"Sing it Again, Maud."
And again....
“Sing it again, Maud.” My mother’s favorite remembered phrase from her mother.
Repetition, repetition and repetition. The truth matters less than the power of one’s megaphone.
Of course, Maud could be right. Even a Maud has a right to be heard. But most old-timers were not willing to give her even the benefit of doubt. For them repeated advice was judged a bit shopworn, or suspect, becoming another “old wives’ tale.”
Today, however, it gets “truthier” by repetition. Or so it seems. We are a choir applauding comforting preaching.
And we seem to feel that it is the other guy that most needs our advice—those wrong thinking people who don’t get the right news feeds. Long ago I came to realize that the only person I could really influence was myself and that fortunately was the same person who most needed my advice.
Hitler taught us how to lie. Repetition. Our protections against lies are fragile and will fall against heavy enough bombardment. (Demonstrated in psychology labs.)
Not to say we shouldn’t share ideas. If you think something both true and useful, share it over a cup of coffee or an evening beer, hopefully as the punch line of a good story, and don’t hesitate to poke fun at yourself. And then talk about the latest science discovery or a recipe for clam chowder (“don’t forget the clams”).
And then in the last hour of the night, when you are quite alone and the clock isn’t moving, maybe hum a bar or two of a new song.