Pick out the cream and leave the crumps

I am very happy today. I just had a good dinner with my wife at EVA's, a peranakan restaurant. The food was ok, but it was the company that really matters.

We shared our views on various issues. One of which was to learn to pick out the positives, even when we are drowned in a bad position.

I was complaining to her about the company that I mixed with recently. They were people that were very close minded. They do not believe in self help books AT ALL (though I agree that NOT ALL self help books are great). I told them that I used some of the books and that they were pretty good. These people laughed at me. (I am not sure if they are indicating that I am helpless.) I was pretty upset although I did not show it.

My wife suggested to me to learn to handle these kind of people. Maybe I can pick out some new tips on handling difficult people. On a negative note, maybe I should share less information with them and not waste my effort, instead concentrate my effort on more productive events. Yet again, (on a positive note) they may have some good virtues that I had overlooked, such as faithfulness to their beliefs.

Anyhow, my wife told me a quote from someone "I would rather have intelligent enemies than foolish friends". I liked it but thought it was quite arrogant.

I came up with my own version "Pick out the cream and leave the crumps."