On Nature

I have a lot of good things going for me.
But let me tell you what I feel,
for no reasonable reason:

—that the world is a cruel place

—that injustice is a great way to get ahead

—that the best way to be happy is to be born happy

—that the best way to be wealthy is to be born wealthy

—that power brings more power

—that insincerity works

—that most people don’t know why they do what they do

—that money is stronger and deadlier than love and gravity

—that life is not kind to the poor

—that most lives are tragic, except for the lucky

—that it is reasonable to feel crippling despair.