If the drama of the journalist who spends his life carrying the frustrated dream of doing literature is legitimized by repetition, it should be noted that, in most cases, this dream is just an idyllic image, like any other, conceived without reflection. The frustrated journalist never reflects on what journalism offers him and what literature can hardly match. First of all, a salary; then recognition and reputation. If we analyze it carefully, these are things without which any journalist could only imagine working in a nightmare. Even the worst journalist receives a salary and enjoys some prestige, has an audience that listens to him and reads him. In a scenario without any of this, would he still make literature? Of course not. So the alleged drama is always more fanciful than real.
Category: Notes
Literature, Unable as It Has Become to Be…
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.
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.