Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1892-12-30
CHOOSING A PROFESSION.
Those Thiugs That should Help "A Boy or
Girl IN necidIne Whit 10 DO.

Girl In Deciding what TO DO.
There are three things which should
influence the choice Of profession: the
first is aptitude; the second heredity;
the third, opportunity.
Aptitude is the most important 1t is
natures index finger, pointing out the
road which we are best fitted TO pursue
In life Almost every young person
has strong liking for some par
ticular kind of work. and marked IA
cility and skill in It's performance. One
will take TO mechanics, another to
trade, another 10 some form of art, an
other TO science, another to books and
reading, and so on. Aptitudes are very
various, and il is well that they are so,
for this would be very one-sided kind
of world il we were all engaged in the
same, or nearly the same, pursuit Ma
ture has so arranged IL by giving us
these various and marked aptitudes,
that a proper balance and proportion
shall be preserved among the different
kinds of work in the world, and that
each kind shall be performed by those
who have an enthusiasm for it and a
natural facility in doing it.
!
the first important question which a
boy or girl should ask is this: I'm what
direction does my aptitude lie?' For in
that direction the greatest amount and
most effective kind of work can be
done with the expenditure of a given
amount of energy. in the great ma
jority of cases aptitudes are not hard
TO determines indeed, the difficult thing
would be to overlook and disregard
them. Boys and girls turn to what in
terests them as naturally as the leaf of
a plant turns toward the sunlight. You
may be sure that the boy who will make
good artist is going to be interested in
all kinds Of beautiful forms and colors
while he is young. He will notice these
things when others are blind 10 them,
and at an early age he will begin TO try
To reproduce them
So likewise. a girl who has a genuine
aptitude for music will be quick 20 APP
preciate the language of music. She
will learn TO play or sing as il bv
magic. and the exercise of her gift
will always be a source of keen delight
20 her.
Aptitudes frequently crop out very
early in the games and amusements of
children. The born merchant will have
passion for playing store the in
ventor or machinist will be always try
ing TO make things" the embryo
teacher win be perfectly contented only
in the midst of her mimic school. |
knew a boy-now a successful minister
who was never so happy as when.
= II, 49, 1, 4
repeat scraps Of Sunday-school wisdom
90 an admiring circle of brothers and
sisters.
Aptitudes win out. There is very
little danger of mistake in determining
the kind of work which nature intends
we should do But there is another
factor which should'bs considered i'm
choosing a profession. and it is often "A
very helpful factor when, as may hap
per. there seems to be no particular
aptitude COR any kind of work. This
second factory is heredity. 1t is
the latent. transmitted, storcd-up
power Of doing we'll what ones
ancestors have habitually done well.
The children of musicians generally
have "A gift for music. The children of
mechanics have an aptitude for tools
and machinery. The sons of ministers
especially If they come from long
line of preacherS-are apt to have gift
for public speaking. IT, then, a boy
displays no particular aptitude, there
Is the strongest probability that success
i'm life for him will be found i'm hi, IA
theirs profession. If he displays lilS-
ing for more than one kind of work. let
the consideration Of heredity have It's
due weight with him when one of those
preferences is for his fathers profess
| sion The chances are that boy will
succeed best i'm that for which he has
an inherited fitness. Asa rule, boys do
step into their fathers shoes" and "a
wise arrangement il is, for thus there
is cultivated from generation to genera
tiuu . faculty and skill for doing GER
tain kinds Of work, which must pro-
duce. by the principle of natural selcr-
ton. those who are progressively better
and better fitted for performing these
/ tasks.
The third and least important consid-
Grafton in choosing a profession is OPP
portunity. Sometimes all doors seem
to stand wide open 20 certain line of
work. while To all other lines they are
/ tightly closed. There certainly are
cases when such apparently 'provi-
/ Genital openings should not be disre-
/ garded, especially if the opportunity
which offers is of "A nature to enforce
| hereditary fitness. Suppose, for in
stance, that boy has chance TO go
| into machine shop as assistant to his
| father. II he has no strong desire and
! aptitude for another kind of work and
is ready tn ente. upon the active duties
/ of life, here is certainly an opportunity
which he ought not To ignore. The
| opening is one which. II he avails him
self of il, may result in successful serv-
ice and rapid promotion.
Young people may properly consider
leadings of this kind as well as those of
aptitude and heredity. A young mans
entire future often depends upon his
getting q chance to work at certain