In the life of study, sooner or later, one has to develop the ability to deal with the paradox that one should or should only read what one wants to retain, although knowledge of piles and piles of books is necessary for progress in any serious study. There is never a definitive solution to this dilemma. It is necessary to read, and to read slowly; but the real interest that sustains attentive reading wants to go after sources, wants to broaden one’s understanding more and more: the result is a list of next readings that only grows, indefinitely. It soon becomes clear that it is not possible to read everything one wants to, that one has to choose. But choosing is another problem: it is necessary to mix the safe with the mysterious, the unexplored, because one never knows exactly what can be found in them. Finally, the study has to delve into lists, titles and indexes, and if it does not find everything it’s looking for, it has to recognize that finitude necessarily denotes a limit to what can be sought.
Category: Notes
Something That the Mind Has a Hard Time…
Something that the mind has a hard time getting used to in biographies is comparing the greatness of some personalities with the absolute lack of recognition of such greatness while the biographees were alive. Often, posthumous consecration blurs this contrast, and we can hardly imagine the colossus, if not despised, walking the streets as an ordinary man. But we must always keep this in mind, and by doing so we can get much closer to the reality that surrounded him and better visualize his true dimension.
The Secret of Many Writers Is to Amplify…
The secret of many writers is to amplify, exaggerate a few traits that are already naturally prominent in their personalities. To do this, however, it is necessary to overcome that initial fear of what readers might think. The curious thing is that these fears are almost always unfounded, and the exaggeration crystallizes into style, becoming the greatest indication of the individual’s verve. We see the effect, and then compare it with the opposite examples, of those writers who trim their own protrusions, as if trying to appear more “normal”. It seems that the desired acceptance is not achieved, and in the end their work makes a bad impression. In the final analysis, the public always prefers the crazy to the dull.
Parallel to the Feeling That the World…
Parallel to the feeling that the world demands an individual response to the circumstances imposed on it, there runs, sometimes latent, sometimes manifest, the certainty that the world, in truth, is indifferent: it demands nothing and expects nothing from anyone. This gives rise to an unbearable feeling of helplessness in some people, which leads to inertia and demotivation. The problem is certainly in the world: it is in having it as an arbiter, in wanting to have it as a friend, in demanding rewards from it. It is clear that all this stems from an inner maladjustment. Being indifferent to indifference is not enough, nor does it solve anything; what is enough is to have something stable as the basis of motivation.