| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy: which was worn for the nonce by the poorest blade.
There was something in its oppressive horizontality
which too much reminded him of the arena of life; it gave
him a sense of bare equality with, and no superiority to,
a single living thing under the sun.
Eustacia was now no longer the goddess but the woman to him,
a being to fight for, support, help, be maligned for.
Now that he had reached a cooler moment he would have
preferred a less hasty marriage; but the card was laid,
and he determined to abide by the game. Whether Eustacia
was to add one other to the list of those who love too hotly
Return of the Native |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: tell what sort of sustenance she would look for from my sagacity.
And as to taking stock of the wares of my mind no one I imagine is
anxious to do that sort of thing if it can be avoided. A vaguely
grandiose state of mental self-confidence is much too agreeable to
be disturbed recklessly by such a delicate investigation. Perhaps
if I had had a helpful woman at my elbow, a dear, flattering acute,
devoted woman . . . There are in life moments when one positively
regrets not being married. No! I don't exaggerate. I have said--
moments, not years or even days. Moments. The farmer's wife
obviously could not be asked to assist. She could not have been
expected to possess the necessary insight and I doubt whether she
Chance |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Statesman by Plato: small things, such as coins, seals, stamps, which may with a little
violence be comprehended in one of the above-mentioned classes. Thus they
will embrace every species of property with the exception of animals,--but
these have been already included in the art of tending herds. There
remains only the class of slaves or ministers, among whom I expect that the
real rivals of the king will be discovered. I am not speaking of the
veritable slave bought with money, nor of the hireling who lets himself out
for service, nor of the trader or merchant, who at best can only lay claim
to economical and not to royal science. Nor am I referring to government
officials, such as heralds and scribes, for these are only the servants of
the rulers, and not the rulers themselves. I admit that there may be
Statesman |
