6 COMMANDMENTS Joseph Brodsky to read EVERYONE

A few simple tips Joseph Brodsky, who should read each to make their lives a little better



An excerpt from the famous speech of Joseph Brodsky, he said at the stadium in December 1988, the graduates of the University of Michigan. Then the critics and other smart people thought it "inappropriate", "politically incorrect", and someone managed to see in it, even racism. But Brodsky - prejudice is, time and space.

"Think of what you are about to hear, just like the top of a few tips of icebergs, so to speak, not Mount Sinai. Ignore them, if you will, expose them to questioning, if necessary, remember them, unless otherwise can not: there is nothing compulsory. If some of them now or in the future is useful to you, I'll be happy. If not, my wrath did not overtake you ».


1. Focus on the accuracy of your language
Try to expand your vocabulary, and to treat him the way you handle your bank account. Give him a lot of attention and try to increase their dividends.

The purpose here is not to promote your eloquence in the bedroom or professional success and not how to turn you into a secular clever. The aim is to give you the opportunity to express themselves as much as possible and more accurately. In short, the goal - to your balance. For accumulation nevygovorennogo, unspoken properly can lead to neurosis.

To avoid this, do not necessarily turn into a bookworm. You just have to buy a dictionary and read it every day, and sometimes - and a book of poems. And indeed the book cost far less than a single visit to a psychiatrist.

2. Try to be kind to their parents
If this sounds too much like "Honour thy father and thy mother," I beg your pardon. I just want to say: do not try to rebel against them, since, in all likelihood, they will die before you, so that you can save yourself at least this source of guilt, if not grief.

If you need to rebel with all these "I-don't-take-you-have-no-penny" rebellion against those who are not so easily vulnerable. Parents - too close to target (as, however, as brothers, sisters, wives or husbands). The distance is such that you can not miss.

3. Do not rely on the politicians
Not so much because they are unintelligent or dishonest as often happens, but because of the scale of their work, which is too large for even the best among them. They can reduce some social evil, but not eliminate it. Whatever may be significant improvement, from an ethical point of view, it will always be negligible, because there will always be those - at least one person - who does not receive benefits from this improvement.

The world is not perfect. Golden Age has never been and never will. In light of this - or rather, in the dark - you have to rely on their own home cooking, that is to rule the world alone. But even within your own cake you should prepare for the fact that you are likely to have to be enjoyed equally and gratitude and frustration.

4. Try to be humble
Even now we have too many - and very soon there will be many more. This scramble for a place under the sun certainly is due to the other. The fact that you have to step on someone's foot, does not mean that you have to stand on their shoulders. So, if you want to become rich, or famous, or both that and another, in a good hour, but not to give it entirely.

Always remember that next to you is always someone there - neighbor. Nobody wants you to love it, but try not to bother him too much, and do not hurt him. At the very least, try to remember some of the far - from the stars, from the depths of the universe, perhaps, with its opposite end - come, please do not do this, as well as the idea is to love your neighbor as yourself. Apparently, the stars know more about the force of gravity, but also about loneliness than you; because they - the eyes of desire.

5. Do everything to avoid claiming credit for victim status
No matter how disgusting your situation may be, try not to blame external forces: history, state, bosses, race, parents, phase of the moon, childhood, late landing on the pot - the menu extensive and tedious. The moment you put the blame on something, you undermine your own determination to change something irresponsibility and increases the vacuum, which is so fond of filling demons and demagogues, for paralyzed the will - no joy for the angels.

In general, try to respect life, not only for its charms, but also for its difficulties. They form part of the game, and a well in them that they are not cheating. Whenever you are desperate or on the verge of despair, when you have trouble or difficulty, remember: this is the life speaks to you in the only language she knows well.

6. Learn to forgive
The world in which we take, does not have a good reputation. This is not a nice place, you will soon discover, and I doubt that it will be much more pleasant to the time when you leave.

However, this is the only world available: there is no alternative, and if it existed, there is no guarantee that it would be much better than this. So try not to pay attention to those who try to make your life miserable. There will be a lot - both in an official capacity, and self-appointed.

What do your enemies, gets its value or importance on how you respond. Therefore, will rush through or past them as if they were yellow rather than red light. So you will save your brain cells from needless excitement. And maybe you can even save these fools of themselves, because the prospect of being forgotten shorter than the prospect of being forgiven. Switch the channel you can not stop the broadcast of the network, but in your power to at least reduce its rating.