Hope has two beautiful daughters
It’s often quite amazing how one stumbles across a new idea, picture, hint, or quote: Currently, I am thinking my bit about Global Change. Then a dear friend reminded me of a picture that I once found showing a bear all covered in snow and ice, and the text said “Tested under extreme conditions”. I thought: “Well, we might need that soon.” And shortly after that: “No, wait, we are tested. Most of us for many years, even decades.”
When I searched the web for sources of the phrase “tested under extreme conditions” I found a quote by St. Augustine:
“Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.”
— St. Augustine
So this is hope. And, anger was what I felt about how the threats of Global Change are being dealt with. Am I courageous enough to see that things do not remain as they are? And, that an uncertain future certainly is one of these things? Do I have the courage to see that things are going to change and that this very change might change?
August 6th, 2006 at 17:03
Indeed! Thanks for sharing this, I needed it. But I tend to argue that hope is bad company.
August 6th, 2006 at 17:32
Change, hope, anger, courage, good, and bad. Subjects of paradoxes. Subjects to change.
August 7th, 2006 at 1:12
good or bad are judgements, they have no essential character. anger could be an emotion, thus not worth having, and courage is insanity. there is no paradox, other than itself.
August 7th, 2006 at 8:21
*Grrrrr* *hiss* *humph* *whist* *grumble* *grasp* … … feels good :-D
August 7th, 2006 at 10:41
Or, in words of Bill Watterson:
August 8th, 2006 at 9:28
I wonder whether it needs hope to say that it doesn’t.
August 8th, 2006 at 14:19
wondering is good. need is normal. knowledge is often useless.
August 8th, 2006 at 14:45
Yummy, your writing is sultry.
[Yes, yes, it’s me who said this ;]
August 9th, 2006 at 9:16
every emotion is worth having. life is.