After experience taught me that all the ordinary br Surroundings of social life are futile and vain; br br I’m going to show you something very br Ugly: someday, it might save your life. br br Seeing that none of the things I feared contain br In themselves anything either good or bad br br What if you get caught without a knife; br Nothing—even a loop of piano wire; br br Excepting only in the effect they had br Upon my mind, I resolved to inquire br br Take the first two fingers of this hand; br Fork them out—kind of a “V for Victory”— br br Whether there might be something whose discovery br Would grant me supreme, unending happiness. br br And jam them into the eyes of your enemy. br You have to do this hard. Very hard. Then press br br No virtue can be thought to have priority br Over this endeavor to preserve one’s being. br br Both fingers down around the cheekbone br And setting your foot high into the chest br br No man can desire to act rightly, to be blessed, br To live rightly, without simultaneously br br You must call up every strength you own br And you can rip off the whole facial mask. br br Wishing to be, to act, to live. He must ask br First, in other words, to actually exist.