When we have freedom, it may sometimes seem commonplace which it isn’t. And some among us may look over the fence and wonder if some other way of life might be more effective than freedom...
Often we wonder what makes men act the way they act and do the things they do. It is difficult to know what goes on inside another person. And because we don’t know, it is exceedingly easy to...
Sometimes young people in a venturesome spirit seek to acquire an acquaintance with questionable practices, questionable places, and questionable people not with the idea of becoming involved in any...
There is a proverb from The Persians that reads: “When a man takes the road to destruction, the gods help him along.” Certainly tearing things down is easier than building them up....
There is an important question that parents repeatedly ask young people: “Where are you going?” And even though a youngster may become impatient, it is important that parents ask it, and...
In a letter to a friend, Thomas Jefferson once wrote: “There is a fulness of time when men should go.” This may be easy to understand when men have reached an age that is old and have...
It is often easy for people to be pleasant when they have no responsibility. This is a profound fact that young people often overlook. Friends and strangers and casual acquaintances may sometimes...
It isn’t easy for those who are young to understand the loneliness that comes when life changes from a time of preparation and performance to a time of putting things away. In the eager and...
Few of us actually know our own strength until we are faced with situations that test us to the last limit. We often underestimate our power to endure hardships. And we sometimes overestimate our...
“He who imitates an evil example generally goes beyond it; he who imitates a good example generally falls short of it.” These words from a sixteenth century philosopher suggest some...
Sometimes in the confusion we face, we find ourselves longing for quiet places. The intensity of living leaves us breathless from day to day and before we have emerged from one whirlwind, we find...
It has often been observed that a little learning is a dangerous thing. But if a little learning is dangerous, surely a little ignorance is dangerous also. And then think how great must be the...
There is no denying the fact that fear sometimes takes hold of the hearts of men. We have all known the wilting of spirit and the feeling of utility when the prospect of the future is not just as we...
All of us are constantly facing decisions, some of which we recognize as serious, and some of which seem relatively trivial, but which may have far reaching effects. We all do some wise things and...
Admittedly with all of us, there are some people in the world whom we like better than others. And if we were always to follow our personal preferences, quite likely we would see more of those we...
To quote an expressive comment: “If you want to forget your other troubles, wear a pair of shoes that pinch.” It would seem that we often permit immediate annoyances to divert our...
George Washington is remembered for many things too numerous to mention, but among them is this: He was one of the men of history who declined to assume all the power that was proffered him. This is...
Many men and many movements, many reputations and many public and private ventures are made and unmade by desirable or undesirable publicity. And since publicity and propaganda so intimately affect...