Dingo the Dissident

THE BLOG OF DISQUIET : Qweir Notions, an uncommonplace-book from the Armpit of Diogenes, binge-thinker jottings since 2008 .

Friday 10 June 2011

Sébastien Roch Nicolas, commonly known as Chamfort

1741-1794
from his Thoughts and Maxims

"When you get to the bottom of things, the resulting removal of illusions brings death to the soul, that is to say a complete lack of interest in everything that affects and occupies others."

4 comments:

Jindra K. Hrdlička said...

What is your interpretation of "removal of illusions" as related to self-interest ?

Aren't we running on self-interest with or without the illusions ?

And if you show interest in others but it is not reciprocated,
Isn't it a waste ?

Wofl said...

Chamfort also wrote:

« Ce que j'ai appris, je l'ai oublié ; ce que je sais, je l'ai inventé »

EVERYTHING I HAVE LEARNED I HAVE FORGOTTEN. EVERYTHING I KNOW I HAVE MADE UP.

Does that answer your question ?

(We run only partially on self-interest. Self-interest is one of the more beguiling illusions.

Unreciprocated interest in others is known as altruism, and is the common lot of dogs.)

Jindra K. Hrdlička said...

Another quotation doesn't do it :(

My interest is in : what You think....

Maybe next time.....

Wofl said...

Every culture is composed of values, ideals, interpretations - which are now force-fed upon children, so that they grow up to maintain the culture. I - and perhapsd Chamfort - would call this corpus of belief and acceptance 'illusion'.

Self-interest is also illusion : how many selves does one person have ?

Illusion is language. We are imprisoned in its multiple labyrinths and there is no way out, because one cannot unlearn language.