In the past, when people read the works of great authors, they often focused on the ideas rather than the individuals. Even if one happened to meet them on the street, it was unlikely they would be recognized, as their appearances were unknown. This was true not only for writers but also for major politicians, scientists, and scholars. An American scholar once pointed out that none of the first fifteen U.S. presidents would be recognized if they walked down the street. During campaigns, voters might see the candidates, but their interest lay in the candidates' ideas and platforms, not their physical appearance. It is said that the debate between Lincoln and Douglas lasted seven hours, yet the audience listened with sustained interest; no one came merely to see what they looked like, nor did they leave once they had seen them.
In my dictionary, there is no such word as "end of the century." Calendars and chronologies are merely human-made tools for calculation, and I see no reason why one specific number should hold more significance than the others. Therefore, I have no particular feelings about the so-called "end of the century," which people often discuss with great enthusiasm.
I believe that humans possess not only external eyes but also internal ones. The external eyes see phenomena, while the internal eyes perceive meaning. What is seen by the external eyes becomes storage in the brain, whereas what is seen by the internal eyes becomes the wealth of the soul.
Living with sincerity, uniqueness, and elegance is certainly beautiful. However, one must first live with ease and self-contentment to achieve these qualities. If you are too preoccupied with how you appear to live, always performing for an audience—whether others or even yourself—the more you try to perform sincerity, uniqueness, and elegance, the more pretentious, mediocre, and rigid your actual life becomes.
One type of person unconsciously tries to appear sincere, using their sincerity to move others and, in the end, moving themselves. Another type deliberately tries to appear cunning, using their cunning to bewitch others, only to find themselves beginning to doubt their own authenticity.
Activities undertaken solely for livelihood or profit are merely labor; those pursued out of genuine interest and true nature are acts of creation. Labor yields only external benefits, while creation brings joy to the soul. Yet external benefits are a very tangible temptation, often leading people into endless labor, so that they never experience the pleasure of creation in their entire lives.
