the antagonist and the protagonist

The antagonist.

He was intelligent. He was well read and had picked up an inexhaustible supply of platitudes.

He was a homilist. When his delivery was careful, sparse and precise he sounded like a genius. But eventually he served them up with wild abandon, as if he was an autistic savant repeating all the license plate numbers in the parking lot. When he got to this point he lost credibility.

The protagonist.

He was smart. He learned the basics and he applied them.

He was a driver. He built his life on a solid foundation that remained unshaken in times of turmoil. He wanted as much as possible as soon as possible, like the rest of us, but he had learned to exercise restraint. In the end, it did not seem like he had missed very much and he managed to escape many of the troubles that awaited everyone else.

The antagonist is easy to find. He wants to share with you. He wants you to listen to him. He is looking for you too.

The protagonist is out there for the finding also. But it is up to you to find him. You must then look closely to see if he is the real thing. If he is, then you need to do a little of what he does in order to build the foundation you wish you were standing on.