| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Life of the Spider by J. Henri Fabre: odious, noxious animal, which every one hastens to crush under
foot. Against this summary verdict the observer sets the beast's
industry, its talent as a weaver, its wiliness in the chase, its
tragic nuptials and other characteristics of great interest. Yes,
the Spider is well worth studying, apart from any scientific
reasons; but she is said to be poisonous and that is her crime and
the primary cause of the repugnance wherewith she inspires us.
Poisonous, I agree, if by that we understand that the animal is
armed with two fangs which cause the immediate death of the little
victims which it catches; but there is a wide difference between
killing a Midge and harming a man. However immediate in its
The Life of the Spider |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Anthem by Ayn Rand: Then we leapt to the table.
We seized our box, we shoved them
aside, and we ran to the window. We
turned and we looked at them for the last
time, and a rage, such as it is not fit for
humans to know, choked our voice in our throat.
"You fools!" we cried. "You fools! You thrice-damned fools!"
We swung our fist through the windowpane,
and we leapt out in a ringing rain of glass.
We fell, but we never let the box fall
from our hands. Then we ran. We ran
Anthem |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death by Patrick Henry: We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the
song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part
of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty?
Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not,
and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their
temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost,
I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of
experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past.
And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct
of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with
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