Evening star., 1935-11-29
Dorothy Dix Says
We Need Character Inspection Just as
Often as We Need a Physical One.

HOSE of us who take intelligent
care Of our health go to our
physicians at least once year
i and have them thunlp and prod
us, and take our blood pressures, and
listen to our hearts and lungs and see
If our various and sundry organs are
behaving themselves. II any Of these
are cutting up. We are dosed, or dieted,
or rested until the trouble is corrected.
If it is possible to do so.
When I return from one Of these
physical inspection tours. I always
think of what pity it is that we don't,
every now and then, give our char
acterS and our habits as well as our
bodies a thorough going over to see
If we are up to par, or whether We
have acquired high-pressured tempers
and chronic irritability and grouchy
manners that creep upon us just as
insidiously as any disease and are far
more deadly.
So often we could cure ourselves Of
what ails us and makes us disagreeable
to live with If We only diagnosed our
symptoms and took the proper treat
ment. But we don't even know we
have the faults we have, hence we
never try to correct them. We just
let them run on and the first thing we
know we are socially dead. Nobody
wants us around any more than they
10 q nov7,ce
ESPECIALLY is it important that
- all middle-aged and elderly people
should watch their step because we
slump morally and mentally just as
we do physically as we grow older, and
our prejudices and our opinions harden
even as do our arteries. So, If you are
past so, one Of the chief things to
check up on is your point Of view on
life.
See II you are beginning to look at
everything through dark glasses and
to believe that the world is going to
the dogs. Get line on your opinion
of the youth Of today. Are you down
on everything that is modern and,
worst symptom of all, do you dwell re-
gretfully on the good old times?
If you do, snap out Of it. Quick.
1t is a sure sign you are getting to be
a back number. Your ideas have be-
gun to stiffen and you will be tiresome
and senile in q few years If you don't
timber them up and keep your mind
supple.
Check up on your personal appear
once. Spend an hour studying your
self in the mirror and see whether
you have begun to get a hump on your
back and q bay-window on your front
and your hair grows straggly and you
favor your feet by wearing sloppy
shoes. We can't all be the Clark
Gables and Jean Harlows, but we can
make ourselves easy on the eyes Of
our fellow creatures. And most Of us
would do something about 1t If we only
got q line on our looks.
X X X X
CHECK up on your conversation.
~ Keep tab on yourself to see If
you are getting to be a repeater who
tells the same stories over and over
again. Note whether your favorite
topic is yourself, your business, your
children, your car, and whether you
ever give the other fellow a chance
to talk about himself and his family.
Note whether you talk too much and
whether people welcome you with q
glad smile or hunted look comes into
their eyes as you approach.
Check up on your manners. Are
you courteous and considerate to all
you meet or gruff and surly? Do you
eat like pig or gentleman or lady?
Do you grab the best Of everything
for yuorself? Do you trample down
those who stand In your way? II you
have bad manners, perform some sort
Of Q surgical operation on them. They