Tag: behavior

Few things are as satisfying as acquiring a new skill, that is, being able to do something one could not do before. The sensation is all too gratifying, and sometimes proves wrong the judgment one made of the possibilities. It is difficult to measure human capabilities: the body and mind can often withstand more than is supposed. With practice and determination, wonders occur; and can hardly be equaled the satisfaction of looking back and seeing that, through one’s own efforts, it was possible to become capable.

The fate of every serious student is loneliness. If he does not appreciate it, or at least resist it, his business will not be long-lived and will probably fail. For this reason, many end up abandoning their studies, even if they believe they are not doing so. There comes a point, however, when stagnation is all too evident, and only those who have the courage to go it alone thrive. For a while, sometimes forever, it is inevitable not to have anyone to talk to. Enjoying this scenario of peace and silence is not for everyone, and it is good that it is so.

Everywhere, there is no more corrupting element than this thirst for influence, recognition and power. And the corruption that consumes is consummated slowly, sometimes imperceptibly, from an even natural desire, which springs up as if driven by unavoidable circumstances, stimulated by them in a very treacherous way, because at first it does not come up against moral obstacles. Then, once the first step has been taken, once the new desire has been accepted, one goes down a path that almost always has no turning back, in the middle of which one no longer recognizes the previous character, swallowed up by the illness of the desire. Relationships, new and old, only come out poisoned; interest predominates and trust becomes non-existent. In truth, a creature like this is justified in seeing the world as evil.

A long way from the gulag and Siberia, one of the escapees from Slavomir Rawicz’s group, impressed by the hospitality of the Mongols and Tibetans, reflects that “these people make me feel very humble. They do a lot to wipe out bitter memories of other people who have lost their respect for humanity”. And really, it is hard to imagine how it is possible that filthy, ragged foreigners, with the ghastly appearance of those who have crossed Siberia and the Gobi Desert on foot, grunting strange phonemes in an unknown language, could, as a rule, have been welcomed by peasants as brothers. The East really is special… And although they have also not escaped corruption and evil, the Orientals have never failed to point out the qualities that distinguish them from other animals.