Dostoevsky prophesied it, and today exhibitionism has become so ingrained in customs that not practicing it is scandalous. The greatest evil derived from this behavior is the common notion that what is not exposed, is not; that in order to be, it has to be shared. And then there’s the old story that the lie, driven by credit, becomes the truth: those who believe it end up, in fact, suffocating their inner dimension.
Just as a Public Act Is Worth More…
Just as a public act is worth more for its educational character, the most it deserves is a certificate of education. Beyond that, one already enters the realm of vanity, which, when it does not imprison, corrupts. Boasting is always vicious, and the good that is done by boasting is done with more merit in silence. Only with a lot of effort can one preserves the sincerity of the act by using it as an instrument to obtain social approval.
Boredom, Lassitude and the Vices…
Boredom, lassitude and the vices that result from them only occur when one does not do something for which one’s spirit is motivated. Since one cannot do it all the time, we all experience some of these vices. However, there is a huge difference between those who do something motivating on a daily basis, which therefore sucks their attention and interest, and those who do not. The latter end up letting themselves be led by automatic impulses, in a cycle that can only produce the most annoying and harmful boredom. They are therefore deprived of the delight that enthusiasm for some purpose is, which is to direct a full mind towards it and experience the sensation that time has been well spent. Life itself, as if by magic, becomes stimulating.
What Most Distinguishes Hatred…
What most distinguishes hatred is its obsessive, permanent and insatiable character, which is only satisfied with the complete and final destruction of its object. Thus, once hatred has been awakened, it is like a flame that cannot be extinguished. For whatever reason, the one who awakens it is better off giving up on any reconciliation. If he is targeted by the masses, he had better be aware that he has got himself into an endless battle.