Your brother is a sensitive person. Aesthetically, ethically, and intellectually he is in fact hypersensitive. As a result, it would seem that he was born only to torture himself. He has none of that saving dullness of intelligence which sees little difference between A and B. To him it must be either A or B. And if it is to be A, its shape, degree, and shade of color must precisely match his own conception of it; otherwise he will not accept it. Your brother, being sensitive, is all his life walking on a line he has chosen–a line as precarious as a tight rope. At the same time he impatiently demands that others also tread an equally precarious rope, without missing their footing. It would be a mistake, though, to think that this stems from selfishness. Imagine a world which could react exactly the way your brother expects; that world would undoubtedly be far more advanced than the world as it is now. Consequently, he detests the world which is–aesthetically, intellectually, and ethically–not as advanced as he is himself. That's why it's different from mere selfishness, I think.Anonymous
About This Quote
The quote now seems to be about the struggle of human beings with their own self-created limits. We are bound by our own ethics regarding what is okay and what is not okay for us to do. However, we cannot escape our own limitations. The world would be far better off if people acted with selflessness.
Source: Wayfarer
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