1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,599 Speaker 1: Right principles. It is wise to know what comes first 2 00:00:04,799 --> 00:00:07,919 Speaker 1: and what to do first. To begin anything in the 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: middle or at the end is to make a muddle 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: of it. The athlete who began by breaking the tape 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: would not receive the prize. He must begin by facing 6 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: the starter and towing the mark, and even then a 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: good start is important if he is to win. The 8 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,839 Speaker 1: pupil does not begin with algebra and literature, but with 9 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: counting in a BC, So in life, the business men 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 1: who begin at the bottom achieve the more enduring success, 11 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 1: and the religious men who reach the highest heights of 12 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: spiritual knowledge and wisdom are they who have stooped to 13 00:00:42,039 --> 00:00:45,799 Speaker 1: serve a patient apprenticeship to the humbler tasks, and if 14 00:00:45,799 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: not scorned the common experiences of humanity, or overlook the 15 00:00:50,079 --> 00:00:53,679 Speaker 1: lessons to be learned from them. The first things in 16 00:00:53,759 --> 00:00:57,479 Speaker 1: a sound life, and therefore in a truly happy and 17 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:03,159 Speaker 1: successful life, are right principle. Without right principles to begin with, 18 00:01:03,759 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 1: there will be wrong practices to follow with, and a 19 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: bungled and wretched life to end with. All the infinite 20 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:15,079 Speaker 1: variety of calculations which tabulate the commerce and science of 21 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: the world come out of ten figures. All the hundreds 22 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: of thousands of books which constitute the literature of the 23 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 1: world and perpetuate its thought in genius, are built up 24 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,159 Speaker 1: from the twenty six letters. The greatest astronomer cannot ignore 25 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: the ten simple figures. The profoundest man of genius cannot 26 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: dispense with the twenty six simple characters. The fundamentals of 27 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: all things are few and simple, yet without them there 28 00:01:42,439 --> 00:01:46,599 Speaker 1: is no knowledge and no achievement. The fundamentals the basic 29 00:01:46,719 --> 00:01:50,959 Speaker 1: principles in life or true living, are also few and simple. 30 00:01:51,519 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: And to learn them thoroughly and study how to apply 31 00:01:54,359 --> 00:01:57,319 Speaker 1: them to all the details of life is to avoid 32 00:01:57,359 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: confusion and to secure a substantial foundation for the orderly 33 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,519 Speaker 1: building up of an invincible character and a permanent success. 34 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: And to succeed in comprehending those principles in their innumerable 35 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: ramifications in the labyrinth of conduct is to become a 36 00:02:14,039 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: master of life. The first principles in life are principles 37 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,719 Speaker 1: of conduct. To name them is easy. As mere words, 38 00:02:21,759 --> 00:02:25,159 Speaker 1: they are on all men's lips, but as fixed sources 39 00:02:25,199 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: of action, admitting of no compromise, few have learned them. 40 00:02:29,759 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: In this short talk I will deal with five only 41 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: of these principles. These five are amongst the simplest of 42 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:39,159 Speaker 1: the root principles of life. But they are also those 43 00:02:39,199 --> 00:02:42,439 Speaker 1: that come nearest to the everyday life, for they touch 44 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,879 Speaker 1: the artisan, the business man, the householder, the citizen at 45 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: every point. No one of them can be dispensed with, 46 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 1: but at severe cost. And he who perfects himself in 47 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: their application will rise superior to many of the troubles 48 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,159 Speaker 1: and failures of life, and will come into these springs 49 00:03:01,199 --> 00:03:04,879 Speaker 1: and currents of thought which flow harmoniously toward the regions 50 00:03:04,879 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 1: of enduring success. The first of these principles is duty, 51 00:03:10,719 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: a much hackneyed word, I know, but it contains a 52 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: rare jewel for him who will seek it By assiduous application. 53 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: The principle of duty means strict adherence to one's own 54 00:03:21,159 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: business and justice, strict non interference in the business of others. 55 00:03:26,199 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: The man who is continually instructing others gradis how to 56 00:03:30,159 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: manage their affairs is the one who most mismanage his own. 57 00:03:34,759 --> 00:03:38,039 Speaker 1: Duty also means undivided attention to the matter in hand, 58 00:03:38,599 --> 00:03:41,719 Speaker 1: intelligent concentration of the mind on the work to be done. 59 00:03:42,319 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: It includes all that is meant by thoroughness, exactness, and efficiency. 