Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-31

rrAVE you ever noticed that the harder man
works the better able he seems to be to un-
- - dertake additional work?
you have noticed the opposite, that
the man who complains most bitterly of lack OF
leisure is usually the man who does little or any
thing really worth while?
These are facts of everyday observation, though
comparatively few people consciously appreciate
their significance.
Yet. subconsciously nearly everybody recog-
nzes that as a rule the hardest workers are the
most capable, not merely of taking on extra work.
but of doing that extra work well.
Hence, for example, the tendency in every com
munity to run with business to lawyers and physl-
clans who are known to have already as much work
as they could desire.
Hence also the demands made these men
to participate in community activities of all sorts
to lead in social welfare work. preside at phil
anthropic meetings, to help organize reform move
ments, etc. .
1t is not because they have "big regulations
that these extra labors are forced on them 1t is
because people instinctvely feel that their habit
of working hard has fitted them to work well at
whatever they engage to do
Quite recently the truth of this was forc1bly
impressed on me during a conversation with one
of the oldest and best-known of New York pub
fishers. He speaking of a certain sclentlnc
treatise he desired to have written, and mentlon-
ed the name of university professor ne nao re-
quested to write it for him.
81 warned him." the publisher said, not to
decline on the plea of being too busy. REMIND
ed him that if did not know he was busy man
1 would not be asking him to write the book
Moreover, and of greater significance, II is d
fact of everyday observation that these men or es
tablished reputation hard workers are gener-
ally men whose health is excellent 1t is as though
their devotion to work promoted rather than IN
jured their health.
Such is undoubtedly the case: And the eXpla-
nation is exceedingly simple.
When man is idler, when he works only
half-heartedly his mind for lack of profitable oc-
cupation feeds on itself. He becomes restless, I'M
easy, self-centred.
Having nothing else to do, he pays more at
tention than he should to every trit1ng annoyance
and unpleasant bodily sensation. BY so doing ne
exaggerates these, and gradually works hlmselt
into an emotional state compounded or lrrtaplnty'
fear, and worry.
Thus he paves the way to sleeplessness, dyspep-
sia and finally some form of nervous breakdown
To be sure, hard workers themselves are not
always exempt from breakdowns. But, on analy-
els II will be found that in case 1t is not tnelr
work that has overwhelmed them-unless II De
work in which they not heartily interested.
Work that is tedious is always nerve-stralnlng
Co n is work done under conditions OF worry and
anxiety. =. :, A.
It is these emotional conditions that 90 tne
damage Let a man work in contenteo, HAPPY
frame of mind and he will indeed find that' as an
acute observer has said -. >,
''Work is the thing that fatigues US the least
Hard work then, should be regarded not as an
evil but boon. :, - -
Provided only that it be congenial work ana
that worry be excluded, we shall always ma tnaC
tba harder we work the more effectively we can
work for ourselves and for the good OF society
.-. Copyright, 1916, by Fl. A. Bruce