A working-class upbringing can limit self-esteem by teaching that one must navigate obstacles set by others. Conversely, a middle-class background often fosters the belief that people like you create and control the world, boosting confidence and agency.

The official cause of Tchaikovsky's death—cholera from unboiled water—is often rejected in favor of suicide conspiracies. This reflects a cultural discomfort with a celebrated artist dying from a mundane disease, preferring a narrative that aligns with the romanticized image of a tortured genius.

Despite harsh laws, homosexuality in 19th-century Russia was often viewed as a personal taste rather than a defining identity. For wealthy, connected individuals like Tchaikovsky, this perception meant the risk of prosecution or public scandal was minimal, allowing for a relatively open secret life.

Tsar Alexander III, promoting an ideology of Russian exceptionalism, used Tchaikovsky's work for political ends. By celebrating him as a distinctly 'Russian' composer and bestowing state honors, the regime transformed his art into a tool for advancing a nationalist agenda of cultural separation from Western Europe.

Society elevates pursuing passion to a moral good, which makes people feel they are 'bad' if they don't have one or choose to leave one. This pressure can trap individuals in unsuitable roles and denigrates other valid, meaningful life paths.

There's a fundamental irony in creative careers: to succeed professionally, artists must often master the very business skills they initially disdained. The passion for the art form—be it drumming or painting—is not enough. A sustainable career is built upon learning marketing, finance, and management, effectively turning the artist into an entrepreneur to support their own creative output.

While Tchaikovsky was a fervent Russian patriot, his focus on folk traditions and national identity was part of a wider 19th-century European Romantic movement. His 'Russianness,' far from being unique, was an expression of a continental trend celebrating national character in art.

Feeling the pressure of social convention, Tchaikovsky impulsively proposed to a woman he barely knew. His immediate and profound regret—marked by bursting into tears at the wedding and fleeing the marriage—demonstrates a tragic conflict between his personal reality and the societal duty he felt compelled to perform.

A recurring historical pattern shows that civilizational decline begins when education pivots from pursuing broad knowledge to a vocational focus on affluent careers. This devalues service professions and leads to the worship of celebrity and wealth, weakening the societal fabric.