The-Conquest-of-Happiness-by-Bertrand-Russell

for you; it may be that you have no talent for acting,
or that you have a bad voice. If this is the case,
however, you will soon discover it from theatrical
people, and there will still be plenty of time to
adopt a different career. The arguments of parents
should not be a sufficient reason for relinquishing
the attempt. If, in spite of all they say, you carry out
your intention, they will soon come round, much
sooner in fact than either you or they suppose. If on
the other hand you find professional opinion
discouraging, that is another matter, for
professional opinion must always be treated with
respect by beginners.
I think that in general, apart from expert opinion,
there is too much respect paid to the opinions of
others, both in great matters and in small ones. One
should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as
is necessary to avoid starvation and to keep out of
prison, but anything that goes beyond this is
voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny,
and is likely to interfere with happiness in all
kinds of ways. Take, for example, the matter of