The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-23
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
Wrong Standard Raised By Stories of
 Great Business Men.

From the American Banker.
 What a noisy gospel is that of "suc- cess" and how many self-satisfied evangelists are enlisted in it's service. Pulpits, books, pamphlets and period icals overflow with it's catchwords, it's aphorisms, it's modern instances. In shops and offices, inspired by the propaganda of this glittering lore, the young men are breeding. Bank clerks join the American institute, diligently read the Bulletin and procure instruc- tion from tho correspondence school in quest of this elusive, precious, capri cious thing-success. The literary hack ransacks the careers of conspicu- ous personages for the secret and method of success. He finds the excep- tional and striking incident, extracts it from the commonplace by which 1t is surrounded and sets It in dramatic relief. The successful man is a player strutting upon a stage. He moves to a triumphal climax. A given con- juncture he will exhibit supernatural power of decision, of preternatural judgment, of clairvoyant vision, of
 
 ultimate triumph becomes inevitable.
 In other words, tho successful man as he is portrayed in current literature is an optical illusion, chimera of the literary faddist. But all of us, unless we are poor trash inieed, have mo- ments of unusual power, acuteness and diligence. This is the common lot. Yet only a few of us that share the com mon lot are destined to accumulate great wealth or achieve conspicuous stations The number of such stations and the chances for such accumula- tions never did correspond, and nevT will, to the number ot energetic, amtd- tious and capable men who are hope ful of achieving them. This unpalat- able truth the literature of success aLhors.
 The normal service of an able and faithful man has no piece in the litera- ture of success. Why? Because such q service has nothing picturesque about it-it is too common, is wanting in the melodramatio pitch. Besides, it is so co mon, in fact, that we may identify It with countless individuals whose achievements, measured by these lime light standards, are of no account whatsoever. The successful man has never made a mistake, never taken a drink, never missed cue, never told lie, is never weary, plans and plots necessarily, and probably never sleeps at all! Anu above all things he always reaches tho top and invariably pos sesses a heavy bank account. The greater this bank account the more wonderful the business and profes- sional power of this astonishing indi- vidual seems to be. He is always more faithful, more yigilant more industri- ous, more efficient than other men. But this confuses the issue and de- bases the standard of success. Brown ins said that the emphasis of success should be laid upon endeavor.
 The man who is true to himself, faithful to the trust reposed in him, employing his resources to the fullest, allowing for human endurance as well as weakness, is a successful man. His material reward may be modest, but he is doinl a part oI the indispensable work of the world, doing it steadily ani well. Is not this also success and success of a high order? To the lit erary perverts who write pithy and snappy articles on how success is achieved in this world such man is a mere cumberer of the ground. Be- cause some one stands higher, this man is held to be outclassed and out qualified. He is simply not Tn the race.