I'm fortunate to work inside, in a safe environment, for people who are humane in their treatment of me. Still, I can't escape the feeling of walking through a swamp as I carry a great and awkward weight. It would be easy to sit down and take a break, put down the great awkward weight for good, and find my way out of the swamp- perhaps even go somewhere enjoyable. However, this is only a siren song that distracts me from the task at hand. It is only through these difficult treks that anything of value is produced. If we look to history, every great man shared characteristics that supports this idea, for example:
-The self loathing that supports both putting up with personal discomfort and denial of things a person may want, to a point that it looks like self destruction to an outsider
-An inflated sense of self worth to act as a ballast to the self loathing (this is the only way to live through hatred of ones self)
-An inability to relate to the world around them in a similar fashion to 'common folk', which leads to awkward personal relationships and the impression of being an asshole on the part of others

These characteristics taken alone and out of context seem horrible, and cross into the realm of what is commonly perceived as an illness that needs to be corrected.However, when taken within the context of personal accomplishment, they seem like almost saintly qualities.