Generally speaking, though, Americans have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure. Ours is an entertainment-seeking nation, but not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one. Americans spend billions to keep themselves amused with everything from porn to theme parks to wars, but that's not exactly the same thing as quiet enjoyment. Americans work harder and longer and more stressful hours than anyone in the world today. But...we seem to like it. Alarming statistics back this observation up, showing that many Americans feel more happy and fulfilled in their offices than they do in their own homes. Of course, we all inevitably work too hard, then we get burned out and have to spend the whole weekend in our pajamas, eating cereal straight out of the box and staring at the TV in a mild coma (which is the opposite of working, yes, but not exactly the same thing as pleasure). Americans don't really know how to do NOTHING. This is the cause of that great sad American stereotype-the overstressed executive who goes on vacation but who cannot relax.
Elizabeth Gilbert
Related Americans have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure.Ours is an entertainment seeking-nation, bu... ELIZABETH GILBERT Of course, we all inevitably work too hard, then we get burned out and have to spend the whole weeke... ELIZABETH GILBERT I like to open for a band as it brings on sort of a challenge and it makes things more interesting. ... KELLY JONES PEACE IS THE OBJECTIVE TO WAR, BUT THE BLOOD RUNNETH STILL NATALIE URQUIETA The answer isn't more time but a greater awareness of the time we have. CRAIG GROESCHEL Integrity is not everything, but it is the only thing that matters. JEFFREY FRY There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I... THEODORE ROOSEVELT 35. God is entitled to a portion of our income—not because He needs it but because we need to give... JAMES C. DOBSON That's really sad," Beth said softly, "To have no one left. R.J. SCOTT How should I know?" said Alice, surprised at her own courage. "It's no business of mine." The Q... LEWIS CARROLL An emotionally locked person refuses to let go of their sad memories and live in the now. KILROY J. OLDSTER Clay in the hands of a good potter suffers so many good turns, but in the end, we see its real and t... ERNEST AGYEMANG YEBOAH Use your heart. Understand. Learn to see things in the now, not as they were or will be, or as ... E.J. PATTEN The American Negro has the great advantage of having never believed the collection of myths to which... JAMES BALDWIN I am among those Americans whose ancestors include men and women from many different European countr... THEODORE ROOSEVELT The battle is not physical, it is spiritual and your mind is the battleground. Keep your mind pure a... JEANETTE CORON That's not necessarily our priority. Those guys add something to the mix, but they do take a lot of ... BILL TORREY Friendship is a double-edged sword one side it can be great and true but the other side it spells be... GARY F EVANS... Wake every morning with the same feeling. Live up high and fly on top of the ceiling. I just know th... ANA CLAUDIA ANTUNES Americans believe that people should work hard and get ahead on their own, but when disaster strikes... JACOB HACKER The unfortunate thing is that, sometimes, we slip, but, fortunately, consciously or unconsciously, w... ERNEST AGYEMANG YEBOAH The earth is an arena of champions. We are all champions. We all did overcome millions of potential ... ERNEST AGYEMANG YEBOAH i know im not the girl you wanted. not the one you want to hear from. but what you see is what you g... SIMI GREWAL Results indicate that Americans believe staying healthy in old age is not just a matter of fate, but... DANIEL PERRY The Biggest Threat to our Democracy, Freedoms and Future is Leadership that fosters and Appeases the... MICHAEL HARRIS Now is the only time we have, and the only time that we have any control over. RICHARD CARLSON Wake up to a brand new day and realize why you woke up to meet the day! Live to the end of another d... ERNEST AGYEMANG YEBOAH The truth is, I do indulge myself a little the more in pleasure, knowing that this is the proper age... SAMUEL PEPYS As long as there is thirst in you, water can quench it; but you can live a kind of life in which you... OSHO Our nation is built upon a history of immigration, dating back to our first pioneers, the Pilgrims. ... AMI BERA The best thing you can do for your kids is to show them God working