| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Crito by Plato: suppose that principle, whatever it may be in man, which has to do with
justice and injustice, to be inferior to the body?
CRITO: Certainly not.
SOCRATES: More honourable than the body?
CRITO: Far more.
SOCRATES: Then, my friend, we must not regard what the many say of us:
but what he, the one man who has understanding of just and unjust, will
say, and what the truth will say. And therefore you begin in error when
you advise that we should regard the opinion of the many about just and
unjust, good and evil, honorable and dishonorable.--'Well,' some one will
say, 'but the many can kill us.'
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Black Dwarf by Walter Scott: man's words and actions have been at such a wide difference, nor
has any hypocritical wretch ever been more ingenious in assigning
good motives for his vile actions, than this unfortunate in
reconciling to his abstract principles of misanthropy, a conduct
which flows from his natural generosity and kindness of feeling."
"Still, Mr. Ratcliffe--still you describe the inconsistencies of
a madman."
"By no means," replied Ratcliffe. "That the imagination of this
gentleman is disordered, I will not pretend to dispute; I have
already told you that it has sometimes broken out into paroxysms
approaching to real mental alienation. But it is of his common
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Persuasion by Jane Austen: at such an appearance of friendly conference between two persons
of totally opposite interest, she calmly said, "Yes, it is Mr Elliot,
certainly. He has changed his hour of going, I suppose, that is all,
or I may be mistaken, I might not attend;" and walked back to her chair,
recomposed, and with the comfortable hope of having acquitted herself well.
The visitors took their leave; and Charles, having civilly seen them off,
and then made a face at them, and abused them for coming, began with--
"Well, mother, I have done something for you that you will like.
I have been to the theatre, and secured a box for to-morrow night.
A'n't I a good boy? I know you love a play; and there is room for us all.
It holds nine. I have engaged Captain Wentworth. Anne will
Persuasion |
