| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Euthyphro by Plato: Yet every word that I say is true. But they are jealous of us all; and we
must be brave and go at them.
SOCRATES: Their laughter, friend Euthyphro, is not a matter of much
consequence. For a man may be thought wise; but the Athenians, I suspect,
do not much trouble themselves about him until he begins to impart his
wisdom to others, and then for some reason or other, perhaps, as you say,
from jealousy, they are angry.
EUTHYPHRO: I am never likely to try their temper in this way.
SOCRATES: I dare say not, for you are reserved in your behaviour, and
seldom impart your wisdom. But I have a benevolent habit of pouring out
myself to everybody, and would even pay for a listener, and I am afraid
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: you will just gently remind her every time she does so, I am sure
she will soon lay it aside.' I not only 'gently reminded' her, I
tried to impress upon her how wrong it was, and how distressing to
the ears of decent people: but all in vain: I was only answered
by a careless laugh, and, 'Oh, Miss Grey, how shocked you are! I'm
so glad!' or, 'Well! I can't help it; papa shouldn't have taught
me: I learned it all from him; and maybe a bit from the coachman.'
Her brother John, ALIAS Master Murray, was about eleven when I
came: a fine, stout, healthy boy, frank and good-natured in the
main, and might have been a decent lad had he been properly
educated; but now he was as rough as a young bear, boisterous,
Agnes Grey |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Pool in the Desert by Sara Jeanette Duncan: now I might not have another opportunity--till tomorrow morning.'
'And it's always a pity to spoil one's breakfast. I can tell from
your manner, mon ami, it's something disagreeable. What have I been
and gone and done?'
She was dancing, poor thing, in her little vulgar way, on hot iron.
But her eyes kept their inconsistent coolness.
'I heard something today which you are not in the way of hearing.
You have--probably--no conception that it could be said.'
'Then she has been telling other people. ABSOLUTELY the worst thing
she could do!' Mrs. Innes exclaimed privately, sitting unmoved, her
face a little too expectant.
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