Russell, Bertrand -- Conquest of Happiness, Part 2, ch. 15 “Impersonal Interests” (1930)

Dave — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:42:23 +0000

All our affections are at the mercy of death, which may strike down those whom we love at any moment. It is therefore necessary that our lives should not have that narrow intensity which puts the whole meaning and purpose of our life at the mercy of accident. For all these reasons the man who pursues happiness wisely will aim at the possession of a number of subsidiary interests in addition to those central ones upon which his life is built.

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Conquest of Happiness, Part 2, ch. 15 “Impersonal Interests” (1930)
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Russell, Bertrand -- Conquest of Happiness, Part 2, ch. 15 “Impersonal Interests” (1930)