Tag: philosophy

Sometimes, the environment can be truly restrictive. And so, the feeling of being trapped within it is well-founded. In these cases, sincere will alone is not enough to transform it: habit, above all, has crystallized a complex and invincible structure. Invincible, as long as one wishes to be part of it, as long as one wishes to benefit from it in some way, or simply is not willing to endure the discomfort of breaking away from it. Because this is the truth: it is always possible to choose the latter option. And if growth is a priority, there is no alternative but to do so—only to discover, after that courageous act, that the so-called discomfort was actually quite ordinary.

There are, and indeed there are, people who would hardly be embarrassed if they knew they had lived for a long time under observation. This contradicts that old saying which, though false, faithfully expresses a certain amount of common sense. But it must be noted, and we must proceed with the necessary examination of conscience. It has been said that the requirement for holiness is nothing more than the desire to attain it. And even so, there is no doubt that it is reserved for the few. However, there is a mandatory minimum, without which the spirit cannot help but succumb. This is evident. Examples abound and prove that nothing is required to follow them: anyone, no matter how few virtues he may possess, cannot afford to forgo this minimum—and must therefore desire to become one of those men. Without this, everything else is of no value whatsoever.

It is all a matter of paying attention. And when the signs are unmistakable, it really is astonishing. A man makes a firm resolution about something, and from that moment on, everything seems to conspire to make him betray himself. Just put it to the test. At first, reality is exasperating. However, if the betrayal does not come to pass, and thus the spirit does not succumb, if it frees itself from the trap of the resolution and, instead of falling, overcomes the temptations and perseveres, there is much to think about. Now, if the concomitant movement truly occurs, and it is not merely a fantasy, what kind of conclusion follows? Of the smallest possible, it is to sketch it out and realize that, when one can laugh at lived reality, aware of its implications and the nature of what one was able to overcome, a tremendous—and perhaps dangerous—satisfaction springs forth.

Despair stems from fear, which often arises from the perception of an unsolvable situation—or at least one perceived as such. It is not so much the situation itself that is distressing as the feeling of powerlessness in the face of its unfolding, and despair springs from the inability to influence it through any action. It is clear, then, that in such cases, irresponsibility can serve as a palliative. And despair is always, to a greater or lesser extent, the repercussion of a mental phantom. That is why, when one does not fear death, when one has no attachment, nothing ultimately seems so frightening. And that is also why those who take refuge in the strength of faith never despair.