From Bernhard's "Extinction"

Certainly one of his longest. And work keeps me from everything. Still, sticking with it. There are gems and precious stones from time to time.

*

The majority is not necessarily in tune with the times just because it’s the majority, I thought, though this too is a common belief that is often acted upon, to the detriment of the times. A minority may also be in tune with the times, often more in tune than the majority; even an individual may be more in tune with the times than the majority, indeed more so than everybody else. The majority has always brought misfortune, I thought, and even today we have the majority to thank for most of our ills. The minority and the individual are crushed by the majority because they are more in tune with the times and act accordingly. Ideas that are in tune with the times are always out of tune with them, I thought, for such ideas are always ahead of the times if t hey are truly in tune with them. Hence whatever is in tune with the times is in reality out of tune with them, I thought.