Cause Principle Unity

A general account of bonding
7. The timing of the capacity to be bound. In different seasons and ages, one
and the same thing can be bonded in various ways, and different things are
not related to one and the same bond in the same way. Nor are wholes
always recomposed in the same way. From this we can point out that someone
who was easy going and showy as a young man becomes a more stable
and prudent adult, while an old man is more suspicious and morose, and a
very old man is full of blame and loathing.
8. The diffences of things that can be bound. Whoever wishes to bind must
take note of the fact that some of the things that can be bound are affected
more by nature, others more by judgement or prudence, and still others
more by practice and habit. As a result, the skilful person obliges and binds
the first type of things with bonds provided by natural things, the second
type by reasons and proofs, by symbols and arguments, and the third type
by what is at hand and is compelling.
9. Resistance to being bound. The more that a soul is bound to one object, the
more it turns away from and rejects others. Therefore, he who wishes to
limit what can be bonded to only one bond should make a special effort to
make it insensitive to other activities and objects, and to turn it away from
any concern for them. For, indeed, a more pleasant action excludes a less
pleasant one; the soul that is intent on hearing neglects vision; he who
observes more attentively becomes deaf; when we are either very happy or
sad for some reason, we are little concerned with the other; when we are
lazy we stop or slow down our work, that is, we become restrained, pulled
away, held, bonded. As a result, when the orator breaks the bond of love
by laughter or envy or other feelings, he binds by hate or contempt or
indignation.
10. The number of things that can be bound. Thinking persons turn away from
sensible things and are bound by divine things. Pleasure seekers descend
through vision to the abundances of touching. Moralists are attracted by
the amusement of conversation. The first are heroes, the second are natural,
and the third are rational. The first are higher, the second lower, the
third in between. The first are said to be worthy of the heavens, the second
of life, the third of feeling. The first ascend to God, the second cling to
bodies, the third move away from one extreme and approach the other.
11. The motion of what can be bound. All composite and variable things, and
generally all things which undergo changes in their nature and disposition,
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