Madam, this world would be a joyless place
If, fearing what malicious tongues might say,
We locked our doors and turned our friends away.
And even if one did so dreary a thing,
D'you think those tongues would cease their chattering?
One can't fight slander; it's a losing battle;
Let us instead ignore their tittle-tattle.
Let's strive to live by conscience' clear decrees,
And let the gossips gossip as they please.
-- Cléante, Act I, Scene I of Tartuffe by Molière
I thought I'd share with you the above monologue spoken by Cléante from Tartuffe. The heart of this speech holds just as true today as it did in 1669 when Molière wrote it. People are going to talk about you. Your family, your friends, your neighbors and your enemies -- they will all speak ill about you behind your back. To move forward with your life, you have to ignore their vitriol. Do what's right for you. Let not the hatred from others paralyze you. If you attempt to go through life pleasing everyone, then you'll never please yourself.
Molière as Julius Cesar by Nicholas Mignard, circa 1656
No comments:
Post a Comment