＞◼ For example, sitting next to a stranger for two subway stops is an utterly ordinary occurrence.
＞◼ In reality, whether the person sitting beside you is a serious criminal or an upright citizen is usually not especially important in that moment.
＞◼ Even if the person were a serious criminal, if they are riding quietly and observing proper manners, one might naturally smile upon making eye contact — so long as it would not be misunderstood as expressing some special attachment.
＞◼ Still more so, if someone picks up a pen you accidentally dropped, it would be perfectly ordinary in a large city to thank them with a broad smile — without knowing they were a serious criminal, and so long as it would not be mistaken for personal attachment.
＞◼ Hardly anyone on public transportation pauses to consider whether the person whose pen they are picking up is respectable or a serious criminal.
＞◼ All the more so if the other person responds, “You’re welcome. That fashion suits you very well.”
＞◼ Such friendly exchanges are part of the esprit — the practical wisdom — of metropolitan life, allowing strangers to coexist comfortably during a crowded two-stop subway ride.
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＞◼ Life in a great city means brushing shoulders every day with countless strangers.
https://gyazo.com/a07307fcc8771dec99f4b8e09c26186e
＞◼ For example, sitting next to a stranger for two subway stops is an utterly ordinary occurrence.
＞◼ In reality, whether the person sitting beside you is a serious criminal or an upright citizen is usually not especially important in that moment.
＞◼ Even if the person were a serious criminal, if they are riding quietly and observing proper manners, one might naturally smile upon making eye contact — so long as it would not be misunderstood as expressing some special attachment.
＞◼ Still more so, if someone picks up a pen you accidentally dropped, it would be perfectly ordinary in a large city to thank them with a broad smile — without knowing they were a serious criminal, and so long as it would not be mistaken for personal attachment.
＞◼ Hardly anyone on public transportation pauses to consider whether the person whose pen they are picking up is respectable or a serious criminal.
＞◼ All the more so if the other person responds, “You’re welcome. That fashion suits you very well.”
＞◼ Such friendly exchanges are part of the esprit — the practical wisdom — of metropolitan life, allowing strangers to coexist comfortably during a crowded two-stop subway ride.
https://gyazo.com/4030b34b28bc0ae7679604d1195f2420