Evening star., 1925-07-22
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES f. TRACEWELL.

Said the discontented- looking WON
an to the discontented man. traiIed by
Observation-Disclosures child: Every
one has a car but u.s.
This all happened in an "ad." OF
course, but no doubt IL has it's dupli
cate in life many times a day. The
street whereupon the three Discon
tents looked was filled with a stream
Of glistening small cars OF well
known make" as If that phrase fooled
anybody!
AS I looked at that most human
advertisement. l thought of the words
years ago, in the twelfth land last
book Of his ''Meditations
II have often wondered how 1t is
that every man loves himself more
than all the rest of men, but yet sets
less value on his own opinion of him
self than on the opinion of others.
so much more respect have We to
what our neighbors shall think of us
than to what we shall think of our
selves"
The world has been wondering ever
since why it is that, although we
think more Of ourselves than all the
rest of the world put together. we dc
set less value on our own opinions
siAaii oh Inc OpiDlOrs Ol OlftCtps Aiih
just exactly why IL is that most OF us
do put more store in what our neigh
bors shall think of us than what we
shall think about ourseivesi
1t Is an old question, yes, but per
ennially new, for of a truth human
nature has not changed SO very much
No doubt many Roman families who
watched the Emperor drive past In
his snappy new chariot. streamhne
model, sighed to themselves:
Every one han a chariot but us.'
4 4 4
To have respect for what our neigh
bors will think, of course, is good
thing in a great many ways, looked
at from one sta tsndpoint.
1t is a reasonably sure guess that
unless the average person did respect
to some degree at least, what his
neighbors might think of him there
would be much less civic pride than
now exists.
Neat lawns, well kept grounds
back yards free from litter. clear
children, these and many other happy
results would perhaps be lacking to
much greater extent than at pres
ent if no one regarded his neighbors
thoughts about him.
Up TO "A certain extent such regard
is necessary, but beyond that ii be
comes a let and a hindrance. an in
cumbrance upon the soul, a sitting
something that will go long way
to take the pep" out of life if one
is so foolish as to allow it.
Surely this is what Marcus AurelluS
meant, not that we were not 10 have
a decent regard for what our neigh
bors might think of us. In other
words, among the best and near-bes'
people there are certain things thai
simply are not done.
If one does them, autonfa tically ht
brands himself as not belonging" TC
have this good regard for the opin
ions of the neighbors is necessary ir
civilized community.
When one permits this regard. how
ever. to creep into many of the small
er and more intimate affairs of life
he puts himself in the position which
aroused the wonder of Aurelius.
Most of us, be it known, are ir
danger of allowing what others think
to usurp what we think. Are not my
thoughts upons subject just about
as good as the next fellows? Is not
his thought as good as mine?
Why need / worry about what he
thinks about me, and why should
he care much about what I think
ABOUT MIN, just SO iOHS ds cetH one
of us tries seriously to think the besi
he can?
~ y
Marcus Aurelius gives the following
general advice to seekers OF his day
and today:
"All those things at which you wish
to arrive by a circuitous road, you
can have now. II you do not refuse
them to Yourself
Certainly no advertisement ever
promised more.