the americanization of edward bok-第79章

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tly　benefited　by　his　retirement　and　the　consequent　coming　to　the　front　of　the　younger　blood。

Such　a　man　in　a　position　of　importance　seems　often　not　to　see　that　he　has　it　within　his　power　to　advance　the　fortunes　of　younger　men　by　stepping　out　when　he　has　served　his　time；　while　by　refusing　to　let　go　he　often　works　dire　injustice　and　even　disaster　to　his　younger　associates。

The　sad　fact　is　that　in　all　too　many　instances　the　average　American　business　man　is　actually　afraid　to　let　go　because　he　realizes　that　out　of　business　he　should　not　know　what　to　do。　For　years　he　has　so　excluded　all　other　interests　that　at　fifty　or　sixty　or　seventy　he　finds　himself　a　slave　to　his　business；　with　positively　no　inner　resources。　Retirement　from　the　one　thing　he　does　know　would　naturally　leave　such　a　man　useless　to　himself　and　his　family；　and　his　community：　worse　than　useless；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　for　he　would　become　a　burden　to　himself；　a　nuisance　to　his　family；　and；　when　he　would　begin　to　write　〃letters〃　to　the　newspapers；　a　bore　to　the　community。

It　is　significant　that　a　European　or　English　business　man　rarely　reaches　middle　age　devoid　of　acquaintance　with　other　matters；　he　always　lets　the　breezes　from　other　worlds　of　thought　blow　through　his　ideas；　with　the　result　that　when　he　is　ready　to　retire　from　business　he　has　other　interests　to　fall　back　upon。　Fortunately　it　is　becoming　less　uncommon　for　American　men　to　retire　from　business　and　devote　themselves　to　other　pursuits；　and　their　number　will　undoubtedly　increase　as　time　goes　on；　and　we　learn　the　lessons　of　life　with　a　richer　background。　But　one　cannot　help　feeling　regretful　that　the　custom　is　not　growing　more　rapidly。

A　man　must　unquestionably　prepare　years　ahead　for　his　retirement；　not　alone　financially；　but　mentally　as　well。　Bok　noticed　as　a　curious　fact　that　nearly　every　business　man　who　told　him　he　had　made　a　mistake　in　his　retirement；　and　that　the　proper　life　for　a　man　is　to　stick　to　the　game　and　see　it　through〃hold　her　nozzle　agin　the　bank〃　as　Jim　Bludso　would　saywas　a　man　with　no　resources　outside　his　business。　Naturally；　a　retirement　is　a　mistake　in　the　eyes　of　such　a　man；　but　oh；　the　pathos　of　such　a　position：　that　in　a　world　of　so　much　interest；　in　an　age　so　fascinatingly　full　of　things　worth　doing；　a　man　should　have　allowed　himself　to　become　a　slave　to　his　business；　and　should　imagine　no　other　man　happy　without　the　same　claims！

It　is　this　lesson　that　the　American　business　man　has　still　to　learn：　that　no　man　can　be　wholly　efficient　in　his　life；　that　he　is　not　living　a　four…squared　existence；　if　he　concentrates　every　waking　thought　on　his　material　affairs。　He　has　still　to　learn　that　man　cannot　live　by　bread　alone。　The　making　of　money；　the　accumulation　of　material　power；　is　not　all　there　is　to　living。　Life　is　something　more　than　these；　and　the　man　who　misses　this　truth　misses　the　greatest　joy　and　satisfaction　that　can　come　into　his　life…service　for　others。

Some　men　argue　that　they　can　give　this　service　and　be　in　business；　too。　But　service　with　such　men　generally　means　drawing　a　check　for　some　worthy　cause；　and　nothing　more。　Edward　Bok　never　belittled　the　giving　of　contributionshe　solicited　too　much　money　himself　for　the　causes　in　which　he　was　interestedbut　it　is　a　poor　nature　that　can　satisfy　itself　that　it　is　serving　humanity　by　merely　signing　checks。　There　is　no　form　of　service　more　comfortable　or　so　cheap。　Real　service；　however；　demands　that　a　man　give　himself　with　his　check。　And　that　the　average　man　cannot　do　if　he　remains　in　affairs。

Particularly　true　is　this　to…day；　when　every　problem　of　business　is　so　engrossing；　demanding　a　man's　full　time　and　thought。　It　is　the　rare　man　who　can　devote　himself　to　business　and　be　fresh　for　the　service　of　others　afterward。　No　man　can；　with　efficiency；　serve　two　masters　so　exacting　as　are　these。　Besides；　if　his　business　has　seemed　important　enough　to　demand　his　entire　attention；　are　not　the　great　uplift　questions　equally　worth　his　exclusive　thought？　Are　they　easier　of　solution　than　the　material　problems？

A　man　can　live　a　life　full…square　only　when　he　divides　it　into　three　periods：

First：　that　of　education；　acquiring　the　fullest　and　best　within　his　reach　and　power；

