Happiness and Optimism

if one did not master one’s circumstances, one was bound to be mastered by them;

For his part, the Count had opted for the life of the purposefully unrushed. Not only was he disinclined to race toward some appointed hour—disdaining even to wear a watch—he took the greatest satisfaction when assuring a friend that a worldly matter could wait in favor of a leisurely lunch or a stroll along the embankment. After all, did not wine

Montaigne’s maxim that the surest sign of wisdom is constant cheerfulness.

When all was said and done, the endeavors that most modern men saw as urgent (such as appointments with bankers and the catching of trains), probably could have waited, while those they deemed frivolous (such as cups of tea and friendly chats) had deserved their immediate attention.

when one is homesick what one will find most comforting to recall are those lighthearted little stories that have been told a thousand times before.

Rather than diminish our humanity, technology is on course to keep improving it. AIs and robots will make us better people (on average).

Optimism is a psychological attribute characterized as the general expectation that good things will happen, or the belief that the future will be favorable because one can control important outcomes. Previous studies reported that more optimistic individuals are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases and die prematurely. Our results further