Anticipation Quote by Julian Barnes
“Remember the botched brothel-visit in L’Education sentimentale and remember its lesson. Do not participate: happiness lies in the imagination, not the act. Pleasure is found first in anticipation, later in memory.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: L’Education sentimentale, 1999
Happiness comes from imagined experiences rather than actual deeds; anticipation and memory are more rewarding than the act itself.
In simple terms: Imagining pleasure beats doing it; savor anticipation and memory.
Key Takeaway
Seek joy in imagination, not just action.
Themes
imagination
pleasure
anticipation
memory
Mood
contemplative
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- planning a trip
- reading a novel
- daydreaming
- celebrating small moments
Key Concepts
psychology
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What does imagination give you that reality doesn’t?
- How can you translate imagined joy into real actions?
A Different Perspective
Relying solely on imagination can lead to avoidance of real experiences.
![“[It is hard to know what is good luck and what isn't and therefore whether we should be happy or sad about it. Only time will tell. For example...] The Talmud relates a story about two people who wanted to travel by boat. One broke his foot and was unable to make the trip, while his friend got on…” quote by Zelig Pliskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/68d/zelig-pliskin-22951_anticipation_it-is-hard-to-know-what-is-good-luck-and_34545.jpg)
![“The only thing is that ordinarily when I do dance with [women] they think I am suddenly going to throw them over a table or twist them all around. All I want to do is one-two, one-two-three - a simple fox trot. But they're shaking with anticipation at the thought that I'm about to whip them around…” quote by Gene Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/073/gene-kelly-11878_anticipation_the-only-thing-is-that-ordinarily-when-i_44100.jpg)
