Divine Discontent Essay

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Emerson described divine discontent in his essay, Thoughts on Modern Literature: “Man is not so far lost but that he suffers ever the great Discontent which is the elegy of his loss and the prediction of his recovery.” Everyone experiences loss in life, and it is fitting that we lament our losses. Nevertheless, it is also beneficial to be open, receptive and perceptive, with regard to opportunities for comfort and consolation; for there is no comfort or consolation in the loss, nor can we be content to suffer losses, knowing that there is more to us, more for us, and more that we can do. The enlightened know that we cannot be content with survival, and that we will strive, but only in order to thrive. And so we find, in Emerson’s insights

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