| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Meno by Plato: saying that 'this thing can be taught,' and sometimes the opposite? Can
you say that they are teachers in any true sense whose ideas are in such
confusion?
MENO: I should say, certainly not.
SOCRATES: But if neither the Sophists nor the gentlemen are teachers,
clearly there can be no other teachers?
MENO: No.
SOCRATES: And if there are no teachers, neither are there disciples?
MENO: Agreed.
SOCRATES: And we have admitted that a thing cannot be taught of which
there are neither teachers nor disciples?
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: the trail, packed down fully a foot by the traffic, was like a
gutter. On either side spread the blanket of soft snow crystals.
If a man turned into this in an endeavor to pass, his dogs would
wallow perforce to their bellies and slow down to a snail's pace.
So the men lay close to their leaping sleds and waited. No
alteration in position occurred down the fifteen miles of Bonanza
and Klondike to Dawson, where the Yukon was encountered. Here the
first relays waited. But here, intent to kill their first teams,
if necessary, Harrington and Savoy had had their fresh teams
placed a couple of miles beyond those of the others. In the
confusion of changing sleds they passed full half the bunch.
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