South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-03-20
Tact the Ken
to Success
Dorothy Dix Says II Is More
Potent Than Beauty or
Wit.
BY Dorothy Dix.


Cultivate tact, girls. 1t is the
one quality that Will carry you fur
ther in life thar anything else.
There is more potency in it than
there is in beauty, or wit, or all the
Ten Commandments.
Who are the people that we like
best and form whom we viii do
most? Those who, in the hOmely
old phrase. rub our fur the right
way
Who are those who succeed? The
people who know how 10 get along
with other people, those who never
step on other peoples toes. who con-
ciliate rather than offend all with
whom they come in contact.
1t IS the tactful-always the tact
full Theirs is the earth, and the
fullness thereof.
Everybody recognizes the value OF
tact. but the trouble is they seem
TO think that il comes by nature, as
Dogberry thought a knowledge of
reading and writing did.
Acquisition Possible.
OF course. there are a few for
tunate people who are born diplo-
mats and know instinctively just
what 10 do or say. Theirs is the
superfine brand of tact, but the bal
ance Of US can acquire a very useful,
working variety of tact simply by
taking a little thought and care.
There is no excuse, for instance,
for people being blunderers in con-
versatiOn any more than blunderers
in conduct And this is especially
true of women. A woman would be
ashamed TO come to your house and
fall over your tables, and smash your
furniture. and drop every bit of
china that she took up.
She uses tact in dealing with your
belongings. Why shouldn't she use
as much thought and care in avoid
ing crashing into your feelings and
mutilating your pet beliefs?
The Fascination.
Yet we all know the woman for
whom forbidden topics seem to have
a fatal fascination. She always
talks to Divorces about domestic
scandals, and discusses penitentiary
reforms with the wives Of bank en-
bezzlers, or tells stories about de-
formed people 10 hunchbacks, or
she abuses suffrage to suffragettes,
or ridicules some particular religion
TO a devotee Of that faith
Don't be like these tactless ones,
girls When among strangers stick
TO the weather or some equally in
nOcuous topic until you can get your
bearings. and find out something Of
the personal idiosyncrasies of the
people with whom you are thrown.
When among acquaintance, think
before you speak Recall the per-
sOnal history of each individual, and
let the conversation daily along
pleasant and howery pathways, in
stead of making it a funeral march
to the graveyard Of some dead sor-
row or disgrace.
There is no excuse for a man
being a bull in the conversational
china shop. But it's worse than a
blunder it is a crime for a woman
10 be a COW in a cut glass emporium.
Tact In Business.
And never, never feel that it is
your uulN 10 tell people unpleaSdnl
truths or correct their mistakes.
That is a form of tactlessness to
which only too many girls are ad-
dicted.
Cultivate tact in business. It is
what draws customers TO you if
you are a saleswoman. and patrons
If you are a professional woman. for
woman who knows how to return
the soft answer that turneth away
wrath, and that leaves a customer
Inclined, or who can handle a
grouchy employer without turning a
hair herself finds great reward.
And when you get married, girls,
tact does it's great and perfect work
and keeps you out of the divorce
court. IL is the tactful wife who
knows how to feed a man before
she asks him for money for a new
dress. how 10 keep the topics off
the carpet that are sure to bring on
a family row. and how 10 jolly her
husband along the road he should
go instead Of driving him with a
gOad.
Therefore, 1 urge on you TO Guilt
vate tact, girls. It's a wOman's best
weapon in life.