The Washington herald., 1914-08-31
Dr.. Marden's UpHft Talks.
By ORISON SWEET MARDEN.
(Author of Pushing to the Front" etc
The New Spirit In Buusiness.

The metropolitan papers tell US that
the Safety First Society. Of Greater New
| York. is now permanently organized, and
active work is in progress.
The organization aims primarily to less
en- street accidents. minimize waste
through more scientific traffic routes and
| regulation. and create a medium for the
exchange of ideas on all these problems,
One OF the important features Of the So
ciety's numerous activities is a campaign
of education in the public schools.
This Is one more illustration Of the new
spirit everywhere manifesting Itself
throughout the business world The gos-
pei of efficiency is in the air. The need
OF greater efficiency is becoming daily
more imperative. and whatever tends &c
this end is eagerly sought and liberty re
warded.
The valuation OF human life and human
well-being is rising in the scale with the
increase OF individual efficiency. And
every mans valuation Of himself and OF
his work must rise In proportion. As a
matter OF fact, nothing else 50 reveals
the very heart and marrow OF our char
acter as the way in which we do our
work, the quality we put into II. On this
our succes depends. and our Impetus to-
ward still higher achievement
There never will be a trust in excel
lence or a combination in superiority. As
than anybody else can do II. you need no
bond or trademark to protect the pro-
duct OF your brains.
Superiority Is the best advertisement.
The man who sells shoddy. and who has
dealt in shams. in Inferiority. all his life.
feels that he has not been a real man,
that there Is something wanting in his
makeup. something lacking In his life;
he feels a sense OF loss. Man was built
TO respond to the highest, and not the
lowest in his nature.
great writer has said that II Is i'm
moral to do carelessly that which ought
TO be done with consummate patience. II
is criminal to half do things. TO perform
them in a slovenly. slipshod manner when
We are capable of doing them superbly.
completely. II is immoral to subvert our
powers. to use them in a manner that
may demoralize others standards. that
may cause loss or injury to them. We
owe II to the world to give others an ex-
ample OF splendid manhood or woman
hood. and II is a crime against ourselves
and against society to pervert our ser
vice. TO use II in a manner that Is un-
worthy and unbecoming.
The glow OF satisfaction which follows
the consciousness of doing our level best
never comes to a human being from any
structed on lines Of perfection. This
marvellous piece OF human mechanism
was evidently intended to do things COM
pletely, to finish. was made to work
in an orderly. systematic manner. and
our faculties rebel against the half-done,
the slipshod thing.
The ideals become warped, the whole
character is undermined by familiarity
with Inferiority of any description. No
one will ever accomplish very much IN
the world who forms the habit Of being
satisfied with inferiority. II lowers all
standards. Is fatal to all excellence.
Whatever your work, make up your
mind that you are not going to be a
g. ond-class man. but a high type OF
man. the highest type Of worker; that
you are not going to be satisfied to plod
along in medocrity and be a menial for
somebody else all your life.
Resolve that you are going to stand for
integrity. Wilderness, superiority in every
thing you do: you are going to carry
weight in your community; that you are
going to be looked up to as somebody.
Resolve that no matter II those about
you have low ideals, II they are content
to do poor work. to be nobodies. you are
not; you are going to hold up your head.
you are going to look up.
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