Evening star., 1933-03-17

grows up to be q young man in q
household whose politics, as set by the
father, is Republican. Later in life he
realizes, much to his amazement, that
actually at heart he is Democrat, but
he never suspected 1t until certain great
most important Of all personages, him
self.
He thinks of all the harsh things
said, during the campaign, by men who
are now only too anxious to climb on
the band wagon.
How much better 1t would have been,
all around, il every one had known,
without quailing, his own real likes, his
own preferences!
How much better. in addition, it
would have been, If every one could
have relinquished the partisanship
which called for bitter hates. After ali,
1t was a case Of men against men. there
was no need Tor any one to regard any
one as an angel, or any one else as a
devil.
The point, it seems, lies right there.
Ordinarily, most OF us put too much
stress one way or the other. We are so
used to superlatives, evidently, that we
fail to see anything exactly as 1t Is, but
must make up glorifled picture, one
way or the other.
There is no need for 1t.
Not only does such an attitude not
approach the facts, 1t removes a man
from any chance Of determining for
himself just what he shall not like.
That is the, important part Of this
homely plan. The likes will fall into
line easily enough If the dislikes are
reduced to the minimum.
Man is q liking and disliking ma
chine.
All that he faces he will reduce to
one or the other Of those classifications.
1t Is here as with business, in which it
has been said that no man can stand
still, but must either 60 backward or
forward.
In regard to likes and dislikes, few
men can be really Indifferent, they
either like thing or they tend to dis
like it.
Often when they think they are in
state Of real apathy, they actually are
taking the initial steps toward dislike.
You can't stand still. you've either
got to 60 forward or backward" You
can't really be Indifferent about any
thing, you've either got to like it or dis
like it. Only by great wrench OF the
spirit Is 1t possible for one to be un-
moved. Ordinarily one does not care to
wrench ones self over nothing, so that
often one ends by disliking q thing, as
the easiest way out
1t Is not the easiest way, though, and
never can be, because there is another
line OF attack, when one comes to realize
the necessity for 1t, and that is to begin
quietly to convert ones dislikeS into
likes, In SO far as one is able. There
are no rules to be laid down In this
matter: what will work for one will fail
for another. 1t may be said, In general.
that the beginning Of this wisdom Is to
see the necessity for it. and that when
one so does, the very fact that he does
tends to loosen the hard knots Of dis
approval, in many instances, and cause
him to look with q humorous eye upon
what he formerly frowned upon. The
battle Is then more than half won. An
ambitious gentleman has written a book
to prove that laughter Is not worth
much, after all. but perhaps he over
looks the fact that laughter Is the out
ward sign Of inward mirth. and that
mirth, in the mind and heart of a de-
cent perSon-and we must insist upon
so much-is concerned with humor, and
humor. In turn, with tolerance And
when one becomes tolerant, almost any
thing may happen. Presumably one
might then go backward. even. without
dire consequences. Such mdiderency
as he may have will then turn into
willingness to see the other side, and
this may, in time. become a positive
liking. which, in most cases, Is far less
wearing upon body. mind and soul than
even the slightest dislike.