Tag: philosophy

The self-respecting intellectual must not only have as a starting point, but also as a constant notion, that his life is a spark in a world that has already existed and will continue to exist. Without this, one is easily swallowed up by a vanity that is ultimately laughable. And when we see how many modern intellectuals fall for this primal illusion, when we see how shameless self-love has become, we see a detachment from reality that prehistoric man could never allow himself, and even for animals, allowing it would mean extinction.

The fear of giving up an old dream is almost always unfounded, and the years shows that giving it up brings a kind of liberation. Sticking to little means being less displeased, if not more fully satisfied. When one realizes this, one sees that it only makes sense to nurture a dream that incurs a salutary practice.

Satisfaction, if not sought now, if not experienced in the present circumstances, will never be sought or experienced. One has to get used to having it and wanting it, one has to move towards it, and this can only be done through will, effort and a good disposition. It is always possible to find it, and it is all the more fruitful to do so when it seems so far away. Humility in satisfaction is lasting satisfaction.

The distressing feeling of not belonging seems much more an internal issue than an objective one. Objectively, one belongs to where one is born. And if we see Schopenhauer, for example, experiencing it all his life, we can only credit it to an inner disposition. Schopenhauer, in fact, was relatively well-accommodated, and he also adapted relatively well to the circumstances imposed on him, although he did not realize it. The feeling he carried through life was nothing more than a psychological hindrance that he could not get rid of.