<< Accepting fate
The conclusion of El Quijote, introduces us to: Alonso Quijano el Bueno*; the real identity of the main character in this great story. As death settles in, his sanity comes back allowing him to set his affairs in order before dying.
We learn many things of the main character in this last chapter, many directly linked to his attitudes towards life. He begins his way back to sanity by thanking god for all the good he has experienced:
Praised be the lord almighty, that so much good has done to me!
In the end, his mercies have no limit, nor are reduced or stopped by the sins of men (LXXIV- Pt II)**
A clear markup for a character with a positive outlook for life, without a single complaint about his situation, or a victimization of any type.
He proceeds to lay the blame on himself for his demented actions, squaring the blame on the heroic tales from the books that so much affected his understanding. He proceeds immediately to summon his closest friends and family and during a couple of short exchanges, he makes sure that everyone who served him in life is well taken care of even after his death.
This second attribute not only reinforces the moral fortitude of this individual, but rather supplements it wonderfully by showing us a man that takes care of others in the same measure he would have taken care of himself.
It’s not practically possible to remain indifferent in the end to this indomitable human spirit that upon seeing darkness lifted from his life, proceeds to re-establish order as much as possible into it.
Daniel H. Pink gave a very interesting lecture on TED about the nature of regret***. The author introduces us to 4 basic types of regret equally expressed around the world, many of them at the time of death.
As a simple statistical fact, it’s quite evident that we shall come to express some of these regrets at our own time. And in this book can we find some inspiration that has not aged one day in 4 centuries!
Perhaps the true power of Alonso Quijano el Bueno was in accepting his fate with dignity, thanking for the good of his life and not bowing down to the suffering he’s been subjected to.
Let us hope we all can find a death as noble as the one he got!
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En fin, sus misericordias no tienen límite, ni las abrevian ni impiden los pecados de los hombres. (Commemorative IV anniversary- edition)
*** 4 types of regret and what they teach you about yourself- https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_h_pink_4_kinds_of_regret_and_what_they_teach_you_about_yourself
Very deep thought ..indeed
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