The father is attempting to advise his son on how he may negotiate
all of the complex situations he is likely to run across as a grown man. He
advises his son to be very flexible in how he deals with what life throws at
him- on one hand, he must be able to be “a rock”; on the other, he must be “soft
loam”. The key for his son is to develop the wisdom to know which approach is
appropriate. He also warns his son that the “quest of lucre” will leave him
emotionally empty, and to seek instead only “a few easy needs”, meaning the necessities
of life. Also, the father counsels his son that must not be afraid to take
risks and make mistakes, even be a “fool”, so long as he learns from those
mistakes. The father advises the son to be honest with himself and to “tell
himself no lies” although he may occasionally be not completely forthright with
others through necessity. Furthermore, he stresses the importance of rest and “lazy
days” where he may think deeply without taking action. Finally, he tells his
son to be independent of mind and true to himself, so that he may find his own strengths
in which he is a “true natural” and excel at them. All in all, the father’s
advice to the son will prepare him to be a well-adjusted, independent man who
is able to survive in a complex and unpredictable world.
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