At sea once more we had to pass the Sirens, whose sweet singing lures sailors to their doom. I had stopped up the ears of my crew with wax, and I alone listened while lashed to the mast, powerless to steer toward shipwreck.
-- Odysseus in Odyssey
I'm confused about why it was valuable for him to be able to hear, if he wasn't allowed to act upon information.
Here's the new thread for posting quotes, with the usual rules: