My mis-
-takes shall not shame me, for
They are steps to the light — the
Truth, the source of my strength, its pur-
-suit, the source of my pride. I
Relish not in my rightness, but in my
Hunger for that which is right;
When my acts nourish me, I’ll know
Then it’s on my side.
Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed, for existence is identity, consciousness is identification. Hence, reason, even if erring, is one’s tie to reality, and thus, the most virtuous of virtues. So shall I live by reason, and by reason, I see that death does not concern the living for they are alive. Alive as I am, I see that there is much to wish for and much to want. Now, God said, “Take what you want and pay for it,” and I want to live and not pay with my life for the unreal. Thus, I wish only for what is and can be, and as I strive for what can be, I keep in mind that self-esteem is earned, but pride is practiced. Living with pride in my purpose, the purpose of purposes being my very life in its every moment, I look around and see that numberless are the world’s wonders, but none more wonderful than man.
One must hold as inescapable and sacrosanct that what is, is, and what is not, is not. Is the contradiction of this principle is possible? To say something is possible is to say that it has some basis in reality, i.e. on something that exists. On what basis could one say that it is possible for a thing to be itself and not itself, to exist (i.e. be real) and not exist (i.e. be unreal) at the same time? Certainly, the unreal has no basis in reality, and the non-existent has no place in existence. Then, on what basis can one deny that what is, is, and what is not, is not? None whatsover in reality.
Before further thought, ask: (1) Is there a reason I am putting the effort to think about this, and if so, does that reason imply a finite purpose as opposed to an infinite proliferation of the arbibrary? (2) Is putting the time and effort to think about this taking time and effort away from thinking about something that, in my knowledge, is more relevant and more essential? If the answer to these questions is “yes, yes and no”, then and only then, proceed.
Moral integrity, productive purpose and life-affirmation. Life-affirmation is the concretisation of value, productive purpose is the effort to concretise valuable potential, and moral integrity is the precondition of a productive, life-affirming existence. Their justification lies in the following facts: (1) All values are ultimately of and from concrete and can only exist if one acts to concretise them. (2) A volitional being can only exist as itself if it recognises and stives toward valuable potential. (3) He who does not concern himself with principles is helpless to the broader implications of his decisions, and he who does not concern himself with values is helpless to the broader needs of his life.
