The Business of Youth

THE BUSINESS OF YOUTH (Improvement Era Prize Jubilee Essay) By Venice Farnsworth Anderson The restive age of youth encompasses the sum total of human passions, hope, aspira- tions, joys and sorrows since the world began, welded into one varied, seething mass. Its ever changing spirit is like the rip- pling of clear mountain streams, the mad rush of the raging tor- rent, the despondency of stag- nant pools, the furious flare of leaping flames, the delightful cool of forest shade and moss- covered rocks, the blazing heat of a desert day which at night will be bathed in the tranquility of a golden moon. From this youth the world expects and has received many of its grandest efforts. It fur- nishes the fuel which gives to the world its dynamic force and keeps the machinery of civilization turning. When a great cause must be won, when an international citadel is to be taken or a bridge held against fearful odds, when superhuman heroism and vibrant energy are needed, the world calls on its youth to perform the tasks. And glo- rious youth, without a thought of self, sallies forth and wins, though it sacrifice its very existence in so doing. But though the world would surely stagnate without its youth, had it no forces except youth, it would run a riotous journey and end, no doubt, in some violent catastrophe. So the youth must learn to curb his furious strength and to mould his surging impulses into some- thing stable, reliable, consistent, a socialized character. It is the business of youth to make the most possible of himself in whatever sphere of action he may be placed. The undertaking is immeasurably difficult because the young boy steps all unconsciously from childhood to the myriad and diversified problems of youth. Rousseau tells us that "a man is born twice — once to exist, the sec- ond time to live." Upon the youth devolves the responsibility of beginning to live. Aided by no possible previous experience, without Venice Farnsworth Anderson

THE BUSINESS OF YOUTH 85$ his own volition, he passes from a world of physical habits and selfish reactions to external stimuli, to a world of ideals, evaluations, reflective thought and social responsibility. The human child is a barbarian, an individualist. He lives for himself and is largely unconscious that his acts have any influence upon others. Gradually, through the persistent efforts of his parents, teachers and associates, he begins to acquire some of the virtues de- manded by society. He learns to love, to obey, to co-operate. He is changing from childhood to youth. Then with appalling abrupt- ness the new life dawns. With the enlargement of his muscles and bones and the development of new bodily functions comes the re-birth. He has left forever the old world which existed around him, to which he scarcely realized that he belonged except that he got his food and playmates from it, and has entered the new social world of which he feels he is an important part. Here he first begins seriously to consider his own actions, to re- flect upon his conduct, to decide whether or not he should continue to steal watermelons or should commence to smoke cigarettes. He is developing his "reflective personality." Before this time he was act- ing largely under his parents' authority. Now he knows that he is capable of being guided, to some extent at least, by his own judgment. He knows that his acts may injure or benefit society. With this knowledge he should feel, but alas, often does not, a keen sense of responsibility. He is no longer the innocent, care-free child, but is a distinct, social personality responsible for his acts to his own con- science and to society. He has the whole world before him which is to conquer him or to be conquered by him. The youth who wishes to conquer the world, to perform well the great business of life, the living of a truly successful life, must keep constantly in mind three basic lines of development. These are the mental, the emotional and the physical life. Of these three the physical self is perhaps most important because it is most fundamental. It forms the immediate environment in which the whole personality must develop. A glorious spirit seldom dwells in a degenerate body. A master mind, in fact, may be destroyed if the body by mishap or by wrong living becomes badly diseased. And certainly there is nothing which gives more joy to the lucky youth who possesses it and to all those who see it than does an evenly developed physique abounding in health and energy. Equally important with physical development, however, is physi- cal conservation. The most superb constitution can easily be ruined by too strenuous living during the growing years. Too many joy rides and chocolate creams, too little sleep, too little whole wheat bread, too many cups of coffee, and forced races or swimming meets may mean disaster to the man. All too many adults at thirty-five look back, sick at heart, to the time when they were sixteen and wish that they had lived differently. What would they not give to

