Poor Jean Jacques has suffered persecution by religious authorities for his writings and now feels everyone who recognises him is hostile. He yearns for human contact but has given up. He feels his own mental powers waning. He sounds paranoid, now and then
The Reveries are a series of essays where JJ explores his own feelings on topics such as: when is it okay to lie? Why is the study of nature so satisfying? Why does the pleasure of giving become a burden as soon as it becomes expected?
Embedded in this I recognised some ideas that I hadn't known were Rousseau's. If you don't care what people think of you, their opinion can't hurt you.
Because JJ is so honest about his feelings, I feel I know him and pity him.
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