Tag: philosophy

Depending on where one is born and where one grows up, it is not uncommon to reach, within just a few years of adulthood, a sense of complete saturation, total disinterest, and a lack of identification with everything the environment has to offer. And so, it is time to leave. And to leave without too much reflection, because that tends to discourage the decision. Here, the problem of circumstances arises. But no one can explain how it is possible that, even when these circumstances seem the most precarious, the right decision prevails, and before long there is nothing left to regret. Once the experience seems to have been absorbed and overcome, once what could be learned from it has been learned and it has become undesirable, one must abandon it forever; otherwise, it will take root, causing harm, corrupting, and no longer having anything new to teach.

Every adult knows that, psychologically, something happens during the first transgression. And when one realizes, alongside the importance of following the rules, the possibility of breaking them all, the impact is definitive. Not only that, but it is a fundamental experience. Such a possibility is, after all, that of refusal, of choice, without which there is no awareness in the act, and therefore conformity becomes devoid of merit and meaning. It may not be wise to teach this to a child, of course; but an adult who is unaware of this truth has simply not matured.

The absurdity of not wanting traumatic experiences lies in the fact that such experiences are often the most memorable and rewarding, from which one can reap the most abundant and lasting benefits. It is not uncommon for a fruitful life to be built around them; an admirable life that knows how to transcend the negative and create something of value from it. Why, then, would we not want them? Because we are naturally inclined to believe that a pleasant life is superior to a fruitful one. What a mistake! And, when all is said and done, it is not hard to see how much more satisfying it is to be able to look back and admire how much one has done and how much one has managed to transform.

Some of the most valuable lessons life has to offer are those revealed by a contrast with common expectations. It is, for example, when one discovers that true generosity does not always present itself in a generous guise; or, conversely, that a violence, an enormous evil, lies hidden beneath the best of dispositions. Such experiences teach us a great deal about the essential nature of people and their intentions. Through them, one learns to admire and to despise in an unconventional way—but in a more dignified manner that values what is truly valuable.