Analyzing Character by Arthur Newcomb (best ereader for epub .txt) 📕

suggestion, this intellectual young man gave up his business career altogether and turned his attention to journalism, where he has been even more successful than he was as a salesman. Needless to say, Hugo Schultz is still breaking records on the road.

It is difficult for anyone who is not by nature friendly and social to succeed in a vocation in which the principal work is meeting, dealing with, handling, and persuading his fellow men. There is an old saying "that kissing goes by favor," and doubtless it is true that other valuable things go the same way. People naturally like to do business with their friends, with those who are personally agreeable to them. It takes a long time for the unsocial or the unfriendly man to make himself personally agreeable to strangers, or, in fact, to very many people, whether strangers or not.

If it is hard for the unsocial and unfriendly man to work among people, it is distressing, dull and stupid for the man who is a good mixer and loves his friends to work in solitude or where his entire attention is engrossed in things and ideas instead of people.

INDICATIONS OF SOCIAL QUALITIES

Notwithstanding these very clear distinctions and the seeming ease with which one ought to classify himself in this respect, we are constantly besieged by those who have very deficient social natures and who are ambitious to succeed as salesmen, preachers, lawyers, politicians, and physicians.

There is plenty of work in the world which does not require one to be particularly friendly, although, it must be admitted, friendliness is a splendid asset in any calling. Scholarship, literary work, art, music, engineering, mechanical work, agriculture in all its branches, contracting, building, architecture, and many other vocations offer opportunities for success to those who are only moderately equipped socially.

If the unsocial and unfriendly are deceived in regard to themselves, no less so are the social and the friendly. Again and again we find them in occupations which take them out of the haunts of living men, where they are so unhappy and dissatisfied that they sometimes become desperate. Why a man who likes people and likes to be with them, and is successful in dealing with them, should take himself off on a lonely ranch, twelve miles from the nearest neighbor and twenty miles from a railroad, passes the comprehension of all but those who, through experience, have learned the picturesque contrariness of human nature.

It is easy to distinguish, at a glance, between the social fellow and the natural-born hermit. Go to any political convention, or any convention of successful salesmen, or to a ministers' meeting attended by successful city preachers, or to any other gathering attended by men who have succeeded in callings where the ability to mix successfully with their fellow men is of paramount importance. Get a seat on the side lines, if possible, and then study the backs of their heads.

THE HEADS OF POLITICIANS

We attended two great political conventions in 1912. There were more than one thousand delegates at each convention. So certain were we of the type of men successful enough politically to be chosen as delegates to a national convention of their party, that we offered a prize of ten dollars to the friends who accompanied us for every delegate they would point out to us who did not have a round, full back-head, making his head appear long directly backwards from the ears. Although our friends were skeptical and planned in some detail as to what they would do with the money they expected to win from us, we attended both conventions without a penny of outlay for prizes. If you know any unfriendly, unsocial men, look at the backs of their heads and see how short they are.

There are vocations for all who have the courage, the ambition, the willingness to work, the persistence to keep ever-lastingly at it. Finding one's true vocation in life means, not finding an easy way to success, but finding an opportunity to work and work hard at something interesting, something you can do well, and something in which your highest and best talents will find an opportunity for their fullest expression.

Just as finding an unusual talent for music means years and years of the most careful study and preparation, followed by incessant practice; just as finding of a talent for the law means years of work in schools, colleges and universities; so the finding of a talent for business, mechanics, science, construction, or any other vocation involves years of study, self-development, preparation, and practice, if you are to achieve a worth-while success.

A HARD-LUCK STORY

The following incident illustrates plainly enough the mental attitude of the average fellow—the reason why he has failed, and the remedy:

A man came into our office complaining of his luck.

He was on the gray and wrinkled side of the half-century mark, somewhat bent, and slow of step.

This was the tune of his dirge:

"My life is a failure. I have never had a chance. My father was poor and couldn't give me the advantages that other young men had. So I've had my nose on the grindstone all my life long.

"See what I am to-day. While other men have made money and, at my age, are well fixed, I am dependent on my little old Saturday night envelope to keep me from starving. That wouldn't be so bad, but my employers are beginning to hint that I'm not so lively as I was once and that a younger man would fill the job better. It's only a question of time when I'll be a leading member of the Down and Out Club. Then it'll be the Bay for mine."

Our friend, whom we call Mr. Socratic, butted into the conversation right here.

"Pretty tough luck!" he said. "Know any men of your age that are doing better?"

"Sure, lots of 'em."

"What's the reason?"

"Well, they have had better luck."

"How do you mean? Investments turned out better?"

"No; I never had anything to invest."

"How, then?"

"Well, they had advantages."

"What, for instance?"

"Education."

"Why didn't you get an education?"

"Couldn't afford it."

"Had some income, didn't you?"

