Chapter 179
When Duty Calls Louder Than Love
Before the beginning of the campaign, Rostóv had received a letter from his parents in which they told him briefly of Natásha’s illness and the breaking off of her engagement to Prince Andrew (which they explained by Natásha’s having rejected him) and again asked Nicholas to retire from the army and return home. On receiving this letter, Nicholas did not even make any attempt to get leave of absence or to retire from the army, but wrote to his parents that he was sorry Natásha was ill and her engagement broken off, and that he would do all he could…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Own Noble Excuses
Think of something important you've been putting off or avoiding. Write down the reason you usually give yourself or others for not dealing with it. Then dig deeper: what might you actually be afraid of or trying to avoid? Finally, imagine what a trusted friend might gently point out about the gap between your stated reason and your real feelings.
Consider:
- •Be honest but gentle with yourself - everyone does this
- •Look for feelings of defensiveness or rehearsed explanations as clues
- •Consider what the 'worst case scenario' might be if you faced the issue directly
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you finally faced something you'd been avoiding with noble excuses. What happened when you stopped running from it, and what did you learn about yourself in the process?
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