From an educational point of view, a bad example has the advantage of scandalizing. That is why it sticks in the memory more easily, and sometimes so strongly that remembering it causes immediate revulsion and eliminates the possibility of repeating it. Thus, there are cases in which it is much more effective in conveying a lesson that the best examples would only scratch at if they tried to do so. The scandal is not forgotten, nor is it immunized.
Tag: behavior
Frequent Contact With Fatalities…
Frequent contact with fatalities, especially those resulting from human brutality, is an element that has a decisive effect on a character. Much of literature and philosophy cannot be properly appreciated if we disregard it. Those who have lived through the horror of a war, for example, see the words acquire a weight that is sometimes difficult to convey, because the seriousness of what is said can only be grasped by those who also grasp the motivating experience, which is partly attainable through imaginative effort, but never as intense as the real thing. There are authors subjected to a dose of bones, blood and misery whose character, if it is strange to us, is a sign that we are not capable of analyzing it.
Anyone Who pays attention to the fragility…
Anyone who pays attention to the fragility of human relationships realizes that they cannot be trusted. Sometimes it seems as if they are all born doomed to die. Those that appear to be successful, one just has to wait until the day comes when trust suddenly breaks down and it is all over. It does not even have to be that long: sometimes, for much less, the relationship turns sour, the natural estrangement follows and, before one notices, it is already broken. Not even the best, most lasting relationships are too sure of an untimely end. It is sad to see, but that is the way it is.
When We See Just Once a Child…
When we see just once a child losing its innocence, the concept we have of man cannot remain. Here, something unspeakable happens, with much effort symbolized, but which no words can specify. We remember Eden, we regret it, but the regret itself is dubious, because it is difficult to classify the experience as entirely bad. In the child, something is lost; but something is gained. The previous state certainly does not return, which is why there seems to be a kind of condemnation for the experience. But if it brings with it some sorrow and nostalgia, it opens up a new dimension. When the child loses its innocence, it begins to become consequential; and it is from this moment that merit can flourish.