Chapter 302
Waiting in the Rain
It was a warm rainy autumn day. The sky and the horizon were both the color of muddy water. At times a sort of mist descended, and then suddenly heavy slanting rain came down. Denísov in a felt cloak and a sheepskin cap from which the rain ran down was riding a thin thoroughbred horse with sunken sides. Like his horse, which turned its head and laid its ears back, he shrank from the driving rain and gazed anxiously before him. His thin face with its short, thick black beard looked angry. Beside Denísov rode an esaul, * Denísov’s fellow…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Pressure Points
Think about the last three times you felt stressed or under pressure. Write down what specific pressures you faced and how you responded. Then identify the pattern: What does pressure consistently reveal about your character? Are you someone who takes charge, shuts down, gets angry, or becomes more helpful?
Consider:
- •Consider both work pressures and personal life pressures
- •Look for patterns across different types of stress, not just one incident
- •Think about what others might have observed about your behavior during these times
Journaling Prompt
Write about someone in your life who you thought you knew well until you saw them under pressure. What did that experience teach you about reading people's true character?
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