Iceland

Dear friends,

Two days ago, I arrived in Iceland, for a lecture about my book on totalitarianism. I am often abroad for that reason, but Iceland is one of a kind. This morning the window of my hotelroom showed me the scenery below. The quiet of this frozen, volcanic world is a liberation for the soul. And the warmth of the people here is a blessing for it.

From time to time I wonder, like most of you, I guess: why am I doing all this? And from time to time life sends me a little piece of the answer, through a sincere sign of gratitude of someone who read my book, or through the warm glow in the voice of someone who exchanges some words with me after a lecture.

We speak because we are humans in relationship to other humans, we speak to harmonise disharmonious relationships - disharmonious relationships with other human beings, with nature, with ourselves … Here in Iceland, I find a piece of the answer to the question as to why I speak. And in this way, I share it a little bit with you.

Mattias