Chapter 67
A Father's Painful Warning About Love
LETTER LXVII. MR. VILLARS TO EVELINA. Berry Hill, Sept. 28th. DEAD to the world, and equally insensible to its pleasures or its pains, I long since bad adieu to all joy, and defiance to all sorrow, but what should spring from my Evelina,-sole source, to me, of all earthly felicity. How strange, then, is it, that the letter in which she tells me she is the happiest of human beings, should give me most mortal inquietude! Alas, my child!-that innocence, the first, best gift of Heaven, should, of all others, be the blindest to its own danger,-the most exposed to…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Reality-Check Your Attractions
Think of someone you've been excited about recently - a new friend, romantic interest, boss, or mentor. Write down what you actually know about them based on direct experience versus what you've imagined or assumed about them. Create two columns: 'Facts I've Observed' and 'Stories I've Created.'
Consider:
- •How much of your excitement is based on potential versus proven reality?
- •What gaps are you filling in with your own hopes and assumptions?
- •How could you gather more actual data about this person's character and patterns?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone you cared about tried to warn you about a person or situation you were excited about. Were they right? How did you handle their concern, and what would you do differently now?
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