| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: trying to penetrate the interior of an unknown country, the secret
of which is too well defended by its cruel and barren nature.
Decoyed by a mirage, he had gone too far - so far that there was no
going back. His strength was at an end. For the first time in his
life he had to give up, and with a sort of despairing self-
possession he tried to understand the cause of the defeat. He did
not ascribe it to that absurd dead man.
The hesitating shadow of Luiz approached him unnoticed till it
spoke timidly. Renouard started.
"Eh? What? Dinner waiting? You must say I beg to be excused. I
can't come. But I shall see them to-morrow morning, at the landing
Within the Tides |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Parmenides by Plato: True.
Other means other than other, and different, different from the different?
Yes.
Then, if there are to be others, there is something than which they will be
other?
Certainly.
And what can that be?--for if the one is not, they will not be other than
the one.
They will not.
Then they will be other than each other; for the only remaining alternative
is that they are other than nothing.
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