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Quote by Oliver Burkeman

“Ask yourself whether you are happy', observed the philosopher John Stuart Mill, 'and you cease to be so.' At best, it would appear, happiness can only be glimpsed out of the corner of an eye, not stared at directly.”

Author

Oliver Burkeman

Oliver Burkeman, born in 1975, is a British journalist who specializes in writing about personal development, self-improvement, and psychology. His work often delves into the challenges of stress and anxiety in modern life, offering insights into how to cope with these issues through a psychological and philosophical lens. more

“Reassurance can actually exacerbate anxiety: when you reassure your friend that the worst-case scenario he fears probably won't occur, you inadvertently reinforce his belief that it would be catastrophic if it did. You are tightening the coil of his anxiety, not loosening it. All to often, the Stoics point out, things will not turn out for the best.”

Ifs Would Be Turns Belief Cases Worst Anxiety Scenarios Reassurance Worst Case Scenario

Author:Oliver Burkeman

“The routines of almost all famous writers, from Charles Darwin to John Grisham, similarly emphasise specific starting times, or number of hours worked, or words written. Such rituals provide a structure to work in, whether or not the feeling of motivation or inspiration happens to be present. They let people work alongside negative or positive emotions, instead of getting distracted by the effort of cultivating only positive ones. ‘Inspiration is for amateurs,’ the artist Chuck Close once memorably observed. ‘The rest of us just show up and get to work.”