First and Last

“American psychologists invented the idea that the world is divided into winners and losers. That’s not true—it’s only like that in stadiums and competitions. But in human life, it’s different… Perhaps there’s some law, but I don’t know it, though I constantly feel its presence: winners and losers swap places—those who were first become last, and those who were last possess gifts not meant for winners. A poor person is happy with a bowl of soup, and a rich person suffers, not knowing who to leave a will to… And in all this there is a lot of wisdom, irony, and food for thought.”