“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval”
-Mark Twain
Self acceptance: Being comfortable in your own skin. All else risks a crisis of existential proportions.
Image credit: Nick Kenrick, courtesy flickr
On Self Acceptance
Reply
Tag Archives: mark twain philosophy
On Learning Wisdom, Eventually
ambroochizafer / Pixabay
“We chase phantoms half the days of our lives. It is well if we learn wisdom even then, and save the other half.” – Mark Twain
There comes a time in one’s life where he may question, finally, all the distractions of youth that have taken so much time and energy, and see them for what they are: nameless, faceless phantoms of fear and want , without merit or purpose.
Even then, after one has given over half a life to such imaginary phantoms and ghosts, it is worthwhile to to finally see what is important, and then to pursue only that.
On Empathy and the Law of Proportion
“Nothing that grieves us can be called little: by the eternal laws of proportion a child’s loss of a doll and a king’s loss of a crown are events of the same size.”
-Mark Twain, “Which Was the Dream“
All loss is profound. Comfort is found by seeing equally in other’s sorrow – and joy – a measure of our own.
On How a Little Certain Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so”
-Mark Twain
The more tenaciously a thought is held, the more irrational it becomes. But it ain’t necessarily so.
On Learning to Live With Yourself – and Others
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”
-Mark Twain
A man that can walk through life unburdened by the vicissitudes of others, accept his own shortcomings, and strive always to improve himself, warts and all, is an easy person to be around – for himself and others.
On Reality and Having an Active Inner Life
“Life does not consist mainly – or even largely – of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever blowing through one’s head”
-Mark Twain
Still waters run deep. The life of the mind is life itself.