This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
In the day of prosperity there is a forgetfulness of affliction; and in the day of affliction there is no more remembrance of prosperity.
Affliction | Day | Forgetfulness | Prosperity |
Confucius, aka Kong Qiu, Zhongni, K'ung Fu-tzu or Kong Fuzi NULL
Let mourning stop when one's grief is fully expressed.
The first and indispensable requisite of happiness is a clear conscience, unsullied by the reproach of remembrance of an unworthy action.
Action | Conscience | Indispensable | Happiness |
The joys of parents are secret; and so are their griefs and fears. They cannot utter the one; nor they will not utter the other. Children sweeten labors; but they make misfortunes more bitter. They increase the cares of life; but they mitigate the remembrance of death. The perpetuity by generation is common to beasts; but memory, merit, and noble works are proper to men.
Children | Death | Life | Life | Memory | Men | Merit | Parents | Will |
Men fear death, as children fear the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased by frightful tales, so is the other. Groans, convulsions, weeping friends, and the like show death terrible; yet there is no passion so weak but conquers the fear of it, and therefore death is not such a terrible enemy. Revenge triumphs over death, loves slights its, honor aspires to it, dread of shame prefers it, grief flies to it, and fear anticipates it.
Children | Death | Dread | Enemy | Fear | Grief | Honor | Men | Passion | Revenge | Shame |
The joys of parents are secret, and so are their griefs and fears; they cannot utter the one, nor they will not utter the other. children sweeten labors, but they make misfortunes more bitter; increase the cares of life, but they mitigate the remembrance of death.
When a child can be brought to tears, not from fear of punishment, but from repentance for his offense, he needs no chastisement. When the tears begin to flow from grief at one’s own conduct, be sure there is an angel nestling in the bosom.
Conduct | Fear | Grief | Offense | Punishment | Repentance | Tears | Child |
Things infinite and divine… are given not so much for definition as for trust; are less the objects we think of than the very tone and color of our thought, the tension of our love, the unappeasable thirst of grief and reverence.
The utmost we can hope for in this world is contentment; if we aim at anything higher, we shall meet with nothing but grief and disappointment. A man should direct all his studies and endeavors at making himself easy now and happy forever.
Contentment | Grief | Happy | Hope | Man | Nothing | World |
Kaibara Ekken, or Ekiken, also known as Atsunobu NULL
The remembrance of the past is the teacher of the future.
Marcel Proust, fully Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust
Happiness is beneficial for the body, but it is grief that develops the powers of the mind.
Cicero, fully Marcus Tullius Cicero, anglicized as Tully NULL
No grief is so acute but time ameliorates it.
Maimonides, given name Moses ben Maimon or Moshe ben Maimon, known as "Rambam" NULL
Longevity is the result of freedom from grief and worry.
Cicero, fully Marcus Tullius Cicero, anglicized as Tully NULL
There is no grief which times does not lessen and soften.
Grief |
Ovid, formally Publius Ovidius Naso NULL
It is some relief to weep; grief is satisfied and carried off by tears.