“Solitude is unbearable for those who can not bear themselves.”
John Lancaster Spalding (1840–1916) Catholic bishop
Source: Aphorisms and Reflections (1901), p. 108
“Apply reason to difficulties; harsh circumstances can be softened, narrow limits can be widened, and burdensome things can be made to press less severely on those who bear them cleverly.”
On Tranquility of the Mind
Context: We are all chained to fortune: the chain of one is made of gold, and wide, while that of another is short and rusty. But what difference does it make? The same prison surrounds all of us, and even those who have bound others are bound themselves; unless perchance you think that a chain on the left side is lighter. Honors bind one man, wealth another; nobility oppresses some, humility others; some are held in subjection by an external power, while others obey the tyrant within; banishments keep some in one place, the priesthood others. All life is slavery. Therefore each one must accustom himself to his own condition and complain about it as little as possible, and lay hold of whatever good is to be found near him. Nothing is so bitter that a calm mind cannot find comfort in it. Small tablets, because of the writer's skill, have often served for many purposes, and a clever arrangement has often made a very narrow piece of land habitable. Apply reason to difficulties; harsh circumstances can be softened, narrow limits can be widened, and burdensome things can be made to press less severely on those who bear them cleverly.
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Seneca the Younger225
Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist -4–65 BCRelated quotes
John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton (1834–1902) British politician and historian
Letter (23 January 1861), published in Lord Acton and his Circle (1906) by Abbot Francis Aidan Gasquet, Letter 74
1860s
The quote is mistakenly attributed to the author
“Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.”
Viktor E. Frankl book Man's Search for Meaning
Source: Quoted in Man's Search for Meaning and attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche.
Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) 3rd President of the United States of America
1810s, Letter to Edward Coles (1814)
Thich Nhat Hanh (1926) Religious leader and peace activist
Source: Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
John of St. Samson (1571–1636)
From, Light on Carmel: An Anthology from the Works of Brother John of Saint Samson, O.Carm.
Δοιαὶ γάρ τε πύλαι ἀμενηνῶν εἰσὶν ὀνείρων·
αἱ μὲν γὰρ κεράεσσι τετεύχαται, αἱ δ' ἐλέφαντι.
οἵ ῥ' ἐλεφαίρονται, ἔπε' ἀκράαντα φέροντες·
οἳ δὲ διὰ ξεστῶν κεράων ἔλθωσι θύραζε,
οἵ ῥ' ἔτυμα κραίνουσι, βροτῶν ὅτε κέν τις ἴδηται.
XIX. 563–568 (tr. Robert Fagles); spoken by Penelope.
Odyssey (c. 725 BC)
Azar Nafisi book Reading Lolita in Tehran
Source: Reading Lolita in Tehran (2003)
Context: As I trace the route to his apartment, the twists and turns, and pass once more the old tree opposite his house, I am struck by a sudden thought: memories have ways of becoming independent of the reality they evoke. They can soften us against those we were deeply hurt by or they can make us resent those we once accepted and loved unconditionally.
Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer
Original: Coloro che riescono a mantenere il senso dell'umorismo di fronte alle difficoltà, oltre ad avere un'elevata forza interiore, saggezza e molto coraggio, sono grandi esempi di vita che ispirano chi li circonda a fare lo stesso.
Source: prevale.net