The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-18
Success Versus Happiness.

5 -
with greater success than other peoples is
that they are determined to hAye sue
cess. 1t is the purpose of their existence.
In all the older nations the people are
more inclined to look upon life as some
thing to be enjoyed as much as, possible
all the way thru. The American puts
aside such theories of life and girds him
self for the race for some fixed goal car
ing little how it fares with him on the
way and hoping to get his share of life's
satisfaction out Of the attainment of the
goal. Speaking of the Americans, Max
Nordau says:S
Everybody ahead' is the national
motto. I suppress Intentionally the Sec
ond half of the smart sentence. The uni
versal ideal of the American people seems
to be success. The dream of success
feeds the fancy of the child, hypnotizes
the youth, gives the man temerity, tenac-
1ty and perseverance, and only begins to
become matter of indifference under the
SOLDERING influence of advanced age.
What does success mean to Americans /?
1t means the accumulation of large
amount of money or the attainment of a.
commanding position in some department
OF human activity; it means to be on
top. These top places are comparatively
few. Even If all men were equally en-
doWed with ability and energy, all Of
them could, not have these few places
The wealth Of the United States is put at
$4,000, ,000000. II this sum were equally
divided among our. so, OOO, 900 people there
would be less than $1,000 for each individ-
-ual. Plainly we cannot all be million
aires Only eighteen men in a life span can
be presidents. There is only a limited
number OF great railroad headships only
a small number of authors can have great
success, only a few men can be pres.
dents Of the great universities, there is a
demand for only handful of leading law
yers or great medical specialists. Com
pared with the number of ambitious en-
ployes the number of great manufacture
ing executive places is small These be-
ing the facts, is not the national ambition
constantly booming uncounted millions to
disappointment and bitterness of spirit?
Would it not be better if our people were
taught that the success Of life lies in the
living and not in outward rewards?
A little book by Carl Hilty, which
breaches this RUE OF life has Just been
translated ira frona.s5th German Y ':Happi-
ness Is its titles A. A cont temporary review
of st remarks that it, ought, to bring COM
fort to. those who have nobly failed in
specific enterprises and heart searching
to those who have secured the external
insignia and distinction Of success. After
quoting Thier' ssaaying, Men Of principle
need not succeed. Success is necessary,
only to schemers,'';; Hilty continues: I'm
other words, a genuine victory over the
world Is not to be achieved thru that kind
of success which the French call Success
and which for many men makes the end
OF effcrt. He who plays this game Of am
bition may as we'll abandon the hope or
peace Of mind or of peace with others
and in most cases he must forfeit out
rightly his self respect
We suspect that there would be more
genuine happiness in this restless Ameri
can life, If men were more content to do
their chosen or assigned work faithfully.
with calm mind and pure heart cheer
fully accepting or passing by the seats of
power and the accumulations of wealth.