| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: for the children of professed beggars: it is of a much greater
extent, and shall take in the whole number of infants at a
certain age, who are born of parents in effect as little able to
support them, as those who demand our charity in the streets.
As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years, upon
this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes
of our projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in
their computation. It is true, a child just dropt from its dam,
may be supported by her milk, for a solar year, with little other
nourishment: at most not above the value of two shillings, which
the mother may certainly get, or the value in scraps, by her
 A Modest Proposal |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Pathology of Lying, Etc. by William and Mary Healy: peculiar coexistence of real lies and delusions in the same
individual.
His fourth case was that of an artful, deceitful, arrogant,
selfish boy, always clever in excuses, who had stolen from the
age of twelve, often stolen things that he threw away. Though of
Protestant family, he delighted to draw Catholic insignia and
embroider religious characters. He finally entered the
university, always lying and stealing. At the end of three
months he was taken home in debt 2000 marks. He later became a
Catholic. Outside of normal expense he had cost his father
28,000 marks. By the time he was studied he had already taken
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from A Man of Business by Honore de Balzac: Indeed, his knowledge of commercial law was so complete, that a
professional could not have taught him anything. At that time he had
nothing, as you know. His carriage and horses were jobbed; he lived in
his valet's house; and, by the way, he will be a hero to his valet to
the end of the chapter, even after the marriage that he proposes to
make. He belonged to three clubs, and dined at one of them whenever he
did not dine out. As a rule, he was to be found very seldom at his own
address--"
"He once said to me," interrupted La Palferine, " 'My one affectation
is the pretence that I make of living in the Rue Pigalle.' "
"Well," resumed Desroches, "he was one of the combatants; and now for
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