| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Reason Discourse by Rene Descartes: traveling, we become strangers to our native country; and the over
curious in the customs of the past are generally ignorant of those of the
present. Besides, fictitious narratives lead us to imagine the possibility
of many events that are impossible; and even the most faithful histories,
if they do not wholly misrepresent matters, or exaggerate their importance
to render the account of them more worthy of perusal, omit, at least, almost
always the meanest and least striking of the attendant circumstances; hence
it happens that the remainder does not represent the truth, and that such as
regulate their conduct by examples drawn from this source, are apt to fall
into the extravagances of the knight-errants of romance, and to entertain
projects that exceed their powers.
 Reason Discourse |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Adventure by Jack London: you'll have to excuse me, for I've got to pack."
"I'll go over with you," Sheldon announced.
"Let me run you over in the Minerva," said Young.
She shook her head laughingly.
"I'm going in the whale-boat. One would think, from all your
solicitude, that I'd never been away from home before. You, Mr.
Sheldon, as my partner, I cannot permit to desert Berande and your
work out of a mistaken notion of courtesy. If you won't permit me
to be skipper, I won't permit your galivanting over the sea as
protector of young women who don't need protection. And as for
you, Captain Young, you know very well that you just left Guvutu
|