| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: your cursed incredulity is infectious. I don't put my case well,
because I know in advance it's discredited, and I almost end by
not believing it myself. That's why I can't convince YOU. It's
a vicious circle." He laid a hand on Denver's arm. "Send a
stenographer, and put my statement in the paper.
But Denver did not warm to the idea. "My dear fellow, you seem
to forget that all the evidence was pretty thoroughly sifted at
the time, every possible clue followed up. The public would have
been ready enough then to believe that you murdered old Lenman--
you or anybody else. All they wanted was a murderer--the most
improbable would have served. But your alibi was too
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Phaedrus by Plato: tell me, instead, what are plaintiff and defendant doing in a law court--
are they not contending?
PHAEDRUS: Exactly so.
SOCRATES: About the just and unjust--that is the matter in dispute?
PHAEDRUS: Yes.
SOCRATES: And a professor of the art will make the same thing appear to
the same persons to be at one time just, at another time, if he is so
inclined, to be unjust?
PHAEDRUS: Exactly.
SOCRATES: And when he speaks in the assembly, he will make the same things
seem good to the city at one time, and at another time the reverse of good?
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Golden Sayings of Epictetus by Epictetus: this only, in what they place their real interest--whether in
outward things or in the Will. If in outward things, call them
not friends, any more than faithful, constant, brave or free:
call them not even human beings, if you have any sense. . . . But
should you hear that these men hold the Good to lie only in the
Will, only in rightly dealing with the things of sense, take no
more trouble to inquire whether they are father and son or
brothers, or comrades of long standing; but, sure of this one
thing, pronounce as boldly that they are friends as that they are
faithful and just: for where else can Friendship be found than
where Modesty is, where there is an interchange of things fair
The Golden Sayings of Epictetus |
