the university of hard knocks-第6部分
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t。
Big business men keep their ears open for rattles in their machinery。
I am sorry for the man； community or institution that spends much time pointing backward with pride and talking about 〃in my day！〃 For it is mostly rattle。 The live one's 〃my day〃 is today and tomorrow。 The dead one's is yesterday。
We Must Get Ready to Get
We young people come up into life wanting great places。 I would not give much for a young person （or any other person） who does not want a great place。 I would not give much for anybody who does not look forward to greater and better things tomorrow。
We often think the way to get a great place is just to go after it and get it。 If we do not have pull enough； get some more pull。 Get some more testimonials。
We think if we could only get into a great place we would be great。 But unless we have grown as great as the place we would be a great joke； for we would rattle。 And when we have grown as great as the place； that sized place will generally come seeking us。
We do not become great by getting into a great place； any more than a boy becomes a man by getting into his father's boots。 He is in great boots； but he rattles。 He must grow greater feet before he gets greater boots。 But he must get the feet before he gets the boots。
We must get ready for things before we get them。
All life is preparation for greater things。
Moses was eighty years getting ready to do forty years work。 The Master was thirty years getting ready to do three years work。 So many of us expect to get ready in 〃four easy lessons by mail。〃
We can be a pumpkin in one summer； with the accent on the 〃punk。〃 We can be a mushroom in a day； with the accent on the 〃mush。〃 But we cannot become an oak that way。
The world is not greatly impressed by testimonials。 The man who has the most testimonials generally needs them most to keep him from rattling。 A testimonial so often becomes a crutch。
Many a man writes a testimonial to get rid of somebody。 〃Well； I hope it will do him some good。 Anyhow； I have gotten him off my hands。〃 I heard a Chicago superintendent say to his foreman； 〃Give him a testimonial and fire him！〃
It is dangerous to overboost people； for the higher you boost them the farther they will fall。
The Menace of the Press…Notice
Now testimonials and press…notices very often serve useful ends。 In lyceum work； in teaching； in very many lines； they are often useful to introduce a stranger。 A letter of introduction is useful。 A diploma； a degree； a certificate； a license； are but different kinds of testimonials。
The danger is that the hero of them may get to leaning upon them。 Then they become a mirror for his vanity instead of a monitor for his vitality。
Most testimonials and press…notices are frank flatteries。 They magnify the good points and say little as possible about the bad ones。 I look back over my lyceum life and see that I hindered my progress by reading my press…notices instead of listening to the verdict of my audiences。 I avoided frank criticism。 It would hurt me。 Whenever I heard an adverse criticism； I would go and read a few press…notices。 〃There； I am all right； for this clipping says I am the greatest ever； and should he return； no hall would be able to contain the crowd。〃
And my vanity bump would again rise。
Alas！ How often I have learned that when I did return the hall that was filled before was entirely too big for the audience！ The editors of AmericaGod bless them！ They are always trying to boost a home enterprisenot for the sake of the imported attraction but for the sake of the home folks who import it。
We must read people； not press…notices。
When you get to the place where you can stand aside and 〃see yourself go by〃when you can keep still and see every fibre of you and your work mercilessly dissected； shake hands with yourself and rejoice； for the kingdom of success is yours。
The Artificial Uplift
There are so many loving； sincere； foolish； cruel uplift movements in the land。 They spring up； fail； wail； disappear； only to be succeeded by twice as many more。 They fail because instead of having the barrel do the uplifting； they try to do it with a derrick。
The victims of the artificial uplift cannot stay uplifted。 They rattle back； and 〃the last estate of that man is worse than the first。〃
You cannot uplift a beggar by giving him alms。 You are using the derrick。 We must feed the hungry and clothe the naked； but that is not helping them； that is propping them。 The beggar who asks you to help him does not want to be helped。 He wants to be propped。 He wants you to license him and professionalize him as a beggar。
You can only help a man to help himself。 Help him to grow。 You cannot help many people； for there are not many people willing to be helped on the inside。 Not many willing to grow up。
When Peter and John went up to the temple they found the lame beggar sitting at the gate Beautiful。 Every day the beggar had been 〃helped。〃 Every day as they laid him at the gate people would pass thru the gate and see him。 He would say； 〃Help me！〃 〃Poor man；〃 they would reply； 〃you are in a bad fix。 Here is help；〃 and they would throw him some money。
