My mentor Brand Blanshard, a philosophy professor at Yale, said that “the basic truths of life are the same for every honest mind, whether atheist or devotee.”

My grandfather, a Methodist minister, said that “Every person you meet knows something that you don’t know. So pay attention.”

Confucius, a Chinese sage, said that “Even when walking in a party of only three, I can always be certain of learning from the other two.”

My father, a physician, said that “Smart people learn from their mistakes. Really smart people learn from other people’s mistakes.”

Confucius said that “In the presence of a good man, think about how you can learn to equal him. In the presence of a bad man, remember what you know is right.”

I guess that Prof. Blanshard was correct: the basic truths of life are the same, no matter who you are, when or where you live.