The Project Gutenberg EBook of Optimism, by Helen Keller

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Title: Optimism
An Essay

Author: Helen Keller

Release Date: March 13, 2010 [EBook #31622]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Optimism

[Illustration]

Optimism
An Essay
By Helen Keller
Author of
"The Story of My Life"

[Illustration]

New York
T. Y. Crowell and Company
Mdcccciii

Copyright, 1903, by Helen Keller

Published November, 1903

D. B. Updike, The Merrymount Press, Boston

To My Teacher

Contents

Part i
Optimism Within 11

Part ii
Optimism Without 25

Part iii
The Practice of Optimism 53

Part i. Optimism Within

[Illustration]

Part i

Optimism Within

Could we choose our environment, and were desire in human undertakings
synonymous with endowment, all men would, I suppose, be optimists.
Certainly most of us regard happiness as the proper end of all earthly
enterprise. The will to be happy animates alike the philosopher, the
prince and the chimney-sweep. No matter how dull, or how mean, or how
wise a man is, he feels that happiness is his indisputable right.

It is curious to observe what different ideals of happiness people
cherish, and in what singular places they look for this well-spring of
their life. Many look for it in the hoarding of riches, some in the
pride of power, and others in the achievements of art and literature;
a few seek it in the exploration of their own minds, or in the search
for knowledge.

Most peopl