The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-10-19
Individuality.
By Fannie Isabelle Sherrick
in Journal OF Agriculture.

The strongest point in mans
character is Will-power. That de-
termines his morality, his intcllec-
tuality and his greatness. It is
the keynote to his intrinsic value,
and his use to the world in general
often depends upon that quality
alone. Upon will-power, therefore,
depends individuality.
The man or woman VIII possess
es no individuality is cipher in
the human race. Without that dis
tinctive element in his character he
might as well be a beast in the
field or a fish in the sea. This
question of individuality has al
ways been one of my favorite hob
bies. l believe in it most sincerely.
To be distinctive in every thing we
do is to make out our own individ-
uality and win place among men
that we may call our own. The
man who does not assert his char
acter by showing himself different
from his fellowmen. knows little of
the divine heritage that belongs to
him. To win recognition in any
work we must assert our individu-
ality. If the brave soldier of France.
had been content to have followed
his companions in the field, where
would have been our Napoleonf
1t was his indomitable will, his cour-
ageous assertion of self, that made
him the ruler of kingdoms and the
leader of armies.
In the world of letters it is such
Winds as these, Milton, Dante,
Shakespeare, Goethe, Homer, Vir-
gil, etc, who take the lead. Whye
Because their individuality is so
strongly marked that they stand
out like beacon lights amid the
lesser lights of mankind. Had they
been content to have followed in
the wake of their fellowWen they
would not have become the great
masters of song that we now know
them.
Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Bacon,
Locke and scores of others, we rec
ognize as the great philosophers Of
our race. Why? Because they
were not content with the knowl-
edge of their predecessors but
strove by their own individuality
to mark ont new paths in the fields
of learning.
We read of the grand old masters,
Angelo, Raphael, Rembrandt, Ru-
ben, Murillo and Titan, who dared
to ascend almost to the gates Of
heaven for their inspiration, and we
are struck dumb almost with the
grandeur of their work. Its sub
Unity awed the multitude. Was it
not because their freedom of mind
asserted itself in daring flights
above the souls of their fellowmen
that they achieved their greatness9
What great work was ever ac-
complished that the individuality
of some man or woman was not it's
leading spiritp 1t would be impos-
sible to name one. Even the great
bridge across our Mississippi only
became thing OF possibility
through the individuality, the re-
sistless will-power of Eads.
What glorious possibilities this
thing of individuality presents-if
we would only cultivate it. If each
man would only say to himself
(and each woman too) / will be
different from my fellowmen, 1 will
not follow in the footsteps of my
neighbor but accept the divine her
itage God has given me and win
success in the work for which l am
fitted. Then we would not see so
many failures, and so many men
and women plodding along in the
same old routine of work for which
they are not suited. When we
think of it, how few men and women
assert their Individuality Mr.. A.
builds his house a certain way be-
cause Mr.. b. does. Mrs. A. goes
to church because Mrs. b. does.
Mr.. A. wears a long coat because
Mr.. b. does, and Mrs. A. wears q
green bonnet because Mrs. b. does,
and so it's goes through all the
things of life. Our individuality
may be shown even in a bonnet
though many women do not seem
to know it.
There are writer's for this very
department whose individuality is
so strongly marked, that il they
were never to sign their names or
nom de plume to their articles, we
would recognize them.almost imme-
diately. This shows us how strong
a quality it is, and how greatly it
may influence our success or fail
ure in life. Then indeed it be-
hooves us to cultivate it. Without
it, we cannot win success, but with
it, we may indeed know our birth
right and use it TO its best adVan-
tage.
Teach your children a knowledge
of themselves, give them to under
stand that this individuality is a di-
vine inheritance, and they will rise
to do you honor and will shine as
bright lights whose farreaching
beams can never be quenched. For
he whose individuality is strongly
marked will not be content with
mediocrity but will most assuredly
excel in all that he does.