Art of living Quote by Norman Mailer
“Part of living, part of becoming a wise man or a wise woman, is to get to that point where you can have a friend for whom you are genuinely happy when he or she has a success. That's tough. Very few people get to that point. With writers it's next to impossible. You can't really bless a writer who's as good as yourself.”
About This Quote
True friendship is feeling genuine happiness for another's success, especially rare among peers of equal talent.
In simple terms: Being happy for others' success is rare, especially among equals.
Key Takeaway
Celebrate others' achievements sincerely.
Themes
friendship
humility
envy
creative rivalry
Mood
reflective
empathetic
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- creative collaborations
- professional networks
- mentorship
- artistic communities
- peer review
Key Concepts
psychology
social comparison
emotional intelligence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you cultivate genuine joy for a rival's success?
- What habits foster selfless appreciation?
A Different Perspective
It can be hard to separate personal ego from admiration for a peer's work.
![“[F]or as Socrates says that a wise man is a citizen of the world, so I thought that a wise woman was equally at liberty to range through every station or degree of men, to fix her choice wherever she pleased.” quote by Sarah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fc6/sarah-fielding-19151_choices_f-or-as-socrates-says-that-a-wise-man-is_1963889.jpg)
![“I realized Jack [Kerouac] was deeply committed to writing. Kesey was just as deeply committed to living and experiencing the lives of others; for him writing was just a part of living.” quote by Sterling Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f1a/sterling-lord-55520_art-of-living_i-realized-jack-kerouac-was-deeply-commi_11675.jpg)
