Evening star., 1934-05-23

with that wise ability to be able to
say NO"
It is SO difficult because it strikes
at pride, at once the handspring and
bane Of human nature. Without
pride, in 80 out OF 100 cases, one Is
not what one otherwise might be.
With it, especially If carried too far,
one is likely to permit 1t to become
an obsession.
This dual character Of pride Is not
paradoxical. We simply declare that
pride. as well as most other human
characters, has its limits. Each Of
us needs some of it, but not too much
The golden mean" applies here as
everywhere. And the outsider, in any
given case. cannot Judge too strictly
and harshly Of others, without run
ming the risk OF doing injury to the
humble, whose pride has been brought
low by life and a stern view Of life
OF such a nature are martyrs made,
today as well as in the old days. We
must not judge of others without a
full knowledge Of facts-and who has
the facts, or who can get them, and
how?
Nothing can be said, however.
against us smiling at the fellow who
calls us up on the telephone and be-
comes angry at us because he has
not taken the trouble to consult the
book. The telephone company has
been urging that right along.
There is the man, too, who walks
on the wrong side Of the walk, and
then looks angrily at you II you hap
pen to bump into him.
There is the chap who insists on
trying to board a street car before
passengers have got Off, and who
glares terribly at the latter for having
the temerity to brush against him
when he has planted himself square,
ly where they cannot help doing so.
There is the fellow who is perpetu-
ally on the lookout to push of into
others the faults he himself commits,
or the mistakes he himself makes.
Occasionally one meets a person
who makes business Of 1t. He be-
comes vastly clever at covering up his
tracks, so that unless one is onto his
game, one Is very likely to be fooled
undoubtedly in the wrong, somehow,
although the criminal Is not able to
see exactly how or why.
This Is a very clever animal, in
deed, one which has managed to color
life to suit his own whims, and then
attempts to put off onto others the
entire responsibility for what 1t does
He need not fool us, however. If
we keep going back to that fellow on
the telephone. Such person is the
type reduced to its most simple ele-
ments. In him the thing is easy to
see. All We have to do. in combating
the wiles of the more advanced speci-
mems. is to remember the chap on
the phone.
Argument, as such, Is out, in rela-
ton to this type.
If you argue with him, he Is
delighted.
That is readily seen over the tele-
phone. The nicer you try to be, the
more helpful, the more opportunity
you give him to blame some one else
The correct system, therefore, is to
pay as little attention to him as the
case will permit
Simply state the truth, and let it
go at that. In time he will realize
you are right. and will admit it to
himself, which is a necessary step
before he will admit it to any one
else.
Make sure that, at the time. he
will never admit it to you'll
Wherefore. all argument on your
part is worse than wasted. 1t is just
what he wants, and he should not be
given what he wants 1t is not good
for him, and it is bad for you. Keep
in a good humor, even If you have
to force it. He forces a bad huNor.
at your expense; do you force good
humor, at his expense.