He was such a mass of contradictions.

Any era in our culture that looks back and perceives history says as much about us as it does the history.

All of that really ignores that he was a human being. He was an extremely passionate man. I've been studying him for 20 years, and I haven't gotten to the bottom of him.

Opposites are not always contradictions they can be complimentary.

why can't we love the right people? what is so wrong with us that we rush into situations to which we are manifestly unsuited, which will hurt us and others? why are we given emotions which we cannot control and which move in exact contradiction to what we really want? we are walking conflicts, internal battles on legs.

Being able to embrace contradictions is a sign of intelligence.
Or insanity.