Hon. John Walker Fig. 49. Hon. Joseph Walker, of Massachusetts. Has good degree of balance between practical and ideal tendencies. Is shrewd, ambitious, determined, persistent, courageous, intellectual, oratorical, dramatic, forceful, social, and optimistic. Excellent planner and schemer. Note high, wide forehead, prominent at brows; keen, shrewd and determined expression; high, wide head; height of head just above temples; square jaw and chin; firm mouth; short upper lip, and well-built, prominent nose. Hon. Lon. V. Stephens Fig. 50. Hon. Lon V. Stephens, former Governor of Missouri, keenly observant, intensely practical, rather serious, ambitious energetic, courageous, friendly, far-sighted. A public speaker of some dramatic ability. Note great prominence of forehead at brows, depressed corners of eyes and mouth and tip of nose, high, long head, medium-short upper lip, and prominent chin. Hon. Oscar Underwood Photo by Paul Thompson. Fig. 51. Hon Oscar Underwood, United States Senator from Alabama. Practical, energetic, ambitious, courageous, determined, enduring. Note resemblance in profile and head shape to Figs. 48, 50, and 52, also politicians. A public speaker with considerable dramatic talent. Hon. Victor Murdock Copyright by Harris & Ewing, Washington, D.C.. Fig. 52. Hon. Victor Murdock, Ex-Congressman, of Kansas. Practical, alert, keen, ambitious, combative, courageous. Has considerable dramatic talent, as shown by large nose, short upper lip and long, prominent chin. Compare with Figs. 48, 50, and 51. Hon. Lon. V. Stephens Fig. 53. The late Robert C. Ogden, Merchant and Philanthropist. A man of keen, practical, commercial judgment, high ambition, great energy, strong determination, and strong sense of justice, together with idealism, benevolence, optimism, and kindliness. Note large development of brows; width of forehead across center; high head, domed above temples; large, well-formed nose; long, straight upper lip; straight, firm mouth, and poised, calm, kindly expression. Prof. P.G. Holden Fig. 54. Prof. P.G. Holden, Agricultural Expert and Teacher. A fine admixture of the physically frail and bony and muscular type, hence his intellectual interest and ability in agriculture. Has ambition, energy, and great social and friendly qualities. Note height and length of head, development of brows, and size and contour of nose. W. Nelson Edelsten Fig. 55. W. Nelson Edelsten, Insurance Special Agent. Keen, observant, alert, ambitious, energetic, courageous, refined, sensitive, emotional, enthusiastic, appreciative of approval, friendly. Note prominence of brows, high head, large, well-formed nose, chin, and ears, fine texture, high dome over temples, short upper lip, and alert, high-strung, friendly expression. Dr. Beverly T. Galloway Copyright by Harris & Ewing. Fig. 56. Dr. Beverly T. Galloway, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture of the United States. Same as Fig. 8. Note high crown large prominent nose; very full backhead.

"Yes, but only enough to live on."

"Had time to study, didn't you?"

"No—always had to work."

"What about your evenings? Have to work nights?"

"No."

"Had a pretty good time, didn't you?"

"Oh, yes."

"Out with the fellows and the girls about every night?"

"Yes."

"Wore good clothes, smoked good cigars, hired livery rigs, took in good shows, lived pretty well, shook dice a little, risked a few dollars on the ponies now and then?"

"Oh, yes; I was no tight-wad."

"You had to be a good fellow, eh?"

"Sure, I am only going through this world once, so I have had a good time as I've gone along."

"You couldn't have put in two or three nights a week studying and still have had a good time?"

"Oh, I might have, I s'pose, but I didn't have the money to buy books."

"How much do you figure you spent, on an average, on those nights you were out with the boys?"

"Oh, I don't know; sometimes a dime for a cigar, sometimes three or four dollars for theater tickets, supper, and the trimmings."

"Well, would it average two bits?"

"Yes, I guess so; all of that. Maybe more."

"If you had saved that for two nights a week, it would have counted up about two and a quarter a month. Buy a pretty good book for that, couldn't you?"

"S'pose so."

"And if you had been buying books and studying them, going to night-school, or taking a correspondence course all these years, you would have had an education by now, wouldn't you?"

"Well, I don't know. Some men are born to succeed. They have more brains than others."

"Who, for instance?"

"Well, there's Edison."

"Yes; and while you were having a good time with the boys, wearing good clothes, and enjoying the comforts of life, Edison was working and studying, wearing shabby clothes and patched shoes, so that he might buy books. What right have you to say that Edison has a better head, naturally, than you until you have done what Edison did to develop his?"

"Well, if you put it that way—none, I guess."

"Then you might have been an Edison if you had sacrificed, worked, and studied as Edison did?"

"Perhaps."

"Then where does the 'hard luck' come in? While you were having a good time, Edison was having a hard time. Isn't that so?"

"Yes, and now Edison is on Easy Street and I am headed for the Bay. I see your point, Mr. Socratic. I guess it isn't luck, after all. It's my fault. But knowing that won't make it any easier for me when I get canned."

"What's the use crossing the bridge before you get to it? I read the other day of a man who studied law, was admitted to the bar, and made money on it, all after he was seventy years old."

"Think there's any chance for me? Can I learn anything at my age?"

"You learned something just now, didn't you?" asked Socratic.

"Yes, I guess I did."

"Well, if you can learn one thing, you can learn a hundred, can't you?"

"Guess so."

"Will you?"

"I sure will."

If you are a worker and not a shirker—if you are a lifter and not a leaner—if you have done your best to succeed in your present vocation, and are still dissatisfied, and