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Awake at night Quote by T.H. White

“The best thing for being sad ... is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil…” quote by T.H. White
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““The best thing for being sad ... is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then - to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.””

T.H. White

About This Quote

Source Book: The Once and Future King by T.H. White, 1958

Learning provides an endless source of meaning and resilience against life's hardships.

In simple terms: Learning sustains the mind through suffering.

Key Takeaway

Seek knowledge when distressed.

Themes

resilience knowledge purpose

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • grief
  • illness
  • loneliness
  • social turmoil
  • personal loss

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology humanism

Questions to Reflect On

  • What can you learn from your current pain?
  • How does curiosity shift your emotional state?
A Different Perspective

Learning cannot erase external tragedies, only change perception.

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