Ann’s Opinion Of Personal Remarks

Southland Times, Issue 22215, 6 January 1934, Page 14

Ann’s Opinion Of Personal Remarks

This week I feel moved to make a few statements about Personal Remarks. I don’t know whether you are addicted to this really horrible vice, but there are very few members of society in general who do not possess it. Personally I think there is nothing more annoying that the person one meets who has no conversation other than the criticizing of one’s appearance! It is remarkable what a large number of persons do seem to find it necessary to state in a loud voice as you enter a drawing room full of people that— “Oh, my dear, I see you’ve got a new frock!”, “Where did you get that hat?” “How tired you look!” “Why don’t you try my diet—it does wonders?” and so on until you feel at screaming point and would like to lock yourself away out of everybody’s life and never go near a living soul again. From an adult’s point of view, personal remarks are infuriating, but they are really dangerous when addressed to young people. When girls and boys are growing up they are always selfconscious and often they go through a stage where they are so shy that it is well-nigh purgatory for them to enter a room full of people. Strangely enough it is usually in a moment like this that some middle-aged gentlewoman takes it upon herself to state in pitying tones—“ How tall you are growing, Janey” or “You must take the same size boots as your dad, Bert, I should imagine”—whereat the already palpitating youngster blushes bright red and more often than not spills its tea or drops its plate of scones. Why couldn’t the middle-aged gentlewoman keep her meddling mouth tightly shut and leave the poor child in peace?

Then there is another class who delight in remarking on your moods. What human being is not made up of a medley of moods? I think the eternally cheery person is an infernally boring one and anyway if there is nothing to be bright about why register false brightness? If you are feeling rather blue there is absolutely nothing that puts the finishing touch to your mood more completely than to be told you’re dull. By that time you feel like crawling away into the middle distance for ever and always. If only people would leave their fellow-beings alone and watch their own step more carefully I feel this world, which is apt to become a truly muddled one at times, would be a much happier place. There is certainly nothing more disconcerting and distressing than the very prevalent Personal Remark.