Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-14
WASTE BY FRICTION.
bIutual Respect and Confidence Essential
 to All Great UndertDkings.


 to All Great UndertDkings.
 Undoubtedly a great many people over work, but there are great many sins laio upon the shoulders of work which ought to be bound on the back of friction. Friction, says the Christian Union, kills ten men where overwork kills one; friction destroys freshness, wastes energy, spends courage and induces failure. Except in cases where personal adjustments are absolutely neces- sary, friction is pure waste, serves no pur pose accomplishes no result, and is so much capital of health, strength, high spirit and good working power thrown away. It is safe to say that no great enterprise ever succeeded in which friction was not re- duced to the minimum, because friction in wolves necessarily defective organization or antagonistic methods and plans The home in which friction is permanent element IS caricature of a real home. It is home without repose without cheerfulness, with | out that atmosphere of confidence, sweet | ness and sacrifice which is to all the best and noblest interests of the family what the air is to plants and men. Incidental l friction and occasional friction are inevita- ble; continuous friction means bad organ | ization, unsympathetic workers, or the | presence of obstinacy, stupidity or willful- | ness. Wherever it exists it ought to be taken as an indication that there is some thing wrong, and as a suggestion that it is time to examine the situation and remove | the obstacles. In most cases the observ- ance of few simple principles will eliminate this exasperating source of weaKness and | failure.
 Itis useless for people to try to accomplish h common result without mutual confidence | in each other. If a man lacks confidence in his partners, he would better dissolve the part nership and form new business connec- tions; if man lacks confidence in his friends, he would better examine himselfto see whether he is worthy of association with them, and if he can satisfy his mind on that point he would better cease intercourse with them rather than carry it on at the ex- pense of that good understanding which is the basis of all true friendship. A friend | ship accompanied by incessant irritation will sooner or later come to an end, and the sooner that end is reached the better. Mu- tual confidence is the only sound and healthy basis for cooperation in any enter prise When we cease to have confidence in each other, it is time nat the connection should be broken. The other method ot coping up a relation ship out of which the heart is gone, and so producing continual
 friction, is slow torture to which death is far preferable.
 | Thoroughgolng sympathy makes friction impossible, and is at the same time the | foundation rock on which all great success is builded. No man can cooperate, hear, and soul, with another unless he has sym pathy with his aims and spirit He can not 1 even understand what those aims anc spirit are without the power to put himself in the others place and see things from his point of view. Great enterprises gc through to success when men come into full sympathy with each other in their devotion to a great purpose. Such sympathy is { silent but infallible interpreter between men who may differ in many points, urge diverse methods, even possesses antago nistic temperaments, and yet be perfectly harmonious through their harmonyin some central purpose.
 Every great work is, in a certain sense, | compromise. No man is able t6 achieve ; } great thing with his own unaideu hand. Al some point or another he needs the help o1 others, and when he needs that help he must concede something to it. It is only under a deSpotlsm or under some form O- slavery that one man arbitrarily imposes his will on another. In that case there is no friction because there is no Individuality
 no consciousness of manhood none of the barriers of self respect Mutual conces sions are the price which men lust pay fol , cooperation, and in the end they gain more than they lose, for many man who has genius for ideas is helpless without the practical skill which can give them shape and form. In the shaping and forming tht idea is generally modified to advantage.
 Men who work together and without fric tion must respect each other. There l: nothing which creates so effective an espri de corps, which develops so thorough discipline, as the common respect of eacl man for the plaS:.e, responsibility ant authority of every Other. If mans per , sonality and authority are not respected il , department of a business, it is time fo
 him to insist on the proper recognition O
 both or if his superior has not yet learned ths primary business principle of respect , ing the personality and the authority of subordinate, it is time that he went back t
 the kindergarten and made thorough study of the first principles of success. If mutual confidence, mutual sympathy , mutual concession and mutual respect ar studiously cultivated, friction will disappea
 and success be achieved Where men ar hand-in- glove in proper relations, and in tn proper spirit toward each other, friction impossible.