I Never Met a Man I didn't Like

I never met a man I didn’t like!!!

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/59855/18-timeless-will-rogers-quotes-his-135th-birthday

A quick look at Will Rogers, American Humorist

The famous quote (I never met a man I didn’t like) attributed to Will Rogers isn’t quite correct

From the link the real quote is here:
“Ironically, for somebody who came up with so much Grade A material, most people associate Rogers with a long-lived misquote. In actuality, the full, unaltered line was: “I joked about every prominent man in my lifetime, but I never met one I didn’t like.” A few years before his death in 1935, Rogers proposed it as an epitaph for his tombstone. However, the shortened version does appear chiseled upon his final resting place in Claremore, Oklahoma.”

But, taking the quote as being in the right direction.  I have met men I didn’t like.  There are (in my opinion) toxic men (and fewer, but also toxic women).  But, in my philosophy, I claim that I am to love all people.  Well, I’m kind of a failure (at this time, but I’m working on it).

Two similar concepts might add to this:  If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all; and If you can be anything, be nice.

So, here goes some Will Rogers quotes:

“Why don’t they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as well as prohibition did, in five years we will have the smartest people on earth.”

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Rogers lived during the Volstead act - where the United States prohibited alcohol.  And, instead of stopping alcohol, it moved it to the underworld.  As a constitutional amendment, it was a failure.  So, Rogers suggesting we prohibit education is satire.  (Aside - with some trepidation - I have heard of many families that are torn apart by alcohol.  Frequently men who get drunk and then beat their wife and children - which starts a cycle of abuse)

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On Living: ““Live in such a way that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.”

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Parrots are supposedly able to say only what they have heard.  If you don’t yell, scream or use profanities, the parrot won’t know those words!!

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On Pets and Veterinarians

““Best doctor in the world is a veterinarian. He can’t ask his patients what’s the matter. He’s just got to know.”

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Wouldn’t it be nice for doctors, counselors, even teaches to know what is going on in our bodies and our minds.  

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On correcting things

““There is nothing as easy as denouncing ... It don’t take much to see that something is wrong but it does take some eyesight to see what will put it right again.”

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Yep - it is easy to declare something is wrong - and hard to see what will fix it.  But, it is a lot easier to point your finger.

Matthew7:3-5 says “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  

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On Desire:

"We don’t know what we want, but we’re ready to bite somebody to get it."

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There are times we DO know what we want (my neighbor’s car, maybe my neighbor’s wife, house, pets).  

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And, finally - on spreading humor

““Get a few laughs and do the best you can … Live your life so that whenever you lose, you’re ahead.”

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So, today, let’s spread some humor, let’s love everybody, let’s take the plank out of our own eye before we look at another person’s issues!!  

Hugs!!

Karen