The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner: "Well," said the German, "this is the case. Last evening I count the sheep
at the kraal--twenty are missing. I ask the herd; he tells me they are
with the other flock; he tells me so distinctly; how can I think he lies?
This afternoon I count the other flock. The sheep are not there. I come
back here: the herd is gone; the sheep are gone. But I cannot--no, I will
not--believe he stole them," said the German, growing suddenly excited.
"Some one else, but not he. I know that boy. I knew him three years. He
is a good boy. I have seen him deeply affected on account of his soul.
And she would send the police after him! I say I would rather make the
loss good myself. I will not have it; he has fled in fear. I know his
heart. It was," said the German, with a little gentle hesitation, "under
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche: perhaps? What wonder that we "free spirits" are not exactly the
most communicative spirits? that we do not wish to betray in
every respect WHAT a spirit can free itself from, and WHERE
perhaps it will then be driven? And as to the import of the
dangerous formula, "Beyond Good and Evil," with which we at least
avoid confusion, we ARE something else than "libres-penseurs,"
"liben pensatori" "free-thinkers," and whatever these honest
advocates of "modern ideas" like to call themselves. Having been
at home, or at least guests, in many realms of the spirit, having
escaped again and again from the gloomy, agreeable nooks in which
preferences and prejudices, youth, origin, the accident of men
 Beyond Good and Evil |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Phaedrus by Plato: attempt to cure, for the patient himself admits that he is not in his right
mind, and acknowledges that he is wrong in his mind, but says that he is
unable to control himself? And if he came to his right mind, would he ever
imagine that the desires were good which he conceived when in his wrong
mind? Once more, there are many more non-lovers than lovers; and if you
choose the best of the lovers, you will not have many to choose from; but
if from the non-lovers, the choice will be larger, and you will be far more
likely to find among them a person who is worthy of your friendship. If
public opinion be your dread, and you would avoid reproach, in all
probability the lover, who is always thinking that other men are as emulous
of him as he is of them, will boast to some one of his successes, and make
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