The art of letting things go

The art of letting things go

cxxxviii

The art of letting things go.

The rougher the waves of public and private life, the more so. There are hurricanes in relationships, storms of passion, and times when it is wise to retreat to port and drop anchor. Often a cure aggravates the disease. In such cases we must let nature take its course and leave it to the moral persuasion of time. It takes a wise physician to know when not to prescribe, and sometimes it is better skill not to apply a remedy. The proper way to calm the storm of lowly people is to hold their hands in yours and wait for them to calm themselves. To give way now is to conquer eventually. The fountain will become muddy with a little stirring, but it will not become clear if we put our hands on it and leave it alone. The best solution to a disturbance is to let it pass, for then it will quiet down.

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