Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better take things as they come along with patience and equanimity. – Carl Jung

This quote raises many interesting questions. Do we have to know pain to appreciate happiness? How do we learn to have patience and balance in the face of threatening events? What causes some people to be very emotional and others more reserved; are these inherited traits? Do we have to balance happiness with sadness; can’t we just move from the ground floor to the upper floors without a journey to the basement?