We must risk delight to find out if it is true. — May Sarton
—What lingers after this line?
The Invitation to Vulnerability
May Sarton’s insight underscores a defining truth: the pursuit of delight demands vulnerability. By urging us to 'risk delight,' she implicitly acknowledges that joy is not simply bestowed—it must be sought with open-hearted exposure to uncertainty. This idea echoes Rainer Maria Rilke’s advice in his 'Letters to a Young Poet' (1903), where he counsels embracing the unknown as the gateway to authentic experience.
The Transformative Power of Taking Chances
Building on vulnerability, the willingness to risk signifies a break from complacency. Many transformative moments in life—whether falling in love, creating art, or speaking one’s truth—require stepping beyond safe boundaries. In Sarton’s poetry and journals, she repeatedly describes how her own creative fulfillment necessitated taking emotional and professional risks, thereby revealing delight’s true nature through bold action.
Delight as an Act of Faith
This progression leads us to consider delight not merely as a fleeting sensation, but as an act of faith. By 'risking' it, we trust that joy exists and is accessible, even if the outcome remains uncertain. This resonates with the philosophical optimism of William James, whose 'The Will to Believe' (1896) posits that faith itself can help create the very reality one hopes to find. Sarton’s quote positions delight as similarly contingent: we must embrace possibility for it to materialize.
Lessons from Nature and Creativity
Looking to nature—and to creativity, which Sarton cherished—we find countless examples of risk as the price for brilliance. A seed must split to sprout; an artist must dare a blank canvas. Sarton’s own garden, chronicled in 'Plant Dreaming Deep' (1968), is replete with moments when tending to beauty required enduring both literal and metaphorical storms. Thus, risking delight becomes an act of ongoing engagement with life’s unpredictability.
The Enduring Reward of True Delight
Ultimately, by risking delight we stand to gain more than transient pleasure—a deeper, more resilient joy takes root. When we test delight’s reality through our openness and courage, we may discover a wellspring of fulfillment that fortifies us against despair. In this sense, Sarton’s challenge becomes a roadmap for living: only by daring to seek and believe in our own happiness can we ever know its truth.
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