Cultivation of the Mind
Aleoysha and Grushenka
(from F.Dostoevsky's novel ''The Brothers Karamazov'')
30.10.02

Julius Cesear, when describing the war with the Gauls that lead to the burning of Rome, referred to courage, will, clarity, and precision as the advantages of the numerically disadvantaged Gauls.
In this description Julius Cesear noted that according to Gaelic law, men were not allowed to intimately associate with women until the age of 20, as compared with the debauchery of Rome.
This fortified the Gaelic character and allowed for greater enlightenment when constantly faced with the need to quickly reason and act.
The maturation period of a man's life begins around the age of 13-15. Up to the age of 20 one's process of reasoning is constantly being refined via the struggle between thoughts.
This process, continuing over this sizeable period of time, allows development of clear and solid analytical abilities which show themselves to be direly important in situations which require decisive action over the course of one's life.
Showing oneself to be honest, willful, and self-restrained in relationships with members of the opposite sex reflects the true, solid, and willful nature of one's character.
The presence of these character traits positively correlates with clarity and universality of thought and shows itself through cultivated action. Physically healthy and educated individuals must constantly struggle with rational, logical decisions of an "unconquerable" variety, those with either "yes" or "no" as their response.
One who can face these questions without going against the laws of nature will be capable of resolving other questions in life with strength and well-founded logic.