Desiderata
Max Ehrmann · 1927 · Prose poem
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
Meaning
A set of instructions for living, written as prose, in which nearly every piece of advice is immediately qualified so that it cannot harden into a rule.
Analysis
The genius of the piece is in its qualifications. 'Go placidly' is qualified by 'as far as possible, without surrender'; 'be on good terms with all persons' is later undercut by a warning about aggressive ones. Ehrmann builds advice sturdy enough to survive contact with real life.
The central move is the refusal of comparison: 'always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.' It is delivered without consolation or flattery, as arithmetic. The piece treats envy as a category error rather than a moral failure.
The famous line about being 'a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars' works because of what precedes it — 'be gentle with yourself'. Cosmic significance is offered as a reason for self-kindness, not as an argument for greatness, which is why the passage is quoted endlessly without quite becoming pompous.
Craft notes for your own writing
- In advice writing, qualify each statement immediately so it cannot become a platitude.
- Treat an emotion as a miscalculation rather than a sin; it is harder to argue with.
- Follow your largest claim with your smallest instruction — the pairing keeps it human.