Definitions HQ

Wishing (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠no art — but to wish rightly is a great art, or rather a gift.

Wishing (n.) daringly, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠even foolhardily, is a genius as great as any other; give any other man full warrant to wish and it becomes a begging-letter in his hands, for he wants to reflect on wishing the right thing.

Wishing (n.) while ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠young is not difficult; desisting is. But to keep the soul fixed on the wish while secret remorse consumes one's strength is like a worn-out horse cutting capers.

Wishing (n.) has ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠shrunk in our age from the command to the whimper: few dare address Nature with anything more than a polite child's please, or else the rage of a lost soul.

Wishing (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠beneath the aesthete: he wishes for nothing, except perhaps a divining rod that could give him everything — which he would use to scrape his pipe.

Wishing (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the most paltry of all solo performances.

Wishing (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠believing one can do nothing at all to find the thing sought — youth's uncertain wealth of the wish, which many have traded for the certain wretchedness of mediocrity.

Wishing (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a contemptible shortcut to complaint: the man who only wishes, never becomes proficient at anything but wishing, and ends wretched enough to wish everything away.

Wishing (n.) as ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a habit is like begging out of laziness: both live on charity, both are irresponsible, both are suspect in the eyes of justice.