every cloud . . .
- Mar 23
- 1 min read
E
Every cloud has a silver lining. Certain adages are repeated over and over – thus becoming cliché – because they are generally true.
Nearly 400 years ago, John Milton wrote a poem he called Comus: A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle in which he wondered if “a ‘sable cloud [did] turn forth her silver lining on the night?” The phrase eventually became commonplace in the cliché, every cloud has a silver lining.
Here’s the point: seeking some evidence of hope in the midst of gloom or despair has been part of the human experience for centuries. I’d say forever. It’s who we are. It’s who you are.
Things always change. For the better when they are hard and, got to admit it, for the worse when they are easy. Life is never static even during overwhelming times. It’s the ancient Taoist story of the Chinese Farmer. It’s yin and yang. It’s Leonard Cohen. And on and on. Every sage in every place in every time has known this. So, the next time you hear someone disparage the term “cliché,” remember that adages that last speak to a universal experience. There’s a reason they become commonplace.
3/23/26
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