“One does not only wish to be understood when one writes; one wishes just as surely not to be understood.”-Friedrich Nietzsche
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea.
Not just a blog, a philosophy
“One does not only wish to be understood when one writes; one wishes just as surely not to be understood.”-Friedrich Nietzsche
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea. 
The same could be said for photography, lol. 😀
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Very true!
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Dylan would approve, didn’t he say, “What’s so great about being understood.”
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Sounds right. If I could choose, I’d elect to be simultaneously understood and misunderstood.
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That would be nice, but I’ll always feel I’m settling for the latter. Maybe that’s what makes writers of some people, the knowledge that they’re often misunderstood.
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I do not think that being understood is all that damn important. As long as you do the work that you must do, in the way that is right for you at that time (with the knowledge that those things will constantly change), who cares? I’ve tried to give a shit about that, and have succeeded for a few seconds here and there, but I just cannot concern myself with it. I write what needs to be written, and move on to the next thing.
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I wrote a poem about it, sort of, it’s on Zygote In My Coffee:
http://www.zygoteinmycoffee.com/100s/issue138thingsitellmyself.html
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I hesitate to tell you that I enjoyed the poem, on the slim chance you will now think you are good enough…I’d hate to inflict that on you.
To be serious, or as serious as I can be when it is 3:22 and I am sitting here waiting to have a drink, I enjoyed your poem. All of it, especially the last bit. Your words, my thoughts, etc.
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Thanks, I don’t mind compliments as much as I used to. I’m sure you know what it’s like, working with doubts, never knowing what the value of your work will be to others, having your own measure of good work trampled when you send in two poems you thought were good and one mediocre just to make up the minimum and they take the one and reject the two.
Success is fleeting anyway, as we’ve discussed. Whether I can look back at something and think it’s good or not isn’t as important as the phenomenon of looking back and being distanced from the mindset I had when I wrote it. Somehow, I move on and the value of the work become inseparable from what I now believe; and so often see old work as missing something. I’m in no danger of thinking I’m good enough. All I have to do when I get giddy and think “I’ve written some brilliant stuff,” is go back and read it.
Nietzsche says something like: “Eh, my friends, it’s not enough that we possess a talent, but we have to give ourselves permission to use it.”
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