Page 56 - The Religion Of The Ignorant

THE RELIGION OF THE IGNORANT

a way of putting that person to extra trouble and making them re-
gret having complained in the first place. The way that a young girl
asks, "How do you mean?" when her mother asks her to be tidier is
an annoying tactic employed in the face of such criticism. The fact is,
everyone knows what acting quicker or being tidier means, and
these matters can be put into practice without the slightest diffi-
culty.

Barbed Comments
Another means of annoying other people is uttering barbed
comments. At a business meeting attended by someone who has
been appointed to a senior position through knowing someone in-
fluential, saying, "I wish I had important contacts so I could get to
the top!" is one example. Alternatively, saying, "We have to pay the
price for other people's mistakes" in the presence of someone who
has made an honest mistake is another way of making barbed com-
ments. Not mentioning a name, but referring to "certain people" is
another of the ugly rules that apply in the Religion of the Ignorant.
A student envious of someone who always obtains higher
marks may say, "Certain people actually study all night but never
let on" in that person's presence, simply in order to annoy him.

Annoying with a Glance
People generally resort to using looks to express what they can-
not put into words. An imputation expressed in a look can never be
proven, and people can easily deny the intention behind their facial
expressions. For example, anyone who directs a look of hatred to-
wards someone can always say, "I was thinking of something else.
That's why my expression changed. It had nothing to do with any-
one," then everyone has to accept his explanation. Alternatively,

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