Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-28
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES e. TRACEWELL.

something Of a mystery It is based
solidly on human nature. but human
nature is, as every one knows. so vari-
GUS that no sure finding can be made.
Nothing succeeds like success. runs
the old saying. Success presunles GER
tain kenning. as the Scotch say. an
amount OF know how" In the COLO
quail.
To know something Is to set ones self
up IS knowing bit more than the
average upon that particular matter.
Then, when one becomes established as
| an authority 1t follows that authority
| must act In an authoritative manner.
| 1t Is an axiom among experienced
men that very few yersons II bluntly
asked a question, will admit that they
do not know.
Usually they will do and say every
thing and anything to save themselves
from a plain admission OF their igno-
/ rance.
They "beat around the bush," they
hedge: they divert the conversation
to something else. Perhaps they are
right. after all, from the practical
standpoint of living life.
Why should one say. II don't know
| and allow some really ignorant person
| to fasten the stigma Of lack Of knowl-
edge upon one who knows a few things,
at least?
In this, as in all the affairs of life. it
seems necessary to consider both the
source and the problem at hand, and TO
compromise with the factors OF straight
forwardness and intellectual honesty to
the best OF ones ability.
| When women 30 this. they are said
| to act intuitively Too often when
men effect this compromise. they are
called hypocrites.
Not only do men tend to make them
| selves ridiculous by this pretension to
all knowledge but they seriously hold
| themselves back In the true enjoyment
Of life.
| To live life in order to get the most
| out of it-well, that Is something Of
an order. is 1t not? Who would set
| himself up TO answer it? Surely not
| the present writer: but he. as we'll as
the next one. has few ideas on how
| to live.
One necessity. he Is convinced. Is to
| have humorous grasp of the situation
in which one finds ones self. whatever
or wherever it may be. This connotes
| many side issues. such as the keen
| rfallZatlOn OF the strange, the peculiar,
| the unusual, the very humor in every
| thing.
Such a man will never take himself
or any one else too seriously. yet at the
same time will be all the better able
| to grasp the seriousness OF any situation
| or person.
This will seem a paradox only to
| those who are unable to disassociate
| clean fun from vulgar kidding" OF
others Laughter lies close TO tears. as
every one knows: the man who laughs
most will laugh least at others.
The question will be. then:
| How can the man who thinks he
knows everything about everything else.
simply because he does know a bit about
something. relish the absurdity Of his
own situation?
| Think of the Joy he Is missingi Our
| friend who doesn't know storage bat
terry tube from a dry cell tube is totally
blocked off from an appreciation OF
| himself in the role of radio mentor!
The keen scientist who fancies him.
self gardener is deprived Of the hearty
| laughter which would be hts Ii he
could stand off and hear himself talk,
| It's a funny old world. mates. and the
| funniest fellow in 1t is and ought to be
| ones self.