A man’s sense of life determines his response to art—his view of himself in relation to what he accepts as possible to Man. All human beings take romanticism seriously. Their reaction to it, positive, negative or neutral, simply reveals the consonance or contrast of their accepted premises. From a consonant standpoint, listening to a symphony he might think, “This is how happiness or sadness (some particular emotion or cognitive action) feels to me. ” Observing a sculpture, he might think, “This is my image of what a man should be and can be. ” Watching a romantic movie he might think “This is how I want to feel about someone, and how I want them to feel about me. ” Reading literature he might think, “This describes me, ” or, “This represents my views. ” When art is disconnected from the real world or our current possibilities, he might respond with, “If I had superhuman traits, this is how I would use them, ” or, “If such a diabolical evil existed, this is how valiant men would fight it. ” In acceptance, his ultimate response is, “This is a reflection of life as I see it. In worship of life, this expresses my tribute. ”

Imagine observing the milky smoothness of a shapely woman’s statue, then to feel the startling contrast of touch to discover it’s marble. Imagine the tautness in the statue of a Herculean figure and its texture, which comes as no surprise. The highest art always projects the strongest man, the most stunning independence, the most beautiful physical form and poise, the purest confidence, and the most concentrated purpose—attributes that serve the challenge of life, which we admire and wish to acquire. The next time you walk through a gallery, by holding the moral standards of life and comprehension as your frame of reference, the art—good or bad—will make much more sense. Devoted to human life, I care for only one style, which is the subject of this chapter. The Self-made pattern of cognition is the means to create romantic art, as well as the means to achieve its projections in real life.