| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The American by Henry James: never bored, and there was no man with whom it would have been
a greater mistake to suppose that silence meant displeasure.
What it was that entertained him during some of his speechless
sessions I must, however, confess myself unable to determine.
We know in a general way that a great many things which were old
stories to a great many people had the charm of novelty to him,
but a complete list of his new impressions would probably contain
a number of surprises for us. He told Madame de Cintre a hundred
long stories; he explained to her, in talking of the United States,
the working of various local institutions and mercantile customs.
Judging by the sequel she was interested, but one would not have
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Finished by H. Rider Haggard: answered that there was a saying that when the Opener of Roads
came to the end of his road, there would be no more a king of
Zululand, as there was none when first he set foot upon his road.
Now I have spoken, who am a white man and do not understand your
sayings."
"I remember it also, Macumazahn, who was present at the time," he
replied heavily. "My father feared this Zikali and his father
feared him, and I have heard that the Black One himself, who
feared nothing, feared him also. And I, too, fear him, so much
that I dare not make up my mind upon a great matter without Ws
counsel, lest he should bewitch me and the nation and bring us to
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Protagoras by Plato: but not he who is prostrate can be laid prostrate, so the force of
circumstances can only overpower him who, at some time or other, has
resources, and not him who is at all times helpless. The descent of a
great storm may make the pilot helpless, or the severity of the season the
husbandman or the physician; for the good may become bad, as another poet
witnesses:--
'The good are sometimes good and sometimes bad.'
But the bad does not become bad; he is always bad. So that when the force
of circumstances overpowers the man of resources and skill and virtue, then
he cannot help being bad. And you, Pittacus, are saying, 'Hard is it to be
good.' Now there is a difficulty in becoming good; and yet this is
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