in you on a daily basis. CRAIG GROESCHEL In 2001, Congress passed much needed tax relief to allow Americans to keep more of their hard earned... DOC HASTINGS We spend more time at cinemas, theaters, art galleries and theme parks than we do at churches, and t... MICHAEL HUFFINGTON Many Americans feel that they are losing their Freedom of Speech but what they are really seeking is... E.R. ROCK Americans have been given goals to achieve in Iraq, but not the standards by which to measure progre... PATRICK J. KENNEDY In the U.S., you hear a lot about being overworked. But if you look at the numbers, Americans actual... DIANE CRISPELL Asian Americans are the same as African American, Hispanic Americans, anyone: we deserve to be respe... DAT NGUYEN I think that many people will intentionally overlook all of the lifeless facts about their relations... C. JOYBELL C. Creativity is not just thinking outside the box but living outside it. VICTOR SHAMAS Americans don't spend billions for entertainment. They spend it in search of entertainment. SOURCE UNKNOWN With Americans eating out more frequently today and facing increasing dietary issues, the availabili... ERICA BOHM There are many African-Americans who really don't know what their family history is, and so they're ... ELBRA WEDGEWORTH The love you get, is equal to the love you give. BEN OAK Social Security is truly a test of our values as Americans. Social Security is a fundamental promise... SENATOR JOHN KERRY One must simply take the days of their lives as they happen. If you spend time worrying over what is... R.J. GONZALES We are far from perfect but willing to be different. CRAIG GROESCHEL In the journey of life, certain paths may seem to be leading nowhere because of a mountain or hill o... ERNEST AGYEMANG YEBOAH German political leaders and business leaders should encourage more German private equity firms to g... DAVID RUBENSTEIN We have been blessed with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans going back to work, and wi... JIM DEMINT Many of these Americans who now are struggling to survive are Americans of color. We cannot allow it... ELIJAH CUMMINGS The great majority of Americans do not know much about Islam but nonetheless fear it as violent, exp... TARIQ RAMADAN Not only our political system is broken, but how we do business and have public discourse with one a... ISAIAH WASHINGTON The Americans are poor haters in international affairs because of their innate feeling of superiorit... ERIC HOFFER There is really nobody to communicate with right now on this issue, because Americans are not plugge... EVAN TRACEY Now is the only time we have, and the only time we have any control over. RICHARD CARLSON Congratulations, to the people which made gotham series, still need some more and extra work! DEYTH BANGER To have the cognitive abilities to do research and development is vital to a forever expanding world... GARY F EVANS... The first and foremost human right or fundamental right is the right to exist. APURVA GAGLANI If we ever put research into what the subconscious is we could probably come to the conclusion that ... GARY F EVANS... We, African-Americans, need to be more conscious of Africa. Africa will not get out of its economic ... HARRY ALFORD Rosa Parks served as an inspiration to generations of African-Americans and all people of good will.... BRUCE GORDON America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are ur... KURT VONNEGUT JR. Native Americans have a lot more cardiovascular disease than the population in general, but what we ... KRISTIN NEWBY Now is everything Now is the essence Now is the focus Focus on the now For that ... KAREN HACKEL Americans, in foreign policy, are torn to the point of schizophrenia. They are reluctant, than aggre... ROBERT KAGAN When you grow up there are things that you would love to do make your father proud is one and have f... GARY F EVANS... The situation in the United States is becoming more dire for average ordinary Americans and the last... CYNTHIA MCKINNEY But what we're determined to do, and what the reforms will do is to make sure this system goes b... TIMOTHY GEITHNER How do you know if something is real? That’s easy. Does it change you? Does it form you? Does it g... C. JOYBELL C. We must do what is necessary do help the victims of this terrible tragedy, but we should make sure i... JOE LIEBERMAN Empathy is the new measurement of everything. It doesn't matter what religion you have, what God you... C. JOYBELL C. The