Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Sean Berube Profile picture
@SeanBerube4
Aug 30, 2024 • 12 tweets • 5 min read • Read on X
Scrolly
You never want to make a deal with the devil - but if you do, pray for a loophole!

Goethe’s Dr. Faust is the story of a man who sold his soul to the devil, and lived to tell the tale

Here’s what it can teach you about life, happiness, and outwitting Satan himself…🧵Image
The story begins in Heaven where the Devil makes a bet with God:

I bet I can corrupt your favorite human being - Dr. Faust

God takes this bet, believing that Faust’s soul will remain righteousImage
On Earth, Dr. Faust is a scholar who is dissatisfied with life

He’s well educated but unfulfilled, yearning for true happiness

Searching for a solution, he turns to studying the dark arts

Not much later Mephistopheles (Satan) appears, offering a deal... Image
Satan’s terms are simple:

I give you power, BUT if you find happiness, I get your soul

Faust accepts this deal, desperate to escape his meaningless lifeImage
Faust first searches for happiness in romantic love

With Satan’s help, he seduces a beautiful woman named Gretchen

The affair brings great scandal, however, leading Gretchen to her ruin

Faust regrets the affair, and realizes romance cannot bring true happinessImage
Faust then turns to larger ambitions

He seeks happiness through politics - becoming advisor to the Emperor

With Satan’s help, he saves the country from a crash, wins wars, and proves a wise statesmen…

Yet he laments a life of glory isn’t fulfilling eitherImage
Finally, Faust uses Satan to enjoy a life of mysticism

He meets many Greek mythological heroes, and even fathers a son with Helen of Troy...

Yet Faust laments not even mysticism and unworldly bliss can make him happy

Distraught, his heart grows wickedImage
In old age, Faust rules over land bestowed to him by the emperor

His heart now hardened, Faust asks Satan to steal more land owned by two peasants

Satan obliges - murdering the peasants to Faust’s despair

Overrun with guilt, Faust has an epiphany of what true happiness is...Image
Seeking to repent, Faust meditates on his last ambition:

Build a utopian society that frees mankind from suffering

He envisions such a society, and sighs, finding a moment of true happiness

On cue, Satan leaps in to steal Faust's soul…Image
However, God intervenes and saves Faust… but why?

Faust lost his bet to Satan, but Satan lost his bet to God - he couldn’t truly corrupt Faust

Though Faust lived a life of debauchery, his heart never truly abandoned The Good:

He died wishing for the good of others...Image
Thus Faust teaches that true happiness is the redemption of a pure heart

Coincidentally, this is how you "outwit," Satan:

Not with a clever head, but a loving soul

Redemption and happiness is possible for all, even the wicked, but only if you never stop striving for The GoodImage
If you enjoyed this thread, consider reposting the original post below

And follow if you would like to read more threads about life's Truth, Beauty, and Goodness!

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Sean Berube

Sean Berube Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @SeanBerube4

Sean Berube Profile picture
Feb 20
Louis IX was a legendary king

He served the poor, led the crusades, and died a hero’s death

He even became a saint… but none of this compares to his best achievement

Believe it or not, he saved a holy relic that belonged to none other than Christ himself…🧵 Image
Born in 1214, Louis was groomed for greatness since birth

He was educated in government and military affairs, and by age 12, inherited the French throne...

His mother’s wisdom guided him early:

She had one demand that shaped Louis' destiny forever Image
Her demand to Louis:

“I love you as much as a mother can love her child

but I would rather see you dead at my feet than that

you should ever commit a mortal sin”

This simple plea ingrained itself in Louis’ soul Image
Read 17 tweets
Sean Berube Profile picture
Feb 18
The Iliad is a nightmare of a read:

Eyes gouged, skulls crushed, heads chopped — it depicts the horrors of war like nothing else

But there’s a deeper meaning to the story too:

It teaches you how to find true meaning and glory, even in a world of cruelty, death and despair…🧵 Image
The Iliad follows the Trojan War:

It begins with Paris (a Trojan Prince), kidnapping Helen (a married Greek)

He brings her home to Troy, and the Greeks pursue in a fury

What follows is 10 years of bloodshed and terror Image
The hero of the Greek Army is Achilles — a demigod and fearsome warrior

No man can stand up to him, and so long as Achilles fights, victory is all but guaranteed for Greece

Unfortunately, Achilles has a few flaws… Image
Read 21 tweets
Sean Berube Profile picture
Feb 13
Dr. Peter Kreeft is a genius philosopher

After 50+ years of study, he says there’s one work that’s better than all the rest:

“The greatest book ever written outside the Bible”

Here’s the book, its genius, and how it will change your life…🧵 Image
Kreeft calls Augustine’s “Confessions” a work of profound genius

It details Augustine’s life from a miserable wretch, to a Saint who changed world history

But it’s not just a personal story of piety:

It’s a universal story of how you can achieve greatness… Image
At first, Augustine was a rebellious youth:

He describes himself as lustful and wicked — a man who delighted in evil for its own sake

His passions made him jealous, angry, paranoid, and depressed

But in his misery, a light called out to him Image
Read 18 tweets
Sean Berube Profile picture
Feb 11
Tolstoy warns lust is more evil than you think

It doesn’t just ruin marriages — it’s a self-eating, suicidal demon

He wrote a whole book about how it can eat you alive

Here’s the book, the horrors it reveals about lust, and how you can escape them…🧵 Image
“Anna Karenina” is a novel about a woman ruined by lust

It follows Anna — a rich aristocrat in a loveless marriage

She begins a casual fling with another man:

It’s fun at first, but by the end, she suffers one of the most gruesome fates in all literature… Image
At first we find Anna as a dutiful but unhappy wife

Her husband is well-meaning but absent-minded:

His careerism makes him dry and boring, and makes Anna feel unloved

At her most vulnerable moment, she meets a charismatic younger man Image
Read 17 tweets
Sean Berube Profile picture
Feb 3
The Divine Comedy has a wild origin story:

Dante spent 20 years in exile — facing heartbreak, death threats, and homelessness — to write it

His story teaches you how to conquer Hell itself, and why your greatest pains can lead you to ultimate happiness…🧵 Image
Of all things, The Divine Comedy’s origins begin with... teenage romance

The poet's author, Dante, had an ordinary upbringing in Florence

Then at age 18, he had a chance encounter with a pretty lady that changed everything Image
The lady's name was Beatrice

Dante only met her twice — yet he claimed love at first sight

This may sound like simple, “puppy love,” yet this romantic passion would change world history

Here’s what happened specifically... Image
Read 20 tweets
Sean Berube Profile picture
Jan 30
One man’s genius saved the West from annihilation:

2,500 years ago, Persia nearly sacked Greece

As they ransacked the country, all hope seemed lost... but one man was ready for them

He laid a trap that not only saved Greece, but Western Civilization as we know it today...🧵 Image
Born 524 BC, Themistocles was nothing special

He was middle class, but his mother’s foreigner status brought him stigma in Athens:

No one would’ve expected him to rise to power

Yet as child, there was also something strange about Themistocles Image
Themistocles’ strange trait — ambition

According to Plutarch, he was unusually cunning, ambitious, and drawn to power

It was as if he was drawn on by destiny itself

His early life was devoted to mastery of one skill specifically Image
Read 23 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

Send Email!

:(