Re: to thine own self

AntiUtopia@aol.com
Sun, 24 Oct 1999 16:18:40 -0400 (EDT)

In a message dated 10/24/99 2:28:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
rbowman@indigo.ie writes:

<< Many great artists, for example, were kindly 
     enough people - taking reasonable care of 
     their dependents & so on.  But they were, 
     to a man, quite ruthless in not allowing 
     consideration for others take priority over 
     their obsession with their own work. >>

This isn't quite what I was talking about.  What you seem to be describing 
is, well, a "limited" selfishness, and the truth of the matter is that the 
artist puts not only others but **themselves** aside for "their own work," at 
least, the artists you seem to be describing above.

What I was talking about was a pervasive selfishness, one that would be 
reflected in all facets of the person's life.  And that a person so self 
absorbed would be pretty boring in the end.  

Jim