Bad fortune Quote by Orson Scott Card
““It's not enough just to laugh at good fortune and say, 'Enough already.' You have to really mean it -- that you have enough. And because you mean it, you take the surplus and you give it away. Similarly, when bad fortune comes, you bear it until it becomes unbearable -- your family is hungry, or you can no longer function in your work. And then again you say, 'Enough already,' and you change something. You move; you change careers; you let your spouse make all the decisions. Something. You don't endure the unendurable.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Talk at Writers Conference, Orson Scott Card, 2015
True contentment requires acknowledging sufficiency, sharing excess, and confronting hardship until it forces change, rather than merely tolerating it.
In simple terms: Accept enough, give away surplus, act when hardship becomes intolerable.
Key Takeaway
Balance gratitude with decisive action.
Themes
contentment
generosity
resilience
change
Mood
inspirational
pragmatic
Type
motivational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career transitions
- philanthropy
- family decision‑making
- personal crises
Key Concepts
psychology of sufficiency
social responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- When have you turned surplus into generosity?
- What hardship forced you to change?
A Different Perspective
Risk of complacency if “enough” is misinterpreted.
