I was recently re-reading some notes about the great German writer Goethe’s (1749-1832) masterpiece “Faust.” The old, well-known folk tale narrates of Dr. Faust having made a pact with the Devil in order to gain universal knowledge and magical powers. As a consequence, he lost his soul. Goethe’s character is totally different. His Faust represents the virtue of human aspiration and is therefore highly inspiring, in spite of his many downfalls. The story is simple, although it has numberless ramifications. Faust makes a bet with Mephistopheles (the Devil) stating that the latter will not be able to make any moment so pleasurable that Faust will wish for Time to stop. And, fortunately, he wins the bet.
Faust can be viewed as a symbol of all mankind because he embodies the best and the worst in man. He has all the vices and virtues conceivable, on a grand scale. He is constantly striving to reach beyond the limits of the physical world, constantly struggling to attain an always greater understanding and fulfillment. The most important thing here is that he never gives up. His life is a series of ups and downs, like a jagged line, it is formed by rises and falls, like every man’s, like mine and yours. But he persists.
Mephistopheles, on the other hand, represents the spirit of “denial,” the negative side of creation. He could be seen as the impulse of the intellect or even, on the opposite side, the sheer passion without the wise guidance from feelings, which craves the acquisition of a coveted goal at all costs, no matter what. This reminds me of the famous saying “The aim justifies the means” (from “The Prince,” by Italian Renaissance diplomat and philosopher Niccolo’ Machiavelli (1469-1527).
Faust makes many mistakes throughout his life but, actually, he never disobeys God’s commands. Therefore he — in the end — deserves God’s forgiveness. He is worth of trust, that is why God allows him to be prey of temptation. How much or — better — what part of Faust is within yourself?
When you feel disappointed or dissatisfied, you tend to see your life less than gratifying, less than successful. You surrender to upset or even depression, you complain and feel unfairly treated by Destiny. It should not be so. When you find yourself in such a situation, the best “strategy” would be to accept and try to understand it. All negative circumstances are brought about by wrong-thinking and wrong-doing on somebody’s part. It could be “others,” but it could also be “you.” As far as “your” life is concerned, it most probably is “you.”
Making mistakes is human and it is even acceptable till a certain point. An Italian (originally Latin) proverb says, “To err is human, to persevere is devilish.” Therefore … as no one is perfect, a mistake here and there is allowed. It is part of the “growing” process, it is necessary on the path or progress. I wouldn’t penalize one of my students for a spelling or grammar mistake, provided she “learns” and corrects herself. But if she persists in repeating it, I certainly would. After all, doesn’t “learning” mean acquiring an accurate notion and then applying it in the appropriate situation?
Faust did not give up his search for improvement. That is why he never wished for time to stop and stay still (as the Devil kept hoping). He went on striving toward a goal of perfection which, although it might not be entirely reached, is nevertheless a fruitful endeavor. Your moving toward it brings you closer and closer, higher and higher. What will the final result of all this be? It’s simple. When you reach the final moment of your worldly life, you shall be able to say, in all honesty, “I did my best.” And you will pass on as a better individual then when you started your journey. Don’t you think that this feeling is the greatest any human being could wish for?
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Creative Thinking: The ‘Faust’ in you
