It does not follow that the meaning must be given from above; that life and suffering must come neatly labeled; that nothing is worth while if the world is not governed by a purpose.
Walter KaufmannRead
Success is no proof of virtue. In the case of a book, quick acclaim is presumptive evidence of a lack of substance and originality.
Interpretation
Success does not necessarily indicate a person's moral character or the quality of their work.
This quote emphasizes that achieving success, especially in creative fields like literature, may not reflect true talent or integrity. Quick recognition may often be superficial and suggest a deficiency in deeper substance and originality, cautioning against valuing popularity over genuine quality and authenticity.
In practice
In a literary discussion about the merits of critically acclaimed versus popular books.
It does not follow that the meaning must be given from above; that life and suffering must come neatly labeled; that nothing is worth while if the world is not governed by a purpose.
Life ceases to be so oppressive: we are free to give our own lives meaning and purpose, free to redeem our suffering by making something of it.
The only theism worthy of our respect believes in God not because of the way the world is made but in spite of that. The only theism that is no less profound than the Buddha's atheism is that represented in the Bible by Job and Jeremiah.
Man stands alone in the universe, responsible for his condition, likely to remain in a lowly state, but free to reach above the stars.
How marvelous, wide and broad is my Inheritance! Time is my property, my estate is time.
To be honest and truthful in all endeavours is an experience, not a regret
"He passed over his fall, and appointed him first of the Apostles; wherefore He said: ' 'Simon, Simon,' etc. (in Ps. cxxix. 2). God allowed him to fall, because He meant to make him ruler over the whole world, that, remembering his own fall, he might forgive those who should slip in the future. And that what I have said is no guess, listen to Christ Himself saying: 'Simon, Simon, etc.'"
I'm a very positive person, but this whole concept of having to always be nice, always smiling, always happy, that's not real. It was like I was wearing a mask. I was becoming this perfectly chiselled sculpture, and that was bad. That took a long time to understand.
All you earnest young men out to save the world. . . please, have a laugh.
Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving.
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