March 16, 2012

"I broke my theme. Something made me laugh."

And Meade says: "Then you didn't break your theme. Something made you laugh. Something made you happy. Something made you smile."

15 comments:

rcommal said...

I don't suppose you'll share what it was?

chickelit said...

Poor Meade

rcommal said...

Naah. Didn't think so.

; )

rcommal said...

I think *enigmatic" is one of the things that makes Althouse happy!

: )

Ann Althouse said...

@rcommal The answer to your question is on the face of the blog.

rhhardin said...

The feelings express happiness, make one smile. Analysis of the feelings expresses happiness, all personality aside; makes one smile. The former uplift the soul, dependent upon space, upon duration, up the conception of humanity considered as itself, in its celebrated constituents! The latter uplifts the soul, independently of duration and space, up to the conception of humanity considered in its highest expression, the will! The former are concerned with vices and virtues; the latter only with virtues. Feelings do not know their marching order. The analysis of feelings teaches how to reveal it, increases the strength of the feelings. With the former, all is uncertainty. They are the expression of happiness, grief, two extremes. With the latter, all is certainty. It is the expression of that happiness which results at a given moment from knowing how to restrain oneself in the midst of good or evil passions. It uses its calm to render the description of the passions down to a principle which flows through the pages: the non-existence of evil. The feelings weep when they must, as when they need not. Analysis of the feelings does not weep. It possesses a latent sensibility which catches one off guard, prevails over miseries, teaches how to dispense with a guide, provides a combat weapon. The feelings, sign of weakness, are not feeling! The analysis of feeling, sign of strength, generates the most magnificent feelings I know. The writer who is taken in by feelings must not be placed on a par with the writer who is taken in neither by feelings nor himself. Youth intends sentimental lucubrations. Maturity begins to reason without confusion. He was only feeling, he thinks. He used to let his sensations wander: now he gives them a pilot. If I liken humanity to a woman, I shall not expatiate upon her youth's being on the wane and the approach of her middle-age. Her mind changes for the better. Her ideal of poetry will change. Tragedies, poems, elegies will no longer take precedence. The coolness of the maxim shall prevail!

Lautreamont

DADvocate said...

Theme? I hadn't noticed.

edutcher said...

Laughing is a manifestation of something that made us happy. So you didn't break it, after all.

Meade is very perceptive about these things.

Your perfect complement, Madame.

rcommal said...

Something even made you burst forth about happiness blogging on Facebook, I see!

ricpic said...

Something made you laugh. Something made you happy. Something made you smile.

Reminds me of Waiting For Godot where Didi says to Gogo "We're not crying. We must be happy," and Gogo says to Didi "Now that we're happy what do we do?"

rhhardin said...

Oh! loathsome degradation! How like a goat one is when one laughs! The calm brow has disappeared to make way for two enormous fishes' eyes which (is it not deplorable?) ... which ... begin to shine like lighthouses!

- Lautreamont

Peano said...

I broke my theme. Something made me laugh.

traditionalguy said...

A broken theme can be serious. I would put some ice on that, and give your emotions time to heal.

Emotions are the movers of human people. Happy is the emotion that makes them satisfied and content the next morning.

But people also need a challenge. At least that's what Freud thought.

ndspinelli said...

Good to see some things never change..narcissism and and ass kissing still are the main themes here in Lilliputa.

Delete here.

The Crack Emcee said...

"Then you didn't break your theme. Something made you laugh. Something made you happy. Something made you smile."

True. Good catch, Meade.