Not Every Text Is Good To Read

A book is not necessarily the work of a noble thought although it is the fruit of work done in solitude and in a psychological state that can be somewhat meditative. A book is the expression of a thought, an opinion, a reflection on a particular theme. Just as a spoken word can be despicable, so too can the written words of a book.

This explains why one must be rather vigilant if not critical about the ideas one is exposed to when reading a book. A book is nothing more and nothing less than a propaganda work of which the reader is the receptacle.

Sometimes a book that has been started is not worth finishing as one can measure the author’s level of consciousness from the very first pages. A book must elevate the mind, but not everyone has this faculty or desire to measure this consciousness. Some books can be demeaning: plunging one into the darkness of the human soul. Sometimes authors use writing as a dumping ground: their words are their destruction, and the subconscious “dump” is not meant to be retrieved and make others lose their peace of mind by projecting dark images into their consciousness.

You need to be aware of the emotions you feel when you read a book: are you cheered up? Or on the contrary, do you begin to see the world through a dark prism? You need to tell yourself that reading a book is the same as sitting with someone at a table and listening to them talk in complete intimacy. Would you give a second of your attention in real life to listen to someone who is dishonest and blaming the whole world for all their calamities? Probably not, you would rather try to cut the discussion short and leave politely so as not to listen to more of his nonsense. The same goes for a book. It is not because a text is written that it confers any authority or nobility. To be prolific does not necessarily mean to be wise. Sometimes wisdom can be summed up in lapidary formulas and not in paving stones full of elucubrations.

This remark applies to all the arts whether pictorial, audiovisual, theatrical, etc.. Art is not good in itself and it does not necessarily convey high ideas. The reason for this is simple: art has always been more or less intimately linked to power, whether religious or political. Since art has often been the messenger of a thought of authority, in fact its message has often been corrupted. Know how to distinguish true beauty in ideas from propaganda or right thinking from the unhealthy thoughts behind so-called “works of art”.