| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Woman and Labour by Olive Schreiner: appeared to create and organise great and successful social movements, have
themselves, in most cases, perhaps in any, fully understood in all their
complexity the movements they themselves have appeared to rule. They have
been, rather, themselves permeated by the great common need; and being
possessed of more will, passion, intensity, or intellect, they have been
able to give voice to that which in others was dumb, and conscious
direction to that which in others was unconscious desire: they have been
but the foremost crest of a great wave of human necessity: they have not
themselves created the wave which bears themselves, and humanity, onwards.
The artificial social movements which have had their origin in the
arbitrary will of individuals, guided with however much determination and
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli: downright enemy, that is to say, when, without any reservation, he
declares himself in favour of one party against the other; which
course will always be more advantageous than standing neutral; because
if two of your powerful neighbours come to blows, they are of such a
character that, if one of them conquers, you have either to fear him
or not. In either case it will always be more advantageous for you to
declare yourself and to make war strenuously; because, in the first
case, if you do not declare yourself, you will invariably fall a prey
to the conqueror, to the pleasure and satisfaction of him who has been
conquered, and you will have no reasons to offer, nor anything to
protect or to shelter you. Because he who conquers does not want
The Prince |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: "I suppose you know he has an order for unlimited credit on
the baron's banking establishment?"
"I was not aware of it," replied Albert, "but I can readily
believe it."
"And, further, that he stated to M. Danglars his intention
of only staying a year in Paris, during which time he
proposed to spend six millions.
"He must be the Shah of Persia, travelling incog."
"Have you noticed the remarkable beauty of the young woman,
M. Lucien?" inquired Eugenie.
"I really never met with one woman so ready to do justice to
The Count of Monte Cristo |
