Mary Lavin famous quotes

Last updated: Sep 5, 2024

Her theme was happiness: what it was; what it was not; where we might find it, where not; and how, if found, it must be guarded. Never must we confound it with pleasure. Nor think sorrow its exact opposite.
-- Mary Lavin

#Happiness #Thinking #Opposites
I donâ€™t think I would ever want to be a writer of detective stories - but I would like to be a detective and there is a large deal of detection in the short story.
-- Mary Lavin

#Thinking #Want #Detectives
"Take my own father! You know what he said in his last moments? On his deathbed, he defied me to name a man who had enjoyed a better life. In spite of the dreadful pain, his face radiated happiness," said Mother, nodding her head comfortably. "Happiness drives out pain, as fire burns out fire."
-- Mary Lavin

#Happiness #Mother #Pain
I don’t think I would ever want to be a writer of detective stories - but I would like to be a detective and there is a large deal of detection in the short story.
-- Mary Lavin

#Thinking #Insightful #Stories

I have known some quite good people who were unhappy, but never an interested person who was unhappy.
I have now reigned above fifty years in victory and peace, beloved by my subjects, dreaded by my enemies, and respected by my allies. Riches and honors, power and pleasure, have waited on my call, nor does any earthly blessing appear to be wanting for my felicity. In this situation, I have diligently numbered the days of pure and genuine happiness which have fallen to my lot: they amount to fourteen. O man, place not thy confidence in this present world!
Goodbye, my almost lover. Goodbye, my hopeless dream. I'm trying not to think about you, can't you just let me be? So long, my luckless romance, my back is turned on you. Should've known you'd bring me heartache. Almost lovers always do.
Far better to think historically, to remember the lessons of the past. Thus, far better to conceive of power as consisting in part of the knowledge of when not to use all the power you have. Far better to be one who knows that if you reserve the power not to use all your power, you will lead others far more successfully and well.
Indo-European peoples and Semitic peoples are today still completely different... Jews almost everywhere form a special society... Muslims (the Semitic spirit is today represented mainly by Islam) and the Europeans stand face to face like two beings of different species, having nothing common in the way of thinking and feeling...
It is hard to think of anything which more tragically and clearly exemplifies the phenomenon of good political intentions achieving the precise opposite of their aim.
Persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should be adopted to influence the conduct of men. The opposite course would be a reversal of human nature, which is God's decree and can never be reversed.
The tenor of my life has been the opposite of everything that is vile, and no man can lay any such thing to my charge.
Sometimes you can really serve well and win the match because of the serve. I have the opposite thing now, so it's kind of hard. I can just really play with my forehand and backhand.
Anxiety is the fear that one of a pair of opposites might cancel the other. Forever.

Mary Lavin famous quotes

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