/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.10273071]

Why is /lit/ so meek, self-pitying, and needlessly humble?

A sense of profound self-confidence to the point of delusion is something you'll find in most great artists. J D Salinger in his first interview in his early 20s said he expected to be no less than the greatest American writer of his century. Yukio Mishima quit his job at 23 and promised his father to be the best Japanese writer of his time. Adolf Hitler refused to become a clerk in the civil service as his father wanted him to be and instead suffered poverty and misery as an unemployed bohemian in Vienna before making it big. I can name others. But even by avoiding full-time work and focusing on their art most great writers communicated their ambition to be far more than some mediocre Sunday Painter. Van Gogh refused to work after the age of 27 and openly told his brother that he felt he deserved to be given money because of his talents. Lead Singer Syndrome, referring to the megalomaniacal behavior of a band's lyricist / lead singer is a consequence of their self-confidence and a by-product of their immense talent and ambition. The greatest footballers are often described as overly-demanding and stubborn. The fact is if you want to be more than anonymous and mediocre in this world you have to demand more out of life than what is afforded most people. You will be accused of being ungrateful, of being childish, of being delusional and pretentious, but only by asserting your demand to succeed will you ever do so. Take me for example. I am 36 years old and have never had a job. My mother supports my artistic ambition and has done so for around 20 years at this point. I simply refuse to be cajoled into working some dead-end, energy-sapping job when I could be using that same time and energy to produce the greatest works of art our species has to offer.

[Anonymous No.10273084]

Stop stealing Pessoa-chan's material dumbo

[Anonymous No.10273117]

There exists a stigma around honest self-appraisal. I see no reason why I should deny that I, for example, am exceptionally intelligent, and moreso than the majority of humankind. It sounds awful—but hear me out, gentle reader! We all acknowledge the supreme importance of truth and honesty. Have you read Pascal? Don't worry if you haven't, I quote the only passage we need (I assume many of my readers have no French, so I give a translation):
"Thus, when they discover only the imperfections and vices which we really have, it is plain they do us no wrong, since it is not they who cause them; they rather do us good, since they help us to free ourselves from an evil, namely, the ignorance of these imperfections. We ought not to be angry at their knowing our faults and despising us; it is but right that they should know us for what we are, and should despise us, if we are contemptible."

Now follow the train of reasoning: we owe it to others to be honest about our comparative vices and virtues. If another man is contemptible, it is a moral duty to say so. What difference is there in saying that I am less contemptible? None can deny that each statement offends for the same reason. We owe it as humanists (I do not say Christians, as I see no truth in that myth) to be honest about each other and ourselves, and to overcome the self-imposed deafness which will not hear anything which injures our pride.

What excuse is then left to hate the man who claims a degree of brilliance? First, be honest with yourself—is your hatred not mixed with vanity? Do you not resent the notion that another might be more intelligent than you? Is this about me, or about yourself?

Would that all my critics were so honest and curious. Indeed if they would confront the source of their discomfort—that knowledge that they are rather imperfect themselves—they might even profit by the thought! So little can my honest 'egotism' harm them, it is even likely to give them occasion for self-improvement.

I will, of course, receive criticism gracefully. Yet I think it not impudent if I should often disagree with my critics, given that I can speak from much more experience of myself.

[Anonymous No.10273175]

>>10273071
because op has never told me that before but now that i know i'll stop being so meek, self-pitying and needlessly humble. from now on only needfully humble

[Anonymous No.10273189]

>>10273071
I'm stunned.

This is fantastic bait, well done anon. I'm both shocked and surprised that you managed to get the tone exactly right. Game respects game.

[Anonymous No.10273193]

>>10273071
>Why is /lit/ so meek, self-pitying, and needlessly humble?
Low T

[Anonymous No.10273204]

>>10273071
I am a man. I am a man. I am a man.

Ever since I made this my mantra, be been unable to stop getting laid.

[Anonymous No.10273525]

>>10273175
Attaboy

[Anonymous No.10273526]

>>10273189
>bait
it's literally true though

[Anonymous No.10273529]

>>10273071
Use paragraphs I can't process that glob of shit

[Anonymous No.10273535]

>>10273529
Why is /lit/ so meek, self-pitying, and needlessly humble?

A sense of profound self-confidence to the point of delusion is something you'll find in most great artists. J D Salinger in his first interview in his early 20s said he expected to be no less than the greatest American writer of his century. Yukio Mishima quit his job at 23 and promised his father to be the best Japanese writer of his time. Adolf Hitler refused to become a clerk in the civil service as his father wanted him to be and instead suffered poverty and misery as an unemployed bohemian in Vienna before making it big. I can name others.

But even by avoiding full-time work and focusing on their art most great writers communicated their ambition to be far more than some mediocre Sunday Painter. Van Gogh refused to work after the age of 27 and openly told his brother that he felt he deserved to be given money because of his talents. Lead Singer Syndrome, referring to the megalomaniacal behavior of a band's lyricist / lead singer is a consequence of their self-confidence and a by-product of their immense talent and ambition. The greatest footballers are often described as overly-demanding and stubborn.

The fact is if you want to be more than anonymous and mediocre in this world you have to demand more out of life than what is afforded most people. You will be accused of being ungrateful, of being childish, of being delusional and pretentious, but only by asserting your demand to succeed will you ever do so. Take me for example. I am 36 years old and have never had a job. My mother supports my artistic ambition and has done so for around 20 years at this point. I simply refuse to be cajoled into working some dead-end, energy-sapping job when I could be using that same time and energy to produce the greatest works of art our species has to offer.

[Anonymous No.10273580]

>>10273204
>been unable to stop getting laid.

>down at the grocery store, just looking to pick up a 32oz Steak for dinner because I am a man
>accidentally make eye-contact with a passing woman
>she looks at me, at the vacuum packed steak in my hands, then back up at me
>oh no not again
>she launches herself at me with the force of a starving tigress
>I do my best to fight her off, but she gets my pants down and starts riding me right there in the snack aisle, a single Twinkie filling my asscrack with cream as I try to squirm out from under her
>pain wars with pleasure as she bounces on my dick, which is raw and chapped by hundreds of similar encounters over the last week
>behind her dozens of women - old, young, pretty, plain - drawn by the noise of our frenetic lovemaking, begin to form a queue, waiting for their turn
>life is hell why did I ever start that mantra I just want it stop please help

[Anonymous No.10273592]

>>10273535

The last part talking about yourself fits so well within the rest of the narrative. Damn that's actually good, I'd totally publish you if I were a publisher. I'll try to be a stuck up asshole more often, thank you for the great insight (I wish I was being ironic).

[Anonymous No.10273602]

Friedrich Nietzsche is a perfect example of this attitude as well.