Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-04-10
BE willing to Take Advice.

N man can adopt a better motto than this,
and by adhering to it he will retain friends and
make many new ones. No man is so intelligent
or so judicious that he mark ont path for
himself and hope to move on in it with uniform
success, without sometimes making mistakes,
which, If he does not see, Others will be sure to
notice A little well meant advice, kindly of
fered by tried friend, may, if acted upon, avert
much misfortune, and perhaps save from disgrace
and failure.
We know that advice is often unwelcome,
sometimes unnecessary, and not unfrequently ILL
timed; but every reasonable person, if he stops
to think, will always be able to distinguish be
tween the advice of real friend and that of an
impertinent intermeddlG The desire of many
really able and well-meaDing men to go alone,
act independently and arrive at the height of
prosperity, very often results in complete failure.
Their friends, who were willing to advise, could
have pointed out the shoals and the quicksands
in their way, and when they saw that they were
rapidly approaching them, were eiger TO raise a
warning voice; but the feeling that their we'll
meant intentions would be unkindly or migrate
fully received, have restrained them, and the cat
astrophe which might have been avoided soon
overwhelms the too confident adventurer
If a mans spirit is too lofty to allow him to
listen to advice, he should remember that few can
afford, in this age of the world, to disregard the
kind interest taken in them by those who have
passed the road before them, who have
achieved success which is guarantee of their
ability to advise those whose experience has been
limited. and whose knowledge of many things
entities their opinion to respectful consideration.
The man who can safely and surely guide his bu
siness career in tie for fortune, unaided and
alone, is rarely found, especially if he is young
man. Such a man would possess traits of char
acter which, in these days, would entitle him to
position far above the majority of his fellows;
and if such individual could be found, he
would be curiosity indeed.
We do not say that men never have been sue
cessful, and never have attained high and honora-
BILE positions unaided, or without any resources
except those which their own abilities provided;
but the instances are rare and the general rule is
that man must submit to be led before he can
be allowed to go alone; in other words, he must
be willing TO receive advice and yield to the better
judgment of his more experienced friends. Too
many men fondly imagine that they are able TO
occupy and maintain position in society which
outsiders know they are totally untitled for, at
leist that they will fail in their attempts to carry
out their pretensions. unless they are willing to
own that others who have been longer on the
stage can teach them something, and impart such
information is absolutely essential, if they
would not be driven out of their position by those
who always stand ready to attach themselves to
the car of fortune.
Another thing to be remembered is, that men
whose advice is worth anything seldom offer it
unless they feel real interest in the welfare of
him to whom they proffer it: and the one advised
would be blind indeed if he could not receive it in
the spirit with whicoDit was extended. More
than one young man of promise we have known
to fail because he carried his head high above
thos who would have been his friends; but seldom
have seen one who adopted the motto which we
have placed at the head of this article, who did
not in GOOD time achieve all the success lie could
desire. and who did not win the appreciation and
esteem of those whom any man WOULD be glad to
number among his friends.-BOston Herald