April 2011
Beginner
213 pages
2h 45m
English
No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is to suppose that they are like himself.
John Steinbeck
As Steinbeck says, we don't really know other people, but if you act on the assumption that they are basically like you it usually works.
The reason is that we are persons, not just individuals. In a person there is what Coleridge called ‘the all in each of every man’. Therefore we can use ourselves as a gauge in our relations with others. What works – and does not work – for you or me tells us fairly reliably what works for others.
The principle is an easy one to remember, if at times a difficult one to apply.
Do I always use knowledge of myself in shaping my behaviour toward other people? ...
Read now
Unlock full access