Corn Pone Opinions

You tell me whar a man gits his corn pone, en I'll tell you what his 'pinions is.

I recently had a verbal duel over email with one of my friends on the Fed bailout issues which turned out to be particularly awkward for me. I lost the argument but won this key idea espoused by Mark Twain in his essay called Corn-Pone Opinions. I never knew I had some of those thinking most of my opinions were free spirited and independent.

My crime can be summarized in the following words in the essay:

A political emergency brings out the corn-pone opinion in fine force in its two chief varieties -- the pocketbook variety, which has its origin in self-interest, and the bigger variety, the sentimental variety -- the one which can't bear to be outside the pale; can't bear to be in disfavor; can't endure the averted face and the cold shoulder; wants to stand well with his friends, wants to be smiled upon, wants to be welcome, wants to hear the precious words, "He's on the right track!" Uttered, perhaps by an ass, but still an ass of high degree, an ass whose approval is gold and diamonds to a smaller ass, and confers glory and honor and happiness, and membership in the herd. For these gauds many a man will dump his life-long principles into the street, and his conscience along with them. We have seen it happen. In some millions of instances.

Its written in 1925 but seems very apt and relevant to the current day political situation. Or some of the parties I attend to..Or some of the business meetings you attend..or why some of the design discussions end up following a "tradition" rather than well thought out original idea

So, please be nice to people with original ideas because they have "moral courage" (which is rare..much common is physical courage) to stand by their ideas...


ps: mr. Y, ab teruko pata chala..tera khoon khoon hain aur mera khoon paani :)