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