It happens that every day to go to work — to some extent a feat.
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Speech at the 1st Congress of People’s Deputies, 1989.
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An act is a worthy action, chosen deliberately and freely in the face of difficult circumstances. An action can be both an action and (sometimes an inaction), an action can be a spoken word or a decision made, an action can be expressed in a gesture — in any form that will become meaningful to others. The main thing is that a person has to pay for his act, sometimes very expensive, but a person is ready for this.
Actions are small, inconspicuous and natural — when a person gets up early every day, does exercises (even if he doesn’t feel like it). douses himself with cold water, eats breakfast with what he should, and not at random, manages to get to work — and at work he is engaged in business, not entertainment, works honestly. And in the evening — he hurries to the family, the sofa does not sit here either, but is either busy with business or close people: he helps them, makes them happy, deals with their problems, educates … He doesn’t swear in vain, usually sunny, although he gets tired, but in order to be still cheerful, lies down — on time!
Actions are serious, difficult and noticeable to many: this happens when a person defends his principles and is forced to contradict generally accepted norms and rules. An act, and sometimes a feat, often turns out to be an action where a person risks things that are significant to him, or even directly loses them. Give the bulk of your fortune to a cause that is dear to you; act honestly and put an end to your career; to give one’s life for the life of another person — in such actions a person manifests himself as a Human with a capital letter, asserts himself as a Personality.
This dry, tested? — Yes, how it will explode, so it will explode! Everything will blow up!
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Don’t run from yourself
downcast eyes…
Actions must be taken!
Some actions!
Action — wake up in a coward
swing of the hero.
Action is to live
did not approve other people’s roles.
Action — be yourself in the smoke
and an ardent oath.
Action — against all odds
silence under torture!
Deed — many long days
burn, and then
break the poem if it contains
even a drop of pose.
Will order the time to clench your teeth —
don’t protest.
Actions must be taken!
Some actions!
And your blood through nothing
smoking, it will come through …
After all, if life is an act,
then death is an act.
R. Christmas
Korczak did not leave his pupils.
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Janusz Korczak brought up 200 orphans during the difficult war years. He did not just provide them with life — he gave them a strong, bright life — he made them people. And he did not leave them alone on the terrible journey to Treblinka. His feat did not ring loudly, it was a feat of every day, which proved that «there is still more good in the world than evil.» Towards death, he and his children went out under the green banner of King Matt. In his diary he wrote: “Warsaw is mine and I am hers. I will say more: I am she. One boy said to me, leaving the Orphans’ House: “If not for this house, I would not know that there are honest people in the world who do not steal. I didn’t know it was possible to tell the truth. I didn’t know there was truth in the world.»
It is in actions that a person’s personality is manifested and formed.
However, not all beautiful and sublime deeds are smart deeds. An impulsive act can be beautiful, but deliberate actions are always more valued, when a person, before a difficult decision, weighed all the important circumstances, took into account the possible consequences — and only after that did what he decided in the best possible way: then and as planned.
Romantics are prone to beautiful and thoughtless actions, for whom it is more important not the real result, but the purity of thoughts and the loftiness of motives. Their actions often characterize the real height of the individual and at the same time show the narrow-mindedness of the mind, and even social irresponsibility.
Many actions that are evaluated as actions of the highest standard, which characterize the true height of the individual, can at the same time be socially irresponsible, the actions of a Romantic.
Munchausen is ready to blow up half the city, kill himself, deprive his beloved husband of his Martha, who has just found him again — just to remain faithful to his principles «I never lie.»
Janusz Korczak could have survived (he was offered this several times), but refused to leave the children whom the Nazis sent to Mauthausen, and died with them in the gas chamber. You can understand him — immense fatigue from a feat every day, but in fact he ran away from his work.
It is possible to assess the specific actions of specific people in different ways, but it must be recognized that the height of an act may well be combined with its crooked orientation.
Why do Romantics perform beautiful feats?
Firstly, they usually do them not “Why”, not “In order to”, but “Because”. Not all people are accustomed to carefully calculate the consequences, it is easier to act in accordance with their principles — and nothing more. On the other hand, even seemingly meaningless beautiful deeds have their own moral meaning: a strong deed is always an occasion to think for many people around. This is an explosion of patterns, a challenge to life and the world, a challenge to existing foundations, a protest against them with the subtext: “Think about it! Life should be different, better, more beautiful, kinder!”
Probably, for this they make films about great and bright feats. With their piercing, nobility they reach the soul and wake it up. Children with the green flag of Matt, proudly marching on their last journey and their teacher in front — few people will not be hooked, and once they are hooked, it will make them think. We wish we had more films like this so that we would learn from these bright characters their strength and courage more often.
And then it’s more difficult. Next, you need to learn to think. Perhaps your bright act will make you draw attention to yourself, many will think: what’s next? If there really is a desire not only to prove to everyone that they are lazy fools and bastards, but to explain how to live correctly, educate and teach, then the exploits of Romantic do not solve such a problem. It is more difficult to build a life than to die beautifully, but this is precisely the choice of the Creator.