Envy is invincible. Perhaps, among all human feelings, only envy has this absolutely inflexible character. We could observe it from two points of view: that of the one who exercises it, and that of the one who suffers it. The envious person is a slave to this feeling which, if not stimulated, arises and strengthens spontaneously. Even if he wants to overcome it, he cannot do so without disfiguring himself; therefore, the most he can do is to engage in a continuous combat, and continue despite of defeats. As for the envied, that is, the patient of envy, what can he do? This one, no doubt, finds himself even more powerless in the face of the problem, and it seems that no action he may take will be able to annul it. He may resort to contempt, which is a reasonable solution, and will only deviate from the natural discomfort he is experiencing, but will never defeat the agent. In short: the difference, in both perspectives, seems to be simply reduced to two postures: that of those who incite, and that of those who avoid envy; in both cases, a difference of character only, not of results.
Life Only Seems Monotonous…
Life only seems monotonous to those who do not pay it enough attention. It is enough to register it to perceive it, if one’s eyes are not open enough, or if one’s memory fails. This is a truth that strikes one when one realizes it: suddenly, many seemingly banal singularities of the past, which have passed unnoticed, seem to make sense. Then, it becomes very difficult not to tend toward an almost mystical interpretation of reality, since immense effort is required to deny hidden connotations that reveal themselves to be realities infinitely more plausible to reasoning. In short: monotony, more often than not, is mere inattention.
Art, in Its Most Authentic Manifestation, is the Expression…
The artist who aspires to success while alive deserves it, and deserves it because art is a very difficult choice. However, such an artist can never, ever aspire to a position among the greatest, since supreme art expects nothing and has nothing to expect. Art, in its most authentic manifestation, is the expression that springs from a need and has as its purpose the expression itself. It matters little the means by which it expresses itself, or the techniques it uses: these are mere details which, when over-emphasized, obscure this self-evident truth: great art is not made on a whim.
On the Threshold Between Cowardice and Courage
It takes an ophidic coolness and very solid values to, in an extreme situation of imminent risk, reflect in an instant and make the right decision. Situations like these, where a man finds himself on the threshold between cowardice and courage, are often keys to a biography, and their effects last for as long as a life is extended. It is like the hunter who, with his rifle unloaded, is surprised by a hungry tiger: the shot imposes itself, and there is no avoiding it; the gaze fixed on the beast shows a false move to be death; and, with a racing heart, the man has to decide.