Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-12-27
Work and Hurry.


Mr.. Herbert Spencer thought that the
most valuable piece of advice he could
leave US in departing from our shores
was to be less restless-to work less
and play more Overwork was the be-
setting sin of Americans, according to
that English philosopher, who spoke
with the more feeling and the stronger
emphasis on the subject because he
himself was a victim of the very excess
against which he warned us. He had
come to the United States, in truth.
with the hope of restoring tone to his
nervous system, SO shattered by indis-
Greet application to study that he was
unable to sleep soundly.
Sensible people here, however, knew
very well that working too hard was
not an American vice. 1t is rare to
find an American whose tendency to
sin takes that direction. The men who
complain most of Overwork are usually
those who are uniting themselves for
exertion by bad habits of self-induI-
gence. They could do their work with
out undue strain if they did not other
wise overtax their nerves.
But there is another very frequent
cause of nervous prOstratiOn. 1t is has
ty and unmethodical labor, the habit of
hurrying. But that cause, it seems, is
commonly active in London no less
than in New York.
The London Lancet warns the 'city
men," that is, the business men, that
they are wearing themselves out with
unnecessary hurry and hustle. 1t also
tells physicians that they would do far
more to prevent the spread of nervous
disease if they undertook to cure this
vicious and mental habit, than they
can hope to do by dealing only with the
particular ills which come from it.
One of the chief characteristics of
business life, the Lancet says, is to be
always in a hurry. The moment lad
enters q business house she begins to
make believe to others, and too quick
ly to himself, that he is overwhelmed
with work. The result is the formation
of mental habit of hurrying, which
before long becomes the keynote and
motive of the whole life 1t is the Gus
tom to write and speak as though COM
mercial men were really as much press
ed for time as they pretend to be-
Now, the simple fact is that al their
haste and turmoil, prejudicial and often
ruinous as it is, is artificial"
The bustling, hurrying man, as a
matter OF fact, is poor worker, and
accomplishes comparatively little in a
day. Too much of his steam power is
expended in kicking up q dust. The
habit of hurrying and Of feeling in a
hurry is fatal to good work, and dimin-
ishes the amount of work a man can
get through with. The friction is too
great. So little of practical value is
accomplished, despite all the superfu-
GUS expenditure of energy, that he can
not 90 home at night with the sweet
consciousness of duty done, of days
work completed: He has left too many
stitches to be taken up.
The men who accomplish the most
never seem in q hurry, no matter how
much they have to do. Everybody must
have observed that. They are not
troubled for lack of time, for they make
the most of the minutes by working in
q cool, clear, orderly, and methOdical
fashion, finishing each job properly,
and not wasting their nervous force on
trifles or expanding it in hustle. They
never complain of oyerwork They
dLG luOIG 1lh61y 70 DG uunIluS up new
work to do, in order to give their facul-
ties more varied employment and to
| exercise some which are not sufficiently
used.
Too much work to do! The highest
| pleasure and greatest satisfaction are
| found in work only, and the more work
a man has to do, if it is work to which
he is adapted, the better he likes it.
The men to pity are those who can get
nothing to do, and those whose only
business is to hunt for pleasure for
| itself-the fellows who have no other
occupation than that of killing time.
But we are also sorry for the men,
whose manner. as described by the
Lancet, suggests boiler worked up to
the highest pressure and only saved
from bursting by frequent letting off OF
steam.--M T. Sum-