On the Improvement of Understanding

After experience had taught me that all the usual surroundings of social life are vain and futile; seeing that none of the objects of my fears contained in themselves anything either good or bad except in so far as the mind is affected by them I finally resolved to inquire whether there might be some real good having power to communicate itself which would affect the mind singly to the exclusion of all else: whether in fact there might be anything of which the discovery and attainment would enable me to enjoy continuous supreme and unending happiness.