Paloma Aguirre-Yraola Ozamiz – The Revolt of the Masses (Excerpt)

Paloma Aguirre-Yraola Ozamiz – IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs. IE University.

Reading:

The Revolt of the Masses (La rebelión de las masas) – (Excerpt) by José Ortega y Gasset (1927).

We find ourselves, then, with the same difference that eternally exists between the fool and the insightful. He always surprises himself within two inches of being stupid; Therefore he makes an effort to escape the imminent foolishness, and in that effort intelligence consists. The fool, on the other hand, does not suspect himself: he seems very discreet, and hence the enviable tranquility with which the fool settles and settles into his own clumsiness. Like those insects that there is no way to extract out of the hole in which they live, there is no way to dislodge the fool from his nonsense, take him for a walk beyond his blindness and force him to contrast his habitual clumsy vision with other modes of vision. see more subtle. The fool is lifelong and pore less. That is why Anatole France said that a fool is much more disastrous than an evil person. Because the wicked sometimes rests; the fool, never.

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Nos encontramos, pues, con la misma diferencia que eternamente existe entre el tonto y el perspicaz. Éste se sorprende a sí mismo siempre a dos dedos de ser tonto; por ello hace un esfuerzo para escapar a la inminente tontería, y en ese esfuerzo consiste la inteligencia. El tonto, en cambio, no se sospecha a sí mismo: se parece discreto, y de ahí la envidiable tranquilidad con que el necio se asienta e instala en su propia torpeza. Como esos insectos que no hay manera de extraer fuera del orificio en que habitan, no hay modo de desalojar al tonto de su tontería, llevarle de paseo un rato más allá de su ceguera y obligarle a que contraste su torpe visión habitual con otros modos de ver más sutiles. El tonto es vitalicio y sin poros. Por eso decía Anatole France que un necio es mucho más funesto que un malvado. Porque el malvado descansa algunas veces; el necio, jamás.