| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Lesser Hippias by Plato: who falls voluntarily or involuntarily?
HIPPIAS: He who falls voluntarily, doubtless.
SOCRATES: And is it worse or more dishonourable at a wrestling match, to
fall, or to throw another?
HIPPIAS: To fall.
SOCRATES: Then, at a wrestling match, he who voluntarily does base and
dishonourable actions is a better wrestler than he who does them
involuntarily?
HIPPIAS: That appears to be the truth.
SOCRATES: And what would you say of any other bodily exercise--is not he
who is better made able to do both that which is strong and that which is
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Hellenica by Xenophon: Returning from that exploit with a consummate disdain for all their
opponents, when they found themselves near the city of Corinth they
advanced at the double against the gate facing towards Phlius;
intending if they found it open to rush in. However, a body of light
troops sallied out of the city to the rescue, and met the advance of
the Theban picked corps[16] not one hundred and fifty yards[17] from
the walls. Mounting on the monuments and commanding eminences, with
volleys of sling stones and arrows they laid low a pretty large number
in the van of the attack, and routing them, gave chase for three or
four furlongs'[18] distance. After this incident the Corinthians
dragged the corpses of the slain to the wall, and finally gave them up
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Father Damien by Robert Louis Stevenson: office of the DEVIL'S ADVOCATE. After that noble brother of mine,
and of all frail clay, shall have lain a century at rest, one shall
accuse, one defend him. The circumstance is unusual that the
devil's advocate should be a volunteer, should be a member of a
sect immediately rival, and should make haste to take upon himself
his ugly office ere the bones are cold; unusual, and of a taste
which I shall leave my readers free to qualify; unusual, and to me
inspiring. If I have at all learned the trade of using words to
convey truth and to arouse emotion, you have at last furnished me
with a subject. For it is in the interest of all mankind, and the
cause of public decency in every quarter of the world, not only
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