Advice for One
by Zube, May 19, 2003
http://www.stat.colostate.edu/~zube/advice.txt

No one asks me for advice.  This isn't surprising as I'm not a sage.
But I'm not too bad at recognizing the rake after the handle has met
my forehead squarely, even if my hair isn't as white as snow.

There is a great pleasure in pointing out a mistake.  Some people like
to do it as a form of abuse, to degrade another's work and perhaps derive
some perverse joy from it.  I've always done it to make things better.
In the case of my own mistakes, I'm very happy if someone else 
(or myself) can learn from them and consequently, raise the number of BTU's
of happiness in the world.  The world could sure use it.

Here is my one piece of advice.  It is not my only one, but it is
the latest one I've discovered while raking.  

There are many people in this world and some of those people are
Destroyers.  Destroyers, like Creators, come in many forms and in many
potencies.  One form is particularly insidious in that it will pelt you
with barbs, hoping that you will be tempted to act in kind.  It is an
almost irresistible temptation, especially if debate and argument are in
your blood, but it is one that is usually best left alone.  The last
resort for this type of Destroyer is direct insults.  One path leads to
chaos, strife and anger, the other (conveniently marked "Luckily, my
self-worth does not depend upon your opinion of me.") quickly leads to 
much happier scenery. 

Learn from my mistake.  Take the marked path.