The Birth of Voralus

When Colossus raped Narcissus at the grave of Speusippus, Aphrodite decided to grant Narcissuss a son in his own image. Narcissus was delighted and grew deeply attached to his son, whom he named Voralus. Growing jealous and disgusted by his son's incestuous relationship with his father, Colossus kidnapped Voralus and brought him to Carbonia, Sardinia. Young Voralus, however, longed to be with Narcissus and refused to eat or drink. The situation remained thus until Voralus was eventually reunited with his father. What sustained Voralus during his prolonged hunger strike was his famous philosophy, which nourished him when nothing else would.

Voralus proclaimed that life is pain and that no life is without a terrible trouble that seals him off from true eternal happiness. To acheive a balanced existence, one must eschew the pursuit of pleasure and focus instead on removal of pain through a virtuous life of good citizenry which benefits others as well as oneself. Kennedy later echoed Voralus, saying, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Such a person will not think of himself, and can ignore the pain of living. Furthermore, as alleviation of pain becomes paramount and pursuit of pleasure far removed from consciousness, accomplishment becomes real and depression gives way to action.

Interestingly, Voralus gave up his philosophizing when he rejoined his father. Together, they ate and drank and *erhemm*. The ideals of his past gave way to a new physicality, which, in the emended philosophy of those later years was, in all likelihood, elevated to the level of a pure and intellectuo-spiritual longing for absolute perfection in the form of two beautiful forms joined in an act of love.

My what would Freud say about this? What would you say? (Btw, I misspelled Freud as Fred before I caught myself. Freudian slip?)

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