What drives these men ? What fire in their eyes and what strength of the will ? What drives these men to go about climbing the tallest of the mountains, capped with snow ? To start a voyage across the vast ocean to find land ? What hope had they when men about them were losing theirs and blaming these rare species ? They are rare and they are definitely not to be categorized with the others.
How can their heart want something so much that they disobey the fundamental rules, the fundamental fact that the world is flat, and then go forth and disprove the fact ? Was it only a strong rebellion to disprove the majority ? Or was there more to it ? Was there that thought, that all of their logic tells them that it is true, and that they want to settle its claim for once and for all ? What of the desire, the desire to find things out, find out that they were wrong and then smile about it, but have a gladness that they were able to settle its claim, that they were willing to do it, that they had the courage to do it, that they had the wrath of the others but still had their desire to make up for everything ?
All of the things that man has achieved, all the ones that matter have started out by ignoring the ones who pull them down. Do you still need to worry about what they say ?
2 comments:
Romain Rolland in Jean-Christophe
So many men – they have no opinions except in so far as they disapprove of all the enthusiastic opinion. But if a man is to be independent, he has to stand alone and how many men are there who are capable of that? How many men are there even amongst the clear-sighted who will dare to break free of the bondage of certain prejudices, certain postulates which cramp and fetter all the men of the same generation? That would mean setting up a wall between themselves and others, on one hand freedom in the wilderness, on the other, mankind. They do not hesitate. They choose mankind, the herd. The herd is evil-smelling but it gives warmth. Then those who have chosen pretend to think, do not in fact think. It is not very difficult for them. They know so little what they think! “Know thy-self” How could they, those men, who have hardly a ‘me’ to know. In every collective belief, religious or social very rare are the men who believe, because very rare the men who are men. Faith is a heroic force; its fire has kindled but very few human hearts.
Hey thanks for introducing me to Romain Rolland. :)
I'll definitely check him out.
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