Under pressure

There is no gain without pain. Stalker’s wife is right: Even if our life were without grief, it wouldn’t be any the better for it. It would be worse. Because it would be without happiness and without hope. People make mistakes, the world is full of freaks, shit happens. If only we had the nerve to face the pressure. In some sense, the most oppressed ones (the prisoners who have survived the most horrifying tortures) are the happiest, as they have learned to endure, to resist humiliation. They haven’t skipped that tough (but necessary) class. Most of us have. In fact, they underwent an advanced level (or even a proficiency) course of what may be called character fortification. They did a master degree in self-abasement. By a constant self-indulgence into various pleasures we do weaken ourselves. (It's a well known fact that little of what we like does us good.) That is why at times we are reminded that being responsible and sensible is a real treasure. Unfortunately, we come to understand this once a bit too late. Then we also realize that there is no sin apart from stupidity (= not using one's sense of humour).

Sisyphus is right, too: we do have to keep struggling. There is no other way. And perhaps little diplomacy helps. It has never hurt anybody. Only that I did miss the diplomacy classes when I was very young, and now I have to work much harder (on exorcizing my pride) if I want to catch up. Yet, had I any love in me for the madding crowd, would I need to think of diplomacy? Well, it’s rather impossible to love mankind in general, I agree. What I could do though is be more patient, understanding, and forgiving - after all, it is a sanitary method.