August 7, 2025
In today’s edition of Thought of the Day and Question of the Day, we’re poking around in the uncomfortable truth that happiness is elusive, especially if you think too much. Ernest Hemingway kicks things off with a brutally honest quote about intelligent people and happiness, and we follow that with a deceptively simple question: What is sort of better? If you’ve ever settled for “fine” when asked how you’re doing, this post is for you.
Thought of the Day:
“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.” – Ernest Hemingway
Well. That’s a bucket of cold water to the face, isn’t it?
I read this and immediately thought, “Hemingway, were you looking over my shoulder this week?” There’s something quietly devastating in the way he phrases it. Not loud despair, just a weary recognition. The idea that intelligence might be inversely correlated with happiness is…uncomfortable. But also kind of validating?
It makes sense. When you notice more, you question more. And when you question more, you see what doesn’t add up. You realize the world is full of absurd contradictions, unpaid bills, and people who insist on replying all. And suddenly, happiness doesn’t feel like a natural state. It feels like something that happens to other people at brunch.
This isn’t to say that intelligent people can’t be happy. But maybe it’s a different flavor of happiness. Maybe it’s not the giggling, carefree kind. Maybe it’s more like a quiet moment in the kitchen when the coffee hits just right and no one’s crying yet. Maybe that’s what joy looks like when your brain won’t shut up.
I’ve explored a similar tension before in every monster has a mastermind and again when reflecting on how the circus inside you might be the best part. If anything, today’s Thought reminds me that sometimes the trick isn’t chasing happiness—it’s noticing the tiny wins.
Question of the Day:
What is sort of better?
Not great. Not amazing. But, you know…sort of better. The phrase is practically its own mood.
Sort of better is when your cold is still there but now your nose isn’t peeling. It’s when you’re still arguing with your partner, but at least you’re not yelling anymore. It’s the work email that got a “thanks” instead of total silence.
Sort of better is underrated. It’s the painfully slow arc of progress. It’s healing with a limp. It’s when you’re still in the mess but can laugh about one part of it. And honestly? That can be enough.
This question made me think of a post I wrote about not being stupid. Because sometimes, getting to “sort of better” is the real victory. You survived. You learned something. You moved forward even when you didn’t feel like it.
Sort of better might just be the adult version of “Look, I showed up. I’m doing my best.”
What Do You Think?
Have you ever felt like happiness was something just out of reach? Or settled into a “sort of better” phase and decided that was enough for now?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below or join the free daily email list here to get each day’s Thought and Question delivered straight to your inbox.