most of us can literally “choose” to be happy, if we understand the mind’s thought–emotion mechanism. - Tom Butler-Bowdon

All areas of a person’s life, whether it is work, marriage, or raising children, require outward effort, and it is the effort itself that brings about happiness.

A desire for recognition emerges at the same time as a sense of inferiority.

Abraham Maslow, on the other hand, identified a minority of self-actualized individuals who did not act simply out of conformity to society but chose their own path and lived to fulfill their potential. This type of person was as representative of human nature as any mindless conformist.