proliferation of support groups suggests to me that too many Americans are growing up in homes t... FLORENCE KING until we do what has not yet been done, what has not been done shall remain undone ERNEST AGYEMANG YEBOAH Each of us views life through a different lens. What we think is colored by the baggage we carry, an... LAURIE BUCHANAN, PHD Why not say that the meaning and purpose of the sexual powers is pleasure? Certainly sex is pleasura... J. BUDZISZEWSKI Carnival took the myth out of cruising. We took what some considered elitist and made it an everyman... BOB DICKINSON This week, Bush Republicans in Congress made it clear that they don't share the priorities of the Am... LUIS MIRANDA We may claim to believe in God, but we don't want to believe so much that it makes us different. CRAIG GROESCHEL Don't you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you're not taking advantage of it?... ERNEST HEMINGWAY The idea is to believe me... but as far as I see the world... to believe is a sin... to trust me one... DEYTH BANGER We are not seeking a confrontation but, if it is imposed on us, we are prepared for it. The conseque... AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI The economists may think it looks like the beginning of a recovery, but until middle-class Americans... JOE LIEBERMAN I truly believe that there's a little bit of Rosa Parks in all Americans who have the courage to say... CHARLES RANGEL America's work ethic is non-stop; it's not even enshrined in law that workers have to get th... DYLAN MORAN Everyone always says how I'm so smart, but they don't know what it's like being me. always feeling l... SUSANE COLASANTI In fact, the best thing we could do on taxes for all Americans is to simplify the individual tax cod... BARACK OBAMA The Americans of the United States do not let their dogs hunt the Indians as do the Spaniards in Mex... ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE May I never neither turn left nor turn right in my journey of life, but may I go straight to Christ ... ERNEST AGYEMANG YEBOAH Republicans are not going to play I-told-you-so, but it is pretty obvious that the tax reductions pa... MARSHA BLACKBURN We try to magnify the difference between Americans and the English. In real life they like the same ... AMANDA BYNES It's certainly possible that illegal (or legal) aliens are taking some Americans' jobs, but I am not... WENDY SMITH Each day I will accomplish one thing on my to do list. LAILAH GIFTY AKITA Smiling at death seems like a pretty bold act. And so I smile like a damned fool. EMM COLE We need to embrace every day and enjoy it as much as we can. KAREN TODD SCARPULLA What we have, however, is an issue that has tremendous impact here at home, and we believe that Amer... TED STEVENS You've never really trusted him, though you don't understand why. Something about the fact that he's... N.K. JEMISIN The British have been more up for it than the Americans were, particularly with respect to nudity in... KIM CATTRALL Great physicians and nurses, skilled, caring and unparalleled in their training, intervened in my li... SENATOR JOHN KERRY Not," Swift said firmly, "for all the tea in China." "That expression has never made sense to m... LISA KLEYPAS The first thing one has to appreciate is the context in which these men occurred. One, there was a p... ALVIN THORNTON
More Elizabeth Gilbert
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ELIZABETH GILBERT Unfenced by law, the unmarried lover can quit a bad relationship at any time. But you - the legally ... ELIZABETH GILBERT Ketut, why is life all crazy like this?" I asked my medicine man the next day...So what can we do ab... ELIZABETH GILBERT My career started young and I was really ambitious, and then I had success and I hung out with peopl... ELIZABETH GILBERT Man, they got mosquitoes 'round this place big enough to rape a chicken. ELIZABETH GILBERT You were given life; it is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something ... ELIZABETH GILBERT I have my own set of survival techniques. I am patient. I know how to pack light. But my one might t... ELIZABETH GILBERT I think you have every right to cherry-pick when it comes to moving your spirit and finding peace in... ELIZABETH GILBERT God dwells within you, as you. ELIZABETH GILBERT Look for God, suggests my Guru. