Grown-ups like numbers. When you tell them about a new
friend, they never ask questions about what really matters. They never ask:
"What does his voice sound like?" "What games does he
like best?" "Does he collect butterflies?" They ask: "How
old is he?" "How many brothers does he have?" "How much does he weigh?" "How
much money does his father make?" Only then do they think they know him.
If you tell grown-ups, "I saw a beautiful red brick
house, with geraniums at the windows and doves on the roof," they won't be
able to imagine such a house. You have to tell them, "I saw a house
worth a hundred thousand francs." Then they exclaim, "What a pretty house!"
So if you tell them: "The proof the little prince's
existence is that he was delightful, that he laughed, and that he wanted a
sheep. When someone wants a sheep, that proves he exists," they shrug their
shoulders and treat you like a child! But if you tell them, "The planet he
came from is Asteroid B-612," then they'll be convinced, and they
won't bother you with their questions. That's the way they are.
Here THE MAIN THING. To be very careful with numbers. Use
them but do not let them you get blind.


