Prologue

GLORIFYING THE PATHETIC, ACCORDING TO VUJAKLIJA
Human Right to the Heart

Freedom. Dignity. Justice. Truth. Goodness. Vow. Hope. Heroism. Self-respect and self-esteem. Life for honor, not life without honor. Living from one’s work, not from loans on behalf of descendants. Patriotism and philanthropy. Homeland. Sanctities. Kosovo and Metohija. God. Soul. Gentility. Joy. Eternity.
Oh, oh, oh! How pathetic! Terrible!
Calculator. Interest. Pricelist. Pouring into the tractor. Where does that leave me? A full stomach is the measure of dignity. Cult of success. Sympathy of the people. Integrations or death. Be smart and hold your back against the wall. Religion is the opium of the people. New workplaces.
When selfish no-goods, artificial and low-minded, want to disqualify you and thus avoid any serious discussion, they just proclaim you pathetic. It’s as terrible as being proclaimed a fascist. You can turn upside-down, state the most brilliant thoughts or proof, it’s too late for you. Hm, you’re pathetic!
Almost no one asks good old Vujaklija. He says:
”Pathetic (Greek: παϑητικόϚ), passionate, emotional. Touching, exciting, shocking. Exalted. Strong and dignified. Solemn. The one expressing pathos. (...)”
So? Why is this today a label, almost an offense? Can the ideal of the intestines really be above the ideal of the heart, the lower part of the body above the upper? How much of us really remains if we accept that being pathetic,or being emotional, exalted, dignified..., is stupid and distasteful?
As always, the key is in balance. If they push us into one half of the reality, we will tumble down. Or we are already tumbling down, it’s just that we still haven’t heard about it in the news.