--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The positive emotions that arise…" description: "\"The positive emotions that arise in...unpromising circumstances demonstrate that social ties and meaningful work are deeply desired, readily improvised..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/rebecca-solnit-569_arise_the-positive-emotions-that-arise-in-unpr_1469923.jpg" --- # The positive emotions that arise in...unpromising… ![“The positive emotions that arise in...unpromising circumstances demonstrate that social ties and meaningful work are deeply desired, readily improvised, and intensely rewarding. The very structure of our economy and society prevent these goals from being achieved.” quote by Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/rebecca-solnit-569_arise_the-positive-emotions-that-arise-in-unpr_1469923.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/rebecca-solnit-569_arise_the-positive-emotions-that-arise-in-unpr_1469923.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44a/rebecca-solnit-569_arise_the-positive-emotions-that-arise-in-unpr_1469923.jpg) > “The positive emotions that arise in...unpromising circumstances demonstrate that social ties and meaningful work are deeply desired, readily improvised, and intensely rewarding. The very structure of our economy and society prevent these goals from being achieved.” [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even in bleak situations, positive feelings emerge when people connect and find purpose, yet societal structures often block these rewards. **In simple terms:** People find joy in connection and purpose despite hardship. Key Takeaway Seek meaningful relationships and work despite obstacles. Themes community purpose resilience society Mood hopeful reflective Type essayistic inspirational When to use this quote - volunteer work - team projects - career transitions - social activism Key Concepts social capital meaningful work economic barriers Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster community in challenging environments? - What purpose drives you when resources are scarce? A Different Perspective Systemic issues can limit personal fulfillment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Meaningful work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful-work/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Ties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ties/) ## Related quotes > [Joy is a mystery because it can happen anywhere, anytime, even under the most unpromising circumstances, even in the midst of suffering, with tears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/joy-is-a-mystery-because-it-can-happen-anywhere-anytime-even-under/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The power of Facebook is not only in the vast size of the connected audience, but also in the quality of the social ties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perry/the-power-of-facebook-is-not-only-in-the-vast-size-of-the-connected/) [David Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perry/) > [“A rich social life (measured by quality of experience rather than quantity of friends) contributes to good health, happiness and longevity. So many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-thomsen-brits/a-rich-social-life-measured-by-quality-of-experience-rather-than/) [Louisa Thomsen Brits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-thomsen-brits/) > [Social ties are the cheapest medicine we have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-e-taylor/social-ties-are-the-cheapest-medicine-we-have/) Shelley E. Taylor > [“The site looks unpromising from a distance, blending in with the surrounding sepia-toned hills, but I'm learning that looks can be deceiving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-austin/the-site-looks-unpromising-from-a-distance-blending-in-with-the/) [Lynn Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-austin/) > [I continued with whatever 'qualified climbers' I could con into this rather unpromising venture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-harding/i-continued-with-whatever-qualified-climbers-i-could-con-into-this/) [Warren G. Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-harding/) > [If the egalitarian wishes to realise his ideal, given the unpromising nature of his material, he might consider rendering all persons equally dead, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-michael-quinn/if-the-egalitarian-wishes-to-realise-his-ideal-given-the-unpromising/) [D. Michael Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-michael-quinn/) > [The new always looks so puny-so unpromising-next to the reality of the massive, ongoing business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/the-new-always-looks-so-puny-so-unpromising-next-to-the-reality-of/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [You Should Not Judge The Quality Of A Piece Of Work Until It Is Complete. Because It Often Appears Unpromising In Its Unfinished Form;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/you-should-not-judge-the-quality-of-a-piece-of-work-until-it-is/) Pacifiersucker > [“I looked at this first sheet, words scribbled confidently on a lined pad. My attempt at making contact the spirit of Llandor. Disaster. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-sinclair/i-looked-at-this-first-sheet-words-scribbled-confidently-on-a-lined/) [Iain Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-sinclair/) > [In the end, what matters most is that the people you work with share your values, so I've wanted people who value the meaningful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/in-the-end-what-matters-most-is-that-the-people-you-work-with-share/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“We didn't want to be presidents, or astronouts, or Bill Gates. We had pathetically simple dreams: to do meaningful work that we could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/we-didn-t-want-to-be-presidents-or-astronouts-or-bill-gates-we-had/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work... I've found that a minimum of 90 minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/to-work-effectively-you-need-uninterrupted-blocks-of-time-in-which/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [We had pathetically simple dreams: to do meaningful work that we could be proud of, to be together, and to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/we-had-pathetically-simple-dreams-to-do-meaningful-work-that-we-could/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [“Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you...it means that you do not treat your body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/responsibility-to-yourself-means-refusing-to-let-others-do-your/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) ## More by Rebecca Solnit > [“Georgia O’Keeffe moved to rural New Mexico, from which she would sign her letters to the people she loved, “from the faraway nearby.” It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/georgia-o-keeffe-moved-to-rural-new-mexico-from-which-she-would-sign/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“To love someone is to put yourself in their place, we say, which is to put ourself in their story, or figure out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/to-love-someone-is-to-put-yourself-in-their-place-we-say-which-is-to/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“People have always been good at imagining the end of the world, which is much easier to picture than the strange sidelong paths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/people-have-always-been-good-at-imagining-the-end-of-the-world-which/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Whose maps are we trying to read? And what are we trying to draw? 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Maybe Persephone was glad to run off with the king of death to his underground realm, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/i-wonder-now-about-demeter-and-persephone-maybe-persephone-was-glad/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [ \[In mountaineering, if\] we look for private experience rather than public history, even getting to the top becomes an optional narrative rather than the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/in-mountaineering-if-we-look-for-private-experience-rather-than/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [For me, being in a car or on an airplane is like being in limbo. It's this dead zone between two places. But to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/for-me-being-in-a-car-or-on-an-airplane-is-like-being-in-limbo-it-s/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“How do you calculate upon the unforeseen? It seems to be an art of recognizing the role of the unforeseen, of keeping your balance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/how-do-you-calculate-upon-the-unforeseen-it-seems-to-be-an-art-of/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Walking shares with making and working that crucial element of engagement of the body and the mind with the world, of knowing the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/walking-shares-with-making-and-working-that-crucial-element-of/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Marriage equality is a threat: to inequality. It’s a boon to everyone who values and benefits from equality. It’s for all of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/marriage-equality-is-a-threat-to-inequality-it-s-a-boon-to-everyone/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Mountaineering is always spoken of as though summiting is conquest, but as you get higher, the world gets bigger, and you feel smaller in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/mountaineering-is-always-spoken-of-as-though-summiting-is-conquest/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“A procession is a participants' journey, while a parade is a performance with an audience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/a-procession-is-a-participants-journey-while-a-parade-is-a/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) [Explore all 469 Rebecca Solnit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) ## More Arise quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [The financial crisis we are facing today arises from the fact that there is almost no more social, cultural, natural, and spiritual capital left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/the-financial-crisis-we-are-facing-today-arises-from-the-fact-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [Let art, then, imitate nature, find what she desires, and follow as she directs. 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These chaotic fluctuations are, I suppose, what my music is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ferneyhough/in-my-model-important-interference-phenomena-arise-when-individual/) [Brian Ferneyhough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ferneyhough/) > [Whenever you step out of the noise of thinking, that is meditation, and a different state of consciousness arises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/whenever-you-step-out-of-the-noise-of-thinking-that-is-meditation-and/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [An idea or institution may arise for one reason and be maintained for quite a different reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccabe/an-idea-or-institution-may-arise-for-one-reason-and-be-maintained-for/) [Joseph McCabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccabe/) > [The oppressed without hope are mysteriously quiet. 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