GENESIS OF SELF-SAVAGERY
Self-Savagery No.4: Leave things unfinished to let the devil in and out. If you finish things, you can judge them for what they are, and what they often are is bloated champions. What everyone prefers is a lithe challenger, unfinished and unfussy, full of potential and needling jabs. Don’t enbalm the corpse, let it rot away.
SELF-SAVAGERY:GENESIS
This is long overdue. But then no-one said this was going to be a prolific diary. No-one said it was going to be in a sensible order.
Self-Savagery theory is named after Great Uncle Victor Dylan-Savage, who made failing at failure a lifetime success. He is chiefly known for his military service in the Boer War and his subsequent memoir, Retreat to Glory- The Coward’s Way In
Great Uncle Victor Dylan-Savage was first and foremost, to should be said, a lazy man who sought peace away from the hateful- from work, stress and other people. He was also not only a dreadful soldier, but a coward. Not a criminal, but a man who sought privacy.
He tried to desert several times and only escaped being shot by a commanding officer who smiled on him due to his ability to make him laugh with his bitter humour. He finally made good his escape one night, and charged off on the commanders horse, the fastest in the company. Unfortunately he went in the wrong direction, and troubled an advance party of the enemy, who, panicked by an apparent surprise attack, dispersed in fear. Dylan-Savage was shot through the thigh-bone, causing an injury that would see him discharged from service. When they dug the bullet from his leg, it was found to carry the slogan ‘VICTOR,’ Dylan-Savage’s Christian name. This point ruffled the feathers of the more devout members of his company and pricked the interest of his commanding officers, who saw mileage in the story of a brave hero who survived the bullet with his name on. It would be a tale to boost the morale of the troops and also of the nation far away back home. So Dylan-Savage was decorated and sent to see the Queen, whose diamond jubilee needed polishing after the war.
On his return journey, Dylan-Savage, initially hapy to escape duty, became uncomfortable with the sycophantic treatment and reverence that came from his escorts. He wanted to be left alone. He tried to talk down his achievement, saying he was a horse thief who got the Captain’s horse killed.; But they took his use of the horse to be a symbolic act of bravery, a suggestion of leadership; it said that he was worthy of promotion.
The more he tried to give up the honour, the more he was offered more. His humility was seen as a superb advert for his courage, as if all good characteristics come in clusters; all brave men are humble and witty. So he began to write the book that would sabotage his own reputation. Unfortunately it didn’t have the effect he imagined.
He produced the pamphlet, Retreat to Glory- in which he detailed exactly how he had been trying to desert his brave mates when he ran into the enemy. He included quotes from his superiors, including Corp. Smythe-Powell, who gave a glowing character reference to suggest that Dylan-Savage had ‘the taint of villainy about him, and was a lush and a liar; and if he suggests that he was attempting to desert the platoon, well I woouldn’t believe a word from his mouth.’
Despite his protests in this most honest of memoirs, the kerfuffle created was not what he expected. The nation took his protestations to their heart; Queen Victoria praised his English modesty, and his pamphlet sold everywhere. They deed not see it as a brave confessional, rather a humorous attempt to excuse himself from glory.
The more he ignored those who greeted him in the street, the more they believed in his holiness. The more he swore at kind words the more they believed they were unworthy of him; the more he ignored invitations from Buckingham Palace the more he recieved. It seemed the less he courted attention and praise the more he received. The more he sought to sabotage his reputation, the more it was raised.
For after his initial honest protestations, DS realised the yardage that existed in this false modesty. Originally his evasion from conflict was an attempt at finding peace and quiet; it bought him glory. In the aftermath, he merely wanted to deflect this embarrassing kerfuffle around him, he wanted to evade attention. But he couldn’t. So he did the next best thing- courted attention, lots of it. His false modesty was of course merely stating the truth. It meant he could never be exposed and it also meant his glory was sealed.
SELF-SAVAGERY:GENESIS
This is long overdue. But then no-one said this was going to be a prolific diary. No-one said it was going to be in a sensible order.
Self-Savagery theory is named after Great Uncle Victor Dylan-Savage, who made failing at failure a lifetime success. He is chiefly known for his military service in the Boer War and his subsequent memoir, Retreat to Glory- The Coward’s Way In
Great Uncle Victor Dylan-Savage was first and foremost, to should be said, a lazy man who sought peace away from the hateful- from work, stress and other people. He was also not only a dreadful soldier, but a coward. Not a criminal, but a man who sought privacy.
He tried to desert several times and only escaped being shot by a commanding officer who smiled on him due to his ability to make him laugh with his bitter humour. He finally made good his escape one night, and charged off on the commanders horse, the fastest in the company. Unfortunately he went in the wrong direction, and troubled an advance party of the enemy, who, panicked by an apparent surprise attack, dispersed in fear. Dylan-Savage was shot through the thigh-bone, causing an injury that would see him discharged from service. When they dug the bullet from his leg, it was found to carry the slogan ‘VICTOR,’ Dylan-Savage’s Christian name. This point ruffled the feathers of the more devout members of his company and pricked the interest of his commanding officers, who saw mileage in the story of a brave hero who survived the bullet with his name on. It would be a tale to boost the morale of the troops and also of the nation far away back home. So Dylan-Savage was decorated and sent to see the Queen, whose diamond jubilee needed polishing after the war.
On his return journey, Dylan-Savage, initially hapy to escape duty, became uncomfortable with the sycophantic treatment and reverence that came from his escorts. He wanted to be left alone. He tried to talk down his achievement, saying he was a horse thief who got the Captain’s horse killed.; But they took his use of the horse to be a symbolic act of bravery, a suggestion of leadership; it said that he was worthy of promotion.
The more he tried to give up the honour, the more he was offered more. His humility was seen as a superb advert for his courage, as if all good characteristics come in clusters; all brave men are humble and witty. So he began to write the book that would sabotage his own reputation. Unfortunately it didn’t have the effect he imagined.
He produced the pamphlet, Retreat to Glory- in which he detailed exactly how he had been trying to desert his brave mates when he ran into the enemy. He included quotes from his superiors, including Corp. Smythe-Powell, who gave a glowing character reference to suggest that Dylan-Savage had ‘the taint of villainy about him, and was a lush and a liar; and if he suggests that he was attempting to desert the platoon, well I woouldn’t believe a word from his mouth.’
Despite his protests in this most honest of memoirs, the kerfuffle created was not what he expected. The nation took his protestations to their heart; Queen Victoria praised his English modesty, and his pamphlet sold everywhere. They deed not see it as a brave confessional, rather a humorous attempt to excuse himself from glory.
The more he ignored those who greeted him in the street, the more they believed in his holiness. The more he swore at kind words the more they believed they were unworthy of him; the more he ignored invitations from Buckingham Palace the more he recieved. It seemed the less he courted attention and praise the more he received. The more he sought to sabotage his reputation, the more it was raised.
For after his initial honest protestations, DS realised the yardage that existed in this false modesty. Originally his evasion from conflict was an attempt at finding peace and quiet; it bought him glory. In the aftermath, he merely wanted to deflect this embarrassing kerfuffle around him, he wanted to evade attention. But he couldn’t. So he did the next best thing- courted attention, lots of it. His false modesty was of course merely stating the truth. It meant he could never be exposed and it also meant his glory was sealed.
posted by The Legendary Black Marquis at 1:13 pm
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