the university of hard knocks-第7章

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But　if　we　let　life　become　routine；　we　are　shaking　down。　The　very　routine　of　life　must　every　day　flash　a　new　attractiveness。　We　must　be　learning　new　things　and　discovering　new　joys　in　our　daily　routine　or　we　become　unhappy。　If　we　go　on　doing　just　the　same　things　in　the　same　way　day　after　day；　thinking　the　same　thoughts；　our　eyes　glued　to　precedentsjust　turning　round　and　round　in　our　places　and　not　growing　any；　pretty　soon　we　become　mere　machines。　We　wear　smaller。　The　joy　and　juice　go　out　of　our　lives。　We　shrivel　and　rattle。

The　success；　joy　and　glory　of　life　are　in　learning；　growing；　going　forward　and　upward。　That　is　the　only　way　to　hold　our　place。

The　farmer　must　be　learning　new　things　about　farming　to　hold　his　place　this　progressive　age　as　a　farmer。　The　merchant　must　be　growing　into　a　greater；　wiser　merchant　to　hold　his　place　among　his　competitors。　The　minister　must　be　getting　larger　visions　of　the　ministry　as　he　goes　back　into　the　same　old　pulpit　to　keep　on　filling　it。　The　teacher　must　be　seeing　new　possibilities　in　the　same　old　schoolroom。　The　mother　must　be　getting　a　larger　horizon　in　her　homemaking。

We　only　live　as　we　grow　and　learn。　When　anybody　stays　in　the　same　place　year　after　year　and　fills　it；　he　does　not　rattle。

Unless　the　place　is　a　grave！

I　shiver　as　I　see　the　pages　of　school　advertisements　in　the　journals　labeled　〃Finishing　Schools；〃　and　〃A　Place　to　Finish　Your　Child。〃　I　know　the　schools　generally　mean　all　right；　but　I　fear　the　students　will　get　the　idea　they　are　being　finished；　which　finishes　them。　We　never　finish　while　we　live。　A　school　finishing　is　a　commencement；　not　an　end…ment。

I　am　sorry　for　the　one　who　says；　〃I　know　all　there　is　to　know　about　that。　You　can't　tell　me　anything　about　that。〃　He　is　generally　rattling。

The　greater　and　wiser　the　man；　the　more　anxious　he　is　to　be　told。

I　am　sorry　for　the　one　who　struts　around　saying；　〃I　own　the　job。　They　can't　get　along　without　me。〃　For　I　feel　that　they　are　getting　ready　to　get　along　without　him。　That　noise　you　hear　is　the　death…rattle　in　his　throat。

Big　business　men　keep　their　ears　open　for　rattles　in　their　machinery。

I　am　sorry　for　the　man；　community　or　institution　that　spends　much　time　pointing　backward　with　pride　and　talking　about　〃in　my　day！〃　For　it　is　mostly　rattle。　The　live　one's　〃my　day〃　is　today　and　tomorrow。　The　dead　one's　is　yesterday。




We　Must　Get　Ready　to　Get


We　young　people　come　up　into　life　wanting　great　places。　I　would　not　give　much　for　a　young　person　（or　any　other　person）　who　does　not　want　a　great　place。　I　would　not　give　much　for　anybody　who　does　not　look　forward　to　greater　and　better　things　tomorrow。

We　often　think　the　way　to　get　a　great　place　is　just　to　go　after　it　and　get　it。　If　we　do　not　have　pull　enough；　get　some　more　pull。　Get　some　more　testimonials。

We　think　if　we　could　only　get　into　a　great　place　we　would　be　great。　But　unless　we　have　grown　as　great　as　the　place　we　would　be　a　great　joke；　for　we　would　rattle。　And　when　we　have　grown　as　great　as　the　place；　that　sized　place　will　generally　come　seeking　us。

We　do　not　become　great　by　getting　into　a　great　place；　any　more　than　a　boy　becomes　a　man　by　getting　into　his　father's　boots。　He　is　in　great　boots；　but　he　rattles。　He　must　grow　greater　feet　before　he　gets　greater　boots。　But　he　must　get　the　feet　before　he　gets　the　boots。

We　must　get　ready　for　things　before　we　get　them。

All　life　is　preparation　for　greater　things。

Moses　was　eighty　years　getting　ready　to　do　forty　years　work。　The　Master　was　thirty　years　getting　ready　to　do　three　years　work。　So　many　of　us　expect　to　get　ready　in　〃four　easy　lessons　by　mail。〃

We　can　be　a　pumpkin　in　one　summer；　with　the　accent　on　the　〃punk。〃　We　can　be　a　mushroom　in　a　day；　with　the　accent　on　the　〃mush。〃　But　we　cannot　become　an　oak　that　way。

The　world　is　not　greatly　impressed　by　testimonials。　The　man　who　has　the　most　testimonials　generally　needs　them　most　to　keep　him　from　rattling。　A　testimonial　so　often　becomes　a　crutch。

Many　a　man　writes　a　testimonial　to　get　rid　of　somebody。　〃Well；　I　hope　it　will　do　him　some　good。　Anyhow；　I　have　gotten　him　off　my　hands。〃　I　heard　a　Chicago　superintendent　say　to　his　foreman；　〃Give　him　a　testimonial　and　fire　him！〃

