"A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. Let a man be one thing or the other, and we then know how to meet him." - Aesop.
In the real world, there is no such thing as a self-sufficient,
super-capable superman, who tied his own boot strap and succeeded by his own
personal efforts. We all need someone to succeed. We all need someone to lend
us his shoulder for us to climb to our next level. It is called affirmation. No
great man could succeed without it. It always takes the affirmation
of another great man.
When was the last time a friend got a job, passed an exam, secured a
favour, got a break through or survived a difficult time in life because of
you. As Arnold H. Glasow puts it, "A true friend never gets in your way
unless you happen to be going down" Can you keep the secrets of a friend
especially after you ceased being friends? Unfortunately in life "The
shifts of fortune test the reliability of friends." It was Ralph Waldo
Emerson who said "When friendships are real, they are not glass threads or
frost work, but the solidest things we can know."
The truth, is that "Reliable people are so rare in this world."
When Jan Paderewski was to leave his native Poland to play his first recital in
London, he asked an influential compatriot to give him a letter of introduction
to a leading figure in Britain's musical world, who might be of assistance
should anything go amiss. The letter was handed to him in a sealed envelope. He
hoped that everything would proceed smoothly and he would not have to use it.
He did not; his debut was a success and no snags developed. Some years later,
while going through his papers, he came upon the letter and opened it. It read:
"This will introduce Jan Paderewski, who plays the piano, for which he
demonstrates no conspicuous talent."
Wisdom Nugget: "Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat - refreshing!"
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