Independence#
Summary#
Independence is a rare privilege reserved for the strong, and pursuing it without genuine inner necessity is dangerous beyond measure. One who seeks independence enters a labyrinth of isolation, multiplying life’s dangers and risking being torn apart by one’s own conscience. True independence requires subjecting oneself to rigorous tests: refusing attachment to persons, fatherlands, sympathies, sciences, or even one’s own virtues. The ultimate test of independence is knowing how to conserve oneself.