OUCH! “Correction Does Much But Encouragement Does More,” -Goethe

by Reg Green

Do you remember the tv series Get Smart, featuring Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, the Inspector Clouseau of American spying?

The other day I came across this exchange with his loyal assistant, Special Agent 99, in All About Me!, a book by his co-creator, Mel Brooks:

Max: Looks like I just messed up everything.

99: Don’t feel badly, Max. You’ve messed up before and you’ll mess up again.

Max: You’re only saying that to make me feel good.