Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-14
Success in Life.

IreSlQent JOhn FINLEY OF the college
of the City of New York. estimates
that the college graduate has one
chance in 10 of succeeding in life"
whereas the man who hasn't been to
college has. only one chance in 10000.
1t * unfortunate that President Fin
ley has not made clear what he means
by the. phrase succeeding in life"
Until that foundation is definitely fix
ed, any such figures as he presents
can be nothing more than mere specu-
lation. SUCCESS in life is relative. says
the Cleveland Press, which proceeds
To say: TO no two minds does it mean
the same. To no two conditions can
it he alike applicable.
The success of the farmer. for in
stance, who adds to his lands, rears
his family in Righteousness and passes
his days i'm peace and content. far
from the tormoil and triumphs of
more swiItly-moving life. would not
seem to the lawyer, the politician or
the city merchant to be Il success at
all. The crossroads Storekceper may
be a success in life in his own cstima-
ton and that of his neighborhOOd.
though his brother of the city. who
thinks in chunks of millions. cannot
help looking down upon him in scorn.
There can he no material standard of
success. for the reason that the out
look. the aspiration and the attain
ment of any man are his alone. No
two can occupy the same viewpoint.
No two can regard success from the
same mind and heart.
The school teacher. who ever gives.
may cut a sorry figure in a biographi-
cal directory beside the millionaire.
who ever gets. But i'm the real building
up of the intellect and morality and
happiness OF the world il is she who is
the giant and he the pigmy. Thepoor UNI
derpaid preacher whose congregation
Is small because he breaches religion
indebted may in the common esti-
mate be a failure. But who can fore
tell the harvest To come from the
pregnant seed thus sown in good
ground? Another generation may
see a mighty church arise. that some
rich man puts Il generous window in
and calls his monument. Which Is the
mere successful life-the one that
builds Il great window or the one that
stimulates the spirit which makes a
church?
Possibly ninc-tenths of us have no
other serious purpose in life than to
get the best living we can. We are
absorbed in our own little affairs
our wants and enjoyments. ailments
and ease. jealousieS and envies and
hatreGs and love. The greater the
degree TO which we satisfy our wants
and triumphs over our enemies the
greater our successive think.
But to crafty our wants i only TO
create new ones. Human longing i
like Il seattle more we pour into it
the more il spreads. The millionaire
longs for more a eagerly as does the
poor man. Content does not lie in the
direction of acquisition or indulgence
Success in life consists in fitting one
self Ia ones environment. and one
thing more - elevating the environ
ment. Whether college education
helps or binders depends upon the
man and the environment. Higher
education would not help digger of
bitches or mere erubber after mon
ev. But it ! indispensable to men
whose interests and pursuits extend
beyond themselves. If education were
always what il ought to be-character
Developments would make every
man more successful in life. But. I'M
fortunately, ii i not always that