People think I take some sort of masochistic pleasure out of

Hear the voice of Billy Corgan, who declared: “People think I take some sort of masochistic pleasure out of putting out music that’s gonna be unpopular.” These words carry both defiance and truth, for they spring from the heart of an artist who refuses to be bound by the demands of the crowd. Corgan does not seek pain, nor does he revel in rejection; rather, he seeks authenticity, even if it leads him down paths few dare to walk. His saying is the cry of a creator who values truth over applause, integrity over fleeting acceptance.

The ancients knew this path well. Consider the philosopher Diogenes, who lived in poverty and mocked the comforts of the powerful. Many thought he was mad, that he delighted in his own suffering, but in truth he was pursuing a freedom they could not comprehend. He was not a masochist, but a truth-seeker, stripping away illusion. In the same way, Corgan’s music, even when “unpopular,” is not made for the pleasure of rejection, but for the preservation of his soul. He refuses to create simply to appease, for to do so would be to betray the essence of his art.

There is a hidden heroism in such defiance. Many artists bow to the pressure of commerce, reshaping their work to fit the fashions of the day. They win temporary glory but lose their deeper voice. Corgan’s words show the opposite spirit: a willingness to stand apart, even to be misunderstood, for the sake of creating what is real. Like the prophets of old, who spoke truths the people did not want to hear, he risks being rejected so that something pure may endure.

History offers us another example: Vincent van Gogh, who painted visions that the world mocked or ignored. Some thought he was broken, even that he found strange pleasure in rejection. Yet van Gogh was not chasing rejection; he was chasing beauty as he saw it. He painted not for popularity, but for truth. Today, his once-“unpopular” art burns across the world with eternal brilliance. Corgan’s words echo this same truth: what is rejected today may become timeless tomorrow.

And yet, his quote also reveals the loneliness of the true artist. To create authentically often means to be misunderstood. To the crowd, it looks like stubbornness, or even self-destruction, when in truth it is the highest form of fidelity. The masochism others perceive is nothing but the courage to endure being overlooked, misjudged, or scorned in order to protect what is sacred. Such is the paradox of the artist’s journey: the deeper his honesty, the greater his risk of isolation.

The lesson is plain: do not fear being unpopular if your heart tells you to walk a certain path. Success that betrays your essence is no success at all. Better to endure the scorn of many and remain faithful to yourself, than to be praised falsely for a life that is not your own. In time, truth always outlives fashion. Corgan’s words remind us that the artist’s duty is not to give pleasure, but to give truth, however it is received.

Practical wisdom follows: in your own life, whether in art, work, or choices, ask yourself: Am I doing this to be liked, or because it is true? If it is true, stand firm, even if it costs you. Let the world misunderstand you if it must, for their misunderstanding does not diminish your integrity. Endure the silence or rejection with courage, knowing that your path, though narrow, is the one that will carry your spirit forward.

So let these words of Billy Corgan be remembered. They are not the confession of a masochist, but the anthem of a warrior of authenticity. He teaches us that to walk the road of truth is to invite misunderstanding, yet it is also to carve a legacy that endures. Better the “unpopular” song sung with honesty than the celebrated lie. For in the end, it is not the applause of the crowd that matters, but the faithfulness of the artist to his own heart.