That man would be completely happy whose desires naturally aroused the proper activities, and whose activities successfully attained their end in gratification; between whose desires and experience there was perfect correspondence. On the other hand, a man would be entirely comfortable in mind and body if his desires could be eradicated; he might approach happiness by eliminating his desires, for, as Carlyle observes, you get the same result either by increasing the dividend or by decreasing the divisor. Complete happiness is, however, denied in both these directions; not even the most fortunate man finds all his desires gratified; and, on the other hand, by no sort of stoicism can man reduce his demands on life to the point of vanishing.
—F. C. Prescott
In orchards forever (Merwin)
I might have stood in orchards forever
without beholding the day in the apricots
or knowing the ripeness of the lucid air
or touching the apricots in your skin
or tasting in your mouth the sun in the apricots
W.S. Merwin, West Wall
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