Who said “Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on balance life is…”?

Verified

George Orwell. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"Lear, Tolstoy and the Fool," Polemic (March 1947)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on balance life is suffering, and only the very young or the very foolish imagine otherwise.”
Verified"Lear, Tolstoy and the Fool," Polemic (March 1947) · evidenceSuffering

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "Lear, Tolstoy and the Fool," Polemic (March 1947).

APA

Orwell, G. (n.d.). Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on balance life is suffering, and only the very young or the very foolish imagine otherwise. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/38998-most-people-get-a-fair-amount-of-fun/

MLA

Orwell, George. “Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on balance life is suffering, and only the very young or the very foolish imagine otherwise.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/38998-most-people-get-a-fair-amount-of-fun/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Orwell, George. “Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on balance life is suffering, and only the very young or the very foolish imagine otherwise.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/38998-most-people-get-a-fair-amount-of-fun/.