Causa Sui: Writer Without a Cause

Selected Aphorisms & Observations

Photo that serves as the cover of the book, taken by author.

This book I put together contains a short selection of aphorisms & observations, in the tradition of the French Moralists and influenced by Nietzsche, Rée, Porchia, Lichtenberg and the Pensieri of Leopardi. Most of it was composed around 2006 but it has been freshly edited and revised as well as enriched by a few selections from my more recent notebooks and a small number of my previously online posts. I include some excerpts below and attach the pdf of the whole book behind the paywall at the end of this post.

“Dress good thought with words it deserves. A truth attractively clothed makes people want to undress it.” – Section 69.

“A philosopher is a vivisectionist of himself. In learning himself he has inadvertently inflicted some injuries that may be irremediable and steal some of his grace. That is why their students become more graceful — they learn the lessons without suffering the injury.” – Section 12

“An inability to express something is not proof of its profundity.” – Section 14

“We endure the fire and blows of the blacksmith called life, not so that we may become straight, but to prove that we are metal.” – Section 34

“Reason might be in the driver’s seat, but always as a chauffeur.” – Section 35

“Advice is only two letters away from vice. Swords from words just one.” - Section 54

“Ultimate truth and virtue, when embodied, does not need to impose itself as it is recognized without effort by all, just like someone can recognize the light and warmth of the sun without knowing how it comes about.” – Section 62

“If they who represent us are unwilling to disclose what they said on our behalf the only thing certain is that they no longer represent us.” - Section 78

“Burning Man — It matters little if you burn the Man every summer when you spent the rest of the year working for him.” – Section 79

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