Short Studies in Ethics: An Elementary Text-Book for Schools — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Short Studies in Ethics: An Elementary Text-Book for Schools
John Stuart Mill · en
But all work is not Industry. If we are compelled to work against our
will, that is not Industry. There must be the habit, and no habit can be
fully formed without the mind's consent. Industry is work done with a
will; not at odd moments, with wide spaces of idleness between, but
regularly as a habit, which is as much the business of life as eating
and sleeping.
In the history of mankind, Industry has been a far greater power than
Genius. Genius, indeed, has been called "the power of taking pains";
that is, immense perseverance. The amount of good done to mankind by men
of genius who have had no Industry is hardly worth counting up. Nearly
all the world's great men have been men of great diligence. As Cicero
said: "Diligence is the one virtue that includes all the rest." Solomon
has the same thought: "The soul of the diligent shall be made fat." It
is astonishing what a large number of great men have risen by their own
industry to positions of the highest authority and influence. Faraday
was the greatest chemist of modern times. His father was a village
blacksmith, and he himself was first a newsboy, and then learnt the
trade of bookbinding. He became interested in books through making their
covers. Turner, the greatest modern landscape painter, was the son of a
barber. He left school when he was thirteen; and from that time earned
his own living.
Sir William Jones, the great oriental scholar, was a man of enormous
Industry. Before he was twenty years old, he had mastered Greek, Latin,
Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, and had made great progress in Arabic
and Persian. He divided his day as follows:
"Seven hours to law, to soothing slumber seven,
Ten to the world allot, and all to heaven."
Hugh Miller, the great geologist, began life as a stonemason. Elihu
Burritt, a blacksmith, mastered eighteen languages and twenty-two
dialects. Such perseverance and diligence should make us feel ashamed of
neglected opportunities.
The main thing to keep in mind about Industry is that it is a habit,
and, like most good habits, somewhat difficult to acquire. A boy is
given a piece of work by his father. He goes at it with great vigour;
but, in a short time, his attention is attracted by his dog, or birds,
and he leaves the work for something more pleasant; he is not
Industrious. A boy begins his night lessons and works five minutes, and
then remembers something that happened that afternoon at play; he
returns to his book for five minutes more, and then thinks of the next
half-holiday--and so on. Industry means concentration, and he has not
learnt anything about that yet.