When English writer Samuel Johnson made this comment in 1778, he was lauding an old friend for giving away much of his savings to help relatives in need. Who wants to leave money on the table? It’s better to spend it while you can enjoy it, right? It is better to live rich than to die rich. Stopping to sniff roses can derail their momentum and leave them struggling to regroup. Creative types who attain a state of flow don’t notice the passing of time because they’re so immersed in the process itself. It gets tricky, though, if you derive great satisfaction from your labor. A 2012 Rutgers University study found that appreciation and gratitude are tied to happiness. Research indicates that there’s validity to acknowledging the simple pleasures before they pass you by. They might add that on your deathbed, you never wish you spent more time at the office. Seniors often warn young go-getters not to work, work, work.
If you never try, you can endlessly imagine pleasing outcomes that will never materialize.
Ouch, but at least you can shut the door on it. Say you ask someone on a date and get rejected. That’s due to the wistfulness that accumulates over time as you wonder what would’ve happened had you acted. If you’re musing about a lost opportunity from 40 years ago - as opposed to last month - you’re more apt to regret what you didn’t do. So does that mean you’ll regret non-action more than the abortive actions you took? Reflecting on decades of adulthood, retirees might lament certain career choices, investments or romantic entanglements. You’re more likely to regret something you never did than something you did. To help you sift among old chestnuts, we rate the following aphorisms on a 1-to-10 scale (with 10 as most accurate):
Others withstand the glare of scrutiny and prove consistently sound. Some pearls of wisdom wither upon close inspection. It’s easy to think that a seemingly profound observation conveys eternal truth. These sayings, often meaty and memorable, tend to resonate with young, impressionable listeners. They cite them frequently in an endearing attempt to reduce life’s complexities into bite-size pieces of advice. Many older people favor pithy comments that encapsulate a piercing insight.
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