Thought 470: Self-Loathing Overcome

Self-loathing is overcome

when what we least liked

about ourselves is what

we most like.

Thought 469: What Is Privilege?

What we take for granted.

Thought 468: Easy Way and Hard Way

Pillar of Mercy =

there is a pattern

to life = nihilism

does not need

to be conquered

v

Pillar of Severity 

= there is no pattern

to life = nihilism needs

to be conquered

Thought 467: Fool's Mysteries

The greatest disillusion,

which requires the greatest

illusion, is the greatest prize

for a wisdom-lover—

whence the mysteries.

Ultimately,

the mysteries

were instituted

that the abyss

be conquered.

Thought 466: Self-Unfoldment or Self-Improvement?

Is self-unfoldment

preferable to

self-improvement?

Thought 465: To Influence or to Inspire?

Is it better

to inspire

by example

or to influence

by content?

Thought 464: Autism

Autism is auto-ism.

Thought 463: Beloved Bands

Rock bands are adored

by their fans because

they empower them

with their music.

And empowerment

is happiness.

Thought 462: Roman Grand Style

The Romans were

masters of the Grand

Style, which is abundance

that restrains itself in simplicity.

Two examples of Roman

Grand Style are Caesar's

Commentaries and

Augustus' Deeds.

Thought 461: Manly P. Hall's Limitation

Philosopher Manly P. Hall's

greatest strength, his moralism,

is also his greatest weakness,

his blindness.

To the extent

that we hold

on to morality,

we condemn

and therefore

devalue the

world as it is

because life 

is immoral

and cynical.

Power, not

morality,

is the reality

of existence,

because 

morality

is itself

power

for she

too seeks

to establish

trust in her

favour.

Thought 460: Caesar's Fate

Caesar's assassination

was a good fate: his

biographer Suetonius

notes that Gaius wished

to die in his prime and

the Ides of March made

a martyr and tragic figure

out of him which would

cement his place in history.

Thought 459: Fool's Hitler

The same (mis)qualities that led

to Hitler's rise and victory led to 

his downfall and defeat, 

and to the extent that 

he was worshipped and

adored by his followers

he was demonised and

ridiculed by his victors.

Thought 458: Fool's Jackson

The same childhood

that made Jackson

an adored pop

icon turned him

into a persecuted

freak show.

Thought 457: Blind Spot

Others may

see our 

blind spots.

Thought 456: Fool's Orgasm

The ecstasy women feel 

in orgasm is more than matched 

by the agony of birthgiving.

Thought 455: Fool's Books

That great and rare

books are not read

protects them from

the pollution of exposure.

Thought 454: Fool's Beauty

Loving beauty makes 

one more affronted

by ugliness, which 

is more common.

Thought 453: Fool's Schumacher

Michael Schumacher's towering 

Formula One career was met 

with driving inadequacy upon

his return from retirement and

outright invalidity after a skiing

accident.

Thought 452: Fool's Thatcher

State legislation saw a massive increase under

the small government-proponent

Margaret Thatcher.

(She was also responsible

for financialising the

British economy with

the consequences

we know.)

Thought 451: Fool's Wisdom

The rarity of wisdom

safeguards its

preciousness.

Thought 450: Hell Is Not an Option

The human condition

can be summed up

with the insight that

while heaven is a luxury,

no one is rich enough

to go to hell.

Thought 449: Son of God

Was Jesus crucified because

of bad karma or because

he was the son of God?

In my view, Jesus was

crucified because he

failed to answer

Pilate's question, 

'what is truth?',

and therefore

failed to establish

trust in his favour.

As it happens,

truth is power.

Thought 448: Fool's Conscience

The good

conscience

of compassion

depletes, whereas

the bad conscience

of cruelty delights.

Addendum:

Why Do People

Hate Truth?

Truth is worth

despair and

cruelty—but

that is not

all bad as

there is much

delight and

laughter in

cruelty.

Thought 447: Fool's Power

How does one

gain power?

By empowering.

In empowering

others, others

surrender their

power to us.

Apple empower

through their 

products and

we surrender

our power to

Apple—monetarily

and in terms of

privacy.

Hitler empowered

through his oratory

and his countrymen

surrendered their

power to Hitler—

their liberty and

in terms of 

sacrifice.

How does

one empower?

By increasing

people's ability

to exert themselves

Thought 446: Loved and Hated

Loved for who one is = Hated for who one is

Loved for who one is not = Hated for who one is not

Thought 445: Humility

Humility is wisdom

and humility is to

admit that one 

is exertion and 

not above it

—says my 

exertion.

Thought 444: My Three Bugbears

Normativity, superficiality, conformity.

Review 10: Ivo Pogorelich Plays Chopin's Preludes

Chopin in Arresting Definition—A review of Frédéric Chopin's 

Preludes as performed and recorded by Ivo Pogorelich

Prior to purchasing this album I had some familiarity with Maurizio Pollini and Martha Argerich's established takes, as well as that of Rafal Blechacz available in the Deutsche Grammophon Complete Chopin Edition. 

I looked to new pastures for the simple reason that I was unhappy with these three performances. 

The Pollini recording's main fault is that the volume is too low and the sound quality in my opinion leaves something to be desired. 

I never enjoyed Argerich's Preludes as I found the tempi too quick and that, partly as a result, the playing lacked definition and clarity of intent.

Rafal Blechacz's interpretation is solid and faithful, but lacks transcendental value, being of a prosaic nature. 

So, having searched for the Chopin Preludes on Amazon, I came across this album and I was convinced this was my set the moment I sampled the sheer originality and pianistic definition of the first prelude in C major (my favourite).

And from there on out the album never lets up. 

The most adequate adjective to describe this cycle is that it is arresting, i.e. attention catching. 

This underrated quality is partly due to the high pianistic definition of each prelude obtained through minimal use of the pedal, extremely dexterous finger work, and tempi that for me do each prelude aural justice.

Moreover, this is the first time that I have enjoyed listening to op.28 as a whole rather than as a collection of disparate pieces, rather like Glenn Gould's 1981 take of Bach's The Goldberg Variations.

Again, as so often, I part company with the fogeys chez Gramophone who claim that the tempi in the more ponderous preludes are too slow, e.g. in the case of 'Raindrop'.

They also make the case that Pogorelich is trying to be original for its own sake, betraying Chopin in the process.

What nonsense! 

It is precisely the originality and deliberate tempi that made op.28 in its entirely finally grab my full attention and musical imagination, whereas prior to this set I just could not get into the 24 pieces as a whole and as a unit. 

Now it may be true that Pogo, as he is sometimes called, did not always succeed in his interpretations in other recordings, but in the case of these Preludes he nails them with commanding artistic and technical authority. 

I never thought there would be a day I would enjoy Chopin as much as this, being more persuaded by Baroque and Classical composers like the aforementioned Bach and the underrated Haydn. 

I was wrong. 

Chopin has come to reveal his greatness at long last, after years of trying but failing, thanks to Pogorelich's arresting interpretative performance.

I cannot praise this recording more than that.