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water. ELIZABETH GILBERT Dear me, how I love a library. ELIZABETH GILBERT That’s the thing about a human life-there’s no control group, no way to ever know how any of us ... ELIZABETH GILBERT There's a reason we refer to "leaps of faith" - because the decision to consent to any notion of div... ELIZABETH GILBERT Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advanc... ELIZABETH GILBERT I think sometimes we look at other people's marriages and we think they must always be so happy ... ELIZABETH GILBERT In a world of disorder and disaster and fraud, sometimes only beauty can be trusted. Only artistic e... ELIZABETH GILBERT يعتقد المرء أن توأم الروح هو الشخص الأنسب له ، وهذا ماي�... ELIZABETH GILBERT Still it is true that many same-sex couples want nothing more than to join society as fully integrat... ELIZABETH GILBERT There's no trouble in this world so serious that it can't be cured with a hot bath, a glass of whisk... ELIZABETH GILBERT Nothing in the last few years has dazzled me more than Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall,' whic... ELIZABETH GILBERT I was suffering the easily foreseeable consequences. Addiction is the hallmark of every infatuation-... ELIZABETH GILBERT [Saint Anthony] said, in his solitude, he sometimes encountered devils who looked like angels, and o... ELIZABETH GILBERT I think it's unfortunate that there exists only one path in America to complete social legitimac... ELIZABETH GILBERT Part of the elasticity that you need, in order to continue to try to create, is the foregone conclus... ELIZABETH GILBERT stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be... ELIZABETH GILBERT He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standin... ELIZABETH GILBERT The great Sufi poet and philosopher Rumi once advised his students to write down the three things th... ELIZABETH GILBERT The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this p... ELIZABETH GILBERT You have the opposite of poker face. You have like.. miniature golf face. ELIZABETH GILBERT Moreover, I have boundary issues with men. Or maybe that’s not fair to say. To have issues with bo... ELIZABETH GILBERT Yet what keeps me from dissolving right now into a complete fairy-tale shimmer is this solid truth, ... ELIZABETH GILBERT He lived in sight of both worlds, but he looked toward the unknown. And he was a scholar.... You can... ELIZABETH GILBERT The Augusteum warns me not to get attached to any obsolete ideas about who I am, what I represent, w... ELIZABETH GILBERT One year, Alma bought Prudence- who liked to draw flowers (beautifully, though not 'accurately')- a ... ELIZABETH GILBERT Let me ask you something, in all the years that you have...undressed in front of a gentleman has he ... ELIZABETH GILBERT Before you realize this truth, say the Yogis, you will always be in despair, a notion nicely express... ELIZABETH GILBERT What worked yesterday doesn't always work today. ELIZABETH GILBERT This is what rituals are for. We do spiritual ceremonies as human beings in order to create a safe r... ELIZABETH GILBERT In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back people in this world who sustain ou... ELIZABETH GILBERT Alma had grown as tall as a man by now, with broad shoulders. ... This need not have necessarily pre... ELIZABETH GILBERT We have hands; we can stand on them if we want to. That's our privilege. That's the joy of a mortal ... ELIZABETH GILBERT Pardon me, sir," Prudence said, directing her words and her placid gaze precisely at Professor Peck,... ELIZABETH GILBERT There’s this human capacity for joy and endurance, even when things are at their worst. A joy that... ELIZABETH GILBERT When it comes to developing a worldview, we tend to face this false division: Either you are a reali... ELIZABETH GILBERT People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will descend like fine weath... ELIZABETH GILBERT I push every day against forces that say you have to go faster, be more effective, be more productiv... ELIZABETH GILBERT This food won't be wasted; after the offering ceremony, Balinese families are always allowed to eat ... ELIZABETH GILBERT But doesn't that make sense? That the infinite would be, indeed... infinite? That even the most holy... ELIZABETH GILBERT I got to tell you, I think (deifying artists) was a huge error. You know, I think that allowing some... ELIZABETH GILBERT I will tell you why we have these extraordinary minds and souls, Miss Whittaker," he continued, as t... ELIZABETH GILBERT The inability to open up to hope is what blocks trust, and blocked trust is the reason for blighted ... ELIZABETH GILBERT