Prepare for the worst – and you’ll never be let down
Is there anything worse in this dismal old world than hearing, in response to a ritual enquiry after a person’s wellbeing, ‘Absolutely marvellous,’ ‘Never better,’ or even ‘I can’t complain’? Such responses are not only vulgar and insensitive to the potential misery of the questioner, but plain daft. Why can’t you complain? It’s not hard. For some of us, it’s both a hobby and a personal philosophy. Needless to state, an almost countless number of things in this dismal old world are worse. Rob Walker, the unfathomably irksome quarterwit who introduces snooker players at BBC-screened events, and manhandles winners in post-match interviews like a drunken groper, is worse. Yet you have to start a column somehow – and I chose to begin this one as above after reading a disquieting Guardian report about how ‘positive thinking’ (ugh) can improve the health. I won’t bore you with the scientific theorising, lacking...
I’m afraid this isn’t one of our four free articles available in full, which are set out in the first two rows of the ‘Magazine’ page.
Please click here to find them.
To buy a digital version of this issue for just £2.99, click here
