Vanity

"There is no doubt that in exchanging a self-centered for a selfless life we gain enormously in self-esteem. The vanity of the selfless, even those who practice humility, is boundless."—Eric Hoffer, The True Believer

I have been filling in a gap in my self-education by reading the book from which I took the above quotation. I highly recommend it; the style is clear and pithy, almost aphoristic at times, and it contains many provocative observations and much food for thought. The frequent parallels to Nietzsche's thought, such as the observation quoted, are remarkable.

Liberation

"I see in the present and the past knowledge, truth, moral strength, the striving for independence, love of beauty in a small handful of people who are treated as enemies, lost in an environment which does not sympathize with them. On the other hand I see the tight-fisted development of the remaining strata of society, with their narrow ideas, based upon tradition, their limited needs, a few strivings towards the good, a few feeble impulses towards evil... The mass is only a good when it is faceless. The development of the unique individual, that charming phenomenon, is what everything free, talented and strong works towards....

"If people would sooner or later get the idea of saving themselves rather than saving the world, of liberating themselves rather than liberating humanity, how much they would do towards saving the world and liberating humanity."—Alexander Herzen

Alexander Herzen was one of the great and original thinkers of the 19th Century. His memoir, My Past and Thoughts, is one of my most beloved books, not only for his thinking but for the humanity that is revealed in his character. I found the above quotations in a recent book by Lesley Chamberlain (author of the wonderful Nietzsche in Turin), entitled Motherland. I am only part way into it, but I can already recommend it highly for anyone interested in Russia, philosophy, or the history of ideas.

Artistic Strength

"Artists, if they are any good, are (physically as well) strong, full of surplus energy, powerful animals, sensual; without a certain overheating of the sexual system a Raphael is unthinkable— Making music is another way of making children; chastity is merely the economy of an artist—and in any event, even with artists, fruitfulness ceases when potency ceases— Artists should see nothing as it is, but fuller, simpler, stronger: to that end, their lives must contain a kind of youth and spring, a kind of habitual intoxication." —Nietzsche

Some food for thought for the weekend.