The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-10
DR.. Marden's Upift Talks.
Personality as an Asset.
BY ORIsoN SWEET MARDEN,


The man who hires all the sales
| people for one of the largest retail
| stores in Chicago says: while the
routine Of application is in every case
| strictly adhered to, the fact remains
| that the most important element In an
applicants chance for q trial 10 his
personality"
The effectiveness Of your personality
depends largely on the degree Of your
personal power. And it Is astonish-
ing how one can increase his personal
power and efficiency by taking good
care of himself. by doing everything
crease his vitality. so that he will
radlate power. efficiency. self-conf-
dence.
There Is no one thing which will
do more to increase ones self respect
and sense Of we'll being. and hence
improve ones personality. than the
habit of giving sufficient time on the
care of ones person. Taking frequent
hot baths and a cold plunge every
morning. grooming ones self thor
oughly, manicurIng ones finger nails.
taking good care of the skin. the
teeth, the hair and showing extreme
care in ones dress even to the minutest
detail-these are things that have q
powerful effect in personality.
Now the time spent in thus scrupu-
lously caring for the body Is by no
means wasted. As a matter Of fact
few people spend nearly time enough
upon the personal details. They battle
in a hurry, dress in a hurry, eat in q
hurry. never think Of brushing their
teeth and cleaning their finger nails,
and often develop all sorts Of slip
shod. careless. personal habits As .
rule they are not attractive in appear
ance, and hence their personality il
seriously handicapped. You will find
you will think more of yourself re-
spect yourself more. have more self
confidence when you are conscious that
you are perfectly groomed. In other
words. when you feel that you are
every whit clean. that yS1 are neatly
and becomingly dressed. that there are
no spots on your clothing. that they
are well brushed. that your linen Is
spotless. that your appearance is As
attractive as it is possible to make II,
you have increased your personal
power by big percentage.
have noticed that the people who give
sufficient time to these things usually
have better health. and are also, as
a rule. more efficient than those who neg
lect them. Lord Northcliff. the we'll
known English newspaper publisher. Is
His great wealth. Of course, enables him
to take body servants with him wherever
he goes, who give a great deal Of time
to massaging, ruNbpg, grooming him and
assisting him in the care of his person.
He thinks this has a great influence upon
his health and increases his power and
vitality. .
OF course, il is possible to carry the
caro- Of ones person to Ridiculous ex-
tremes. Every virtue can be made q
vice by excess. But absolute personal
cleanliness and the utmost neatness in
dress are essential to self-respect and
the development of character. They are
two of the points most strongly insisted
upon in the training Of students at West
Point Academy and other institutions for
the making of men.
Efficiency, self-control. the ability to
fll commanding positions, the. acquisition
OF personal power, of a strong decided
character: in short. training for leader
ship is the object of this severe discipline
There Is no other way In which II can
be acquired. And personal power il the
aim of every sane ambition.
We may not think 1t in just that way.
but whether We are bending all our ener-
gies to make money. or to write books,
to paint pictures or to make machines.
to win a position at the bar. or to build
ambition, our real aim II to get moro
power. Whether 1t comes from money.
from business reputation, from fame -
physician. lawyer. writer. artist or what
not. power is what We are after. and