Sublime

The other traditional release from under-confidence of this type came from the opposite end of the social spectrum: being a servant. ‘No man is a hero to his valet,’ remarked the sixteenth-century essayist Montaigne – a lack of respect which may at points prove deeply encouraging, given how much our awe can sap our will to rival or match our

Die eeuwenoude nivelleringsdrang dreigt echter steeds averechtser effecten in de hand te werken. Van ‘we zijn allemaal even gewoon’ via ‘we zijn allemaal even bijzonder’ glijden we in snel tempo door naar ‘ik ben minstens zo bijzonder als wie dan ook en dat moet iedereen weten’. Het overal hardhandig opkomen voor het eigen ik verleidt er zelfs al

twisting of personality whereby formerly decent folk become vain, cruel, self-centered, and inordinately self-indulgent. It is not just that such people have gotten too much wealth, too much fame, or too much attention, but that these influences distorted their egos and reinforced what might be called the small self instead of the big Self. The

The one question rarely asked is whether there might be a way to ameliorate the dispiriting choice, to draw on the best aspects of consumerism on the one hand and high-mindedness on the other without suffering their worst consequences: moral decadence and profound poverty. Might it be possible for a society to develop that allows for consumer

Resisting all this as an individual, or as a family, takes fortitude, because the smoother life gets, the more perverse you’ll seem if you insist on maintaining the rough edges by choosing the inconvenient way of doing things.