"For," said she, "the result of that advice
is to quiet rather than excite the activities and ambitions; it is to
retard rather than hasten intellectual acquisition; it is to check
rather than advance a young man's career."
But, granting that this be true, the very objection is itself one of
the highest merits of the advice thus criticized. For the only grave
danger before capable young Americans, and, indeed, before our Nation,
is that of hastening too much, of sweeping on too rapidly, of
straining every nerve too tensely, of living our lives with an ardor
all too fierce and hot. Don't hurry--the world will last several
millions of years longer.
What most of the young men of this country need is restraint, not
stimulant; what this Nation needs is reserve. The only serious fear I
entertain for our future is that the great rapidity of our common
lives will make us neurotic. I prefer a young man to be a little less
scintillant, than that his brilliancy should be at the expense of
exhausted nerves and enfeebled vitality.
This paper is supposed to be advice which will be practically helpful
to young men in their struggle with the world. Very well, then! From
the low view-point of self-interest, I would advise every young man to
cultivate unselfishness.
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