On not answering unasked questions --
I may not object to hearing you tell me, unasked, how cold it is today or how you are feeling, but I am quite sure I don’t want your opinion on how flat my column fell, how sorry you are that one of my children is a Jerk, or how badly my striped tie goes with my checked jacket. You may have heard that I have been having problems with someone, and you probably think it is kind to offer advice on how to handle the situation. Perhaps it is, but only if I invite the advice.
If I may quote from a great American poet and philosopher, Hiram King Williams: “Why don’t you mind your own business, cause if you mind your own business, you won’t be minding mine.” Or, as he advises in the conclusion, “If you mind your own business, you’ll stay busy all the time.”
It's a piece of advice that do-gooders who would justify their actions under the obligations of charity should take to heart.
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