The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-07-07
Genius, Sham and Real
ccentricity Is Not Always an Indication of Brains.

today:
In recent editorial you wrote that person
ought not to be ashamed of being eccentric Did :
you to say that person has to be differ
ent'' to be successful? I know woman who is
very smart but she dresses and acts so uncouthly
that no one wants her around
- Also there are lot of men in town who make
themselves conspicuous by unusual dress, manner,
and speech Is this genius, just desire to be
in the imeight? Does it get you anything to be
= different, if you haven't the brains to get along
q without ur-fushing?
Eccsntricty is quite often an indication of genius but
it is not mmstakable symptom. Here is the way to
tell real eccentricity from the sham variety:
One is different" the other Indifferent
The real article results from lack of consideration for
things which the genius considers unworthy of thought
This is indifference.
The sham article is an assumed difference" which
results from studied effort. When wears unusual
clothing affects conspicuous manner of speech action
this is the result of study.
persons being Indifferent about his clothing usually
results from lack of effort.
The man whose mind is thing-who is concen
Tstng all his efforts to accomplish ends likely to
neglect details in things which appear to him to be Of
minor Importance
He may neglect have his hair to comb after
it is cut he may wear straw hat late in the autumn
lawyers would call irrelevant and immaterial.
Setting out to make oneself conspicuous in dress or
manner is usually confession of weakness 1t is an
admission that this person cannot make himself conspicuous
through the work of his brain or his hands
Recently there a member Of Congress who
physically conspicuous here because he affected peculiar
nickname refused to collar appeared in Congress
in faded blue frock coat and the widest sombrero
ever seen on Pennsylvania avenue.
Mistaken persons heralded him as genius They
gathered numbers hear his maiden speech in Congress
BE had talked only about two minutes when the mem
bars started for the cloaooms headed by Uncle Joe Can
non, who tersely remarked
'I might have known it."
he heralded whirlwind speaker, but he Gre
ated about much draft in Congress the mild mental
zephyr of the latest member from Podunk delivered in
Washington for consumption back home.
There are men who let their hair grow long and women
who have their hair cut short just to make impressions
They are silly.
They have really cut out harder job in life for them
short hair to be sort of mental marvel with
long hair must have done something like Col William Cody
before he can square himself with the public for his
appearance.
Clothes do not make the man or woman but they do
have much do with first impressions The practical bust
judges empoye by his desirability dress
as well as other things.
Mary Picford recently told what she thought of news
paper men She believed that their salaries the index
Of their dress, vice versa.
This may be untrue but is certain that few persons
can afford to be either overdressed lacking of the
dress.
Young folks should be careful of personal appearances
when they become old become genuses it is time enough
to become loose and forgeul about clothing and general
appearance.
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