A phrase of Gramsci's from the end of a wonderful article on Hayao Miyazaki in the latest New Yorker (there's an interview with the article's author online): "pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will." A phenomenon I've often felt in myself and struggled for the words to describe. It's a kind of gift to come upon a single phrase that discloses yourself to yourself—even if it raises more questions than it answers.