plotinus suggested that you withdraw into yourself and look , and if you dont like what you see , thenand im paraphrasingjust like a sculptor of a beautiful statue-to-be will cut away here and smooth the stone there , just like this sculptor will make this line a little lighter , this other a little purer , until he has unearthed a lovely face , so should you cut away all that is excessive , straighten all that is crooked , bring light to all that is overcast , labor to make all of you one glow of beauty and never cease chiseling your statue until there shall shine out from it the godlike splendor of virtue , until you see the perfect goodness surely established in the stainless shrine .