Peanuts by Charles Schulz for July 05, 1965

What Charlie Brown does, based on his simple theory, is rather akin to the expression,“can dish it out but cannot take it,”if you think about it. I mean, while he tells the others to grit their teeth, as an attempt to scare the opposing team and win(and it works for all of them), it does NOT work for him—-partly because he is strongly tempted to chicken out, until Frieda gives him some pep talk. But it still does not work, for him—hence, while Charlie Brown can sure “dish it out,”(by encouraging his subordinates to look mean and fierce)he “cannot take it’(the way he chickens out, when forced to do it himself.”) Poor Charlie Brown. There must be a moral to this “cartoon serial”—if you don’t really believe in something like an old wives’ tale, or theory, don’t encourage anyone to try it, not if you don’t believe in it yourself.

I do wish Schulz would’ve occasionally let poor Charlie Brown win! I don’t think it would ruin his character or something