| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Commission in Lunacy by Honore de Balzac: in this concern, less for my profit than his. Without telling him what
my motives were, I explained to him that I was as poor as he, but that
I had enough money to start a speculation in which he might be
usefully employed. My tutor was the Abbe Grozier, whom Charles X. on
my recommendation appointed Keeper of the Books at the Arsenal, which
were returned to that Prince when he was still Monsieur. The Abbe
Grozier was deeply learned with regard to China, its manners and
customs; he made me heir to this knowledge at an age when it is
difficult not to become a fanatic for the things we learn. At five-
and-twenty I knew Chinese, and I confess I have never been able to
check myself in an exclusive admiration for that nation, who conquered
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Art of War by Sun Tzu: soldiers will be keenest when they have newly arrived on the
scene, and it is therefore our cue not to fight at once, but to
wait until their ardor and enthusiasm have worn off, and then
strike. It is in this way that they may be robbed of their keen
spirit." Li Ch`uan and others tell an anecdote (to be found in
the TSO CHUAN, year 10, ss. 1) of Ts`ao Kuei, a protege of Duke
Chuang of Lu. The latter State was attacked by Ch`i, and the
duke was about to join battle at Ch`ang-cho, after the first roll
of the enemy's drums, when Ts`ao said: "Not just yet." Only
after their drums had beaten for the third time, did he give the
word for attack. Then they fought, and the men of Ch`i were
The Art of War |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain: to fetch him in triumph to the platform. The Chair's voice now rose
above the noise:
"Order! To your places! You forget that there is still a document
to be read." When quiet had been restored he took up the document,
and was going to read it, but laid it down again saying "I forgot;
this is not to be read until all written communications received by
me have first been read." He took an envelope out of his pocket,
removed its enclosure, glanced at it--seemed astonished--held it out
and gazed at it--stared at it.
Twenty or thirty voices cried out
"What is it? Read it! read it!"
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg |
