Pessimism is carefully cultivated in some intellectual circles, as if it were a precious plant that the human race could not afford to lose.

The accumulation of facts, even if interesting in themselves, should not constitute the main part of education; these facts, whether they be of classical learning or knick-knacks of history, will be of little use unless the mind has been trained to see them in proper perspective.

Pessimism is a product of our civilization. It is not natural to the savage; he feels pain, or discomfort, and suffers from these palpable conditions, but when he recovers from wounds he forgets the torments, and when he is well fed he is joyous in the light of day.

Life is magical. There is something wonderful in being alive, in having within one's self all sorts of possibilities.

True love survives all shocks: an affection originally produced by admiration for unusual beauty may not only survive the loss of that beauty, but may become more intense if the beauty has changed into ugliness through causes that bind the lovers together in tender associations.

We must rejoice when love is great, and pardon its excess, for love is the staff of life, and life without love is life in vain.

So this is happiness, that journeyman.