I am the most human creature that ever was placed on the earth. The
geniuses are always more human than the herd. Almost a perfection of
humanness is reached in me. This by itself makes me extraordinary.
The rarest thing in the world, I find, is the quality of humanness.
Humanity and humaneness are much less rare.
“It is a brave thing to understand something of what we see.” Indeed
it is. An exceeding brave thing. The one who said that had surely
gone out on the highways and byways and found how little he could
understand.
To understand oneself is not so brave a thing. To go in among the
hidden gray shadows of the deep things is a fool’s errand. It is
not from choice that I do it. No one carries a mill-stone around
her neck from choice. When I see what is among the hidden gray
shadows--when I see a vision of _Myself_--I am seized with a strange,
sick terror.
A fool’s errand--but one that I must need go--and for that matter
I myself am a fool.
Yet to know oneself well is a rare fine art.