A common theme threaded throughout Anaïs' writings is an appreciation of intuition and the voice of the inner self. Here, she praises D.H. Lawrence (whose works I have not read myself, besides a few chapters of Lady Chatterly's Lover) for giving his characters time - to discover their own way and "hour of resurrection." She commends his patience in allowing his fictional characters to slowly "gain confidence in the wisdom of the body." While I prefer non-fiction over fiction usually, I would agree with Anaïs' celebration of a writer who is able to bestow a true sense of individuality into his characters. Lawrence has said: "I know my body is fragile, in its way, but also it is very strong, and its the only body that would carry my own particular self." Here he displays what Anaïs, and myself, value above all - the recognition that each and every one of us is unique in ways that are purposeful, meaningful, and irreplaceable.
Many times in life we confront people who are not individualists, meaning they do not necessarily see things this way. They might recognize that people are different, but they either don't respect the differences or cannot appreciate another person's individual self. This happens all the time. When we argue about a point of view, when we judge another for their appearance or style, when we become disappointed if another person simply cannot see the way we do. We forget that each person out there has an entire set of consequences, circumstances, and experiences that have led him up to this moment. How, where, when they were raised, who they have met, what images they have seen, what songs they have heard, and so on, all conglomerate to create this person's current point of view. But, since the person appears on the outside to just be another person, with the same basic form as the rest of us, we only see the surface of their being. Imagine if a person's entire existence was visible when we looked at them. Their colors, their shapes, their size all affected by what they have done and what they dream of. But of course things are not that way. Things are hidden to us. Rebecca West writes: "...now I think he was doing justice to the seriousness of life, and had been rewarded with a deeper insight into its nature than most of us have." She rectifies a wrong judgement of a person she meets by giving him a second chance, another look. A deeper look. Initially, she perceives his actions as perhaps silly or unsmart. Then she places his actions in the backdrop of his whole self, the bigger picture, and sees that for him, in that particular moment, the action was correct.
The interrelation between time and intuition is key. Time expressed as patience, allowing the inner self to find its way, is of utmost importance in fiction and reality. Until a person has cultivated her own inner self and subsequently appreciates her individuality, she cannot see it in another. This goes back to the question posed by Anaïs, about impulse and wisdom. Impulsiveness does not necessarily mean "quickness." Often in my life I have acted out of impulse, but an impulse that has slowly bubbled and formed in my dreams or inner mind. Waiting for the ripe moment to act requires patience, and knowing when it has arrived requires wisdom. Anaïs states that "when William Blake was constructing his world he made no attempt to exteriorize his imaginings in his own life; he knew that the time had not come." Blake was ahead of his time and knew this. He did not force his way of life, rather he was able to live out his dreams through writing and expression, which he saved for the future generations. He was able to remain in touch with his individual voice despite restraints placed on his external life by society. Blake knew that the time would come for him and he trusted that fully. Otherwise he would not have been content to live one way and dream another way. As we patiently wait for our own moments to fully express our inner selves, we must also find ways to remain in touch with that deep part of us...
We are each made up of endless "intricacies and entanglements," and this is something we must never forget to remember. In each encounter with another human, we face not just a face, hair, hands, and legs, we face an entire world. Underneath layers of experience there is a spark of individuality, unlike any other that has ever existed. Within that spark is infinite wisdom, wisdom that pertains to that individual's path towards "resurrection." Letting that spark shine through is a form of impulsiveness, since it is not how we operate every day, and might not be a product of rational, careful thought as we know it. But, most likely the action that stems from our inner voice is more developed since it dwells in the realm of dreams and intuition - the realm safe from external corruptions and corrosions, the place deep within that is truest to the soul.
