Which will you choose to go through the path of thorns: the machete or the cloak? Choose the machete, and you will cut your way easily through the path, all will fall away before you. But the path is treacherous -- the more you cut, the more focused on the path's end you become, the less focused on the thorns that you've cut down. You may even cut those that weren't oppressive thorns. Choose the cloak, and you will be tangled in the brambles and thorns, shielded from them as you go. Safe you will ...