The-Conquest-of-Happiness-by-Bertrand-Russell

archaeologist in ruins, and this interest ought to be
an element in our attitude to individuals or
societies. It is possible to have an interest in things
which is hostile rather than friendly. A man might
collect facts concerning the habitats of spiders
because he hated spiders and wished to live where
they were few. This kind of interest would not
afford the same satisfaction as the geologist
derives from his rocks. An interest in impersonal
things, though perhaps less valuable as an
ingredient in everyday happiness than a friendly
attitude towards our fellow creatures, is
nevertheless very important. The world is vast and
our own powers are limited. If all our happiness is
bound up entirely in our personal circumstances it
is difficult not to demand of life more than it has to
give. And to demand too much is the surest way of
getting even less than is possible. The man who
can forget his worries by means of a genuine
interest in, say, the Council of Trent, or the life
history of stars, will find that, when he returns
from his excursion into the impersonal world, he
has acquired a poise and calm which enable him to