, where is that health I once had with me, how I enjoyed it so wonderfully! What must I do now to bring it all back, guess I have to write down all that I lack!”
“Il mio sistema introduce non solo uno scetticismo ragionato e dimostrato, ma tale che, secondo il mio sistema, la ragione umana, per qualsivoglia progresso possibile, non potrà mai spogliarsi di questo scetticismo; anzi esso contiene il vero, e si dimostra che la nostra ragione non può assolutamente trovare il vero se non dubitando; ch ella si allontana dal vero ogni volta che giudica con certezza; e che non solo il dubbio giova a scoprire il vero (secondo il principio di Cartesio ec. v. Dutens, par.1. c.2. §.10.), ma il vero consiste essenzialmente nel dubbio, e chi dubita sa, e sa il più che si possa sapere. (8 Sett. 1821)”
“If world is perfect, why not all happy? Is not a place that’s perfect—heavenly? Oh, how many dream of eternity, when even heaven is no guarantee! The true guarantee is not in the place; it’s in people occupying the space. If all can just learn to help each other, here and now is the heaven—no other!”
“If you are not so keen about your goals, what you really have are “wishes”—not “goals.” Don’t waste time pursuing any of them, one obstacle and you’ll give up on them.”
“They always condemn money as evil, and yet they seek it with unflagging will. They oft say wealth earned cleanly is not bad, and yet they hardly share it to please God. They oft say put spiritual wealth first, and yet they walked past who hunger and thirst. They oft say put God before anything, and yet their prayers are full of asking.”
“Let us all work hard to free ourselves up, lest we’ll be like those scavenging the dump: there are days they’ll be lucky, days be not; “existence” is their goal, “life” it is not.”
“From whomever did I hear this address: “Success is not the key to happiness, it’s happiness that’s the key to success,” for sadly, what I saw is the reverse. “They who work hardest are the unhappy, simply because they want to be happy; while they who work slowest are the happy, simply because they’re already happy.”
“Help people—with no view they’ll be happy; rather, to help people you are happy. And be sure your help they accept as right, not an intrusion to their wanted life.”
“Love your goal far more than you love your work, so that when you’re faced with an irksome work, you can yet do it with all heart and soul, born of the love for attaining your goal. It’s pretty much like an Everest dream, so full of dangers to one’s life and limb, but if you really want to reach the top, all of the negatives you have to drop.”
“Happiness: “Seeing what you want to see.” Sadness: “Seeing what you don’t want to see.” By this, life will always be up and down, since the world’s a mixture of smile and frown.”
“A man walks past with pink hair in the crowd; another with make-up on, oh so loud! It’s not they want to differ from ourselves, more than they’re not afraid to be themselves! Commence being happy and be yourself; from blending with discontent, free yourself! If oft afraid of what others might say, it’s not you who owns your life—it is they!”
“Oh, they say taking revenge is not right, yet they slap dead the ants that gave them bite. But then, if you choose the way of revenge, see the harm you’ll do be, too, not avenged. Take revenge or not? Try this cue to that: “Can you sleep more soundly when you do not? Or more soundly when you let loose the wrath?” Choose the one that brings true peace in your heart.”
“Marriage makes you old with agility. Single life makes you young with senility. Both situations hardly reflect your actual age. ~Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu”
“Can one come out as gay when gay he’s not? How long can one stay straight when straight he’s not? It’s in the genes: “We’re all born straight or gay!” Right from birth: “Straight is straight, and gay is gay!” Accept that when God made his creation, he made sexualities in variation. Homosexuality’s genetical— one is born with it, never pretential!”
“Can’t we measure our success by the day? —Despite tough times, we all survive the day! Can’t we weigh happiness by the minute? —Despite everything, we all love to breathe!”
“Oh, guns! In seconds, great holes you can bore; used for justice, how you the world adore! But as wickedness gets immensely more, used for crime, how you the world so abhor! I’m so confused the world can’t see logic in that very simple arithmetic— that tolls on gun deaths can be wholly stripped by simple banning of gun ownership!”