A Simple Question

A noted psychiatrist was a guest at a dinner party, and his hostess naturally broached the subject in which he was most at ease.

"Would you mind telling me doctor", she asked, "how do you detect a mental deficiency in somebody who appears completely normal".

"Nothing is easier" he replied. " You ask him a simple question which everyone should answer with no trouble. If he hesitates that puts you on the track".

"What sort of question?"

"Well you might ask him, Captain Cook made three trips round the world and during one of them he died, which one?"

The hostess thought for a moment, then said with a nervous laugh, "You would'nt have another example, would you? I must confess, I don't know much about history".

Ref: A jotting from my 1966 Diary.
   

Recipe for Happiness

The great German poet, philosopher, novelist and scholar Goethe JW (1749-1832) gave this recipe for happiness. There are nine requisites for contented living:

• Health enough to make work a pleasure;
• Wealth enough to support your needs;
• Strength enough to battle with difficulties and overcome them;
• Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them;
• Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished;
• Charity enough to see some good in your neighbour;
• Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others;
• Faith enough to make real the things of God;
• Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.

Ref: "Anecdotes of the Great." Compiled by J. Maurus, Better Yourself Books, 1087.