| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: the facts that prove his genius are anecdotal: he took five pinches of
snuff a minute out of a pocket lined with leather made in his
waistcoat. He looked into all his tradesmen's accounts; he went to
Saint-Denis to judge for himself the prices of things. Talma was his
friend; Talma taught him his gestures; nevertheless, he always refused
to give Talma the Legion of honor! The emperor mounted guard for a
sentinel who went to sleep, to save him from being shot. Those were
the things that made his soldiers adore him. Louis XVIII., who
certainly had some sense, was very unjust in calling him Monsieur de
Buonaparte. The defect of the present government is in letting itself
be led instead of leading. It holds itself too low. It is afraid of
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Walking by Henry David Thoreau: can be made the slaves of men, and that men themselves have some
wild oats still left to sow before they become submissive members
of society. Undoubtedly, all men are not equally fit subjects for
civilization; and because the majority, like dogs and sheep, are
tame by inherited disposition, this is no reason why the others
should have their natures broken that they may be reduced to the
same level. Men are in the main alike, but they were made several
in order that they might be various. If a low use is to be
served, one man will do nearly or quite as well as another; if a
high one, individual excellence is to be regarded. Any man can
stop a hole to keep the wind away, but no other man could serve
Walking |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Main Street by Sinclair Lewis: you're too tender-hearted. When Champ and I came here
we teamed-it with an ox-cart from Sauk Centre to Gopher
Prairie, and there was nothing here then but a stockade and
a few soldiers and some log cabins. When we wanted salt pork
and gunpowder, we sent out a man on horseback, and probably
he was shot dead by the Injuns before he got back. We
ladies--of course we were all farmers at first--we didn't expect
any rest-room in those days. My, we'd have thought the one
they have now was simply elegant! My house was roofed
with hay and it leaked something terrible when it rained--
only dry place was under a shelf.
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