A tutorial of a writer s success. Chapter 8

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http://proza.ru/2021/03/04/382 A tutorial of a writer s success. Chapter 1. http://proza.ru/2021/03/04/382
http://proza.ru/2021/03/09/1868 A tutorial of a writer s success. Chapter 2.  http://proza.ru/2021/03/09/1868
http://proza.ru/2021/03/15/256 A tutorial of a writer s success. Chapter 3.  http://proza.ru/2021/03/15/256
http://proza.ru/2021/03/16/302 A tutorial of a writer s success. Chapter 4.  http://proza.ru/2021/03/16/302
http://proza.ru/2021/03/17/214 A tutorial of a writer s success. Chapter 5.  http://proza.ru/2021/03/17/214
http://proza.ru/2021/03/21/621 A tutorial of a writer s success. Chapter 6. http://proza.ru/2021/03/21/621
http://proza.ru/2021/03/24/573 A tutorial of a writer s success. Chapter 7. http://proza.ru/2021/03/24/573



Chapter 8. Sinbad the Sailor and the System of Personal Independence

The theme of "dependence" and "independence" is noticeable in Heinrich Schliemann. Such was his life.

Heinrich Schliemann writes about the "dependent position", about "subject to the caprice of my employers" in his Autobiography (Ilios. The city and country of the Trojans. By Dr. Henry Schliemann. NY. 1881. P. 12.).

He said out on the same topic  in a different formulation [according Meyerovich]: "At the age when others are studying in the gymnasium [in the secondary school], I was a slave... " [Мейерович М. Л. С. 53] [Meyerovich M. L. P. 53].

The grocery store in the F;rstenberg and the subsequent dependent position of Heinrich Schliemann had strengthened his personality up to such a level, that Schliemann later actually built, de facto, a system of guarantees of his independence.

Asceticism took the first place in this system.

"Moderation is the greatest virtue," Heinrich Schliemann, as if accidently, wrote in his diary [Богданов И. А., 2008 а. С. 122] [Bogdanov I. A., 2008 a. P. 122].

The significance of asceticism and moderation is quite simple to illustrate.

The first (job and) salary that Heinrich Schliemann "managed to find" in Hamburg was 9 pounds per year [Шлиман Г. Илион. Т.1. С.43] [Schliemann Heinrich. Ilios. Vol.1. P.  43].

J. F. Wendt sent to Heinrich, as to the victim of a shipwreck, the funds collected: 20 pounds.

Thus, the help sent by J. F. Wendt (20 pounds) when used sparingly, with the assumption that Heinrich works for 9 pounds a year, but with actual employment not with a "service", but with a self-education, could "stretch" for more than two years.

In other words, asceticism, moderation, generates a very moderate, but very reliable financial security.

Naturally, such a level of financial security can lead to real independence only in the case of dynamic self-development, knowledge acquisition. And this requires moderate self-isolation.

Of course, the level of self-isolation is individual; it is determined by both the lifestyle and the stage of a person's life.

The level of self-isolation could  to variating, to changing from a sleeping and relaxing in a separate room, from a meditating, from avoiding certain activities,  dodging watching TV shows, an evading the appearing in a certain social environment up to other measures).

Moderate self-isolation allows you to force self-development and the development of knowledge.

Heinrich managed to master accounting, calligraphy, English and other foreign languages.

If in 1841 he "managed to find" a job with an annual salary of 9 pounds, then in 1842 his salary was 32 pounds, in 1844 - 80 pounds.

In 1847, his fortune was approximately 8 thousand pounds.

Thus, in the three years from 1841 to 1844, his salary increased almost 100 times (from 9 to 80 pounds per year).

In the three years (approximately) from 1844 to 1847, his capital (8,000 pounds) had exceeded his annual salary (80 pounds) by 100 times.

Schematically, Heinrich Schliemann's system of independence includes several components: "asceticism-moderate self-isolation-financial security — self-development, knowledge acquisition — (autonomy) independence".

In January 1847, Mr. Schliemann entered Russia.

1848: "he opens his own trading house in St. Petersburg; since then he has been listed as a St. Petersburg or Narva merchants (usually of the 2nd guild)" [Гаврилов А. К. С. 365] [Gavrilov A. K. P. 365].

