Go Placidly
The timeless poem “Desiderata” was written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann (1872-1945) in Indiana when he was fifty-five years of age. He was a poet-lawyer and a Harvard University graduate.
Asked why he wrote the poem, he said: “I should like, if I could, to leave a humble gift – a bit of chaste prose that had caught up some noble mood.”
Although the poem failed to gain any traction when he was alive, it went viral in the 1960s. According to Google search results, it is the most googled poem today with Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” second. The words continue to stir the soul and resonate over the ages.
DESIDERATA
Go placidly amid the noise and 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 the dull and 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 and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your 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 critical 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 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 with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann 1927
For me, the most poignant line is: "You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here." In other words, we all belong here and are not a mistake. Read more about children of the universe in Gnaritus: Every Life Matters.
Asked why he wrote the poem, he said: “I should like, if I could, to leave a humble gift – a bit of chaste prose that had caught up some noble mood.”
Although the poem failed to gain any traction when he was alive, it went viral in the 1960s. According to Google search results, it is the most googled poem today with Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” second. The words continue to stir the soul and resonate over the ages.
DESIDERATA
Go placidly amid the noise and 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 the dull and 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 and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your 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 critical 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 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 with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann 1927
For me, the most poignant line is: "You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here." In other words, we all belong here and are not a mistake. Read more about children of the universe in Gnaritus: Every Life Matters.
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