In this world you must be oh, so smart, or oh so pleasant

From Threescore Years and Ten by Rich Galen.

One observation among many on turning 70.

In the 1950 movie "Harvey," James Stewart's character, Elwood P. Dowd, says:

"My mother told me, 'In this world you must be oh, so smart, or oh so pleasant." For years I was oh, so smart. I recommend pleasant."

I wish I'd have followed that advice.

Reminds me of a quote from Aldous Huxley. From What About the Big Stuff?: Finding Strength and Moving Forward When the Stakes Are High (2002) by Richard Carlson, p. 293:

It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one's life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than 'Try to be a little kinder.'