Earnestness can ferment into sentimentality.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Nowadays I'd describe myself as earnest, terribly earnest. I'm the person who wants everybody in the room to feel important and happy.
Sentimentality is a false sense of self.
Sentimentality is a form of fatigue.
Sentimentality works by our seeing only what we want to see.
From Romare Bearden I learned that the fullness and richness of everyday life can be rendered without compromise or sentimentality.
I think the word 'earnest' kind of has a negative connotation on some level. I think one of the things that's happened is that being cynical is somehow conflated with being sophisticated. I think that's problematic, to say the least.
I think sometimes good sentimentality is fun when it's balanced.
Sentimentality is the emotional promiscuity of those who have no sentiment.
Earnestness is stupidity sent to college.
Earnestness is enthusiasm tempered by reason.