Straightforward Advice for a Younger Generation
Now that I have succeeded in reaching the venerable age of seventy years (not that I actually regard myself as being worthy of any veneration), I am presumably endowed with a measurable degree of wisdom. Perhaps that is true, or perhaps (and far more likely) it is not true, but either way, here are some pieces of straightforward advice from a careworn oldster, humbly intended for the benefit of anyone who happens to be a member of the younger generation.
Never imagine that you can pocket huge amounts of money without, in the process of doing so, becoming a figure of evil.
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Always be aware that the masses are inclined to move in the wrong direction, so it is usually best to turn your back on them and go the other way.
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Be careful not to spend too much of your time engaged in capitalist drudgery, because once your time is spent, it is gone forever.
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Keep in mind that, unfortunately, the world contains more madness than sanity, more violence than peace, more corruption than honesty, and more hate than love.
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Never be fooled into putting your faith in anyone who is directly connected to politics, business, or religion.
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Be prepared to push against the petty restraints of convention, especially when they are used to support long-standing structures of prejudice and inequity.
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Always remember that those who surrender to conformity and compromise will thereby lose the most vital elements of themselves.
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Never bend your will to any situation that requires you to maintain a disposition of unfailing obeisance toward a corporate overlord.
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Avail yourself of every opportunity to laugh heartily, particularly when your laughter comes at the expense of someone in authority.
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Be steady and forthright in all things, and do not allow your actions to be governed by shallow feelings of craven meekness.
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Never believe that war is anything other than an immoral undertaking, carried out by murderous people for the purpose of achieving murderous aims.
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Always accept the necessity of self-discipline, because if you do not discipline yourself, it will be done, harshly and randomly, by someone else.
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Resist the empty allure of technology, and be suspicious of handy devices that have the ability to subvert your mind.
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Be assured that one particle of true kindness is worth infinitely more than any amount of fame or fortune.
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Never forget that if you wish to maintain the full value of your human character, you must strive to be truthful, even if it annoys people and results in difficult situations.
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Look closely at everyone around you, and avoid the companionship of those who appear to derive undue satisfaction from their own motives.
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Do not attempt to gain favor by pleasing people in a superficial manner, because such favor is false and never endures.
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Be forewarned that most people will say and do anything to get what they want, and therefore most people should never be entirely trusted.
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Do not part with your integrity for any reason, because without it, you are nothing.
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Always take into account that no one can ever hope to understand even one millionth of all there is to understand.
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Be ever mindful that within every young person there is an old person waiting to appear.