Official Organ Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas, Founded 1897. HUMANITY
BENEVOLENCE VOLUME 60 — NO. 49
BROTHERHOOD
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE SPJST, P.O. Box 100, Temple, Texas 76501.
FROM The West Post Office will discontinue distributing mail in our PO Boxes on Sundays, as of December 3, 1972. Therefore, your editor will not receive any more mail on Sundays. MAIL EARLY, especially since the Christmas holidays are approaching. No matter Interesting thoughts what may be one's nationality, sex, age, philosophy, or religion, everyone wishes either to become or to remain happy. Hence definitions of happiness are interesting. One of the best was given in my senior year at graduation by the guest speaker: "The happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts." This definition places happiness where it belongs -- within and not without. The principle of happiness should be like the principle of virtue: it should not be dependent on things, but be a part of personality .. . If the happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts we are bound to grow happier as we advance in years, because our minds have more and more interesting thoughts. A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view halfway up Is better than the view from the base, and it steadily becomes finer as the horizon expands. * rein lies, the real value of educax-
DECEMBER 6, 1972
THE EDITOR'S DESK GIVE US!
Give us, 0 give us the man who sings at his work! Be his occupation what it may, he is equal to any of those who follow the same pursuit in silent sullenness. He will do more in the same time . . . he will do it better . . . he will persevere longer. One is scarcely sensible to fatigue while he marches to music. The very stars are said to make harmony as they revolve in their spheres. —Carlyle tion. Advanced education may or may not make men and women more efficient; but it enriches personality, increases the wealth of the mind, and hence brings happiness. It is the finest insurance against old age, against the growth of physical disability, against the lack and loss of animal delights. No matter how many there may be in our family, no matter how many friends we may have, we are in a certain sense forced to lead a lonely life, because we have all the days of our existence to live with ourselves. How essential it is, in youth, to acquire some intellectual or artistic tastes, in order to furnish the mind, to be able to live inside a. mind with attractive and interesting pictums on the walls. HAPPINESS iS MADE TO BE SHARED! • • When Someone Asks You for Advice . . When people come to you for ad-
Vice, do You oblige them by telling them what to do, how to solve their problems? Then you may wonder why these people ignore the thoughtful counsel you offer. The strange fact is that people who ask "What shall I do?" don't want to be told what to do. And the most effective way you can give advice is by appearing not to give advice. There are five essential steps to successful counseling: 1) Listen carefully; 2) Ask questions which encourage the subject to explain and examine his problem fully; 3) Never argue with him; 4) Don't be critical; 5) If you Must disagree with an opinion or conclusion, temper your disagreement with a generous portion of sympathy and understanding. When a subordinate, an associate, or a friend comes to you for advice, he is confessing himself incapable of solving his own problems. It only makes him feel more inadequate and resentful if you dish out aA glib answer to his problem. And even if you are right, his pride is probably more important to him than the truth. So he'll ignore your advice. "What shall I do?" really means: "Help me decide what I should d' • • Fortunate is the man who possesSes the charm that goes with spontaneously liking the other fellow. Successful