| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Hellenica by Xenophon: affairs: they had duly brought their succour, and no enemy was any
longer to be discovered in the country; so they made preparations to
return home. But the Arcadians, Argives and Eleians were eager in
urging them to lead the united forces forthwith into Laconia: they
dwelt proudly on their own numbers, extolling above measure the
armament of Thebes. And, indeed, the Boeotians one and all were
resolute in their military manouvres and devotion to arms,[23]
exulting in the victory of Leuctra. In the wake of Thebes followed the
Phocians, who were now their subjects, Euboeans from all the townships
of the island, both sections of the Locrians, the Acarnanians,[24] and
the men of Heraclea and of Melis; while their force was further
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from At the Sign of the Cat & Racket by Honore de Balzac: the street gate was opened, and the artist's carriage rumbled in over
the stones of the silent courtyard.
"What is the meaning of this illumination?" asked Theodore in glad
tones, as he came into her room.
Augustine skilfully seized the auspicious moment; she threw herself
into her husband's arms, and pointed to the portrait. The artist stood
rigid as a rock, and his eyes turned alternately on Augustine, on the
accusing dress. The frightened wife, half-dead, as she watched her
husband's changeful brow--that terrible brow--saw the expressive
furrows gathering like clouds; then she felt her blood curdling in her
veins when, with a glaring look, and in a deep hollow voice, he began
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Psychology of Revolution by Gustave le Bon: Work of the Consulate.
All the external forces which act upon men--economic, historical,
geographical, &c.--may be finally translated into psychological
forces. These psychological forces a ruler must understand in
order to govern. The Revolutionary Assemblies were completely
ignorant of them; Bonaparte knew how to employ them.
The various Assemblies, the Convention notably, were composed of
conflicting parties. Napoleon understood that to dominate them
he must not belong to any one of these parties. Very well aware
that the value of a country is disseminated among the superior
intelligences of the various parties, he tried to utilise them
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