Jeffrey M. Schwartz M.D. recalls the awe with which he used to view his Uncle Aaron, a man whom he describes as a “charming con man and bunko artist.” On Jeffrey’s sixteenth birthday, Uncle Aaron took him aside to offer him a piece of advice. Listen closely, he said. This was really important stuff. And here is the advice that Uncle Aaron gave him:
If you find a friend
That’s true and blue,
Make sure you [cheat] him,
Before he [cheats] you.
Jeffrey reports that he felt like he’d been “suckerpunched.” His uncle was completely serious. It was the best advice he could give for facing the challenges of the world.
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Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., with Annie Gottlieb and Patrick Buckley. A Return to Innocence (New York: ReganBooks, 1998), p. 10.
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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #4518]