For starters, calling a spade a spade would help immeasurably

Submitted by Ugri (Finland), Oct 9, 2012 at 03:13

sara,

you presumably know this quotation, generally attributed to Axel Oxenstierna, the Swedish statesman. Lots of use could be found for these words also in our days.

"Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?" (in a letter to his son Johan written in 1648, in the original Latin An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?). The words were intended to encourage his son, a delegate to the negotiations that would lead to the Peace of Westphalia, (after 30 Years War) who worried about his ability to hold his own amidst experienced and eminent statesmen and diplomats. (Wikipedia)

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