Our jobs make relentless calls on a narrow band of our faculties, reducing our chances of achieving rounded personalities and leaving us to suspect (often in the gathering darkness of a Sunday evening) that much of who we are, or could be, has gone unexplored.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

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Our jobs make relentless calls on a narrow band of our faculties, reducing our chances of achieving rounded personalities and leaving us to suspect (often in the gathering darkness of a Sunday evening) that much of who we are, or could be, has gone unexplored.

Alain de Botton

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Achieve Band Faculty Make Narrow Reduce Change Relentless Round

Bagwalas

The need for love hallucinates a prince or princess. The oasis complex is never a complete delusion: the man in the desert does see something on the horizon. It is just that the palms have withered, the well is dry, and the place is infected with locusts.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

The need for love hallucinates a prince or princess. The oasis complex is never a complete delusion: the man in the desert does see something on the horizon. It is just that the palms have withered, the well is dry, and the place is infected with locusts.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Delusion Desert Hallucinate Oasis Prince Princess
The best cure for one’s bad tendencies is to see them in action in another person.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

The best cure for one’s bad tendencies is to see them in action in another person.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Another Best Cure Tendency
There may be significant things to learn about people by looking at what annoys them most.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

There may be significant things to learn about people by looking at what annoys them most.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Annoy Learn Most Significant Thing
The problem isn’t so much finding good ideas (there is no shortage) as embedding the ones we have into everyday practice.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

The problem isn’t so much finding good ideas (there is no shortage) as embedding the ones we have into everyday practice.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Embed Everyday Find
In the oasis complex, the thirsty man images he sees water, palm trees, and shade not because he has evidence for the belief, but because he has a need for it. Desperate needs bring about a hallucination of their solution: thirst hallucinates water.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Oasis Palm Thirsty
We may seek a fortune for no greater reason than to secure the respect and attention of people who would otherwise look straight through us.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

We may seek a fortune for no greater reason than to secure the respect and attention of people who would otherwise look straight through us.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Fortune Greater
Most anger stems from feelings of weakness, sadness and fear: hard to remember when one is at the receiving end of its defiant roar.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

Most anger stems from feelings of weakness, sadness and fear: hard to remember when one is at the receiving end of its defiant roar.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

End Feel Most
Every realistic picture represents a choice as to which features of reality should be given prominence; no painting ever captures the whole.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Capture Every Realistic Given Prominence Represent
Bitterness: anger that forgot where it came from.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

Bitterness: anger that forgot where it came from.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Bitterness Came
Our responses to the world are crucially moulded by the company we keep, for we temper our curiosity to fit in with the expectations of others.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

Our responses to the world are crucially moulded by the company we keep, for we temper our curiosity to fit in with the expectations of others.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Crucial Keep Mould Other Temper
Do you love me enough that I may be weak with you? Everyone loves strength, but do you love me for my weakness? That is the real test.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

Do you love me enough that I may be weak with you? Everyone loves strength, but do you love me for my weakness? That is the real test.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Everyone May Real Test Wek You
Only as we mature does affection begin to depend on achievement.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

Only as we mature does affection begin to depend on achievement.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Begin Mature
Everyone wants a better life: very few of us want to be better people.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

Everyone wants a better life: very few of us want to be better people.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Everyone Few
I passionately believe that’s it’s not just what you say that counts, it’s also how you say it – that the success of your argument critically depends on your manner of presenting it.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

I passionately believe that’s it’s not just what you say that counts, it’s also how you say it – that the success of your argument critically depends on your manner of presenting it.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Count Critical
Politics is so difficult, it’s generally only people who aren’t quite up to the task who feel convinced they are.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

Politics is so difficult, it’s generally only people who aren’t quite up to the task who feel convinced they are.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Feel Generally Only
Cynics are – beneath it all – only idealists with awkwardly high standards.

ALAIN DE BOTTON

Cynics are – beneath it all – only idealists with awkwardly high standards.
ALAIN DE BOTTON

Awkward Idealist

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