Sensibility or sense?

Cupid and Psyche, love or soul (psyche in Greek means breath, soul), unconsciousness or rationality? Can these two things coexist or should one take precedence over the other? Can there be confusion between them in the usual sense of losing one's bearings or in the etymological sense of con-fusion, as in merging together?

There are stages in our personal evolution where passion and instinct predominate, such as in early childhood and adolescence, but then one should come to terms with reality and society, and find the right balance. It is not always easy, indeed. Even in literature this topic has always been widely developed. A valiant character, Orlando the Paladin, according to different authors, was first a hero of integrity in the service of Charlemagne, then he fell in love with Angelica and began his struggle between reason and feeling, and eventually went mad when he learned that Angelica chose another. 

His friend Astolfo even makes a journey to the moon to reclaim the sanity of Orlando exceeding the earth's boundaries in a battle between heart and reason. Dante himself punishes in hell Paolo and Francesca, but with sentiments he understands them and turns them into doves, united even after death. Is it so difficult to find a balance between sensibility and sense?

TEST

1) You have to paint a picture of Adam and Eve; you put emphasis on

1. the Garden of Eden
2. the apple
3. Adam and Eve

2) You hear "high fidelity"; you think

1. a couple in love
2. a music store
3. "poor fools"

3) Your partner spends money like water

1. let’s open separate accounts
2. you control expenses together
3. you threaten to break up

4) A colleague who is usually very punctual is very late; your first thought

1. darn, I have to do his work as well
2. he took time for himself
3. something happened to him

5) Life as a couple means

1. comfort
2. tiredness
3. growth

6) You have to give a book to a colleague whose taste you don't know; you choose

1. an adventure book
2. a best-selling book
3. the latest buzz about your work

7) During the great flood, how many animals were there on Noah's ark?

1. we don't know
2. we need to count the number of existing species and then multiply them by two because they were in pairs
3. none

8) The most famous lovers

1. Romeo and Juliet
2. Sandra Mondaini and Raimondo Vianello
3. Lancelot and Guinevere

9) In a fine store of Christmas items, you take

1. the topper
2. a garland
3. a ball

10) In a restaurant abroad, you choose

1. the local speciality
2. what is closest to your usual menu
3. the traditional dish of the country you are in

11) At a party, your partner has great success

1. you're pleased
2. you're appreciated as well
3. you feel jealous

12) Christmas Holidays

1. a trip in Northern countries
2. a trip in warm countries
3. at home pampering ourselves

13) Someone who hurt you years ago wants to meet you

1. you absolutely refuse
2. you think he'll want to apologize
3. you think there is some news

14) There are 27 donkeys, 20 with a load and 7 without, and they have to cross a raging river; they all die except 9. How many are left?

1. 18
2.  7
3.  9

15) In a couple, a person loves camping and the other loves great luxury hotels

1. separate vacations
2. a year camping and the following year in a big hotel
3. a simple inn

SCORE

EXPLANATIONS

FROM 45 TO 36 POINTS:

"I cannot live without brain-work. What else is there to live for?" (Arthur Conan Doyle)

This is a quote by the author of Sherlock Holmes, an expert in crime-solving thanks to his well-known reasoning and logical assumptions. He would not let himself be "contaminated" by feelings. You want to follow in his footsteps? Life is also made up of feelings for which there is apparently no reason; they simply are, and it can be nice to give them a bit of extra space.

FROM 35 TO 25 POINTS:

"A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination." (Nelson Mandela)

This is just what you are because you are convinced in the balance between mind and feelings, and you find pleasure in that. You know that it is sometimes difficult to find the right balance or to understand when you can let go and when you have to be more rigorous even if you would prefer not to. However, you also want to succeed.

FROM 24 TO 15 POINTS:

"The heart has its reasons which reason cannot know." (Pascal)

Passions are beautiful, they enrich our experience but when they take over, we are no longer leading our own lives, we are letting ourselves be carried away, at times running the risk of drifting off. There are positive aspects to reason; why not discover or appreciate them.

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