And so every day that beggar got to be more of a beggar。 The public 〃helped〃 him to be poorer in spirit； more helpless and a more hopeless cripple。 No doubt he belonged after a few days of the 〃helping〃 to the Jerusalem Beggars' Union and carried his card。 Maybe he paid a commission for such a choice beggars' beat。
But Peter really helped him。 〃Silver and gold have I none； but such as I have give I thee： In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk。〃
Fix the People； Not the Barrel
I used to say； 〃Nobody uses me right。 Nobody gives me a chance。〃 But if chances had been snakes； I would have been bitten a hundred times a day。 We need oculists； not opportunities。
I used to work on the 〃section〃 and get a dollar and fifteen cents a day。 I rattled there。 I did not earn my dollar fifteen。 I tried to see how little I could do and look like I was working。 I was the Artful Dodger of Section Sixteen。 When the whistle would blowO； joyful sound！I would leave my pick hang right up in the air。 I would not bring it down again for a soulless corporation。
I used to wonder as I passed Bill Barlow's bank on the way down to the section…house； why I was not president of that bank。 I wondered why I was not sitting upon one of those mahogany seats instead of pumping a handcar。 I was naturally bright。 I used to say 〃If the rich wasn't getting richer and the poor poorer； I'd be president of a bank。〃
Did you ever hear that line of conversation？ It generally comes from somebody who rattles where he is。
I am so glad now that I did not get to be president of the bank。 They are glad； too！ I would have rattled down in about fifteen minutes； down to the peanut row； for I was only a peanut。 Remember； the hand…car job is just as honorable as the bank job； but as I was not faithful over a few things； I would have rattled over many things。
The fairy books love to tell about some clodhopper suddenly enchanted up into a king。 But life's good fairies see to it that the clodhopper is enchanted into readiness for kingship before he lands upon the throne。
The only way to rule others is to learn to rule ourself。
I used to say； 〃Just wait till I get to Congress。〃 I think they are all waiting！ 〃I'll fix things。 I'll pass laws requiring all apples to be the same size。 Yes； I'll pass laws to turn the barrel upside down； so the little ones will be on the top and the big ones will be at the bottom。〃
But I had not seen that it wouldn't matter which end was the top； the big ones would shake right up to it and the little ones would shake down to the bottom。
The little man has the chance now； just as fast as he grows。 You cannot fix the barrel。 You can only fix the people inside the barrel。
Have you ever noticed that the man who is not willing to fix himself； is the one who wants to get the most laws passed to fix other people？ He wants something for nothing。
That Cruel Fate
O； I am so glad I did not get the things I wanted at the time I wanted them！ They would have been coffee…pots。 Thank goodness； we do not get the coffee…pot until we are ready to handle it。
Today you and I have things we couldn't have yesterday。 We just wanted them yesterday。 O； how we wanted them！ But a cruel fate would not let us have them。 Today we have them。 They come to us as naturally today； and we see it is because we have grown ready for them； and the barrel has shaken us up to them。
Today you and I want things beyond our reach。 O； how we want them！ But a cruel fate will not let us have them。
Do you not see that 〃cruel fate〃 is our own smallness and unreadiness？ As we grow greater we have greater things。 We have today all we can stand today。 More would wreck us。 More would start us to rattling。
Getting up is growing up。
And this blessed old barrel of life is just waiting and anxious to shake everybody up as fast as everybody grows。
Chapter V
Going Up
How We Become Great
WE go up as we grow great。 That is； we go up as we grow up。 But so many are trying to grow great on the outside without growing great on the inside。 They rattle on the inside！
They fool themselves； but nobody else。
There is only one greatnessinside greatness。 All outside greatness is merely an incidental reflection of the inside。
Greatness is not measured in any material terms。 It is not measured in inches； dollars； acres； votes； hurrahs； or by any other of the world's yardsticks or barometers。
Greatness is measured in spiritual terms。 It is education。 It is life expansion。
We go up from selfishness to unselfishness。
We go up from impurity to purity。
We go up from unhappiness to happiness。
We go up from weakness to strength。
We go up from low ideals to high ideals。
We go up from little vision to greater vision。
We go up from foolishness to wisdom。
We go up from fear to faith。
We go up from ignorance to understanding。
We go up by our own personal efforts。 We go up by our own service； sacrifice； struggle and overcoming。 We push out our own skyline。 We rise above o
