Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-01-25
Life as a Business Proposition
By DIR. FRANK CRANE.


Life has been called all sorts of things Life is
a dream, gambling game, an opportunity from
which to get all the fun and the least pain possible
a probation preparatory to the next life, vale OF
tears, and so on.
Suppose we consider life as business PROPOSE
ton. Look at it from practical, profit and loss
Shrewd and commonsense viewpoint.
Very WELL First what can get out of it?
Only wages. There no endowed and privileged
Ones all are day laborers; for every one, when
the works over, must leave all he has gained and
go back to that nothingness from which he came,
as stark naked and poor as when ne arrived. All
the Millionaire gets out of life is exactly what the
bricklayer gets, his board and clothes and amuse-
ments.
What is the wage of life? Lifes pay is happi-
ness. On lifes book happiness is credit and uphap
piness debit
another, whether beer and cakes turtled feasts
overalls or dress suits, pinochle on cracker box
stock gambling on the market, social dlstlnc-
tion wealth display political success, intellectual
achevement-it's all happiness, according to taste
How is happiness to be secured, how can one
be sure to get his pay? By finding out what he
really wants. This is not so easy. Most people
work a lot for what they think other people think
they want.
How can one find that out? BY experiment,
trying out various activities until he finds the one
in which he most enthusiastically express him
self.
Also by ascertaining those forms of pleasure that
frauds and bring misery. The conclusive
argument against drunkenness, licentiousness and
the like, is that they swindles, gold bricks;
they promise joy and pay suffering.
How should one get his pay? Every day; Not
at the end of the task. Unless every day brings
it's satisfaction you are cheating yourself.
How can one tell what sort of things pay and
what sort do not pay? BY the collective expert
of mankind, and by accepting the guidance
of reliable teachers.
What does the cumulative experience of man
kind show? THAT only those acts which are fun
damentally just, fair, honest and kind are those
that invariably pay
What's the good of morality? Morals rest not
upon authority, but the massed wisdom OF
the world. The person who is not moral is
fool. which is worse than being a sinner He is
lamb, a sucker, greenhorn, fully as much as
countrywide who thinks he can beat the wall
Street experts immortality means docking the
happiness pay envelope every day.
OF what practical value the higher sentl-
ments? If you are helpful, unselfish, courteous
patient, reverent, loyal just and benevolent, you
get a large bonus daily in your happiness pay.
Are not crafty, selfish uncean, cruel and con-
scienceless people happy? Get right we'll acquaint-
ed with them and see. They are the bunco steer
ers, the confidence men, the criminal cheats OF
life. Their books false Their happiness
profits are worthless paper.
Why work? If it's happiness that is our wage
why not eat, drink, and be merry; why not loaf
and play? Because human beings are so const
tuted that they the maximum of satisfactory
self-expression only by doing some part of the
worlds work.
ones spiritual capacities? Why not go in for all
the fun we can get each day? Because by increas-
ing our mental and spiritual powers get the
more permanent, the higher and rarer forms or
happiness we get gold and not copper.
What call goodness more thar pays every
day. it leaves something over, deposit in the hap
piness bank which becomes reserve fund from
which we draw dividends. The good are the hap
piness capitalists. The bad are the happiness
spendthrifts.
why not approach this matter of good and bad,
conscience or self-indulgence, business propo-
sition.
Copyright, 1916, by Frank Crane.)