Fundamentals of Prosperity: What They Are and Whence They ComeBabson, Roger Ward
Philosophy
Fundamentals of Prosperity: What They Are and Whence They Come
Babson, Roger Ward
Business; Success
And when you think of it, there is really no value at all in the pieces
of paper which one so carefully locks up in these safety deposit boxes.
There is no value at all in the bank-book which we so carefully cherish.
There is no value at all in those deeds and mortgages upon which we
depend so completely. The value rests _first_, in the integrity of the
lawyers, clerks and stenographers who draw up the papers; _secondly_, in
the integrity of the officers who sign the documents; _thirdly_, in the
integrity of the courts and judges which would enable us to enforce our
claims; and _finally_, in the integrity of the community which would
determine whether or not the orders of the court will be executed.
These things which we look upon as of great value:--the stocks, bonds,
bank-books, deeds, mortgages, insurance policies, etc., are merely
nothing. While fifty-one per cent. of the people have their eyes on the
goal of Integrity, our investments are secure; but with fifty-one per
cent. of them headed in the wrong direction, our investments are
valueless. So the first fundamental of prosperity is integrity. Without
it there is no civilization, there is no peace, there is no security,
there is no safety. Mind you also that this applies just as much to the
man who is working for wages as to the capitalist and every owner of
property.
Integrity, however, is very much broader than the above illustration
would indicate. Integrity applies to many more things than to money.
Integrity requires the seeking after, as well as the dispensing of,
truth. It was this desire for truth which founded our educational
institutions, our sciences and our arts. All the great professions, from
medicine to engineering, rest upon this spirit of integrity. Only as
they so rest, can they prosper or even survive.
Integrity is the mother of knowledge. The desire for truth is the basis
of all learning, the value of all experience and the reason for all
study and investigation. Without integrity as a basis, our entire
educational system would fall to the ground; all newspapers and
magazines would become sources of great danger and the publication of
books would have to be suppressed. Our whole civilization rests upon the
assumption that people are honest. With this confidence shaken, the
structure falls. And it should fall, for, unless the truth be taught,
the nation would be much better off without its schools, newspapers,
books and professions. Better have no gun at all, than one aimed at
yourself. The corner-stone of prosperity is the stone of Integrity.
II
FAITH THE SEARCHLIGHT OF BUSINESS
This religion which we talk about for an hour a week, on
Sunday, is not only the vital force which protects our
community, but it is the vital force which makes our
communities. The power of our spiritual forces has not yet
been tapped.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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