Judge Not a Book by its Cover

[Stu]

My brother's son is studying philosophy at Cambridge University - and both he and his dad like to tell people that - but my brother related a funny story which I would like to share. On Wednesday of this week, my brother was mowing his front lawn which my nephew was sitting at a garden table reading and making notes. A flat bed truck pulled up and two men got out - possibly father and son. It was immediately obvious from their scruffy appearance they were travellers (gipsies) and from the contents of the truck, they were scrap metal collectors. They had spotted some lengths of steel that had been part of an earlier, now demolished, garage piled up in my brother's garden and asked politely if they could have it. My brother was happy to be rid of it and so they loaded it onto the truck. When they had finished, the older gipsy was sweating and wanted a minute to catch his breath. He spotted the book my nephew was reading called "The Essence of Christianity". He asked what it was, and my nephew sneered: "It's a book on philosophy. I am reading philosophy at Cambridge University". The old man said: "Oh yeah! Ludwig Feuenbach! He proposed anthropological materialism, right?" and then went on: "Fell out with Hegel I seem to think.... Oh well, thanks for the metal mate!" Then he jumped in his truck and drove away. I asked my brother how he reacted and he said: "I thought I must be on Candid Camera!"

[Midas]

One would hope he learned a lesson. If he goes through life patronising people like that he’ll get a few knocks, literally.

[Stu]

My thoughts exactly.