In this broadly care-centred episode, Dara moves from inside to out. He wonders about the sense some people have of the world owing you something and decides a more worthwhile and potentially fruitful query is to ask what you might owe yourself. He reckons care, forgiveness and love are a good place to start. But they can be particularly difficult to effectively embed in one’s internal landscape.
There are highly visible figures in the world who seem to not struggle at all with this dilemma. In fact, it would seem they have such high regard for themselves that it comes with a surgical shutdown of empathy or care for anyone else. Coincidentally, these figures are enormously successful and wealthy businessmen of one stripe or another who behave with an almost medieval impunity when it comes to the adverse impact of their decison-making on those far below them. Dara sees an unsavoury connection with one of the darkest figures of 19th century colonial brutality.
Also, the trickiness of finding a moment’s peace to stop the madness of overwhelm. How do dogs, daughters and Beethoven feature in this conundrum? Finally, why should Dara not be happy to be called charming? Ask Janet Malcolm!