Arquivo de philosophy | Page 105 of 124

Few Defects Make a Worse Impression Than the Inclination to Retreat

Few defects make a worse impression than the inclination to retreat or, if you like, misanthropy. However, I do not know the answer: how to know human nature and not be a misanthropist? How not to let our psychology contaminate to the point of repelling any relationship of forced intimacy? How not to hate the theatre of convenience? I study and find the obvious: the great artists shared this quality. And they were mostly hated when not ignored in life. History sometimes deludes appearing to have made some changes in the human psyche. The reactions to external stimuli, the dynamics of personal relationships, the foundation of life together have changed only in detail. The general concept has always repulsed those who hate social life. Not only has repulsed him but has also persecuted him to reform him: the extinction of the individual has always been the task of the collective, society has always arrogated to itself the right to demand that all play roles. That is why it is funny to note how misanthropy, the natural path of an observer of man, tends to worsen to infinity: the search for retreat is necessarily accompanied by persecution.

____________

“The object of this work is the investigation of the problem…”

“The object of this work is the investigation of the problem. But first, we must define the methods we will use in the analysis. However, we must first say what exactly we understand as a method. But first, we must outline the scope of human understanding. First of all, we need to make it very clear what the limitations of a scope are. Nevertheless, it is fundamental that we explain first in what sense we think something limited…” Oh, God, turn my boat off this course! Turn my poor boat off!

____________

Affability Is the Customary Packaging of Falsehood

“He is so cool, huh?” Oh, very very nice! Sweet! And the father of lies knows how much one gets from this venerable quality… But there it is: social relations require masks, and affability is the customary packaging of falsehood. I say and do not hesitate: sincerity looks terrible! For is it possible to have any appreciation of social life, knowing it to be a great theatre? Is it possible to smile in response to the smile whose motivation we know? Is it possible not to judge affability as an almost always detestable manifestation? Rhetorical questions, for the answers already count good centuries…

____________

Thought Only Blossoms in Silence

Thinking, intellectual progress is associated with silence. That is to say: it is impossible to think under noise; thought requires silence to flourish. And when we notice the numerous benefits of silence, solitude, and stillness, we must conclude that to adapt to silence is to strengthen character, to mold one’s own personality. The highest thoughts always spring from where there are no voices, and the inner voice only appears when the world is silent. That is why the path of knowledge is very clear—difficult is to have the courage to follow it.

____________