Literature, unable as it has become to be a profession, can only generate maladjusted and abnormal types. Because, after all, practicing it is no less than working with no expectation of return, something that nobody consciously does. The writer therefore detaches part of his time from “normal life”, and the greater this part, the more authentically he is a writer, the further he will stray from the norm, the more abnormal he will become. There is no solution. And if the tendency for him to fail in leading an ordinary life is almost unavoidable, at least it has become easier to verify the sincerity of his vocation.
Category: Notes
The First Thing the Student Should Bear…
The first thing the student should bear in mind when starting to investigate any subject is: everything that has already been affirmed, has already been refuted; everything that has already been praised, has already been criticized; everything that has already been taken as a rule, has already been violated; and for every example of a given theory, a given current, a given style or a given inclination, it is possible to find a contrary example. This is fundamental for the student to be cautious and never open a book expecting an end point. Good learning is stimulating, it encourages more study and not less, it moves rather than paralyzes.
It Takes a Long Time to Separate Oneself…
It takes a long time to separate oneself from the prevailing culture, even if only partially, and to be able to see philosophy and history through less contaminated lenses. Sometimes a lifetime is not enough. That is why it is fortunate for those who manage to define early on what they want from their studies, and then draw up a more or less defined research plan. With a visible goal, it is easier to delve deeper and consequently discover what, at first, did not even hint at existing. From there, a new world opens up, permanently alienating those who can see it. The effort pays off, although it is certainly not a painless process.
Sometimes It Is Strange to Get Used…
Sometimes it is strange to get used to the heroes of great literature, and then turn our eyes to the real example of an ordinary failed life. In great literature, the hero may not always venture out as Joseph Campbell would have it, but he is not wrong to note that the hero tends to evolve and learn. This is, in fact, the expected effect of years in the course of a life. Then we see the real example of someone who does not seem to have learned anything, who has not matured at all; someone who stumbled when he was young and continues to stumble when he is old. It is strange because it seems an almost insulting waste, a fierce, inhuman refusal to learn lessons from experience. That is the only real failure: not making the most of what was lived.