Hell is Myself

from The New Yorker

In fact, introspection can actually compound the error, blinding us to those primal processes responsible for many of our everyday failings. We spin eloquent stories, but these stories miss the point. The more we attempt to know ourselves, the less we actually understand.

from "Why Smart People Are Stupid" by Jonah Lehrer

The underground man taunts his listeners, apologizes, criticizes himself, then gets aggressive, then collapses again. On and on. He pulls the rug out from underneath his own feet; he realizes he's trapped in the prison of his own character. Hell is myself ... Reason is only one part of our temperament, the underground man says. Individualism as a value includes the right to screw yourself up. 

from "Can Dostoevsky Still Kick You in the Gut?" by David Denby

오늘 읽은 이 두 뉴요커 기사의 닮은 점을 얘기하고 싶었는데 너무 피곤해서 자야겠다.