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a blog with cultural bulimia.

Tuesday, December 16, 2003

Romantic Fatalism

The longing for a destiny is nowhere stronger than in our romantic life. All too often forced to share our bed with those who can not fathom our soul, can we not be forgiven if we believe ourselves fated to stumble one day upon the man or woman of our dreams? Can we not be excused a certain superstitious faith in a creature who will prove the solution to our relentless yearning? And though our prayers may never be answered, though there may be no end to the dismal cycle of incomprehension, if the heavens should come to take pity on us, then can we really be expected to attribute the encounter with the prince or princess to mere coincidence? Or can we not for once escape rational censure and read it as nothing other than an inevitable part of our romantic destiny?
Alain de Botton