The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-12-12
The Corner Critic.

Every community is cursed with
the corner critic. In the small vii,
lage there may be but one Of him
and he may occupy an important pc.
sition in the evening, when the clans
Gather around the stove at the store.
But behind his back remarks regard.
ing him as anything but friendly.
In larger communities he is multi.
Piled many mes; and his influence
is such that lie infeets many Of those
who associate with HIM
He is cynics Usually he begins.
as most cyuics do with desire to
appear wordly-wse. Few men are
born cynical and few gain their
cynicism by dealing with mankind.
They affect it because their cpl.
grams draw attention to their CON
versation. Moreover, they are Of the
tyre Of man who wish theT friends
to think them very clever aud a little
bad Finding that they got attention
by such a course, they discourse
cynically until they begin to believe
their doctrine.
1t is psychological fact that a
man may train himself TO believe al
most anything if he talks It and
thinks it hard enough. The world
for the most part, is a pleasant place.
There are few who would care to
leave 1t until they are compelled to
do SO The good far outweighs the
evil in the average life. Cynicism
consists of binding ones self TO the
good and convincing ones self that
the bad Is the rule
So the corner cynic begins his an.
vii chorus Somebody passes. He
bites his cigar and remarks that the
passerby used to know him but ig
nores him now that he, the cynic, is
poor wh'e the passerby is rich. This
is a good text for a discourse. It
can be made very rich and racy by
persona'itie and epigrams Or it
may be that a woman passes This is
the cynic's opportunity. According
to his doctrine every woman is wick
ed and most OF them are fools ANY
woman that Re sees is text enough
for him: ana he feigns that he knows
all about her.
As matter of fact stories Of rot
tenness in man or woman usually
are competent proof OF rottenness in
the life Of the narrator Cynical re-
marks regarding humanity indicate
that the cynic has failed to grasp
the meaning Of life and has pre-
ferred to stand by the curb and COM
ment rather than put his shoulder to
the wheel and lift The man who is
helpful and hearty in his friendships
and his service rarely cultiyatcs the
yacuous lispings of the cynic, He Is
too busy making things better to
bother with those Woo find things
bad His motto is Yes, things
aren't what they ought to be. Come
along. boys, and let's improve them :
Troy. like all cities, has plenty OF
these corner cynios. This editorial is
not plea to them to cease from
their caustic remarks. Their ineihi-
cient brains and distorted visions
probably would unit most OF them
for any job than criticism, But
Troy has enough of them. Helpful
constructive criticism IS worth While
To boost continually is as injurious
to a community as to knock forever
But criticism should oe province only
of the doors, the men who are Will
ing and anxious to take Off tneir
coats and correct cond tions. The
drones, who work for their sa aries
on and not for the JOY Of working;
who await the evening when they
can discuss the good-fornoiAlng
Qualities Of the rest OF mankind; and
who demonstrate their utter use.
Iessness by finding nothing in HE
but it's rottenness these are the men
who hold city back as surely as
harnacles delay ship. 1t would be.
pity II this, or any other, commit.
nifty applauded these kill-ioys and
thereby gave any announcement to
younger and callower youth to join
their ranks. to the detrment of So
oiety and Tie injury of all that is
worthy in the world. Troy Record.