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.
The Sufis advise us to speak only after our words have managed to pass through three gates. At the first gate, we ask ourselves, 'Are these words true?' If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go. At the second gate, we ask, 'Are the necessary?' At the last gate, we ask, 'Are they kind?'
There is absolutely no inevitability, so long as there is a willingness to contemplate what is happening.
Our wisdom and deliberation for the most part follow the lead of chance.
Deign on the passing world to turn thine eyes, And pause a while from learning to be wise. There mark what ills the scholar's life assail,- Toil, envy, want, the patron, and the jail.
Moderation in all things - including moderation.
Whatever someone did to you in the past has no power over the present. Only you give it power.
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