a madwoman's quest to become even more insane

My response to a question on Love Is the Law…

Someone asked about whether or not “There is no law beyond do what thou wilt” and “Love is the law” being a contradiction, and I posted the following passage from one of my favorite books in response:

Bastian had shown the lion the inscription on the reverse side of the Gem.
“What do you suppose it means?” he asked. “‘DO WHAT YOU WISH.’ That must
mean I can do anything I feel like. Don’t you think so?”

All at once Grograman’s face looked alarmingly grave, and his eyes glowed.

“No,” he said in his deep, rumbling voice. “It means that you must do what
you really and truly want. And nothing is more difficult.”

“What I really and truly want? What do you mean by that?”

“It’s your own deepest secret and you yourself don’t know it.”

“How can I find out?”

“By going the way of your wishes, from one to another, from first to last.
It will take you to what you really and truly want.”

“That doesn’t sound so hard,” said Bastian.

“It is the most dangerous of all journeys.”

“Why?” Bastian asked. “I’m not afraid.”

“That isn’t it,” Grograman rumbled. “It requires the greatest honesty and
vigilance, because there’s no other journey on which it’s so easy to lose
yourself forever.”


-The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende

Footnote: It’s worthy enough to note that the exact inscription from the
original story on the amulet in German is “Tu, was du willst”.

Scarily enough, I doubt many will get it. :(