Evening star., 1927-10-30
By GEORGE X. PRATT. NJ. d.,
National Committee for Mental Hygiene.

~" HERE, but for the grace of
~ God, goes John Wesley" is
said to have been the pious
i reflection of the great
ecclesiastic as he watched
q criminal being led to execution.
And, There, but for the intervention
of circumstances over which we have
little control. go you and L." might
we'll be remarked by each of us as
we watch the habituai daydreamer
20 down to failure in the world Of
business.
Daydreaming is essentially an
escape from reality. Every one Of US
resorts to it to some extent, but the
chronic and excessive daydreamer is
likely to fail in the business world be-
cause his reveries have been carried
over into habit that smothers
initiative and renders energy ineffec-
tive. The rest Of us secretly are
proud in the belief that SO far as day
dreams are concerned we can echo
the boast of the drinker who 'can
take it or let 1t alone"
Early in our careers we found out
that life scarcely would be bearable
for long were it not for the solace to
be found in daydreams. They fur.
nish US with an opportunity to flee
for brief time from the harshneSs
and the disa ppointments in the world
of reality. But the average daydream
is a transitUry sort of affair on which,
in all prudence. most Of us set an
automatic time limit. Thus, in books,
a [ the theater or in the concert hall
we lose ourselves (and also reality in
an identification with or a sharing Of
the characters or thoughts portrayed.
When, however, the story has ended
the play finished or the symphony
completed, majority of us are will.
ing 10 return TO worldly things and
resume our burdens, strengthened nd
cneered by our momentary flight.
Not so with the habitual day.
dreamer. For him the book is never
ended, the play goes on forever and
the faint strains of the music echo
persistently. The result. all 100 often.
is failure; for business, of all the en-.
terprises in life demands a complete
and vivid participation in material
things If ones head is to remain above
water.
Like mental conflicts. daydreamina
calls Tor an expenditure of energy
and because We have ONLY so much
energy at n given time to eXpend. The
energy needed for daydrcaming mus,
he taken from other mental activities
a mind, like country, divided
against itself must eventually fail
And so the habitual dreamer who in
jects a pleasant but futile wishful
thinking into mentality that should
be devoted 10 planning means fol-
meeting commercial competition is
likely TO be overtaken by rival less
handicapped.
The daydreamer in business is q
familiar sight. especially in the less
important inches Of the business
world. There are, however, few fail
ures caused by daydreaming in bis
business. because, with negligible ex.
ceptions, the chronically daydream-
ing type has not been able TO nego-
tiate the lower rungs of the ladde
TO success before failure overtakes
him.
In other words. there are practi.
cally no daydream failures in biz
business because there are PRACTICAL!
no daydreamers in big business u
fail The relentless competition
among the higher executive positions
in the business world; the impera
tive need for ting and 70
cusing with an undivided intensit.
ell ones energies, and not just por
ton Of them, on the task in hand