Life — June 21, 1906 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "An Alphabet of Bores" by Oliver Herford This satirical page presents two character types as social nuisances: **E - "The Egotist Dread"**: A self-centered bore who dominates conversations, constantly steering discussion back to himself ("Himself") rather than letting others speak about themselves ("Yourself"). The illustration shows him gesticulating animatedly while others listen trapped. **F - "A Familiar Friend"**: Someone who offers unsolicited advice about how the listener spends their time, despite knowing nothing about art or meaningful pursuits. He presumes to judge whether the listener's activities constitute time-wasting. Both target common social irritants of the era—the self-absorbed talker and the presumptuous know-it-all friend. The accompanying essay discusses authors' reluctance to donate books to libraries, comparing their resistance to reasonable commercial practices.