"But strange to say, even though the utter falsehood of this creed was something I came quickly to understand and to reject, I did not discard the rank these people bestowed on me: that of artist, poet and teacher. I naively imagined that I was a poet and an artist. And this is what I did."
"Now, when I think about this period and about my state of mind and that of those around me (and incidentally there are thousands of them nowadays), I feel sad, terrible, ridiculous; it arouses in me precisely the same feelings as one might experience in a madhouse. At the time we were all convinced that we must talk and talk and write and publish as quickly as possible, and as much as possible, and that this was all necessary for the good of mankind."
An individual rejects a false creed yet retains the rank of artist, poet, and teacher, naively embracing that identity. Association with like-minded people cultivates an inflated pride and a conviction to teach without knowing what is taught. Reflection on that period evokes sadness, humiliation, and a sense of absurdity likened to a madhouse. A widespread frenzy to speak, write, and publish quickly and copiously arises from the belief that such activity benefits mankind. Thousands act in contradiction and abuse one another while publishing with the aim of teaching, unaware of their ignorance.
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