Points to Ponder

LESSONS FOR LIFE

A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honours, the men it remembers. JOHN F. KENNEDY, RD JUNE 1986 Progress means noise. Indeed, we could pinpoint the date when modern civilization was born if we could discover when man first said, “Turn that thing down!” BILL VAUGHAN, RD JULY 1978 Parents who expect or want their children to “appreciate” what they have done for them usually find that the children feel resentful or rebellious when they grow older. A noted psychoanalyst points out that the love of the parents goes to the children – and the love of the children goes to their children. A parent should try to rear a child not so much to be a dutiful child as to be a good parent. SYDNEY HARRIS, US JOURNALIST, RD JULY 1986 Never seem more learned than the people you are with. Wear your learning like a pocket-watch and keep it hidden. Do not pull it out to count the hours, but give the time when you are asked. LORD CHESTERFIELD, WHO, IN THE 18TH CENTURY, WROTE ALMOST DAILY TO HIS SON ON HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN, RD SEPTEMBER 1981 Books say, “She did this because.” Life says, “She did this.” Books are where things are explained to you, whereas in life things aren’t.

I’m not surprised that some people prefer books. Books make sense. The only problem is that the lives they make sense of are other people’s lives, never your own. JULIAN BARNES, RD MARCH 1997