Nine-tenths of our suffering is caused by others not thinking so much of us as we think they ought.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Yet it looks as if the thing we use to solve our problems with is the source of our problems. It's like going to the doctor and having him make you ill. In fact, in 20% of medical cases we do apparently have that going on. But in the case of thought, its far over 20%.
Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.
It's a rare and precious thing to be close to suffering because our society - in many ways - tells us that suffering is wrong. If it's our own suffering, we try to hide it or isolate ourselves. If others are suffering, we're taught to put them away somewhere so we don't have to see it.
It's through the small things that we develop our moral imagination, so that we can understand the sufferings of others.
We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life.
Suffering by nature or chance never seems so painful as suffering inflicted on us by the arbitrary will of another.
We must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.
When suffering happens, it forces us to confront life in a different way than we normally do.
Almost all our suffering is the product of our thoughts. We spend nearly every moment of our lives lost in thought, and hostage to the character of those thoughts. You can break this spell, but it takes training just like it takes training to defend yourself against a physical assault.
Nine tenths of education is encouragement.