the university of hard knocks(重击大学)-第7部分
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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
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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。
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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。
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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 our own obstacles。 We learn to see； hear； hold and understand。
We may become very great； very educated； rise very high； and yet not
leave our kitchen or blacksmith shop。 We take the kitchen or blacksmith
shop right up with us！ We make it a great kitchen or great blacksmith shop。
It becomes our throne…room！
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Come； let us grow greater。 There is a throne for each of us。
〃Getting to the Top〃
〃Getting to the top〃 is the world's pet delusion。 There is no top。 No
matter how high we rise； we discover infinite distances above。 The higher
we rise； the better we see that life on this planet is the going up from the
Finite to the Infinite。
The world says that to get greatness means to get great things。 So the
world is in the business of gettinggetting great fortunes； great lands；
great titles； great applause； great fame； and folderol。 Afterwhile the poor
old world hears the empty rattle of the inside； and wails； 〃All is vanity。 I
find no pleasure in them。 Life is a failure。〃 All outside life is a failure。
Real life is in being things on the inside； not in getting things on the
outside。
I weary of the world's pink…sheet extras about 〃Getting to the Top〃 and
〃Forging to the Front。〃 Too often they are the sordid story of a few
scrambling over the heads of the weaker ones。 Sometimes they are the
story of one pig crowding the other pigs out of the trough and cornering all
the swill！
The Secret of Greatness
Christ Jesus was a great Teacher。 His mission was to educate
humanity。
There came to him those two disciples who wanted to 〃get to the top。〃
Those two sons of Zebedee wanted to have the greatest places in the new
kingdom they imagined he would establish on earth。
They got very busy pursuing greatness； but I do not read that they
were half so busy preparing for greatness。 They even had their mother out
electioneering for them。
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〃O； Master；〃 said the mother； 〃grant that these my two sons may sit；
the one on thy right hand； and the other on the left； in thy kingdom。〃
The Master looked with love and pity upon their unpreparedness。 〃Are
ye able to drink of the cup？〃 Then he gave the only definition of greatness
that can ever stand： 〃Whosoever will be great among you； let him be your
minister； and whosoever will be chief among you； let him be your
servant。〃
That is we cannot be 〃born great；〃 nor 〃have greatness thrust upon〃 us。
We must 〃achieve greatness〃 by developing it on the insidedeveloping
ability to minister and to serve。
We cannot buy a great arm。 Our arm must become a great servant； and
thus it becomes great。
We cannot buy a great mind。 Our mind must become a great servant；
and thus it becomes great。
We cannot buy a great character。 It is earned in great moral service。
The First Step at Hand
This is the Big Business of lifegoing up； getting educated； getting
greatness on the inside。 Getting greatness on the outside is little business。
Much of it mighty little。
Everybody's privilege and duty is to become great。 And the joy of it is
that the first step is always nearest at hand。 We do not have to go off to
New York or Chicago or go chasing around the world to become great。 It
is a great stairway that leads from where our feet are now upward for an
infinite number of steps。
We must take the first step now。 Most of us want to take the hundredth
step or the thousandth step now。 We want to ma
