Two yellow beads sit on small metal pedestal dishes, one seen through a magnifying glass.

Original artwork, not a still

The Importance of Being Seven  ·  2012

Alexander McCall Smith

“But we are all fortunate in one way or another. The task for most of us is to identify in what way that is, would you not agree?”

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker suggests everyone has some good fortune, though it may take effort to notice it. Rather than lecturing, they turn the point into a shared task: work out where one's own luck lies. The closing question invites the listener to agree, softly and courteously.

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