10.5 The Fateful Quartet: 4 Ways of Life without Love and Wisdom
When the content of Primary Life References becomes distorted, it can manifest as distinct fateful tendencies in individuals’ lives. This phenomenon finds profound literary illustration in the major, unfinished novels of two prominent Prague authors, Jaroslav Hašek and Franz Kafka, who remarkably penned their works concurrently and died around the same time and (young) age. The central characters of their books embody patterns that can be understood as ‘The Fateful Quartet: 4 Ways of Life without Love and Wisdom.’
These characters serve as powerful archetypes of fateful directions, demonstrating the consequences when one’s perception of reality, influenced by distorted Primary Life References, leads to predetermined destinies. They can be mapped onto a cross of Life References, revealing two fundamental axes of existential tendency:
The Horizontal Axis: The Axis of Existential Fear
This axis characterizes individuals whose underlying existential fear, often stemming from a perceived inadequacy of the self, drives them to actively defend or assert their identity within the world. This active engagement with perceived threats or desires for validation defines their fateful trajectory.
The Vertical Axis: The Axis of Existential Ignorance
This axis describes individuals whose lack of critical awareness or deep engagement with the fundamental complexities of reality defines their passive, often uncritical navigation of life’s circumstances. For these individuals, it is as if they are unaware of their own existence as distinct selves; only the world exists for them, not themselves for themselves. Their fateful path is less about active struggle or assertion and more about being carried along by external forces due to this fundamental unawareness of their own subjective reality.
An intriguing interplay exists between these two axes and the worlds they generate. Representatives of the Vertical Axis of Existential Ignorance often find themselves moving within a reality shaped by the Horizontal Axis of Existential Fear. For instance, Karl Rossmann navigates an American world largely defined by the commercial interests of his neurotic defenders and compulsive conquerors. Similarly, Josef Švejk exists within a world where defenders and conquerors have become embroiled in a pervasive military conflict. Conversely, these very worlds are, in a deeper sense, created by the Rossmanns and Švejks; without their passive acceptance or critical blindness, the horizontal axis might not find the necessary substrate to manifest, or its nature as an axis of existential fear might not even be discernible.
Furthermore, there are periods, spheres, and specific situations—whether individual or collective—where one axis predominantly overshadows the other. When the Horizontal Axis of Existential Fear is in the forefront, as often seen in totalitarian societies or toxic work and family environments, individuals are primarily driven by fear to assert themselves or desperately protect their position within the system. Conversely, when the Vertical Axis of Existential Ignorance predominates, individuals tend not to confront difficult existential situations, nor do they often engage with questions of their own, or general human, existence. This dynamic interplay underscores how overarching societal or environmental contexts can foster a pervasive inclination towards one type of existential orientation over another.
The archetypes’ representatives are as follows:
Karl Rossmann (from Amerika by Franz Kafka)
Archetype: Naive Immature
Fateful Tendency:
Karl embodies the trajectory of an innocent individual with an immature level of consciousness, who is seemingly “pushed through life.” His path is shaped by a series of “random” encounters and acquaintances that invariably draw him into new situations, sometimes under the guise of protection, but often to be used or exploited. Karl maintains a naive belief that everything happens as it should, attributing it to the inherent order of the world. His innocence prevents him from perceiving the perfidy of the world and systems built on the cruel exercise of power. Ultimately, this very innocence might (re)tain him in a relatively blissful state akin to the “blessed poor in spirit.”
Josef K. (from The Trial by Franz Kafka)
Archetype: Neurotic Defender
Fateful Tendency:
Josef K. represents a neurotic direction of fateful progression, a person afflicted by a societal system that a priori imputes guilt to him. He is compelled to constantly try to clear himself, yet remains unaware of the precise accusation. The more Josef K. attempts to engage the system and its representatives for his defense, the more the system ensnares him like a spider trapping a fly, eventually liquidating him “like a dog.” His fate is a direct consequence of his desperate struggle against an incomprehensible accusation within an all-encompassing, oppressive system.
Land Surveyor K. (from The Castle by Franz Kafka)
Archetype: Compulsive Conqueror
Fateful Tendency:
Zeměměřič K. (Land Surveyor K.) embodies an unhealthily assertive individual, driven by an intense craving for attention and recognition from systemic authorities. His existence is a perpetual oscillation between glimmering hopeful opportunities to achieve this and their subsequent frustration due to unforeseen circumstances. Land Surveyor K. remains a permanent outsider in a region where he desperately seeks the favor of the powerful. In contrast, the locals face no such issue; they are content with the powerful and do not seek their attention. Land Surveyor K. careeristically strives for self-assertion within a system and environment that actively boycotts personal advancement. However, the fault lies not with the environment but with the fateful psychological orientation of such a “striving” individual like K. It is symptomatic that the primary link between the System’s Authorities and Land Surveyor K. is Mr. Klamm, a name which in Czech signifies illusion or delusion.
Josef Švejk (from The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek)
Archetype: Carefree Fool
Fateful Tendency:
The character of Švejk has perennially sparked debate as to whether he is a brilliant sage or a carefree idiot. The author himself is said to have declared that in this (absurd) world, only an idiot can truly be free. Švejk shares some similarities with Karl Rossmann, but his approach to the world is not an expression of innocence but rather a kind of cognitive limitation. He is famously talkative, often to the point of being tiresome, constantly regaling others with anecdotes and readily offering an opinion on everything, ‘like any proper fool.’ However, compared to Rossmann, he exhibits more verve and joy for life. Both accept the world at ‘face value’ and do not fret over their place for their ‘self’ within it. In contrast, the protagonists on the horizontal axis of the cross (Josef K. and Land Surveyor K.) actively attempt to manage their ‘selves’ in the world: Josef K. defends his ‘self’ within the system, while Land Surveyor K. primarily asserts it.
