On rare occasions, however, a task that requires
reason to complete will land on the desk of the salaried worker. This
is a provocation to fight – not a war – but a mental battle with
reason for arms. When this duel cannot be avoided and if, after
the confrontation, victory ensues, such an event is later remembered
as one of those moments when the mind caught a reflection of itself.
A ray of light then suddenly shines deep into the cave where the
salaried worker is chained with his face to the wall, looking only at
the shadows of equally pathetic figures that he is convinced make up
the world. The bright light of reason catches his attention and makes
him doubt; he is intrigued by its source. He ought perhaps to get
better acquainted with it if only he could but for his heavy armour
and the chains that tie him to his office desk.
Most of the time, the
dreaded encounter never materialises though; for some pretext or
other it is called off or directed elsewhere, to the great relief of
the desk soldier. He can then safely resume the routine tasks that
allow him to put his mind on hold throughout his working day and
throughout his life. The salaried mind grows rusty from lack of
exercise and before middle age the desk soldier is usually no longer
fit for such a struggle.
With every passing year, the likelihood
fades that the desk soldier will be able to gather the determination to pull his
visor down again and lift his lance to engage his mind. Before he
knows it, the salaried worker will drift into complacency, staying
predictably on the safe road that leads to retirement and old age.
