 |
By Loui
Jover
|
"You
mean about Diderot?"
"No,
not about Diderot. Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to
himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot
distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for
himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order
to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse
pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to
other men and to himself. The man who lies to himself can be more easily
offended than anyone. You know it is sometimes very pleasant to take offence,
isn't it? A man may know that nobody has insulted him, but that he has invented
the insult for himself, has lied and exaggerated to make it picturesque, has
caught at a word and made a mountain out of a molehill -- he knows that
himself, yet he will be the first to take offence, and will revel in his
resentment till he feels great pleasure in it, and so pass to genuine
vindictiveness. But get up, sit down, I beg you. All this, too, is deceitful
posturing...."
"Blessed
man! Give me your hand to kiss."
Fyodor
Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
