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tower was high, and a terrible proof of how boredom had gained the
upper hand. Then the nations were scattered over the earth, just as
people now travel abroad, but they continued to be bored. And think
of the consequences of this boredom! (Ibid)
This boredom is not Narcissus’s, nor is it that of the self-destroy¬
er, but it also not the desire of the person who wants to exist and
does so by asking questions: it is fit only for rabble. Anyone who
is human accepts responsibilities, even if doing so causes their
downfall. Therefore, the saying that it is better to keep your mouth
shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt is
not in the least bit true. In fact, it is terribly damaging. One must
take risks and express ideas, because staying quiet is hiding, while
speaking up means taking a risk. Those who hide quite simply
lose their faces.
At the same time, let us be fair. Three things have always existed
in history. We can call them the three C’s:
1. Conflict,
2. Communication,
3. Cooperation.
This is perfectly illustrated by the story of Odysseus. First, let me
be clear: these are not necessarily mutually exclusive concepts, nor
can we say, based on a misunderstanding of Hegelian principles,
that any follows from the other. They can come in any order. Of
course, when there is a greater degree of communication and
cooperation, it reduces the likelihood of conflict. However, in the
aftermath of a conflict, there may also be communication, and
cooperation is not ruled out.