My daughter gave me this book for Christmas. In reading the first chapter, I found this passage. I knew right away that I would enjoy this book. More than this, I knew that I needed this book!
We have learned to work, think for, and abide by the rules of the society in which we live, but we have not learned to think or dream for ourselves. We no longer know what it means to take our time, let our spirits unfold, let our imaginations run wild.
It has become vital, not just for ourselves but for everyone's sake, to oppose this blind mechanical pressure with an intimate force, a subjective power, a ray of warmth.
It has become imperative that we resist. Draw from yourself all the hidden energy and strength you possess, and release all that is original, unique, weird, fantastic; you must throw all this in the world's face, you must rise up against and oppose the blind and inescapable pressure of society with a living force, a deep and beautiful laugh.
Why?
So that the expansion of thought, imagination, and subjectivity may triumph. So that all our voices, however anonymous and distant, can be heard. So that all the nuances and differences of an individual will stand out in a world that threatens to become intrusive. All the great movements and social revolutions and metamorphoses begin with intimate revolutions. You can start right here, on your lounge chair.
Stretch yourself out again. Cover yourself with the blanket that slipped to the floor.
– Catherine Laroze in The Art of Being
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