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Charles Robert Anon

I noticed within myself the gradual and awful differentiation…

I noticed within myself the gradual and awful differentiation of the world and of myself the difference between men and me was greater than ever. Family affections — my family's to me — took a cold look, a painful appearance before my warmth of affection to all mankind. A disgust of living invaded my soul; I grew inimical to men's opinions, loving mankind deeply all the while. Every day that saw me older saw the widening of the fearful grief. I was a genius, I realised the truth, and saw also this other, that being a genius I was a madman.

To succeed, says Dr. Reich, a young man needs 3 things: geography, history and religion. For «religion» I should substitute «faith», meaning by this sincerity.

But to succeed in the world, if that be what Dr. Reich means, then I shall assert that to succeed in the world 3 things are required: lack of conscientiousness, of scruple; brutality; interest. They follow so easily upon one another, are so logically connected, that we may write them all in one word: criminality, or a tendency thither.

s.d.

Pessoa Inédito. Fernando Pessoa. (Orientação, coordenação e prefácio de Teresa Rita Lopes). Lisboa: Livros Horizonte, 1993.

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