"Minds that are ill at ease are agitated by both hope and fear"
- Ovid
About this Quote
This quote by Ovid talks to the concept that minds that are not at ease are frequently in a state of consistent flux, pulled in various instructions by both hope and worry. Hope can be a powerful incentive, motivating us to take risks and strive for something better. But it can also give anxiety, as we worry about the outcome of our efforts. Worry, on the other hand, can be immobilizing, avoiding us from acting and resulting in sensations of helplessness. When our minds are ill at ease, these 2 forces can be in constant conflict, creating a state of inner turmoil. Ovid's quote advises us that it is necessary to discover balance between hope and worry, and to strive for a state of inner peace.
"Poets have said that the reason to have children is to give yourself immortality. Immortality? Now that I have five children, my only hope is that they are all out of the house before I die"
"Courage is sometimes frail as hope is frail: a fragile shoot between two stones that grows brave toward the sun though warmth and brightness fail, striving and faith the only strength it knows"
