In his 1926 debut novel, “The Sun Also Rises,” Ernest Hemingway explores the lives of young American and British expatriates as they wander through Europe in the mid-1920s. Hemingway himself lived in Paris during this period, and both the characters and the events of the novel are based on his lived experience. In the second chapter, the novel’s narrator and protagonist, Jake Barnes, listens as Robert Cohn, a restless and dissatisfied writer living in Paris, suggests they both go to South America. Cohn believes the change of location would solve his existential problems, but Jake isn’t convinced, telling him, “If you went there the way you feel now it would be exactly the same.” Jake knows Cohn won’t escape his problems by simply moving to a different place, because Cohn’s unhappiness ultimately derives from internal issues that can be resolved only with inner work.

Legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk relayed this message, along with other words of wisdom, to saxophonist Steve Lacy when the two played together in 1960. While his list of guidelines, which Lacy transcribed in a notebook titled "T. Monk’s Advice," was initially directed at fellow musicians, messages like these offer universal insight. Monk advocates for authenticity, personal integrity, and belief in oneself as our highest, most defining virtues. A singular force in music and beyond, he led by example on this front. In a world of constant pressure to give into conventions and expectations, he stressed that the greatest gift we have to give is ourselves.