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

their zest at the same time, though this is by no
means certain. I have known men die at the end of
years of slow torture, and yet retain their zest
almost till the last moment. Some forms of illhealth
destroy zest, others do not. I do not know
whether the biochemists are able as yet to
distinguish between these kinds. Perhaps when
biochemistry has made further advances we shall
be able to take tablets that will ensure our feeling
an interest in everything, but until that day comes
we are compelled to depend upon common-sense
observation of life to judge what are the causes
that enable some men to take an interest in
everything, while compelling others to take an
interest in nothing.
Zest is sometimes general, sometimes specialised.
It may be very specialised indeed. Readers of
Borrow may remember a character who occurs in
Romany Rye. He had lost his wife, to whom he
was devoted, and felt for a time that life had grown
utterly barren. But he became interested in Chinese
inscriptions on teapots and tea-chests, and by the