"Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us"

Voltaire’s words capture the inherent difficulties woven throughout the human experience. He likens life to a field "thickly sown with thorns", suggesting that suffering, hardship, and pain are not rare exceptions but inescapable realities that everyone must encounter. The image of thorns conveys both the inevitability of trouble and the sting that misfortunes can inflict on us as we move through our days.

Yet, he offers a subtle prescription: moving "quickly through them". Voltaire does not advocate for denial or numbness, but rather for adopting a measure of detachment and swiftness in our approach to misfortune. By refusing to linger over our hardships, by not allowing ourselves to dwell on pain, regret, or adversity, we reduce their power over our minds and spirits. This is not about ignoring suffering, but about not becoming entangled in it so deeply that it dominates our emotional landscape.

When we obsess over what hurts us, nurturing feelings of bitterness or despair, our suffering grows disproportionately large. Our troubles become magnified by our own attention, casting longer shadows than they otherwise would. The habit of brooding reinforces pain and can lead to a cycle where misfortune multiplies its impact simply through our continual focus on it.

Conversely, pressing forward, maintaining momentum in life, turning our attention to other matters, seeking solutions, or simply embracing what is yet to come, can help shrink adversity’s influence. Time and activity have healing properties; shifts of focus allow wounds to heal and perspective to reassert itself. In this way, Voltaire’s insight is both practical and compassionate: all are fated to encounter thorns along the way, but we can choose how long they trouble us. By walking purposefully forward, we may feel the sting, but we need not let it shape our entire journey.