It is very unpleasant to witness, while they are still alive, the example of these writers who end up losing their way through their involvement in politics. Success and talent attract attention; attention brings new friends, and these friends drag them into the ungrateful realm. When we see this in a deceased writer, the process seems less painful; we can simply ignore certain texts, or give them the little weight they deserve. When, however, the writer is still alive, we are not yet able to discern what will remain of his work. If we respect him, we want to read him, and the drastic change in his texts, the squandering of talent for so little, actually hurts. It is best not to give in to the impulse to speak ill of him; after all, a great work, once published, is a tangible achievement that no misfortune and no wretch can ever take away from an author.
He Who Puts Himself in the Public Eye…
He who puts himself in the public eye and achieves some measure of success can be certain of the following: there will undoubtedly be a bad day, a day when, for whatever reason, he shows weakness, fails, or simply provokes a negative reaction. On that day, detractors will emerge from every corner, in far greater numbers than he imagines. The chorus will give the impression of unanimity; whatever they say will sound like common sense. His image, therefore, will suffer a blow, and for a moment no one will remember what he has done or who he is. It will, of course, be a thoroughly unpleasant experience; but publicity means having to go through it, and those who endure it without losing their balance emerge stronger.
Just as One Cannot Escape Envy…
Just as one cannot escape envy or unwanted enmities, one cannot avoid instant and fatal antipathies. It is truly intolerable: the futility of these experiences is glaringly obvious; an ordinary man would do anything, would give up almost everything to avoid them. But he has no such option. The prince of this world has his own plans, and he forces him to live them out constantly, no matter how much he hates them or how hard he tries to evade them. He will wake up happy, on one of those days when life seems to flow smoothly, under control, and pleasantly, and then everything will turn sour with that unnecessary encounter. The devil laughs…
Long Waits Are Always More or Less Painful…
Long waits are always more or less painful, because they shift our focus from what we are waiting for to the current deprivation. However, they accustom us to these hardships and, by necessity, teach us to face them without despair. Obviously, such a lesson is hardly pleasant, and if it were possible, no one would choose to learn it. When, however, time passes, when luck allows, and the wait finally ends, one can form a different judgment. And then one realizes that, without that wait, the previous state would fade from memory, and with it the exact notion of the true psychological grace that constitutes the current state.