E M Cioran, NP

[Lindsay Smith]

Some quotes from the French philosopher E. M. Cioran.  They have no
specific Pynchon references, rather they seem to bear more on the
discussion on the list.  These are from the book "The Trouble With Being
Born" which is 200 pages of aphorisms.  Quartet Encounters,1993 Edition.

"The most effective way to avoid dejection, motivated or gratuitous, is to
take a dictionary, preferably of a language you scarcely know, and to look
up word after word in it, making sure that they are the kind you will never
use..."


"We must side with the oppressed on every occaision, even when they are in
the wrong, though without losing sight of the fact that they are molded of
the same clay as their oppressors."


"Why embroider upon what excludes commentary? A text explained is no longer
a text.  We live with an idea, we don't disect it, we struggle with it, we
don't describe the stages of the conflict.  The history of philosophy is
the negation of philosophy."


I have been meaning to post theser to the list for quite some time, was
reding the book late last night and finally felt motivated.


Back to lurking.


Lindsay S.