| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Theaetetus by Plato: of peace, when they discourse at leisure to their disciples? 'Disciples!
they have none; they are a set of uneducated fanatics, and each of them
says of the other that they have no knowledge. We must trust to ourselves,
and not to them for the solution of the problem.' Well, the doctrine is
old, being derived from the poets, who speak in a figure of Oceanus and
Tethys; the truth was once concealed, but is now revealed by the superior
wisdom of a later generation, and made intelligible to the cobbler, who, on
hearing that all is in motion, and not some things only, as he ignorantly
fancied, may be expected to fall down and worship his teachers. And the
opposite doctrine must not be forgotten:--
'Alone being remains unmoved which is the name for all,'
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The School For Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan: I must sin in my own Defence--and part with my virtue to preserve
my Reputation.--
SURFACE. Exactly so upon my credit Ma'am[.]
LADY TEAZLE. Well certainly this is the oddest Doctrine--and the
newest Receipt for avoiding calumny.
SURFACE. An infallible one believe me--Prudence like experience
must be paid for--
LADY TEAZLE. Why if my understanding were once convinced----
SURFACE. Oh, certainly Madam, your understanding SHOULD be
convinced--yes--yes--Heaven forbid I should persuade you to do
anything you THOUGHT wrong--no--no--I have too much honor
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Lysis by Plato: And why do you not ask him? he said.
Very well, I said, I will; and do you, Menexenus, answer. But first I must
tell you that I am one who from my childhood upward have set my heart upon
a certain thing. All people have their fancies; some desire horses, and
others dogs; and some are fond of gold, and others of honour. Now, I have
no violent desire of any of these things; but I have a passion for friends;
and I would rather have a good friend than the best cock or quail in the
world: I would even go further, and say the best horse or dog. Yea, by
the dog of Egypt, I should greatly prefer a real friend to all the gold of
Darius, or even to Darius himself: I am such a lover of friends as that.
And when I see you and Lysis, at your early age, so easily possessed of
Lysis |
