In theory, Meetings with Remarkable Men, by George Gurdjieff, was conceived with “similar objectives” to those of Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda. But this can only be said in quotation marks, because the discrepancy between the works is so striking that it would not be an exaggeration to consider them models, one of truth and the other of falsification. One is truly instructive, presenting truly remarkable men and thus achieving its “goal”; the other is merely a succession of accounts whose purpose is nothing more than to inflate the ego of an author who, whenever he seems about to say something important, he cunningly states that he will only say it in a volume yet to be published and that you, the reader, will have to buy. But above all, what both works reveal is a contrast between personalities that, if not opposite, are absolutely distinct. The qualities that shine through in Yogananda are completely absent in Gurdjieff: the former inspires respect and admiration, while the latter inspires only antipathy.
Category: Notes
The Most Important Book Yet to Be Written…
The most important book yet to be written by a new and necessary Gilberto Freyre will describe what happened in Rio de Janeiro in the last century. Such a work, if undertaken seriously, will be the most significant of the century. It is a perhaps unprecedented human catastrophe that separates the Rio de Janeiro of Machado de Assis from the Rio de Janeiro of the 2000s, and even though it is scandalous, it is difficult to trace the succession of events that made it possible. To do so, it would be necessary to gather documents and delve into history with unusual awareness and acumen, capable of identifying the psychological roots of a physically crystallized phenomenon. Someone will have to do it. From a destruction like this, something very important must be learned. Possibly, Brazil’s destiny depends on the success of such an undertaking.
It Is Impossible Not to Enjoy a Good Fisherman’s…
It is impossible not to enjoy a good fisherman’s tale, even if we do not believe a word of it. But here, the adventures, exaggerations, and even absurdities provoke laughter rather than aversion. Why? It is interesting to note that there is this type of lie that entertains, stimulates, and generates a positive feeling in the listener. And it opens the door to an entire literary genre in which creativity is free to manifest itself. The more ingenious and implausible the story, the more easily it is sometimes engraved in the memory, and the more it increases the merit of its author. Perhaps the mystery of this phenomenon is not a mystery at all: in it, the lie only works because it is based on purity of intention.
When We Encounter a Man Who Boasts…
When we encounter a man who boasts about something that should shame him, we see how easily cleverness turns into vice. To have such a quality, it is better to always be deceived! Undoubtedly, there is no moral embarrassment in being a victim, nor in giving credit to those who do not deserve it. If something is lost, it goes without leaving a mark on the conscience, and time never exacts the price of remorse. The one who wins, however, will realize that what he has gained is little, and will be happier to the extent that the vileness he nurtures leaves no room for objections—complete happiness, as we can see, is only possible for an animal.