Friday, April 22, 2016

Talk.

Yet another excerpt from Eddie Cantor‘s autobiography The Way I See It, © 1959:

“Lack of communication is the big problem in marriages today… I’d much rather see a husband and wife argue, even heatedly, than see one of them go silent and walk out of the room.”


Note those quotes? This is the opinion of Dr. Robert G. Foster, who directs the marriage counseling training program at the Menninger Clinic. He said it first-- but I sure will second it! In fact, I’ll go even farther and offer a suggestion. Why can’t a couple plan for conversation exactly as they plan a picnic or a shopping trip to town? As for where’s the time to come from, they can take it from TV. Instead of blankly tuning in to something neither really wants to see, they might map an evening this way! “Nine to ten p.m. … Turn off set… talk.”


There are some rough spots in the book, some attitudes and opinions that  (although common at the time) would be considered coarse and backward today, but overall he was surprisingly progressive for someone who came to fame as a vaudeville performer in the 20s.

1 comment:

  1. ...that is the thing... time is to be spent, invest, in the things that you value for the investment begins to accrue greater value... if you don't spend time on your loving partner, then what value do you have for the relationship..?

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