You've Always Been Wrong

More about the book

You've Always Been Wrong is a collection of prose and poetic works by French writer Rene Daumal (1908-1944). An interloper among the Surrealists, Daumal rejected all forms of dogmatic thought—religious, philosophical, aesthetic, or political. He viewed traditional metaphysics as a type of thought that enslaves while pretending to liberate. Daumal provocatively described these "cadavers of thought" as needing to be met with "storms of doubt, blasphemes, and kerosene for the temples." He linked Surrealism with mystical traditions, drawing from Eastern religions and philosophies while maintaining a critical stance toward Western metaphysics. His work emphasizes a mystic's effort to remain intensely aware of the present moment and the unique nature of all experiences. This wakefulness leads to an overwhelming "vision of the absurd," which Daumal considered redemptive. His significant role in French culture during the late 1920s and 1930s is marked by both his writings and his co-founding of the avant-garde journal Le Grand Jeu. Written between 1928 and 1930, this collection showcases Daumal's evolving thoughts on rejecting Western metaphysics and embracing Eastern mysticism. Thomas Vosteen's nuanced translation offers English readers a compelling introduction to this iconoclastic author.