y on all occasions to please: this
will be making friends instead of enemies; and be a means of serving
yourself in the end.

29. Never be witty at the expense of any one present, to gratify that
idle inclination which is too strong in most young men, I mean, laughing
at, or ridiculing the weaknesses or infirmities of others, by way of
diverting the company, or displaying your own superiority. Most people
have their weaknesses, their peculiar likings and aversions. Some cannot
bear the sight of a cat; others the smell of cheese, and so on; was you
to laugh at those men for their antipathies, or by design or inattention
to bring them in their way, you could not insult them more.

30. You may possibly thus gain the laugh on your side for the present,
but it will make the person, perhaps, at whose expense you are merry,
your enemy for ever after; and even those who laugh with you, will, on a
little reflection, fear you, and probably despise you: whereas to
procure what _one_ likes, and to remove what the _other_ hates, would
shew them that they were objects of your attention, and possibly make
them more your friends than much greater services would have done.

31. If you have wit, use it to please, but not to hurt. You may shine,
but take care not to scorch. In short, never seem to see the faults of
others. Though among the mass of men there are, doubtless, numbers of
fools and knaves, yet were we to tell every one of these we meet with
that we knew them to be so, we should be in perpetual war. I would
detest the knave and pity the fool, wherever I found him, but I would
let neither of them know unnecessarily that I did so; as I would not be
industrious to make myself enemies. As one must please others then, in
order to be pleased one's self, consider what is agreeable to you must
be agreeable to them, and conduct yourself accordingly.

32. Whispering in company is another act of ill-breeding; it seems to
insinuate either that the persons whom we would not wish should hear,
are unworthy of our confidence, or it may lead them to suppose we are
speaking improperly of them; on both accounts, therefore, abstain from
it.

So pulling out one letter after another, and reading them in company, or
cutting or pairing one's nails, is unpolite and rude. It seems to say,
we are weary of the conversation, and are in want of some amusement to
pass away the time.

33. Humming a tune to ourselves, drumming with our fingers on the tab