| MORE QUOTATIONS FROM MYSELF by NICK GUR 154. The behaviour of the Crowd can be partially explained by the fact that the Crowd consists of individuals who seldom, or most likely never, have the opportunity to express themselves in public, especially politically. And so the Crowd's, or as it sometimes disparagingly called the mob's, behaviour is like that of a man who after a long and imposed on him period of silence suddenly is given an opportunity to speak. Such a man, knowing by his previous experience that he can be stopped at any moment, would usually speak very fast, feverishly trying to compress in a few short moments the thoughts and feelings which have been pent up for a long, long time. And, inevitably, it sounds like an explosion. The Crowd also knows, collectively, that its brief chance of freedom to act and to express itself can be stopped at any moment. And it explodes too. 155. Unless the whole is known, its different parts seem having nothing in common or even being contradictory to each other. 156. The real Socrates was in all probability much more open, clear and a straightforward man than the shrewd but vague and shifty character depicted by Plato obviously for purely dramatic effects. The clear thoughts express themselves in clear sentences as well. 157. Many a poet are often facing the dilemma: either to remain a true poet and wait for inspiration, or to force oneself to write despite its absence, thus turning into a craftsman, even if a skilful one. 158. The sexual revolutionaries of yesterday, like Freud, Joyce, D.H.Lawrence, etc. have become today's idols. Not so with the social ones. The former were catering to the whims of human nature, the later condemned it. 159. Beholding ancient ruins, be aware that once upon a time they were new as the just built office tower that casts its shadow over the city square. 160. Plato puts his ideas in a form of dialogue in which his alter ego, Socrates, always wins an argument. This is a very clever and convincing stratagem since the reader usually identifies himself with Socrates's interlocutor-adversary and thus takes, albeit vicariously, a part in the dialogue. As a result, when the opponent of Socrates is persuaded to agree with him such a reader feels automatically convinced also, without actually putting forth any of his own arguments against Plato-Socrates. People who do not have a natural inclination for arguments of any, especially of intellectual sort, feel quite comfortable in a such situation. But those who do have the desire and ability to argue rendered impotent and frustrated. 161. In a book when a character has, so to speak "nowhere to go anymore" the author must obviously do something about it. The standard solution to such a problem is "to finish off" this "dead end" character, which is customarily arranged through his/her natural or accidental, even violent death, whichever the writer feels will fit the plot. But in life it is quite different. In real life people who have "nowhere anymore to go" usually go on anyway. 162. Everyone wants his share of glory, no one wants his share of shame. Everybody wants to be a part of the mighty, nobody wants to be a part of the weak. All want to play cowboys (they always win), none want to play Indians (they always lose). Lets join the winners, lets leave the losers. Rejoice with the happy, Shun the miserable. All want to survive, None want to perish. |
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