Genius is the surmounting of known limits. It shows us something that was always there but not yet seen. But genius often sees the idea long before trial and error can settle the mechanical means for harnessing that potential. Thus the vision of genius can be clear, while its journey toward proof is nonetheless fraught with failure and disappointment. So be careful who you admire or envy. A man without regrets may only be someone content with a lower awareness of potential.
the obstacle, aphorism 367, A Human Strategy by Matt Berry
367 A: Is it more pleasant without the obstacle? B: Yes, but before I discovered that it was an obstacle, I was content. There was no inconvenience, and therefore, there was no obstacle. A: But if it is “better” without the obstacle, wouldn’t it be wise to look for other comfortable, and therefore invisible obstacles everywhere? A Human Strategy ** The Mechanics of Virtue ** Post-Atheism