The most hopeful people in the world are the young and the drunk. The first because they have little experience of failure, and the second because they have succeeded in drowning theirs.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Young people hope because they lack experience with failure, while drunk people hope because they forget their failures.
- In plain terms
- Inexperience and intoxication both create optimism by hiding past mistakes.
- What can you take from it?
- Optimism often stems from ignorance of consequences.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is ignorance truly a source of hope?
- Does forgetting failure improve life?
Another view
The quote oversimplifies complex psychological states and relies on a generalization about youth.
More from Thomas Aquinas
Sure, for all our blindness; secure, for all our helplessness; strong, for all our weakness; gaily in love, for all the pressures on our hearts.
Permalink to quote #18 The reason, however, why the philosopher may be likened to the poet is this: both are concerned with the marvellous.
Permalink to quote #20 Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine.
Permalink to quote #17
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