860 IMPROVEMENT ERA have taken care of their eyes, their teeth and their stomachs, to have brushed their hair and kept their muscles in "good tone?" Just a little care along the way would have made different men of them. These physical habits which mean so much to a man's well being should be developed by constant repetition under parents' supervision, during childhood. But if a boy has been lazy and his parents neg- lectful, the habits of regular, healthful living must be acquired in adolescence, otherwise, a wonderful body may degenerate for mere lack of care. The successful youth of today must be not only physically strong but mentally trained. He must be "educated." By that we mean trained so that he may successfuly cope with the problems which come before him. In order to do this he must store his brain with a goodly supply of usable facts; not knowledge in cold storage so frozen up that it will not thaw out, but knowledge which leaps from an active brain eager to solve any practical problem of life. When a boy stud- ies he should think, "In what way am I going to be able to use this knowledge?" For unless knowledge can be applied in every day ways it is nothing but so much dead timber. The problem of mental training has two distinct phases which in adult life should overlap and weld into a synthesized whole. These are the cultural and the vocational. From the cultural, we expect training which will aid us in forming our ideals, our sense of appre- ciation and of proper utilization. From the vocational, we demand specific training which fits us for efficient activity in a given pro- fession or occupation. In this busy world of ours it is essential that a boy train himself in some profession or trade, for to him has fallen the lot of being a bread winner. Without a vocation, some definite life's work, a man is usually a failure, a "make shift," buffeted around by every indus- trial wind that blows. A "skilled" workman is rarely out of a job, and there is always room in any community for an "expert" pro- fessional man. It is the "jacks of all trades and masters of none" and the mediocre doctors and lawyers who are- always hunting work. Because of the necessity of specialization in all lines of work to- day, a boy should begin as early as possible to receive definite training in his vocation. Though a rich youth may choose with more leisure, it is essential that a poor boy decide upon his work and train for it as quickly as he can. Otherwise, by the death of a parent or some such catastrophe he may be thrust into the stream of life without adequate training in any occupation. In such case, he will remain, in all prob- ability, to the end of his days an unskilled and unfortunate workman, tied to distasteful work and odd jobs because of the necessity of earn- ing his daily bread every day. He cannot stop even for a few weeks to study or train lest he starve. That a wise youth will decide upon a vocation as quickly as possible is undeniable. In choosing his work, however, he must con-

THE BUSINESS OF YOUTH 861 sidcr many things. To be a real success, a vocation must perform a service to society. For this reason a young man must bear in mind the needs of society. A boy who will spend most of his days on a farm or ranch in southern Utah is foolish to spend much time in the study of foreign languages. His community, no matter how much he likes German or French, does not need them and will have little use for him. It might find him of priceless value, however, as a soil or cattle expert. On the other hand, a young man must pay some attention to his own aptitudes. Most individuals are especially fitted for certain kinds of work and are disqualified for very different kinds. If a boy has an innate abhorence for blood or anything physical, he will probably never make a skillful surgeon. He may become a splendid civil en- gineer. If a young man hates machinery he will not prove to be a very good auto mechanic though he may be decidedly useful as a his- tory teacher. So many things are involved in this great choice which unfor- tunately must come early in life, that a sensible boy will consult the mature judgment of parents and teachers before he finally settles up- on a vocation. For if he fail here, he wounds himself with a double- edged sword. Socially he is a "misfit," deprived of one of the great- est joys of life — ^the ability to carry his own economic burden and to aid the less fortunate in carrying theirs. From the personal standpoint he is a tragedy, deprived of the right to procure for himself a home and family. Unless he can take care of these he has no right to acquire them. No man can justify himself in wilfully becoming a burden to society. Though perhaps a youth's most persistent mental task is to train specifically for his vocation, of scarcely less importance is his cultural training. "Culture" is that subtle quality which we all so desire and which places the happy possessor just a little ahead of ordinary men. It is the rare accomplishment which enables him to fit into some niche in society no matter where he finds himself, and to serve these with efficiency and joy. It gives him the power of adaptability and ser- vice. The art of being cultured comes largely through a sympathetic knowledge of human nature. In a superficial form it may be easily acquired by travel and scholastic training. It is, therefore, frequently confused, by inexperienced and unlearned people, with wealth and mere external polish. These often give rise in an untrained person to snobbishness which is the exact opposite of true culture. A poor man in a small community may become cultured if he is a sincere student of his fellow men and their needs. A truly cultured man is "at home" in any society. Better still, no matter how great his wealth and edu- cation, he tries not to make a poor or an ignorant man uncomfortable in his presence. Much of a cultural education consists in the formation of proper

