2LessontenOnfriendshipFourdifferent-kindsoffriendshipAmericanFewAmericanstayputforalifetime.AmericansusethewordfriendtoawiderangefromsomeoneknownonlyafewweeksmostpeopleoldandyoungrcalledbyfirstnameandfriendsflowinandoutAmericanfamilywithlittleceremony.FranceInFranceasinmanyEuropeancountriesfriendsgenerallyareofthesamesexandfriendshipisseenasbasicallyarelationshipbetweenmen.FortheFrenchfriendshipisaone-to-onerelationshipthatdemandsakeenawarenessoftheotherpersonsintellecttemperamentandparticularinterests.ThespecialrelationshipoffriendshipisbasedonwhattheFrenchvaluemostonthemindonhavingthesameofoutlookonvividawarenessofsomechosenareaoflife.GermanyInGermanyfriendshipismuchmoreclearlyamatteroffeelingfromdeeplysentimentalattachmentsnotsomuchtopolishtheirwitsastosharetheirhopesandfearsanddreams.Withinthefamilytheclosestrelationshipoverthelifetimeisbetweenbrothersandsisters.Outsidethefamilymenandwomenfindintheirclosestfriendsofthesamesexthedevotionofsistertheloyaltyofabrother.3EnglishEnglishfriendshipstheirbasisissharedactivity.Inthemidstoftheactivitywhateveritmaybepeoplefallintostep.AndabreakinanEnglishfriendshipcomesnotnecessarilyasaresultofmisjudgementwhereonefriendseriouslymisjudgeshowtheotherwillthinkorfeelactsothatsuddenlytheyareoutofstep.What'sthefriendshipThereistherecognitionthatfriendshipsrformedincontrastwithkinshipthroughfreedomofchoice.Afriendissomeonewhochooseandischosen.Relatedtothisisthesenseeachfriendgivestheotherofbeingaspecialindividualonwhatevergroundsthisrecognitionisbased.Andbetweenfriendsthereisinevitablyakindofequalityofgiveandtake.LessonthirteenHowtogrowoldPsychologicallytherearetwodangerstobeguardedagainstinoldage.Oneoftheseistoogreatanabsorptioninthepast.Oneshouldnotliveinmemoriesinregretsforthegoodolddaysorinsadnessaboutfriendwhoaredead.Onesthoughtsmustbedirectedtothefutureandtothingsaboutwhichthereissomethingtobedone.Thisisnotalwayseasyonesownpastisagraduallyincreasingweight.Itiseasytothinktooneselfthatonesemotionsusedtobemorevividthantheyareandonesmindmorekeen.Ifthisistrueitshouldbeforgottenandifitisforgottenitwillprobablynotbetrue.Theotherthingtobeavoidedisclingingtoyouthinthehopeoffindingstrengthinitsvitality.Whenyourchildrenaregrownuptheywanttolivetheirownlivesandifyoucontinuetobeasinterestedinthemasyouwerewhentheywereyoungyouarelikelytobecomeaburdentothemunlesstheyareunusuallyinsensible.Idonotmeanthatoneshouldbewithoutinterestinthembutonesinterestshouldbecontemplativeandifpossiblephilanthropicbutnottooemotional.4Dontfeartodeaththebestwaytoovercomeitistomakeyourinterestsgraduallywiderandmoreimpersonaluntilbitbybitthewallsoftheegorecedeandyourlifebecomesincreasinglypartoftheuniversallife.Anindividualhumanexistenceshouldbelikeariversmallatfirstnarrowlycontainedwithinitsbanksandrushingpassionatelypastrocksandoverwaterfalls.Graduallytherivergrowswiderthebanksrecedethewatersflowmorequietlyandintheendwithoutanyvisiblebreaktheybecomepartoftheseaandpainlesslylosetheirindividualbeing.Themanwhoinoldagecanseehislifeinthiswaywillnotsufferfromthefearofdeathsincethethingbecaresforwillcontinue1.Thelongingforlove.Hehassoughtlovefirstbecauseitbringsecstasynextbecauseitrelievesloneliness.Finallybecauseintheunionoflove.Hehasseeninamysticminiaturetheprefiguringvisionoftheheaventhatsaintsandpoetshaveimagined.2.Thesearchforknowledge.Withequalpassionhehassoughtknowledge.3.Unbearablepityforsufferingofmankind.Loveandknowledgesofarastheywerepossibleledupwardtowardtheheavens.Butalwayspitybroughthimbacktoearth.Helongsforalleviatetheevilbuthecannotandhetoosuffer.5LessonfifteenEdisonInventorofInventionWhatwasthemostimportantcontributionofEdisontopeopleItisimpossibletomeasuretheimportanceofEdisonbyaddingupthespecificinventionswithwhichhisnameisassociated.Far-reachingasmanyofthemhavebeenintheireffectuponmoderncivilizationthetotaleffectofEdisonscareersurpassesthesumofalofthem.Hedidnotmerelymaketheincandescentlampandthephonographandinnumerableotherdevicespracticableforgeneraluseitwasgiventohimtodemonstratethepowerofappliedsciencesoconcretelytounderstandablysoconvincinglythathealteredthementalityofmankind.BecauseofEdisonmorethanofanyothermanscientificresearchhasanestablishedplaceinoursocietybecauseofthedemonstrationshemadethemoneyoftaxpayersandstockholdershasbecomeavailableforstudiesthenature.Thelighthousekeeper83yearsoldlivedaloneonarockislandtookcareofthelighthouseandthegreatlampwhichspokemajesticsilentmessagesoflighttotheshipsatsea.Hewasahugeoldmanwithagrizzledbeardthatcamedownoverhischest.1Hewashospitable.HewelcomedthestrangerRudolfwarmlyofferedhimblackbreadandboiledpotatoesetc.andtalkedwithhimearnestly.2Thelighthousekeeperlovedhisworkandwasdevotedtohisduty.Whenthestormwascominghewasbusypreparingforthestormattendingtothegreatlampinthetowerthatdominatedthewholeregion.3Hewasequabledeliberate.Evenwhenthestormhammeredlikeabatteringramonthewallsofthelighthousehesattheregentleandreflectiveasiftherewasnothinghappened.Generallythelighthousekeeperwasadeliberateequabletoiler.Helovedlifewithoutexcessivedemands.6lessonesixWh