Max Ehrmann
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence....
I never much liked "Desiderata."
For example, I tend to have a problem with the construction of Ehrmann's essay (or poem or whatever). It starts with a long rules-based section (paragraphs 1-5), and finishes with a shorter abstract section (paragraphs 6-8). When I read the essay, I usually end up skimming over the rules in the first section and not paying much attention to them because they just seem to be a jumble of commandments about how to handle random situations in life. After that, the abstract section (starting with "You are a child of the universe") is of more interest, but it doesn't seem all that connected to the first part.
If I were to rewrite the essay, I would put the abstract section first and the rules-based section last. That way the value system is explained right at the start and sets the context; and then the rules show how the value system can be implemented in real life. That's a more natural progression for me as an NF (or as an INFP, anyway).
When I put the abstract section first to provide context for the rules, I then pay greater attention to the rules-based section and notice more of a progression: starting with how to interact with others; then finding one's station in life; career; love; and finally old age and dealing with disillusionment. And the rules, in turn, validate the abstract section by showing that the abstract system has real-life applications.
IOW, for me the essay reads better as follows:
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
By putting the abstract section first, I think the message becomes clearer (at least for me): You have a place here in the world as much as anyone; furthermore, you can also enjoy friendship, virtue in business, love, and contentment in old age, as long as you have the discernment to see those things around you and the discipline to practice them yourself.
Even set up this way, there still isn't a whole lot of substance to the essay. It doesn't offer advice on the
really useful stuff, like how to pick up chicks or what it means when your boss says, "Come to my office, we need to talk."
In fact, the aim of the essay appears to be to address cynics and reassure them that happiness is still attainable even despite all the "sham, drudgery, and broken dreams." In the Old Testament, the book of Ecclesiastes says, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." Ehrmann responds, "Not everything is vanity. If you pick around and sift through the rubble and trickery and disenchantment, you can still find a little heroism and idealism and love from time to time."
It's a worthy message. But still, I'm not sure that it was written by an NF or intended for an audience of NFs. Given the structure of the original essay (starting with a long list of rules and commandments) and the intended audience (world-weary cynics), it doesn't feel very NF to me.
Just my two cents, of course.
FL