فضایل ناامیدی

"Most people go through life chasing illusions of success, fame, wealth, happiness, and few things are more painful than the reality-revealing loss of an illusion. But if illusions are negative, why is the opposite, being disillusioned, also negative? In this essay based on his inaugural writer-in-residence lecture at Athabasca University, internationally acclaimed writer Steven Heighton mathematically evaluates the paradox of disillusionment and the negative aspects of hope. Drawing on writers such as Herman Melville, Leonard Cohen, Kate Chopin, and Thich Nhat Hanh, Heighton considers the influence of illusions on creativity, art, and society. This meditation on language and philosophy reveals the virtues of being disillusioned and, perhaps, the path to freedom."-- Provided by publisher Disillusionment is a while we desire to disabuse ourselves of illusions and live meaningful lives, almost nothing is as painful as realizing that we have chased a lie. In The Virtues of Disillusionment , internationally acclaimed writer Steven Heighton delves into both the dangers of false hope and the power of disillusionment. Drawing on thinkers such as Herman Melville, Leonard Cohen, Kate Chopin, and Thich Nhat Hanh, Heighton reveals the role illusions play in creativity, art, and society. Celebrating the catalyzing force of disillusionment, this thoughtful treatise points the way toward true freedom.