There have been critics that said William Shakespeare undoubtedly had an exceptionally brilliant mind. He even had such great insight into human behavior that, in many ways, he was considered a lay psychologist.

One of his favorite quotes comes from Hamlet (Act 2, Scene 2): "There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so." In a sense, the popular and effective therapeutic approach now known as cognitive behavior therapy (or CBT) is based upon this very idea.

With this play, it is telling us that in all likelihood, it’s not the big events in life that are going to make us happy or sad. It’s the daily events, situations, and interactions in which we will find joy or suffering. It’s easy to find fault or be the critic, but thinking about things in this particular way will only grind a person down.

Shakespeare's advice must be remembered, and it has to become a mantra. It will help us to eliminate a lot of unnecessary, self-induced suffering. But this is also easier said that done (and there is of course real suffering in life). However, with practice, anyone can learn to think about situations in ways that put a lid on suffering, and many of us may then be able to find joy in the most unexpected places.

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