That’ll be my ‘motto of the day’.
Thank you!

[Daphne – Be careful. There’s a fine line between serenity and complacency, and some people who think they have reached the former have actually settled into the latter.]

I can also state with hand on heart that Astrid and I have shared lots of jokes, puns and dozens of humorous emails and had many a good laugh. She’s far from being the wicked witch of the East. But again, there’s no truer saying than ‘perception is reality’, so I’m not going to bother trying to convince anyone else otherwise. I’ll stick to my perception, based on 30+ years of knowing the woman. I hope that readers of this blog will not rush to judge someone on the strength of a second-hand opinion.

[Daphne – You know as I do that far more problems are caused by those who are are stupid, and I use this word in the broad sense and not as a reflection of intellectual quotient, than by those who are wicked. Her behaviour is stupid, not wicked, or maybe I should say, wickedly stupid. I know, and you don’t, that she has had the far-reaching consequences of her behaviour explained to her by people far more respected than I am, for want of a better way to put it. The extent of her stupidity and lack of insight is made manifest in her having approached some very, very senior figures – who I know personally – and asked them to walk with her up the steps of Castille with her petition. If I were to tell you who these men are, you would be stunned at the absurdity of her proposition. They are the sort of people one wouldn’t even think of asking, because even the act of asking would be considered offensive. She has even tried to rope in somebody so senior that it is quite breathtaking; somebody whose role means he must take every precaution against being dragged into controversies of this nature. When he told me, I laughed and cried at the same time. Her approach is almost childish, a strange coupling between extreme naivety and visceral female scheming.]

‘how can they have a driving licence?’. They ‘buy’ it.

[Daphne – And just in case there’s any confusion, as with the clip from The Onion, this is a satirical take on Richard Madeley of ‘Richard & Judy’ – http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/1281:1466/Richard_Madeley_Judy_Finnigan.htm ]

However, it doesn’t take too much effort to doubt and challenge ‘knowledge’. In fact, with a little practice it becomes routine. This is a rather uncomfortable state to live in, but it’s preferable to making a wrong decision based on wrong information. Eventually, one learns not to worry about the things one can’t change and reaches a state of equilibrium, or serenity. You can also call it cynicism, depending on your point of view.

As Mr Beevor seems to be saying, the world is full of lies and bullshit. It’s not that difficult to lose your gullibility, though.

And by the way: how can they have a driving licence?