六字名言(Six Famous Words)

"obeornottobe".outsidethebible,thesesixwordsarethemostfamousinalltheliteratureoftheworld.theywerespokenbyhamletwhenhewasthinkingaloud,andtheyarethemostfamouswordsinshakespearebecausehamletwasspeakingnotonlyforhimselfbutforeverythinkingmanz3b

andwoman.tobeornottobetoliveornottolive,toliverichlyandabundantlyandeagerly,ortolivedullyandmeanlyandscarcely.aphilosopheroncewantedtoknowwhetherhewasaliveornot,whichisagoodquestionforeveryonetoputtohimselfoccasionally.heanswereditbysaying:"lthink,thereforeiam."z3b

butthebestdefinitionofexistenceieversawwasonewrittenbyanotherphilosopherwhosaid:"tobeistobeinrelations."ifthisistrue,thenthemorerelationsalivingthinghas,themoreitisalive.toliveabundantlymeanssimplytoincreasetherangeandintensityofourrelations.unfortunatelywearesoconstitutedthatwegettoloveourroutine.butapartfromourregularoccupationhowmucharewealive?ifyouareinterestedonlyinyourregularoccupation,youarealiveonlytothatextent.sofarasotherthingsareconcerned--poetryandprose,music,pictures,sports,unselfishfriendships,politics,internationalaffairsyouaredead.z3b

contrariwise,itistruethateverytimeyouacquireanewinterest--evenmore,anewaccomplishmentyouincreaseyourpoweroflife.noonewhoisdeeplyinterestedinalargevarietyofsubjectscanremainunhappy,therealpessimististhepersonwhohaslostinterest.z3b

baconsaidthatamandiesasoftenashelosesafriend.butwegainnewlifebycontacts,newfriends.whatissupremelytrueoflivingobjectsisonlylesstrueofideas,whicharealsoalive.whereyourthoughtsare,therewillyourlifebealso.z3b

tobeornottobe--toliveintenselyandrichly,ormerelytoexist,thatdependsonourselves.letuswidenandintensifyourrelations.whilewelive,letuslive!