It　is　dangerous　to　overboost　people；　for　the　higher　you　boost　them　the　farther　they　will　fall。




The　Menace　of　the　Press…Notice


Now　testimonials　and　press…notices　very　often　serve　useful　ends。　In　lyceum　work；　in　teaching；　in　very　many　lines；　they　are　often　useful　to　introduce　a　stranger。　A　letter　of　introduction　is　useful。　A　diploma；　a　degree；　a　certificate；　a　license；　are　but　different　kinds　of　testimonials。

The　danger　is　that　the　hero　of　them　may　get　to　leaning　upon　them。　Then　they　become　a　mirror　for　his　vanity　instead　of　a　monitor　for　his　vitality。

Most　testimonials　and　press…notices　are　frank　flatteries。　They　magnify　the　good　points　and　say　little　as　possible　about　the　bad　ones。　I　look　back　over　my　lyceum　life　and　see　that　I　hindered　my　progress　by　reading　my　press…notices　instead　of　listening　to　the　verdict　of　my　audiences。　I　avoided　frank　criticism。　It　would　hurt　me。　Whenever　I　heard　an　adverse　criticism；　I　would　go　and　read　a　few　press…notices。　〃There；　I　am　all　right；　for　this　clipping　says　I　am　the　greatest　ever；　and　should　he　return；　no　hall　would　be　able　to　contain　the　crowd。〃

And　my　vanity　bump　would　again　rise。

Alas！　How　often　I　have　learned　that　when　I　did　return　the　hall　that　was　filled　before　was　entirely　too　big　for　the　audience！　The　editors　of　AmericaGod　bless　them！　They　are　always　trying　to　boost　a　home　enterprisenot　for　the　sake　of　the　imported　attraction　but　for　the　sake　of　the　home　folks　who　import　it。

We　must　read　people；　not　press…notices。

When　you　get　to　the　place　where　you　can　stand　aside　and　〃see　yourself　go　by〃when　you　can　keep　still　and　see　every　fibre　of　you　and　your　work　mercilessly　dissected；　shake　hands　with　yourself　and　rejoice；　for　the　kingdom　of　success　is　yours。




The　Artificial　Uplift


There　are　so　many　loving；　sincere；　foolish；　cruel　uplift　movements　in　the　land。　They　spring　up；　fail；　wail；　disappear；　only　to　be　succeeded　by　twice　as　many　more。　They　fail　because　instead　of　having　the　barrel　do　the　uplifting；　they　try　to　do　it　with　a　derrick。

The　victims　of　the　artificial　uplift　cannot　stay　uplifted。　They　rattle　back；　and　〃the　last　estate　of　that　man　is　worse　than　the　first。〃

You　cannot　uplift　a　beggar　by　giving　him　alms。　You　are　using　the　derrick。　We　must　feed　the　hungry　and　clothe　the　naked；　but　that　is　not　helping　them；　that　is　propping　them。　The　beggar　who　asks　you　to　help　him　does　not　want　to　be　helped。　He　wants　to　be　propped。　He　wants　you　to　license　him　and　professionalize　him　as　a　beggar。

You　can　only　help　a　man　to　help　himself。　Help　him　to　grow。　You　cannot　help　many　people；　for　there　are　not　many　people　willing　to　be　helped　on　the　inside。　Not　many　willing　to　grow　up。

When　Peter　and　John　went　up　to　the　temple　they　found　the　lame　beggar　sitting　at　the　gate　Beautiful。　Every　day　the　beggar　had　been　〃helped。〃　Every　day　as　they　laid　him　at　the　gate　people　would　pass　thru　the　gate　and　see　him。　He　would　say；　〃Help　me！〃　〃Poor　man；〃　they　would　reply；　〃you　are　in　a　bad　fix。　Here　is　help；〃　and　they　would　throw　him　some　money。

And　so　every　day　that　beggar　got　to　be　more　of　a　beggar。　The　public　〃helped〃　him　to　be　poorer　in　spirit；　more　helpless　and　a　more　hopeless　cripple。　No　doubt　he　belonged　after　a　few　days　of　the　〃helping〃　to　the　Jerusalem　Beggars'　Union　and　carried　his　card。　Maybe　he　paid　a　commission　for　such　a　choice　beggars'　beat。

But　Peter　really　helped　him。　〃Silver　and　gold　have　I　none；　but　such　as　I　have　give　I　thee：　In　the　name　of　Jesus　Christ　of　Nazareth　rise　up　and　walk。〃




Fix　the　People；　Not　the　Barrel


I　used　to　say；　〃Nobody　uses　me　right。　Nobody　gives　me　a　chance。〃　But　if　chances　had　been　snakes；　I　would　have　been　bitten　a　hundred　times　a　day。　We　need　oculists；　not　opportunities。

I　used　to　work　on　the　〃section〃　and　get　a　dollar　and　fifteen　cents　a　day。　I　rattled　there。　I　did　not　earn　my　dollar　fifteen。　I　tried　to　see　how　little　I　could　do　and　look　like　I　was　working。　I　was　the　Artful　Dodger　of　Section　Sixteen。　When　the　whistle　would　blowO；　joy