562 IMPROVEMENT ERA mental concepts and ideals. A young man must leain to utilize the resources which are found in him, to know good things and good people when he sees them, to appreciate fine art, superb music and worthy literature, to realize when a genuine opportunity is before him, to distinguish between a vital problem and an insignificant issue. For after all, the attitude he takes toward life and each problem as it comes to him, determines whether or not he shall be happy or unhappy, suc- cessful or unsuccessful throughout life. The training which does much to aid him in this undertaking is derived from the study of history, literature, ethics, economics, so- ciology, biology, theology, physics, in fact any subject which broadens his outlook on life and gives him the ability and the desire to under- stand and to serve his fellowmen. There is another task set for youth, however, infinitely more dif- ficult than the acquiring and keeping of a splendid physique or the training of remarkable mental powers, both practical and cultural. This is the training of the religious and emotional self. Just as youth is the dynamic force in civilization, the religion and the emotions are the dynamic force in each youth. Without them he would be static, without feelings, without desires to act. The strength of a human personality is determined, to a great extent, by the strength of his emotions. But mere strength is a danger- ous force. Therefore, the youth who is blessed with great emotional power must subject his feelings to the guiding light of his intellect. The better he has trained his intellect, the better he should be able to train his emotions. If he does not discipline his emotions he will be like a powerful engine rushing hither and thither without the guiding hand of an engineer. A moral personality which can withstand temptation and act for the best in the majority of cases, cannot be developed in a day. It is the result of countless situations in which the individual had strong feelings in more than one direction and made between these emotions a choice which resulted in definite action. The building of character begins the instant a child makes his first conscious choice between good and bad. With each succeeding action which is of sufficient importance to demand the exercising of will power, some emotion be- comes stronger and its opposite weaker. The problem before the normal growing youth then is to develop desirable emotions by use, and to inhibit the undesirable, by lack of use. In the end he will then be, not a weakling who wants to do right but cannot, but a stable, socialized personality blessed with a keen intellect capable of making wise decisions, and an emotional make-up which has the power to desire and the will to act rightly. Of inestimable value to a young man, in the training of his emo- tions, is the belief in the true religion of Jesus Christ. Though in his youth he may not hope to grasp this religion in all its fulness, he must struggle toward it as his most valuable possession.

THE BUSINESS OF YOUTH 863 For the religion of Jesus Christ, if properly understood, embraces all truth, is the standard in all things. It answers the crying need in every mortal man for a higher, better life. It gives content and purpose to every phase of life. The man who holds in his heart the religion of Christ is never, not even in his darkest hours, in doubt as to whether or not the universe is real. He knows with a surety which brings peace to his soul that God lives, that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world, that life is good, and that effort even unto death, is worth while. His faith in the ultimate good of humanity and in the existence of the supreme, personal, beneficent God gives him at once a priceless joy, and an ever advancing goal toward which to struggle. But religion which is to be a valuable force is not a sudden growth. It is the result of the gradual development of religious hab- its of conduct. By training in childhood and early youth, a boy must acquire a spiritual nature. He must cultivate prayerfulness and de- votion. Above all, he must be taught faith in God and in his work and world; faith, that God-bestowed gift which has ever brought hope to the heart of man throughout the dim ages. In our age it has been the driving force in and furnished the incentive for every great dis- covery. Next to a thorough going devotion to the doctrines and com- mandments of God, possibly the strongest single factor for good in a boy's life is the right kind of sweetheart. No boy who has been so sincerely devoted to the Lord and who has cherished the friendship of a clever, high-minded girl has ever gone astray. Many an adult human wreck, however, can trace his first false steps to the insidious influence of a demoralized girl. The value of good home environment in the life of a boy cannot be overestimated, but few boys have the opportunity deliberately to choose their homes. Most boys, however, may choose their girl friends. And yet how few youths select their girl associates by any rules at all except the absurd fascination of red cheeks, blue eyes, and ever curled hair. They gain their ideals of glorious womanhood from some vain, frivolous girl whose most weighty problems are how to make her eye lashes grow and what shaped hats to buy. They do not choose their boy friends by the color of their eyes and the curve of their lips, why choose their girl friends in this way? Some boys are foolish enough to go out with only those girls who enjoy "spooning." The wise youth realizes that a girl who refuses to "spoon" is the girl who has too much respect for her own personality and for the boy's manhood to indulge in such intimate conduct which must lead eventually to love or to disagreement. Pure friendship cannot survive "spooning." And friendship is a more priceless treasure between young people than love. Good sense, friendliness, cheerfulness, capability, sympathy, are assets much more valuable than fine clothes or curly hair. Young men cannot look for the worthwhile virtues too carefully among their girl

