[lit-ideas] Re: interstitial remark #2
- From: Eric Yost <mr.eric.yost@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:33:45 -0400
Paul Stone wrote:
A baby can evaporate nihilism.
Nihilism can evaporate babies. Is there a correlation between having a
nihilistic persona* and lack of responsibility to loved ones?
"No neonates countin' on me," he exclaimed. "I'm all set for nihilism."
Turgenev visited Tolstoy. Turgenev was outgoing and cosmopolitan. At
dinner, he told jokes and stories. Played music. Taught Tolstoy's
daughters how to can-can.
The only record in Tolstoy's diary are the words, "Yesterday. Turgenev.
Can-can. Depressing."
Yup-yup,
Bazarov
_____
*
Doesn't a "nihilistic persona" seem the best term? It's difficult
to imagine a person turning nihilist by reasoning their way into it.
(Think of Camus, reasoning his way out of it.)
That's not to imply that there aren't people who believe they have
arrived at nihilism through contemplation, just that the real basis of
their convictions is its service to their personality, a persona, an
idealized self-image.
Say you do it. Say you contemplate your way to nihilism. In doing
so, you renounce the value of the contemplation that brought you to
nihilism. You pull up the ladder with you.
Or consider that you are writing a footnote. A ridiculous footnote
at that. Long-winded, preachy, boring. You no longer believe in the
footnote, either in its style or utility. You're stuck at the bottom
here, typing away, trying to conclude quickly. When the end does come,
you won't believe that either.
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
Other related posts:
