Above all, it is essential to banish the possibility of despair and shield oneself in advance against this undesirable and potentially fatal trap. And then to learn to deal with guilt, death, discouragement, and suffering, always seeking to draw something good from them. Misfortune, as has been said, often comes in pairs; but it also opens a door, and it will always be that way.
Anyone Who Lacks the Desire for Agreement…
Anyone who lacks the desire for agreement, nor strives to prove others wrong and himself right, is bound to be an outsider. Such an individual will never adapt to any environment, though he may participate superficially in any of them. Identification, however, is impossible for him, and no one will be able to see in him a kindred spirit. Such impulses are components of normal human relationships: they unite and separate, but ultimately they categorize; to lack them is to shield oneself from any connection.
Old Age Seems to Call for Serenity
Old age seems to call for serenity just as youth calls for passion. However, a young man who goes against the nature of youth seems to us to be superior to it, whereas an elderly man who does the same seems to us to be out of step with his age. It is strange because there are countless cases in which conflict seems to be ingrained in an individual’s nature, so that to abandon it would be, for him, to die. Thus, we observe those who, with white hair, remain fierce, passionate, and always embroiled in some struggle. Certainly, it is not for other men to judge them; but old age seems more authentic when it cultivates and radiates peace.
The Failure of Tolstoy’s Life
All the contradictions, the dehumanization, and the very failure of Tolstoy’s life as recounted by Paul Johnson are very sad. However, it would be unwise to take his account as a summary of Tolstoy’s life: the biography lacks the literary testimony. And, without a doubt, the image we form of Tolstoy changes when we compare the two. On the one hand, there is the outward appearance, the actions, and all manner of human weaknesses and flaws that tend to surface when a man is called upon to act. All of this is regrettable. However, when we read a few lines by Tolstoy, we realize there is something different about him. It is not a matter of literary genius, but of the absolute impossibility that such a profound understanding of human nature could not have entailed an awareness of his own contradictions, his own dehumanization, and his own failure. It is impossible to imagine that Paul Johnson’s Tolstoy did not experience an excruciating inner conflict. And, upon noticing this, only the devil is incapable of empathy.