The contemplative life is often miserable. One must act more, think less, and not watch oneself live.

The contemplative life is often miserable. One must act more, think less, and not watch oneself live.

Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live.

One must not hope to be more than one can be.

It must be admitted that there are some parts of the soul which we must entirely paralyse before we can live happily in this world.

There are two things that one must get used to or one will find life unendurable: the damages of time and injustices of men.