27 FEBRUARY 1915, Page 15

SOCIAL INCOMPATIBILITY.

[To ran Ennon or ens "SPEC...M:1 Sre,—Your article on "Social Incompatibility " in last week's Spectator must have interested many of your readers, for most of us realize that there are people who are blights on all social intercourse, and who in some mysterious way make the good talker silent, the clever man dull, the habitually courteous man rude. In your words, under the influence of a blight people are "not themselves." But why is a man a blight ? It may be that he is one of those unfortunate people who are, for some unknown reason, out of sympathy with most of their fellow-creatures, or it may he that his manner, his voice, or his laugh is irritating. I believe, however, that a very frequent reason is that be poses as a superior person. Those whom be irritates think that his superiority is a pose and either get angry or become silent. Those whom be does not irritate believe in him and sit meekly at his feet; but be probably succeeds in maddening most of those with whom be associates. If I am right, a pose of superiority is the one thing to avoid, if we wish to be liked by our fellow-men.—I