Evening star., 1933-07-24
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

habits. They are Just as "sot" in their
life habits as ever their forbears were
II not q little bit more 50, owing to
their resentment, often unspOken
against the domineering pressure for
similarity met everywhere.
The popular Imagination sets itself
up Is . standard against which these
men do not measure themselves. II
they are set In their ways, as the phrase
has 1t. they are mostly minding their
own business, an action formerly re-
garded as worth while, and which time
we are convinced, will restore to its old
llster.
The fellow "sot" in his ways has fol-
lowed, to some extent at least, the
ancient wise dictum, Know thyself."
He has tried not to be too much In
luenced by the changes Of time and
fashion.
He has not believed 1t impossible for
. human being to arrive at some
what correct evaluation Of values.
He has the bravery to think that the
judgments Of q serious minded man OF
woman are worth while, in very many
instances; the faith to believe that hu-
manity Is rot helpless In q night which
knows no ending, but has the oppor-
tunity. II sane and serious without feal
Of ridicule. to chart its own course te
some degree
He takes pride In not being unduly
swayed by mass Psychology, ever . du-
bious thing. He recognizes the power
Of this factor but insists on viewing II
with suspicion until 1t proves It's worth
beyond doubt.
| A conseryative2
The very acme Of 1t. his friends viii
say.
He has emulated the wise, and hai
found certain things good, and to these
he holds. To all who would come wav.
ing banners with strange devices, he
replies:
VERY pretty, but there Is nothing
behind 1t. 1t is too new for me-
| 1t Is indicative OF the temper Of such
man that he invariably adds Ito me, u
that he does not say bluntly. 1T u
too new" He knows that the values
which he thinks good were new once
and had even less behind them. But he
cannot feel that the mere fact that
something is new, and has no time
behind 1t, In any sense proves its value
or gives II q hold on him.
He will never be found in the van
then, 30 much may be admitted. The
van Is very small, and permits only q
few persons Of another temperament
to enter it. Indeed. if others tried
they would be pushed out
Yet 1t must not be thought that the
man "sot in his ways" does not sup
port the new things As much as any
He Is a fair man in many ways, al
though the exact way in which he 4
far often Is not understood.
He never offers hindrance to honest
experiment
This is his way Of being fair, but
because 1t Is not sef-proclaimed as q
virtue. often It Is overlooked by those
who prefer to see virtue in themselves
to the exclusion of others
II the new proves itself, he will be
among its first applauders The fact
that he does not applaud the momen,
1t appears ought to warn its adherents
that 1t IS not completed.
He will not reap the benefits, then
OF those who were pioneers.
Perhaps not; 1t cannot be helped
He falls back on the old, with which
he has always been satisfied Is he
not "sot" In his ways?
| Let no one, in a moment of self
complacency. smile at this character
else he may find himself in the posi-
| tion Of the "wisecracker" who, seeing
one OF Americas greatest men, asked
| Who's the funny little guy?"