What is so frightening is the extent to which we may idealize others when we have such trouble tolerating ourselves - Alain de Botton

He [Wordsworth] invited his readers to abandon their usual perspective and to consider for a time how the world might look through other eyes, to shuttle between the human and the natural perspective. Why might this be interesting, or even inspiring? Perhaps because unhappiness can stem from only having one perspective to play with.

If we were entirely sane, if madness did not have a serious grip on one side of us, other people's tragedies would hold a great deal less interest for us.

Anyone who isn't embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn't learning enough.