60 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:51,159 Speaker 1: The details of duties differ with individuals, and each man 61 00:03:51,199 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: should know his own duty better than he knows his 62 00:03:53,439 --> 00:03:57,319 Speaker 1: neighbors and better than his neighbor knows his. But although 63 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,879 Speaker 1: the working details differ, the principle is always the same. 64 00:04:01,599 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: Who has mastered the demands of duty. Honesty is the 65 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: next principle. It means not cheating or overcharging another. It 66 00:04:10,879 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: involves the absence of all trickery, lying, and deception by word, look, 67 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:19,759 Speaker 1: or gesture. It includes sincerity, the saying what you mean 68 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 1: and the meaning what you say. It scorns cringing policy 69 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 1: and shining complement. It builds up good reputations and good 70 00:04:28,519 --> 00:04:32,879 Speaker 1: reputations build up good businesses, and bright joy accompanies well 71 00:04:32,879 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 1: earned success. Who has scaled the heights of honesty. Economy 72 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: is the third principle. The conservation of one's financial resources 73 00:04:42,879 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: is merely the vestibule leading towards the more spacious chambers 74 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:51,319 Speaker 1: of true economy. It means, as well, the husbanding of 75 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: one's physical, vitality and mental resources. It demands the conservation 76 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: of energy by the avoidance of enervating self indulgence and 77 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: sensual habits. It holds for its follower's strength, endurance, vigilance, 78 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: and the capacity to achieve. It bestows great power on 79 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,199 Speaker 1: him who learns it well, who has realized the supreme 80 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:19,959 Speaker 1: strength of economy. Liberality follows economy. It is not opposed 81 00:05:19,959 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: to it. Only the man of economy can afford to 82 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:28,319 Speaker 1: be generous. The spendthrift, whether in money, vitality, or mental energy, 83 00:05:28,879 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: wasted so much on his own miserable pleasures as to 84 00:05:32,079 --> 00:05:35,639 Speaker 1: have none left to bestow upon others. The giving of 85 00:05:35,759 --> 00:05:39,519 Speaker 1: money is the smallest part of liberality. There is the 86 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,519 Speaker 1: giving of thoughts and deeds, and sympathy, the bestowing of 87 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 1: good will, the being generous towards calumniators and opponents. It 88 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: is a principle that begets a noble, far reaching influence. 89 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,399 Speaker 1: It brings loving friends and staunch comrades, and is the 90 00:05:56,439 --> 00:06:01,399 Speaker 1: foe of loneliness and despair who has measured breadth of liberality. 91 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:06,079 Speaker 1: Self control is the last of these five principles, yet 92 00:06:06,079 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 1: the most important. Its neglect is the cause of vast misery. 93 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: Innumerable failures and tens of thousands of financial, physical, and 94 00:06:14,759 --> 00:06:17,959 Speaker 1: mental wrecks. Show me. The business man who loses his 95 00:06:18,079 --> 00:06:21,439 Speaker 1: temper with a customer over some trivial matter, and I 96 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,199 Speaker 1: will show you a man who, by that condition of 97 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: mind is doomed to failure. If all men practiced even 98 00:06:28,959 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: the initial stages of self control, anger, with its consuming 99 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: and destroying fire, would be unknown. The lessons of patience, purity, gentleness, kindness, 100 00:06:40,959 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: and steadfastness, which are contained in the principle of self control, 101 00:06:45,439 --> 00:06:49,199 Speaker 1: are slowly learned by men. Yet until they are truly learned, 102 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 1: a man's character and success are uncertain and insecure. Where 103 00:06:54,199 --> 00:06:56,959 Speaker 1: is the man who has perfected himself and self control? 104 00:06:57,639 --> 00:07:01,399 Speaker 1: Where he may be he is a master. Indeed, the 105 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:06,439 Speaker 1: five principles are five practices, five avenues to achievement, and 106 00:07:06,519 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: five sources of knowledge. It is an old saying and 107 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: a good rule that practice makes perfect. And he who 108 00:07:13,079 --> 00:07:16,759 Speaker 1: would make his own wisdom, which is inherent in those principles, 109 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: must not merely have them on his lips. They must 110 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,879 Speaker 1: be established in his heart. To know them and receive 111 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,279 Speaker 1: what they alone can bring, he must do them and 112 00:07:27,399 --> 00:07:29,279 Speaker 1: give them out in his actions.