New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-04
GREATNESS THROUGH PARADOKY.

II say" says Mr.. Shaw, the dramatist, who
initiating the example OF many famous men or
the past. got himself 'born before his time
and whom people generally cannot under
stand" Il say the sO-called wholesome plays
| are unwholesome," and, of course, conversely.
There you have illustrated the royal road 10
| greatness; anybody can follow #; negative the
posltves and post the negatives and you are
a person Of marvellous originality. If q man
says "black is black" he is a hopeless ape on
whom evolution has been a msspent effort; II
he Gays black Is white" with an air OF serious
ness and good faith he is a suspicious character
Intellectually; but If he says "black Is white"
with a smrk, suggesting that he IS not 10 be
taken too literally, but is protesting against tho
| hoary folly of the conventional BLACK is black"
he is the possessor Of that divine rarity, new
Idea" He is an ambassador from the Future.
In his ideas mankind is privileged TO see the
next turn of the worlds intellectual kaledo-
scope. It is easy Everybody is looking for a
prophet for fear one may escape the hOnOrs his
country is eager 10 thrust upon him. BLACK IS
white" The Ambassador OF the Future IS tell
ing US that stand on the brink Of one OF
times changes. when the chrOmatic scale will
be marvellously smplhed or when color blind
ness will be the greatest of human distinctions
Paradoxy is m easy road to greatness, for 1t
is one Of the simplest of mental operations The
madhouses are full OF paradoxy, unconscious
paradoXy. Conscious paradox. moreover. finds
a weak joint IN the human armor the Joint
at which Mr.. Shaw aims when he says: What
people want is commonplace because they can
understand it The rcproach "commonplace"
has more terrors for unanimity than fire hose
has for mob There is a tyranny Of ideas like
the Tyranny OF Clothes" suggested in n recent
magazine article; for everybody wants his itleas
10 be in style. but no one is content that they
should make him mere fashion plate n law
figure Of intellectually. The man with a para
dox whispers commonplace" and the world
becomes painfully selfconscious. To be common
place Is as much to be avoided rs TO be Cccen-
trio The intellectual midway course lies be
tween madhouse ana II parrots cage and the
sgnposTs commonplace" aud eccentric" keep
mankind in this straight and narrow wav. If
the world is ignoring You. utter paradox. and
If this is unheeded, mutter something scorpfuI
about commonplace and conventional" and
you have certain recipe for fame The world
must pay attention to II superior genius who
scornS it as commonplace especially IT, in oddi-.
lion to this, he calls good bad black white
wholesome unwholesome and gives other SINH
lar indications of marked originality.
Should paradOXy and scOrn Of other pnonIes
modest commonplace prove INADEQUATE c.,nisn,
Will help, if right in the apaIvsfs Of
greatness and its methods. And II IS an ammo
pirate aid, too for egOism is sort of nara
dOXical view Of ones self The world bns rot
way beyond Meredlths view Of egoisu and its
possibilities, for he wrote, as an epitaph for his
Egoist: Through very love of self himself no
slew That was great waste of raw materIaI
He should have advertised himself