Brett Higby – Never be the first to stop clapping.

This was the unwritten but well-known rule in Stalinist Russia.  If one was at a formal function and an important dignitary walked in, everyone in attendance was obligated to applaud until the dignitary took his seat.  This awkward clapping might go on for ten or more minutes, with nervous desperate glances to one’s left or right, while the object of adulation would just stand there, coolly appraising his admirers, waiting for someone to break ranks. Continue reading →