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New Era Community (1926) - 188:
188. He has been called a victim of misfortune who entered the community out of desperation. Suffering complete failure, a man has offered up his misfortune, and the wage of failure has been unhappiness. But indeed, he who brings forth failure regards himself as the greatest depositor he has sacrificed, he also has renounced, he too has chosen, and he is waiting and presenting a bill. Hierarchy (1931) - 314:
314. Amidst the concepts of courage, the most invincible is the courage of the flaming heart, when, with full decisiveness, with full realization of achievement, the warrior knows only the path of advance. To this achievement of courage only the extreme degree of the courage of desperation is comparable. With the same speed with which the courage of the flaming heart overcomes the future, desperation flees from the past. Thus, where the courage of the flaming heart is lacking, let there be the courage of desperation. Only thus can the warrior gain victory when the offensive is great. All other aspects of courage are of no significance, because in them will be half-wayness. This quality, next to cowardice and treason, must be avoided. Heart (1932) - 35:
35. The most difficult thing for people is to coordinate the utmost rapture of spirit with inexhaustible action. For success, extreme tension of spirit is needed, but in each action a certain reserve must be preserved. An exhausted action loses its beauty and the magnetism of conviction. A singer who has exhausted the vocal reserve primarily arouses pity. The manifestation of extreme tension of spirit must not reflect itself in actions of desperation; for then the manifestation of inner energy will dissolve in an action foreign to the spirit. One must cognize this law firmly, in order not to turn into a windmill. I advise to gather all forces of the spirit in order not to atomize them by unbridled actions. AUM (1936) - 438:
438. Desperation is bad, but there is another measure of extreme intensity which is necessary for attainment. Externally it can almost be identified with the limit of despair, but in essence they will be opposites. Despair is destructive, but the extreme limit of tension is constructive.
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