It is only one side of
morality that unhappiness throws into light; and the man whom sorrow
has taught to be wise, is like one who has loved and never been
loved in return. There must always be something unknown to the love
whereto no other love has made answer; and this, too, will remain
unknown to him whose wisdom is born of sorrow.
"Is happiness truly as happy as people imagine?" was asked of two
happy ones once by a philosopher whom protracted injustice had
saddened. No; it is a thing more desirable far, but also much less
to be envied, than people suppose; for it is in itself quite other
than they can conceive who have never been perfectly happy. To be
gay is not to be happy, nor will he who is happy always be gay. It
is only the little ephemeral pleasures that forever are smiling; and
they die away as they smile. But some loftiness once obtained,
lasting happiness becomes no less grave than majestic sorrow. Wise
men have said it were best for us not to be happy, so that happiness
thus might be always the one thing desired. But how shall the sage,
to whom happiness never has come, be aware that wisdom is the one
thing alone that happiness neither can sadden nor weary? Those
thinkers have learned to love wisdom with a far more intimate love
whose lives have been happy, than those whose lives have been sad.
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