Even Darkness Must Pass

“It’s all wrong.  By right we shouldn’t even be here.  But we are.  It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo.  The ones that really mattered.  Full of darkness and danger they were…But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow.  Even darkness must pass.”


Samwise “Sam” Gamgee
The Two Towers
J.R.R. Tolkien

Happiness in 2025

The World Population Review’s 2025 data finds that citizens of nations with more socialistic governance—Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands—are happiest.

The Review ranks The Unted States of America as the 24th happiest.  Folks in 23 nations, e.g., Mexico, Slovenia, Chechnya, Lithuania, Canada, United Kingdom, are happier than Americans.

24

Standing tiptoe, a man loses balance,

Walking a stride, he has no pace,

Kindling himself he fails to light,

Acquiring himself forfeits his hearers,

Admiring himself, he does so alone.

Pride has never bought a man greatness

But, according to the way of life,

Brings the ills that make him unfit,

Make him unclean in the eyes of his neighbor,

And a same man will have none of them.

   The Way of Life According to Lao Tzu

   Translated by Witter Bynner

17

A leader is best

When people barely know that he exists,

Not so good when people obey and acclaim him,

Worse when they despise him.

‘Fail to honor people,

They failed to honor you;’

But a good leader, who talks little,

When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,

They will all say, ‘We did this ourselves.‘

   The Way of Life According to Lao Tzu

   Translated by Witter Bynner