in the vise

Anyone who has done any handy work knows that a vise is a pretty good tool for holding things fast. No one employs a vise as a means of letting something go. That would not compute. It would be stupid.

In the vise-teeth that hold things fast, it is curious to think that the mind might clamp down on the good while neglecting the evil; would seek relief while ignoring discomfort; might elevate joy while trying to get rid of sorrow; might somehow save the one while losing the other.

But vises have their own two-sided agendas.

If you hold something fast while claiming to let go, that hardly computes, does it? Bluntly stated, it's stupid.

But when has stupidity ever stopped anyone?