Tag: philosophy

The most frustrating problems are those whose understanding is insufficient to solve them. They are the ones one must deal with for a prolonged period, and even if their mechanism is perfectly understandable, even if their solution is crystal clear, one cannot overcome them because one lacks the means to do so. Hence, each time they arise, it feels like a blow to the mind, a painful, exasperating blow that must be endured in silence, since reacting is futile and only increases the irritation. The worst part of such problems is that they seem unjustifiable the moment after they are understood; that is to say, what needed to be taught has already been taught; yet even so, out of sheer stubbornness, they insist on not going away.

It is difficult to gauge just how useful it can be to master at least one of these great symbolic systems, so that one’s reasoning naturally tends to find connections between reality and the myriad of traditional symbolic interpretations. Such correspondences are inexhaustible and greatly deepen one’s understanding of reality. A simple event, therefore, takes on a broader meaning for the mind. And one gains from this even when not consciously trying to interpret it, since a mind trained in this way will always be inclined to go beyond the superficial layer of meaning.

At first, it is discovering oneself as an agent, pushing one’s own abilities to the limit, until one feels them exhausted, insufficient. Then, it is recognizing the impossibility of relying solely on them, and the need for greater support. Such support is possible! But in order to realize this, man usually has to fail first. It is when the world comes crashing down, when effort seems futile and longing impossible, that a man is able to realize just how wrong he can be in his judgments.

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.