are cursed." It is in the nature of the clergy's service to
mankind, to consider the many ills that flesh is heir to,
and to provide such alleviation or solace as is within the
province of religion. Having thoughtfully considered the
curses of mankind, Bishop Cumberland concluded that
"their own bad tempers surely are the worst."
He is joined by other great thinkers of the
Faith. The forthright Irish clergyman, Robert Clayton,
stated bluntly, "If religion does nothing for your temper,
it has done nothing for your soul."
And the English clergyman, Richard Cecil,
added this advice, "If a man has a quarrelsome temper, let
him alone." Which Dale Carnegie said another way when
he wrote, "Never get into a squirting match with a skunk."
So if you want to feel lonely, if you want to
be avoided and shunned, just develop and display a bad
temper. Your instant success in the field of loneliness will
be assured.
But your success will be limited to achieving
loneliness; your bad temper will not make you welcome
in the business world, for as the Earl of Chesterfield said,
"A man who cannot command his temper should not think
of being a man of business." To which we can add the
advice of author Charles Cherbuliez, "Men who have
had a great deal of experience learn not to lose their
tempers."
What would you pay to learn the secret of
finding happiness and avoiding misery? Well, you don't
have to pay anything, and it isn't a secret, either. It was
clearly stated way back in the seventeenth century by