Idries Shah, on English mentality

[jayrandom]

One of my early experiences in this area was hearing an English former Minister Plenipotentiary illustrate, most graphically, his people's mentality, at dinner in our house.

`I once lost my pocket-book when I took out my cigarette case in St James's Park' he said. `It must have dropped on to the grass, and I didn't miss it at first.'

`I sent some secretary fellows out to look for it, but they reported that someone must have carried it off, and I gave it up for lost.

`Then, several months later, I got a letter. Badly scrawled, it was, and addressed to me at my club. It was from the finder, who'd found my card inside.

`The letter said something like this: ``I found yer wallit and the munny innit. Remawse is noring me, so heres ten shillings. Wen it nores some more Ill send some more''.'

There was a tremendous laugh, but the Foreign Office man continued. `I always think that that illustrates the English character perfectly. That fellow felt remorse, but he did not let it get out of control. Ten shillings' worth at the time was his idea of things.'


-- Idries Shah, "Darkest England".