Sunday, 22 September 2013

The End of Wisdom


Then he told her; but it was an effort, and he felt for the first time that he was living in two worlds. As he walked where the town opened into a country road, he had suddenly realised that he was happy. His cure was complete. The disease of disdain for common things no longer devoured his brain, and yet his appreciation of the common was no nearer to the vulgar. Indeed, the common things around him, the stones in the road, the weeds in the ditch, stood out with a distinctness that was the reverse of flat. It was as if he had felt the third dimension for the first time. It reminded him of something his friend had said about religion, as compared with the mere herding of Capitalism and Communism. "There is a delicacy about the Day of Judgment." It was at least supposed to deal with individuals."Yes, that's it," he said to himself. "They used to say in the sight of God we are all equal. But if you only say that, it sounds flat; like all those flat-faced Bisons. No, in the sight of God we are all distinguished. We may be damned; but, damn it all, we're distinguished."


excerpt from "The End of Wisdom" by G.K. Chesterton included in 'G.K.  Chesterton - Collected Works: Volume XIV: Short Stories, Fairy Tales, Mystery Stories'

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