>> Surprisingly, perhaps, =A0Adam Smith comes to the rescue:
>>
>> =A0 =A0"Man has almost constant occasion for the help of his brethren,
>> =A0 =A0 and it is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence on=
ly."

> Vitaliy likes your comment.

:-)

1. Take care (to try) not to wander into troublesome areas in any
following discussions  :-)

2. Understand what Smith is saying here AND elsewhere.

- What individual people are trying to do or gain or achieve may not
intended to be good for you or good for society.
- If it happens to be so it is usually outside their intentions.
- Look to gain from the actions of others even when they don't intend
what they do to be to your benefit.

Most apposite in this thread, where VG extended an offer of genuine
friendship* to Olin on several occasions and Olin effectively called
him very rude names, said rude things about him (we all understand
"twerp" and most people don't have too much problem filling in the
dashes after a in "a---") and essentially sought to trash him while
spurning the offers. Olin would typically  argue that he was
attempting to harden him up, help  him to get a proper perspective of
wet fish and properly understand phases of the moon. Or something. VG
had and has the choice of taking such input destructively or of using
it to build character, even if not quite in the manner intended by the
aid donor. To his great credit he appeared to have taken the positive
path and to have been extremely resilient in the face of persistent
battering (annoyingly so in fact :-) ). Mr Smith would have been proud
of him.That doesn't make the aid donor's offerings meritorious in any
way, necessarily. The merit lies with the one who uses them to
advantage. Mr Smith shows himself wholly aware of this in his above
statement ( " ... it is vain for him to expect ... ") and in much
else. Most people seem to miss this. [[Even Bob could probably come to
like Mr Smith just a wee wee bit if what he really said was more often
promulgated, rather than what people persistently want him to have
said.]]



             Russell

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