Second：　that　of　achievement：　achieving　for　himself　and　his　family；　and　discharging　the　first　duty　of　any　man；　that　in　case　of　his　incapacity　those　who　are　closest　to　him　are　provided　for。　But　such　provision　does　not　mean　an　accumulation　that　becomes　to　those　he　leaves　behind　him　an　embarrassment　rather　than　a　protection。　To　prevent　this；　the　next　period　confronts　him：

Third：　Service　for　others。　That　is　the　acid　test　where　many　a　man　falls　short：　to　know　when　he　has　enough；　and　to　be　willing　not　only　to　let　well　enough　alone；　but　to　give　a　helping　hand　to　the　other　fellow；　to　recognize；　in　a　practical　way；　that　we　are　our　brother's　keeper；　that　a　brotherhood　of　man　does　exist　outside　after…dinner　speeches。　Too　many　men　make　the　mistake；　when　they　reach　the　point　of　enough；　of　going　on　pursuing　the　same　old　game：　accumulating　more　money；　grasping　for　more　power　until　either　a　nervous　breakdown　overtakes　them　and　a　sad　incapacity　results；　or　they　drop　〃in　the　harness；〃　which　is；　of　course；　only　calling　an　early　grave　by　another　name。　They　cannot　seem　to　get　the　truth　into　their　heads　that　as　they　have　been　helped　by　others　so　should　they　now　help　others：　as　their　means　have　come　from　the　public；　so　now　they　owe　something　in　turn　to　that　public。

No　man　has　a　right　to　leave　the　world　no　better　than　he　found　it。　He　must　add　something　to　it：　either　he　must　make　its　people　better　and　happier；　or　he　must　make　the　face　of　the　world　fairer　to　look　at。　And　the　one　really　means　the　other。

〃Idealism；〃　immediately　say　some。　Of　course；　it　is。　But　what　is　the　matter　with　idealism？　What　really　is　idealism？　Do　one…tenth　of　those　who　use　the　phrase　so　glibly　know　it　true　meaning；　the　part　it　has　played　in　the　world？　The　worthy　interpretation　of　an　ideal　is　that　it　embodies　an　ideaa　conception　of　the　imagination。　All　ideas　are　at　first　ideals。　They　must　be。　The　producer　brings　forth　an　idea；　but　some　dreamer　has　dreamed　it　before　him　either　in　whole　or　in　part。

Where　would　the　human　race　be　were　it　not　for　the　ideals　of　men？　It　is　idealists；　in　a　large　sense；　that　this　old　world　needs　to…day。　Its　soil　is　sadly　in　need　of　new　seed。　Washington；　in　his　day；　was　decried　as　an　idealist。　So　was　Jefferson。　It　was　commonly　remarked　of　Lincoln　that　he　was　a　〃rank　idealist。〃　Morse；　Watt；　Marconi；　Edisonall　were；　at　first；　adjudged　idealists。　We　say　of　the　League　of　Nations　that　it　is　ideal；　and　we　use　the　term　in　a　derogatory　sense。　But　that　was　exactly　what　was　said　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States。　〃Insanely　ideal〃　was　the　term　used　of　it。

The　idealist；　particularly　to…day　when　there　is　so　great　need　of　him；　is　not　to　be　scoffed　at。　It　is　through　him　and　only　through　him　that　the　world　will　see　a　new　and　clear　vision　of　what　is　right。　It　is　he　who　has　the　power　of　going　out　of　himselfthat　self　in　which　too　many　are　nowadays　so　deeply　imbedded；　it　is　he　who；　in　seeking　the　ideal；　will；　through　his　own　clearer　perception　or　that　of　others；　transform　the　ideal　into　the　real。　〃Where　there　is　no　vision；　the　people　perish。〃

It　was　his　remark　that　he　retired　because　he　wanted　〃to　play〃　that　Edward　Bok's　friends　most　completely　misunderstood。　〃Play〃　in　their　minds　meant　tennis；　golf；　horseback；　polo；　travel；　etc。（curious　that　scarcely　one　mentioned　reading！）。　It　so　happens　that　no　one　enjoys　some　of　these　play…forms　more　than　Bok；　but　〃God　forbid；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　should　spend　the　rest　of　my　days　in　a　bunker　or　in　the　saddle。　In　moderation；〃　he　added；　〃yes；　most　decidedly。〃　But　the　phrase　of　〃play〃　meant　more　to　him　than　all　this。　Play　is　diversion：　exertion　of　the　mind　as　well　as　of　the　body。　There　is　such　a　thing　as　mental　play　as　well　as　physical　play。　We　ask　of　play　that　it　shall　rest；　refresh；　exhilarate。　Is　there　any　form　of　mental　activity　that　secures　all　these　ends　so　thoroughly　and　so　directly　as　doing　something　that　a　man　really　likes　to　do；　doing　it　with　all　his　heart；　all　the　time　conscious　that　he　is　helping　to　make　the　world　better　for　some　one　else？

A　man's