We have all met fanatics; people who only think and talk about one subject. It might be baseball, religion, politics, their ailments or stamp collecting. Sometimes on the first meeting they are interesting. But after awhile we invariably try to avoid them because we know they will be boring.

In a stamp club, the fellow who will only discuss his specialty is soon the one we don’t want to sit next to. It is good to know one subject well, but most of us have more general interests. It is fortunate that only a few of us blind ourselves to the fascination of everything else in life.

All philately is interesting, be it the seeking of plate flaws on a stamp issued in 1850 or the use of an encyclopedia to better understand the subject on the newest issue of Tunisia.

None of us has the time to do all things. But, when we can see or hear about subjects beyond our own field of activity, it is good for us to do so. The culture of our times calls for the intellectual man to both specialize and generalize. His specialty is for the advancement of particular learning. His generalizing is to more fully understand and appreciate life.