Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-04
THE LAW OF SERVICE
By H. AddingtOn Bruce

n YOT long ago manufacturing company
M of international renown held a con-
vention it invited, as principal speak
er, the head Of what is perhaps the biggest
| business school in the United States.
| The topic assigned to him was salesman
| ship, and no doubt it was expected he would
detail for his expert audience novel meth
DDS in disposing of goods. Instead, he vir-
tually confined himself to discussion of a
single business principle, which he thus. set
forth:
"There is only one kind of stuff out of
which the foundation Of lasting business sue
| cess can be built, and that is confidence.
'There is only one sustaining power of
the bedrock and foundation of building
| 9Th eearth), so there is only one sustaining
power of confidence and satisfaction, and
| that is excellence of service to the other
man.
when we trace successful business to the
heart OF it we always find this one concept
service. 1t is the fundamental law of Iife'
| I do not know what the expert audience
who listened to this address thought of it.
But l do know that, particularly in these
days of social turmoil, addresses like it can
not TOO OFTEN be given wherever workers Of
any kind are met together.
For the law of service is not merely vital
t obuslness success. 1t is vital to human
welfare IN the mass as in the individual
And If discomfort and unrest are wide
spread today-as they undeniably are-it
| 40 Ao1 Scly UeCduSS MllllOQS OF men and WOm-
en- foolishly ignore this vital, basic law of
| service
Not to serve but to get is their motto
big profits, big wages, short hours, little
effort are the ideals by which they chart their
| lives. '00
"Eborybodys doing it, so why shouldn't
I?' they unanimously demand in self-excusa
The best answer to which is the manifest
| stress and misery the fgetting easy'' policv
| has imposed on the world
. Anu' lnueed, even the most ardent practi-
| tloners OF getting easy" know full we'll +nat
lie is strangely lacking in satisfaction In
tnem. AS it is bound to be, since the law of
SCI we apples to muc" more than the win.
ming OF business success
Man is so constituted that lie cannot have
peace OF mind unless he possesses the con.
seriousness of contributing to the common
| good This because man is u gregarious
animal, with the herd instinct, strongly de-
\ vel )ped in him.
! And presicely as the thwarting of anv
other instinct causes feelings of lissatisfac-
| ton, so the thwarting of the herd instinct.
| the service instinct, brings with it the mem
| atty of great discomfort
mink this over, as applying to yourself
and your work
! Is excellence of service-loyal, honest
| serVlce-your guidig principle? Or "easv
| Settlng! II the latter you NAV write vour-
| sell down a sure loser, no matter how Ink
| urlous your home, how fat your bank ar.
| count AN az
| For that matter remember, too, that the
more admirably you serve the more you are
| likely to get. If you are one of the multi
tude forever changing jobs or forever vainIy
| awaiting promotion, failure to serve as YOU
should serve may be the very thing that
chiefly keeps you back.
| copyright, 1920, by The Associated News
papers)