“If the behaviour of babies and small children is any guide, we emerge into the world with our tendencies to imbalance already well entrenched. In our playpens and high chairs, we are rarely far from displaying either hysterical happiness or savage disappointment, love or rage, mania or exhaustion--and, despite the growth of a more temperate exterior in adulthood, we seldom succeed in laying claim to lasting equilibrium, traversing our lives like stubbornly listing ships on choppy seas.”
Quote by Alain de Botton
Author
Alain de Botton
Alain de Botton is a Swiss writer and philosopher known for his books on philosophy, art, and culture. His work is characterized by its accessible exploration of profound themes, which has won him a wide audience. more
You May Also Like
“How generous was it to offer gifts to people one knew would never accept them?”
“Why, then, if expensive things cannot bring us remarkable joy, are we so powerfully drawn to them?”
“Happiness may be difficult to obtain. The obstacles are not primarily financial.”
“Our greatest furies spring from events which violate our sense of the ground of our existence.”