If a thing is old, it is a sign that it was fit to live. Old families, old customs, old styles survive because they are fit to survive. The guarantee of continuity is quality. Submerge the good in a flood of the new, and good will come back to join the good which the new brings with it. Old-fashioned hospitality, old-fashioned politeness, old-fashioned honor in business had qualities of survival. These will come back.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the value of enduring qualities in traditions and customs that have proven their worth over time.
Eddie Rickenbacker suggests that the longevity of certain traditions, families, and customs indicates their inherent value and quality. He argues that while new ideas and styles flood society, the fundamental, quality aspects of the old will eventually resurgence, as they possess the qualities essential for survival and continuity. Traditions like hospitality, politeness, and honor are examples of qualities that withstand the test of time and will reemerge even amidst the influx of new trends.
In practice
During a family gathering, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of maintaining family traditions.
When I was racing, I had learned that you can't set stock in public adoration or your press clippings. By the time I was 26, I'd heard crowds of 100,000 scream my name, but a week later they couldn't remember who I was. You're a hero today and a bum tomorrow - hero to zero, I sometimes say.
Wisdom and compassion should become the dominating influences that guide our thoughts , our words, and our actions.
I divide the world into three Classes - The few who make things happen, the many who watch things happen, the overwhelming majority who have no notion of what happens.
While everyone else is thinking about economics and politics, executive salaries and the future of the euro, do the opposite, even if it's hard. Invest in the spirit.
Imagine losing fingernails, Harry! That really puts our sufferings into perspective, doesn't it?
Gratitude arises from paying attention, from being awake in the presence of everything that lives within and without us.
The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.
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