864 IMPROVEMENT ERA friends for just so sure as association with a sweet, high-minded girl will develop the right kind of emotions and ideals in a boy, associa- tion with a girl of low standards will bring out the worst in him. If a boy has not a good home, an uplifting religion, based on the gospel of Jesus Christ, or a high-minded girl to help him to walk aright, his next best aid is a superior ethical code, which by giving him a criterion for his conduct will help him to develop worthy emotions and sound ideals. His code must direct him to make the best possible use of his life. To do this he must schedule his days so that he will not waste valuable hours. If he works on schedule he will find that he has time for recreation as well as for work. To be a success in his work he must acquire numerous ideals of industry. He must apply him- self with regularity, thoroughness and dependability. Nothing is so irritating to an overseer as a job half done. In the end painstaking persistence will win out over more brilliant qualities. He must learn that procrastination is a real thief. He will avoid it as a profligate consumer of time In its place he will build up the habit of punctuality until tardiness becomes almost an impossibility. The wise youth will avoid the habit of indecision as the slow slayer of will power. He will learn to consider each problem care- fully, but when his mind is once made up he will act with firmness. Then even though he makes mistakes, he will at least avoid the mis- fortune of being a neutral personality. One of the most pleasing attributes which a youth can cultivate is that of cheerfulness. A cheerful person looks for the best instead of the worst in everything and usually finds something worthwhile in every situation. He is a joy wherever he goes, and the world is actually brighter because of his presence. It is easy for the care-free, irresponsible character to be cheerful. In that case cheerfulness is no virtue but rather the mere absence of a necessary sense of responsibility. "But the man worthwhile is the man who can smile when everything goes dead wrong." As a youth trains his emotions he will become master of them. By constant practice of his will power, he will be able to act as; his intellect and his religious and moral standards direct. His ideals, once mere dreams, will become an active, vital part of himself. He will possess the countless, simple virtues which form the framework of a noble character. Then almost unconsciously he will acquire the great, complex virtues. He will possess "personal poise," the quality which comes with the knowledge that he is master of himself. With this power sufficiently developed he can quell a mob by the mere force of his personality. Accompanying the tremendous power born of self-mastery should be a counteracting gentleness of spirit. For the truly great man must be a gentle-man. He realizes that the basis of courtesy is consideration

THE BUSINESS OF YOUTH 86 5 for others which develops with the desire to be tactful and kind. So the youth who wishes to possess a great personality must be mag- nanimous. He must have a deep-seated respect for personality, his own as well as others. It is not always easy to be kind or even sincere. The human species loves praise and hates ridicule. There are times in the life of every boy when to be noble he must exercise one of the most difficult of all virtues, moral courage. In the face of jeers and abuse he must be able to stand for what is right even though the whole world turn against him. ' ' If he possesses moral courage to a marked degree he will be likely to possess also the all inclusive virtue of loyalty. Loyalty gives a youth the power to devote himself wholeheartedly to whatever cause he wishes to advance. Without this devotion, ideals are empty dreams and convictions are trash. So a boy must cultivate loyalty, first of all to self, for unless a man can be true to himself he cannot be true to any man. Next he must be loyal to his home, the cradle of all his possibilities. He must be loyal to his church, to his school, to his community, to his nation, to humanity. If he slights any of these he is failing to repay the great debt which he owes to the human race and to his God, for all the gifts he has received. If he practices loyalty, he will acquire through the coming years that generosity of spirit which desires to live and to let live so that every human soul through equal- ity of opportunity may develop to the greatest possible degree. He will preserve the richness and vigor of youth and acquire the wisdom and glory of age. What Has to be Done Not the family traits nor the gifts I inherit, Nor the trophies my fathers have won. Are half in the race with the gospel of merit. That measures the leagues I must run — It's hitting the pace just a little bit stronger It's toughing it out just a little bit longer. And doing what has to be done! Doing it cheerfully, willingly, manfully, The thing that has got to be done. It isn't the family prestige or station, That carries from father to son, It isn't my town, or my state, or my nation, That makes me a lustrous one — It's keeping my heritage whole and entire. It's lifting the standard a little bit higher. And doing what has to be done! Doing it cheerfully, willingly, manfully, The thing that has got to be done. Mesa, Arizona BERTHA A. KLEINMAN

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