Has anyone noticed how similar the angst of 20th century writers were to that of modern trans people even though they struggled with different issues?And here I cannot refrain from a psychological observation. Although I know very little of theSteppenwolf's life, I have all the same good reason to suppose that he was brought up by devotedbut severe and very pious parents and teachers in accordance with that doctrine that makes thebreaking of the will the corner-stone of education and upbringing. But in this case the attempt todestroy the personality and to break the will did not succeed. He was much too strong and hardy,too proud and spirited. Instead of destroying his personality they succeeded only in teaching himto hate himself. It was against himself that, innocent and noble as he was, he directed during his whole life the whole wealth of his fancy, the whole of his thought; and in so far as he let looseupon himself every barbed criticism, every anger and hate he could command, he was, in spite ofall, a real Christian and a real martyr. As for others and the world around him he never ceased inhis heroic and earnest endeavor to love them, to be just to them, to do them no harm, for the loveof his neighbor was as deeply in him as the hatred of himself, and so his whole life was anexample that love of one's neighbor is not possible without love of oneself, and that self-hate is really the same thing as sheer egoism, and in the long run breeds the same cruel isolation anddespair.- Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
