In the depths of every heart, there is a tomb and a dungeon, though the lights, the music, and revelry above may cause us to forge...t their existence, and the buried ones, or prisoners whom they hide. But sometimes, and oftenest at midnight, those dark receptacles are flung wide open. In an hour like this, when the mind has a passive sensibility, but no active strength; when the imagination is a mirror, imparting vividness to all ideas, without the power of selecting or controlling them; then pray that your griefs may slumber, and the brotherhood of remorse not break their chain.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Prometheus is action. Hamlet is hesitation. In Prometheus the obstacle is exterior; in Hamlet it is interior. In Prometheus the wi...ll is securely nailed down by nails of brass and cannot get loose; besides, it has by its side two watchers--Force and Power. In Hamlet the will is more tied down yet; it is bound by previous meditation--the endless chain of the undecided. Try to get out of yourself if you can! What a Gordian knot is our reverie. Slavery from within, that is slavery indeed. Scale this enclosure, "to dream!" escape, if you can, from this prison, "to love!" The only dungeon is that which walls conscience in. Prometheus, in order to be free, has but a bronze collar to break and a god to conquer; Hamlet must break and conquer himself. Prometheus can raise himself upright, if he only lifts a mountain; to raise himself up, Hamlet must lift his own thoughts. If Prometheus plucks the vulture from his breast, all is said; Hamlet must tear Hamlet from his breast. Prometheus and Hamlet are two naked livers; from one runs blood, from the other doubt.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
An alliance is like a chain. It is not made stronger by adding weak links to it. A great power like the United States gains no adv...antage and it loses prestige by offering, indeed peddling, its alliances to all and sundry. An alliance should be hard diplomatic currency, valuable and hard to get, and not inflationary paper from the mimeograph machine in the State Department.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Power is action; the electoral principle is discussion. No political action is possible when discussion is permanently established....LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Children in home-school conflict situations often receive a double message from their parents: "The school is the hope for your fu...ture, listen, be good and learn" and "the school is your enemy. . . ." Children who receive the "school is the enemy" message often go after the enemy--act up, undermine the teacher, undermine the school program, or otherwise exercise their veto power.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »