Life, 1921-10-27 · page 27 of 34
Life — October 27, 1921 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes social awkwardness and behavioral self-improvement through three pieces: **"How I Trained Myself to Be Disagreeable"** mocks self-help culture by presenting a testimonial from a man who took a course to become deliberately unpleasant. The satire is that being disagreeable—rejecting kindness and civility—supposedly freed him from social obligations and made him wealthy. It's a commentary on how excessive politeness wastes time and energy, inverting the era's emphasis on etiquette. **"A Double Cropper"** is a brief joke about indistinguishable differences—two sisters are "as different as I be, only the other way"—poking fun at circular logic and unclear speech. **"Brine"** ridicules William J. Locke's novel for excessive tearfulness, counting multiple instances of crying across pages. The bottom cartoon shows two socially awkward men struggling through an excruciatingly stilted conversation, illustrating the difficulty of basic social interaction—the visual punchline being their painful, repetitive small talk continuing "until Providence intervenes" (death).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
October 27 How I Trained Y name is John Zenas Puddington, I in- herited a cheerful disposition from my mother, and as I grew up I fell into the habit of pleasant to everybody. Without realizing what I was doing, I made a host of friends. Everybody liked me. Rapidly growing worse as time went on, when I had reached maturity, my whole life was wasted in exchanging minor civilities. It was at this critical point in my career that my attention was suddenly called to your course on “How to Be Disagreeable.” I resolutely put it aside. An intense struggle took place within I could not make up my mind to quit the Smiling had be- me. luxurious path of kindness. come second nature to me. In a moment of desperation one day, how- ever, I determined to try the experiment. I sent for your prospectus. From that moment I became a changed man. In six weeks’ study, by applying myself only an hour a day, I had become so disagreeable that all my former friends relieved me of their presence. What this has meant to me I cannot find words to express. I am no longer obliged to to humorous stories. Nobody asks me to dinner Nobody cultivates me any more. The saving in time and strength is incalculable. I began at once to make a fortune, and am now free to be as disagreeable as I like. I now realize that before I began taking your course, I was secretly haunted by the consciousness of how much Aaw THEY FUMBLE THE HANDSHAKE Feels a little Well, like or what’ new? Myself to Be Disagreeable pain I would cause among all those to whom I had been kind, when I left them. This feeling has given way to one of the most fervent satis- faction. For now I know that everybody hates me, and my departure will be the signal for uni- versal joy. This alone is worth the small price charged for your course. John Zenas Puddington. (Per T. L. M.) A Double Cropper Two women were talking together in the Union Station in Chicago. “My sister and me,” said one, “we ain’t no more alike than if we wasn’t us. Yes, ma’am; she’s just as different as I be, only the other way.” Brine MarceLLe, the heroine in William J. Locke’s “The House of Baltazar,” on page 216 “Cried foolishly as she had not cried for years.” On page 17 “Tears sprang,” on page 22 “Tears started,” on page 163 “She had been crying” and on page 191 “Tears came.” - Tears enough to make an ocean. We never knew before the meaning of “The Marcelle Wave.” In the old days man used to marry woman for a dot— now he marries her for a period, Nice day O, she’s wel today. im thank you. fabs peo Yes, this es missus i Smith? a nice day. AND SO ON, UNTIL PROVIDENCE INTERVENES Movies of two bashful men trying to start a conversation. comicbooks.com