Definitions HQ

A Task (n.) comes ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠into the world by first ruling as a secret force and an unconscious pregnancy long before one has caught sight of the task itself or knows its name.

The Task (n.) that ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is one's own is a tyrant in us that takes terrible retribution for every evasion — even every virtue that would shield us from our own responsibility.

The Task (n.) given ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠back to us is the greatest of life's gifts, the reward for a tough will to live and for the long war against the pessimism of weariness with life.

A Task (n.) unusual ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠and difficult enough to command going on living also commands the avoidance of people and binding oneself to no one any more.

A Task (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠this kind has made for sickness, and it will make for health again, and not only health but a greater affability.

A Task (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the concealed tyrant in us that takes terrible retribution for every attempt to evade it — illness is the answer every time we doubt our right to it.

Task (n.) chooses ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠us before we understand it: the rejection of the most agreeable and revered breaks out of us like caprice, and is the higher reason of our future task.