PUBLIC SCHOOLS CREATE DISDAIN OF EFFORT, IS VIEW

The following article is the fifth of a series of seven on the subject, "Public School Boys in Business," written by "Callisthenes" of Selfridge and Company, for the London Times. The articles are printed through the courtesy of R. T. Sharpe '28, acting secretary for Student Employment, and A. L. Putnam '20, consultant on careers.

The Public School Boy hates to be seen exerting himself. His kindly contempt for the "Swot" is largely due to his belief that it is rather bad form to let other fellows know that you are exerting yourself. He hates fuss of any kind and he regards the man who is conspicuously busy as making a fuss.

This feeling, that to exert oneself overmuch is a proof of inferiority, is found in so many nations and so many ages that the Public Schools can only take a small share of originating responsibility. But this must be said--that howevermuch the feeling may be found in other people, the typical Public School Boy has it so strongly that it amounts to an inhibition.

There may have been a time when the men of the upper classes in England might have expected to go through life without exerting themselves over- much, but those days have gone by. National opinion condemns idleness. Economic pressure demands activity. Even if they have not gone by for Public School Boys in general they have emphatically gone by for those of them who wish to make business their profession.

Young men who come into business must be prepared to make effort. If they choose to keep that effort out of notice everyone will like them the better. Refraining from a too conspicuous busyness, if not one of the virtues, is at least one of the graces. But they must never let their dislike of visible effort lead them into any avoidance of effort. It is of primary importance that they should exert themselves: it is only of secondary importance that they should simultaneously preserve the appearance of indifference and leisure.

Sometimes the inhibition is deeper and the Public School Boy feels that for none of the ordinary objects of life is it worthwhile going "all out." Should ever an emergency arise he will exert himself as much as necessary, and all over the world there are proofs of the splendid worth of the English Public School Boy in an emergency. But many of them seem to go through life waiting, before they will exert themselves, for a cataclysm which never arises. Cataclysms are rare. The need for hard work is constant.

Public School Boys who wish to play an adequate part in business must be prepared to regard every day as the day for the big effort and to make that effort with all their heart even if it attracts more attention to their activity than their notion of good form regards as desirable