The Bond Brain - Risico & For Your Eyes Only

Once again we turn to the short stories of Fleming to see what advice we can glean to feed the Bond Brain. Let’s turn to Risico, a lesser known short story, first. Probably won’t ever see that as a movie title, but there’s plenty of bang bang in this one, with some memorable characters. If you haven’t read it, do so.

Speaking of characters, Bond in Risico offers some advice. “He liked cheerful expansive people with a zest for life.”

Good idea, especially if one considers the opposite type of personality. We have all probably experienced the company of people who always find the dark cloud in the silver lining. Overly pessimistic, complaining, dull.

You probably work with some of these now, and if you are particularly unlucky, one of them is your boss. If one is your significant other, perhaps you should do with her/him what James Bond did with a particularly obnoxious yachtsman in The Hildebrand Rarity. Toss ‘em over the side. (Figuratively speaking of course).

Man is by and large a social animal. So make sure the animals in your life are indeed social. The types that Bond likes can bring you out of a depression, enhance your celebratory moods, and might even be of practical use, because these types usually have a lot of contacts.

So while a gray suit might be flattering to your appearance, a “gray” person will not enhance your look or your life.

Now turning to For Your Eyes Only let’s take a tip from M. In talking to Bond, M observes “Trouble is very few people keep tough after about forty. They’ve been knocked about by life, had trouble, tragedies, illnesses. These things soften you up.”

Maybe, or maybe they make you colder, less emotional. Either way, it’s important to stay “tough” after forty—but how?

Some of the toughest guys out there are your special forces type. Back in the day, when I served in US Intelligence, I had the opportunity to meet many of them. The vast majority had a dark wicked sense of humor. It helped keep them relatively sane. It can do the same for you.

Another aid, is to remain physically tough. There are various martial arts to practice, various forms of physical exercise. As long as you remember you aren’t twenty any more, you can still safely keep yourself in good shape—fighting weight and all that sort of thing.

One of the most useful techniques in not being undone by trouble, tragedies and illnesses, is to remember that an event is just that. It is not an epitaph or a eulogy. It is not a book about you, it might merely be a chapter. Never confuse your self with an event.

So as not to overdose you on too much good advice at once, I will just remind you that by following the above Bondian advice, you not only will be in more pleasant company, but you will be not only still tough, more pleasant company yourself for someone else.

© 2013 W. Adam Mandelbaum Esq. - justiceneversleeps.net

Author of The Born Again Bachelor's Bible - Great tips for divorced or divorcing men
Member Association For Intelligence Officers
Former operative at NSA
Present New York Attorney

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