"The child of calculation and success,
A merchant is coming to look at the flags,
To see whether the heavens are delivering
The long-awaited sails.
( ... )
And is there no famine, war
Or any similar events? " (Alexander  Pushkin. Eugene Onegin (Excerpts from Onegin's journey)).

(Approximate chronological boundaries of the "period" of Heinrich Shliemann's life in Russia: 1847-1866).

To illustrate moderate self-isolation, here is an example. In a letter dated October 31, 1847, Heinrich Schliemann, in particular, writes: "... Except for the bourse, I do not go anywhere to avoid meetings, and this is a distraction from classes... " [Богданов И. А., 2008 а. С. 152] [Bogdanov I. A., 2008 a. P.152].

Even a second marriage was built into this system of independence in a certain way.

From the very beginning, the "teacher — student" format was announced, and the basis of marriage was not supposed to be "girlish" "nonsense about carnal pleasures" [Стоун. С.20] [Stone. P. 20], but a (mutual) respect.

In the first marriage, Schliemann's independence came across the traditions of the environmentm in which he, Schliemann, was integrated by this change in family status, and the Catherine's very distinct steadfastness in defending a "right" [things] and a "wrong" [things] (in her understanding).

There are situations in which everyone is right in their own way.

One, who having worked in the field of commerce, having enough become nervous and who enough risked  (sometimes not only with capital, but also with life, freedom, and health), wants to read Homer, assuming that his wife can join him in exploration of ancient Greek works (or she could take a walk on her own, with children or with friends).

Another, tired of household chores and worries (including of a care regarding children), believes that she has the right to her husband's attention and communication in the form of joint walks; in view of this, she asks not to bring "Homer with youself", or makes a remark in a letter: "now you, probably, ... have nothing to do, and you are mastering Greek..." [Шлиман Е., Письма. С.60] [Schliemann E., Letters. P. 60] [Богданов И. А., 2008 а. С. 268] [Bogdanov I. A., 2008 a. P. 268].

Catherine's father and brothers, by virtue of their occupation (law profession, teaching Russian as a home teacher to Duke Peter of Oldenburg, a distant relative of Emperor Nicholas I), by virtue of their family's and friendly ties, had a certain influence; Catherine's views and initiatives were perceived by the Petersburg environment as natural; Heinrich Schliemann, with his passion for learning languages, love of reading Homer, and thoughts about the exchanging of a commerce to a science, could, in an unfavorable turn of events, be perceived by the Petersburg environment as, at least, an eccentric man.

To denounce him as not quite mentally healthy, suspicious person-it was easy.

Heinrich Schliemann had to look for a compromise option to defend his independence.

This option was found in regular (permanent) trips. For long periods of time, or Heinrich, or Catherine was absent from St. Petersburg.

The trips went on for weeks, months, sometimes years.

"...My family calculated how long I was away on the seventh voyage, and it turned out that twenty-seven years had passed ... " [When my friends and family heard of my return, they welcomed me and marvelled with great joy for I had been away for an entire 27 years.] (Sinbad the Sailor. "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor: Voyage 7"; "One Thousand and One Nights").

So in the first marriage, the system of independence was supplemented with such an element as travel.

However, the travel continued during the second marriage. On several occasions, Henry and Sophia traveled together.

Asceticism does not only generate financial security.

Oddly enough, the system of independence, starting with asceticism, not only assumes financial security, but also tends-under favorable circumstances-to generate wealth.

Let us recall the life of Heinrich Schliemann in California, in Sacramento (1851-1852). His life is nothing but ascetic (asceticism). "He orders a bed to be put in the only room of his bank, swallows quinine as others swallow sugar, eats almost nothing and does not drink. With difficulty, he approachs from the bed to the table, makes deals with the customers and lies down again. And so it goes on for many days in a row, until the steel will does not win over the disease of the body" [Штоль. С. 134] [Stoll. P. 134].

Entertainment and excesses are not noticeable. Note the optimization (minimization) of business costs. The result is obvious: the "gold merchant" Heinrich Schliemann doubled his fortune in less than a year (thirty thousand dollars "of those times"  "turned" into sixty).

The Law of Independence of Heinrich Schliemann: "If you do not want to be a "bondman", build a system of personal independence."