of wisdom

Author: (English) Lawrence Shi Huifeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Lawrence's heroic deeds in the Arab world are well-known. His post-war performances are also beyond the scope of this short essay. Here, the author can only mention his exceptionally complex personality, as well as the contradictory, despondent, bewildered, and self-mocking state of mind he exhibited in the later stages of World War I after being wounded. Lawrence was such a contradictory composite. He rode slowly across the desert on camels, yet also drove swiftly in civilization. His soul embraced the simplicity of nature, breathing the vast spaces of the Arab world, while simultaneously looking ahead to the future century. He said, "In my view, the only main task of our generation is to conquer the element after the atmosphere." He was a superlatively accomplished military leader and warrior, yet also an explorer of the soul as a writer and translator. He fought alongside the bloodthirsty Arabs, and was also a friend to many modern writers such as Shaw, Hardy, Graves, and Pound. He was one of the greatest adventurers in the world, yet at the same time, so shy, introverted, and prone to both gain and loss. His life was complex, with contradictions far exceeding a thousand individuals—how many pores does his soul truly have? However, are all great souls not filled with contradictions, so magnificently filled with them?