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About this quote

What does it mean?
Life generally involves enduring more hardship than enjoying comfort.
In plain terms
Life is mostly about enduring hardship rather than enjoying comfort.
What can you take from it?
Accept that suffering outweighs enjoyment in life.

Where it applies

  • facing hardship
  • finding meaning
  • stoicism

Putting it to work

  • cultivate resilience
  • accept reality
  • seek small joys

Questions to consider

  • How much of your life is enduring?
  • What makes suffering bearable?

Another view

Some people experience more joy than suffering depending on circumstances.

More from Samuel Johnson

  1. To a pet nothing can be useless.

    Permalink to quote #79
  2. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill.

    Permalink to quote #81
  3. Ye who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, …

    Permalink to quote #78

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