| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Psychology of Revolution by Gustave le Bon: hatred. Reason, not being born, could have no hold over his
instincts.
The aim of civilisation, contrary to all revolutionary beliefs,
has been not to return to the state of nature but to escape from
it. It was precisely because the Jacobins led mankind back to
the primitive condition by destroying all the social restraints
without which no civilisation can exist that they transformed a
political society into a barbarian horde.
The ideas of these theorists concerning the nature of man were
about as valuable as those of a Roman general concerning the
power of omens. Yet their influence as motives of action was
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Oakdale Affair by Edgar Rice Burroughs: was bid, smiling into the sullen, chalk-white face and
taking the clammy hand extended toward him. Was it a
shudder that passed through the lithe, young figure or
was it merely a subconscious recognition of the final pass-
ing of the bodily cold before the glowing warmth of the
blaze? "And Soup Face," continued The Sky Pilot. A
battered wreck half rose and extended a pudgy hand.
Red whiskers, matted in little tangled wisps which sug-
gested the dried ingredients of an infinite procession
of semi-liquid refreshments, rioted promiscuously over a
scarlet countenance.
The Oakdale Affair |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: the conversation, was lavish of his polished and brilliant wit. The
visit lengthened out. That was not what he wanted.
" 'Madame,' he said, addressing the fair stranger, 'do not forget that
your husband is waiting for us, and only allowed us a quarter of an
hour.'
"Taken aback by such boldness (which, as you know, is never
displeasing to you women), led captive by the conqueror's glance, by
the astute yet candid air which Charles Edward can assume when he
chooses, the lady rose, took the arm of her self-constituted escort,
and went downstairs, but on the threshold she stopped to speak to him.
" 'Monsieur, I like a joke----'
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