The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-12
WHAT Is SUCCESS?
Wrong Raised by Current
Stories of Great Business Men.

american Banker.
What a noisy gospel is that of success and
how many self-satished evangelists are enlisted
in its servicel Pulpits. books. pamphlets and
aphorisms. its modern instances. In shops and
offices. inspired by the propaganda Of this gilt
tering lore. the young men are breeding. Bank
clerks join the American institute, diligently
read the Bulletin, and procure instruction from
the correspondence school in quest OF this elu-
sive. precious, capricious thing-success. The
literary hack ransacks the careers Of c~onspicu-
Gus personages for the secret and method of sue
cess. He finds the exceptional and striking in
cident, extracts 1t from the commonplace by
which IL Is surrounded and sets IL in a dramatic
relief. The successful man Is a player strutting
upon a stage. He moves to a triumphant climax.
Al a given con1uncture he will exhibit a supernal
power OF decision. Of preternatural Judgment, of
elairvoyant vision, OF titanic Industry. and
eyitable. In other words, the successful man as
he is portrayed In current literature is an optical
deiusion, a chimera OF the literary faddist. But
all OF up unless We are poor trash indeed, have
moments of unusual power. acuteness and dill
Of US that share the common lot are destined TO
great wealth or achieve conspicuous
chances for such Accommodations never did cor
respond, and never will. 10 the number Of ener-
genc; ambitious n u aSS. ana ssspable ,mp, men which are
truth the literature Of success abhors.
The normal service OF an able and faithful man
has no place in the literature Of success. Why?
Because such a service has nothing picturesque
about lit Is too commOn: is wanting in the
melodramatic pitch. Besides. il is so common.
in fact, that we may identify it with countless
individuals, whose achievements. measured by
these limelight standards, ara Of no account
whatsoever. The successful man has never made
cue. never told a lie, is never weary. plans and
plots incessantly and probably never sleeps at
all! And. above all things. he always reaches
the top and invariably possesses a heavy bank
account. The greater this bank account the
more wonderful tie business and professional
powers of this astonishing individual seem TO be.
He Is always more faithful. more NiafIaut moro
industrious. more efficient than other men. But
this confuses the issue and debases the standard
Of success Browning said that the emphasis of
success should be laid upon endeavor. The man
who is true 10 himself. faithful TO the trust re-
posed in him. employing his resources 10 the
fullest, allowing for human endurance as well as
weakness, Is a successful man. His material
reward may be modest. but he is doing a part OF
the Indispensable work or the world, doing liz
steadily and WELLS not this also success and
success OF a high order? To the literary per-
yerts who write pithy and snappy articles on
how success IL achieved in this dull world such
a man is a mere Cumberer Of the ground. Be
cause some one stands higher. this man is TO be
outelassed and out qualified. He is simply not
in the race.