The next face I remember was that of Fr. Roque Ferriols, S.J., with whom I took my first-ever philosophy course—sinaunang Griyego (ancient Greek philosophy)—in 1987 as a Jesuit pre-novice at the Ateneo de Manila University. Anybody who had the privilege of studying under Padre Roque and devoted full attention to every word he said and closely followed the movements of his thought in class could attest to the experience of what it really meant to study. As he sat there on the table before the blackboard, deep in his thoughts while lecturing in class (“danasin mo si Parmenides,” he would say—go through an experience of Parmenides, and manifest that experience in your own words, as if that experience was most concrete and palpable), one would begin to see his face fixed, as if onto something that was at once real and urgent.
Maaaring mayroon ang tao ng mga kakayahan upang magpatakbo ng negosyo, ng husay para makapag-opera ng pasyente, ng boses para ipunin ang mga tao para sa isang causa, subalit kung wala siyang puso, ang lahat ng kanyang gagawin ay pawang trabaho lamang, pagsunod sa mga nakatakdang dapat (Job Description/Management By Objectives). Ito ang mapupulot natin sa mga kwento sa likod ng mga tanyag na mga tao--Cory Aquino, Archbishop Chito Tagle at maging ang hari ng komedya na si Dolphy. Sa mga eulohiya kay Dolphy, sinasabi ng kanyang mga kaibigan kung gaano kamapagpakumbaba ang hari.