On nearing the climax of Colin Wilson’s ‘The Outsider’ I feel compelled to record the racing thoughts filling my consciousness with positivity and inspiration. A book which could truly change one’s outlook, or to be more precise, to guide one's wandering or unknowing direction in life. If one is already consumed by the mindset of The Outsider that is.
As a brief summary and to set the context for the preceding text, this book attempts to charter and extrapolate the theory which the author refers to as ‘The Outsider’ or more specifically the ‘Outsider’s problem’. Wilson uses great philosophers and literary writers to expedite the theory of the man (or woman!) whom exists outside the mainstream collective psyche in terms of how to live one’s life. He who cannot unquestioningly accept the triviality of life, dressed up with all its materialism and illusion, people floating along with seeming purpose or necessity, when in truth this is really lacking. The Outsider thinks too much, feels too much, is plagued by the existential problem of how to live one’s life; what the best route to achieving some kind of mental satisfaction is. But the Outsider cannot see the answer to this in the world around him so instead remains isolated and shut off from the world. Would rather be the ‘man-in-the-corner’ watching the world go by, refusing to take part in any futile or pointless activity that some would call ‘living life’.
The Outsider typically, is tormented by the reality, or indeed unreality of life, experiencing frustration and irritation in the ways of the masses to live in denial or more accurately in ignorance to the truth. This may actually be an overstatement, for in fact, The Outsider does not care about life, let alone give a dam about the masses. It would be more accurate to say The Outsider pities the masses, and their unquestioning, unassuming ways. The Outsider cannot escape the question of ‘what is truth?’, ‘where is the value?, ‘what is it that is worth doing?’. And cannot find the answers for these questions in the life that is being lived around him.
But rather than fall into the abyss of nihilism, The Outsider strives to address this problem and find salvation.
So far, however insightful these great writers have tried to explore this problem none have managed to arrive at a definite conclusion but Wilson uses his comprehensive analysis to attempt to bring many ideas together and arrive at some form of useful resolution.
This he appears to succeed in by recognising, among other things, the important differentiation between what he refers to as the ‘Ultimate yes’ and the ‘Ultimate no’. In my own words the ‘Ultimate no’ seems to be the stagnant pessimism that drove so many of the great thinkers of whom he refers to suicide, in some cases of the body and in others just of the mind. The dark, depressing idea that there is no meaning, no salvation, no saving grace. ‘Men ultimately die like animals’ merely superior in their ability to worry about their continued existence and physical needs. Until one day, their final hour draws in.
On the contrary it is the ‘Ultimate yes’ that holds most promise, and this is something I am quite familiar with from my studies of Nietzsche. The ‘Ultimate yes’ involves becoming a ‘yea-sayer’, accepting all for what it is and avoiding the delusion that it is anything more. Accepting that an unnecessary life as exactly that, unnecessary, but finding one’s own value through creativity and artistry. I am aware that this is drawing dangerously close to some form of sophistry so I will take a step back to fill in some of the gaps.
My own personal experience led me to identify very much with the content of this book. Having lived a relatively short life, but one which seems to have included quite a considerable amount of unhappy times, perhaps even desolate times, I can understand this perspective of a life devoid of value; an existence filled with misery (Aside: This sounds a touch melodramatic so maybe it's best not to read too much into this in the context that it lies). Or even, to take a lighter tone,just never knowing what one wants to do with one’s life; what is the best way that it can be lived? What is the best way to making it a success and not a failure? And in this I do not mean success in material terms or even career terms, but in terms of what is the greatest, most profound impact my life could have, whether this be merely to truly see as much beauty in the world as is possible or carry out the most righteous, charitous acts? The unknowing and lack of direction can be most frustrating, and the feeling of floating from place to place, from person to person never really feeling that this was it, never knowing whether the result would ultimately be a good one or a bad.
Wilson also weaves a religious dimension through some of his discussions but not as ‘religion’ as we immediately think about it. Not in support of the Church and ‘visible religion’ but in terms of the absolute inability to be able to find ‘salvation’ or even ‘satisfaction’ in any man who treads the soil of the Earth. ‘Man is born alone, and ultimately dies alone’ which makes one realise that there is nothing wrong with feeling alone, even when surrounded by people or when externally you appear the opposite.
This is not an admission of a conversion to any form of religious faith but a desire to try and find a more powerful connection to ascribe to. I have always thought that, if there was any God this would have to be in the form of Energy, that from which all is created, and recreated, indestructible energy that makes the world as it. That makes the natural world so astoundingly hypnotising and incredible. That, which would give the answer to how things have all reached such perfect form and exist so fluidly. No mindless drivel about a Creator, but simply an idolisation of the Laws of Nature and the evolutionary processes that have made the world what it is today. Also bound up in this, is the never-ending possibilities and potentialities of the universe and all that lies outside that, of all possible worlds, and unknowable, incomprehensible matter.
With fear of digressing, into racing, unvalidated proposals I will try to bring these reflective musings back to some kind of conclusive point. And that I will attempt to do as succinctly as possible. For those, like myself, who do feel to lie on the outside of a mainstream attitude and approach to life, the point is to not get bogged down by the constant questioning, the thinking too much, too deeply. Instead to be glad to have one’s eyes open and be aware of the distinction between these two opposing worldviews. To continue to find intense appreciation in the natural world by which we are surrounded yet so many people are so blind too. To open one’s mind to the possibility of finding a connection with a higher mentality which can dissolve the isolation and give way to some form of happiness, a happiness that it seems the word ‘happiness’ cannot even do justice, for that is now a word, banded around, pursued and denounced so readily and easily that it cannot serve to illustrate what is meant by a profound contentment and satisfaction with the world just how it is.
At this point, you can now reject this as Existentialist drivel and go back to reading Heat magazine and watching Corrie, or you can absorb some of the ideas proposed, in what was intended to be a short summary on ‘The Outsider’. Better still, get the book, and read it yourself.
 |
| Angel Of The Revelation, William Blake. |
| Starry Night, Vincent Van Gogh. |
