Does anyone know who said/wrote this quote?

Question

I remember reading a quote that was something like "Why write/create more misery, when the world is already full of it". That's probably not the exact quote. All I can remember is that I think it was French man who said that quote. I already tried to look it up on various quote websites, but its hard to find it when you don't have the exact quote....

Thank you to the person who answered my question. However, its not quite what I'm looking for. The main point of the quote I'm looking for, or what I got out of it, was against sad endings. Why write about sad, miserable things when the world is already full of it. I personally don't like "end of the world" movies because it makes me sad and I don't need to see people screaming and killing each other. I realize this has to do with facing reality, but its jsut my personal opinion that we don't need so much stories about misery. The second quote was closer to what I was looking for. I think the quote I was looking for was a sentence or two, more concise.

Answer 1

There is a quote by Robert Owen, that is quite similar to the quote you are looking for.

It is confidently expected that the period is at hand, when man, through ignorance, shall not much longer inflict unnecessary misery on man; because the mass of mankind will become enlightened, and will clearly discern that by so acting they will inevitably create misery to themselves. As soon as the public mind shall be sufficiently prepared to receive it, the practical detail of this system shall be fully developed. For the extensive knowledge of the facts which present themselves on the globe, makes it evident to those whose reasoning faculties have not been entirely paralysed, that all mankind firmly believe, that everybody except themselves has been grievously deceived in his fundamental principles; and feel the utmost astonishment that the nations of the world could embrace such gross inconsistencies for divine or political truths. Most persons are now also prepared to understand, that these weaknesses are firmly and conscientiously fixed in the minds of millions, who, when born, possessed equal faculties with themselves. And although they plainly discern in others what they deem inconceivable aberrations of the mental powers, yet, in despite of such facts, they are taught to believe that they themselves could not have been so deceived; and this impression is made upon the infant mind with the greatest ease, whether it be to create followers of the most ignorant, or of the most enlightened systems.

Answer 2

There's a quote from the Dalai Lama that makes the same point, but in a longer, and more complex, fashion.

It runs as follows:

"Altruism has two aspects. Loving others does not mean that we should forget ourselves. When I say that we should be compassionate, this does not mean helping others at the expense of ourselves. Not at all. Sometimes I say that the buddhas and bodhisattvas are the most selfish of all. Why? Because by cultivating altruism they achieve ultimate happiness. We, in our selfishness, are very foolish and narrow-minded. All we do is create more suffering for ourselves. The selfishness of the buddhas and bodhisattvas is functional and efficient. It allows them not only to achieve awakening, but also the capacity to help others. That is really worthwhile. For me, this proves that to create maximum happiness for oneself, one needs to develop compassion, This is Buddhist logic. If compassion induced misery, then it would be questionable. Why practice something that brings us more trouble? But that is certainly not the case with compassion. Just imagine if we all lived with no compassion, thinking only of ourselves. We would suffer greatly. The more you think of others, the happier you are."

AFTERWARDS: I checked this again, but focused on the phrase "the world is full of unhappiness", and came up with this shorter quuote from the unhappiness poems of Sri Chimnoy:

"A life of unhappiness
Is a contagious disease.
The world is already full of misery.
Allow not your unhappiness
To increase the world's misery."

I hadn't heard of Sri Chinmoy, so I looked him up in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Chinmoy

Answer 3

HE WHO HESITATES IS lost - "fast and resolute action finally ends up in fulfillment; self-doubt is a prelude to disaster. The proverb is going back to 'Cato' (1713) by making use of English essayist and poet Joseph Addison. First attested interior america in 'The Autocrat of the Breakfast table" (1858) by making use of Oliver Wendell Holmes." From "Random homestead Dictionary of standard Proverbs and Sayings" by making use of Gregory Y. Titelman (Random homestead, ny, 1996). yet another source says early makes use of of the proverb proper particularly to women folk human beings. "whilst love as quickly as pleads admission to our hearts, the girl that deliberates is lost," wrote Addison. From the "Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs" by making use of John Simpson and Jennifer Speake (Oxford college Press, Oxford and ny, 1998). "a commonplace asserting interior the 20 th century, "He who hesitates." became quoted by making use of American novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs in 'Gods of Mars' (1912), Eugene O'Neill in 'previous the Horizon' (1920), and English novelist Wyndham Lewis in 'The Apes of the God' (1930)." From "smart words and different halves' thoughts: The Origins, Meanings and time-commemorated wisdom of Proverbs and human beings Sayings Olde and New" by making use of Stuart Flexner and Doris Flexner (Avon Books, ny, 1993).