The Scream
“For a human, everything is important except for his own life and the art of living. He exists for anything but himself.”
This quote by Erich Fromm, a German sociologist and philosopher, reminded me somehow of Edvard Munch.
I am greatly inspired by the story of Edvard Munch and his most famous painting, “The Scream.”
It is terrifyingly eerie yet simultaneously mesmerizing. Yet, even it could not escape the magic of the 21st century and became a meme, because it is easier to simplify what is complex than to try to understand or reach it (this also works with job positions and interpersonal relationships, not just with art).
Edvard Munch repainted this picture countless times to perfectly capture the terror and fear that were present when he walked on the viewing platform. To understand why the picture turned out the way it did, one must know Munch’s approach to art. He drew his inspiration from suffering, fear, and death.
Because of this, he avoided relationships with women and did not make friends, preferring to suffer and paint instead. Paint brilliant paintings, which I personally like all that I have seen (unfortunately, only on a computer screen), they are truly eerie, but in a special way. It feels like Munch’s paintings don’t just depict a scary story, but fear itself, the living emotion. A man spent his life just to paint pictures, he didn't experience half the joys he could have. And for what?
Because of egoism? What if, indeed, all the great people who flew to space, created cultural masterpieces, influenced the world and people, did it just to satisfy their inadequately inflated ambitions, and not for the sake of others or the spinning of the planet? Perhaps they just couldn't not do it? Erich Fromm is right, we always meet someone's expectations and sacrifice our true selves, supposedly for the sake of society.
But we can only turn the game around when we are selfish, because only for yourself will you do everything in the best possible way. People change the world not when they do everything right, but when they draw incomprehensible triangles, try to fuel cars with grass, make Swedish families and between BDSM sessions write down their thoughts, upon which decades later people will build their lives. If you cook pasta for your friend, only he will be satisfied, but if you cook them for yourself and share, twice as many will be satisfied.
