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The ChemawaAmerican
Printed at Chomawa,
Vol. XXVII
Oregon, and Devoted to the Interests of Indian Education
Wednesday, October 7, 1925
WRONG VIEWPOINT
Everywhere and under all conditions we hear people
making excuses for their failure to get on. They are
dissatisfied with their lot, miserable because of their
seemingly inferior positions, and envious of the success
of others. If they could only get somewhere else,
into some other occupation, into some other school; if
they could only have someone else’s opportunity, some
other fellow’s chances, they, too, would be successful
and contented. But they can never do anything where
they are or with what they have. Each imagines that
the other fellow has the best chance.
The people who do not get on in the world have a
great deal to say about other people’s good fortune
and opportunities, and they do not think of putting
the blame for their lack of success where it belongs.
They excuse their own failure on the ground that
those who have succeeded have always been ‘ ‘boosted”
or “favored,” someone or something outside of them
selves “gave them a lift.”
A young man who had risen rapidly from an office
boy to the possession of a fine business of his own,
and who ow’es his success entirely to his own pluck,
industry and initiative, speaking of his experiences
says that during his climb, first as a student and then
as an employe, he was laughed at constantly by his
comrades for working so much harder than he needed
to for doing more than he was paid for, or was ex
pected of him. When he worked after hours to clean
up things and get ready for the next morning, they
would tell him that he was a fool to do so much with
out overtime pay, that his employer would probably
never know that he was working overtime, and that
even if he did learn of it he would not appreciate it.
“And now,” he said, “these same fellows are say
ing that my success is due to the fact that, from the
very start, my opportunities were better than theirs;
that even in the days when we used to work together
the boss always favored me and was prejudiced against
them. They positively resent my success, and seem
to think that I have in some way injured them.”
The tendency to underrate our own chances and
overrate those of our fellow-worker is common among
all classes of people. Wherever we go the same tend
ency to under lue what th
iave and magnify the
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value of what the other fellow has is noticeable. It
seems to be an element of our natures. We have a
feeling of dissatisfaction with what we have and a long
ing for what our more successful or prosperous neigh
bor has. In longing for what we don’t have, or in
looking forward to some big thing we hope to have,
we miss much enjoyment that we could get from what
we have and the multitude of pleasant things within
our reach.
Happiness, fortune, opportunity, everything, some
where else. The good things are for others. How
much energy has been lost, how many lives spoiled,
by this fruitless longing for other fields, other oppoi -
tunities out of our reach; in dreaming of what we
would do if we were in somebody else’s place.
Students, do you realize that there are people all
around you envying you your good fortune, your op
portunity to get an education under the Government’s
supervision; your chance to procure vocational train
ing as w’ell as academic education without that great
effort to pay the bills required of all white people?
And yet we find so many students in our Government
schools dissatisfied.
The good fortune and happiness for which you are
looking elsewhere are right within yourself. Instead
of wasting your energy in useless repining and in
envying others what they have attained through hard
work; instead of longingto be someone else, or have
somebody else’s opportunity, make the most of those
you have. . Do the best you can where you are and
you will be surprised at the strength you will develop
and the progress you will make, and how the obstacles
that seem to discourage you will be overcome. Envy
and inertia will never get you anywhere—they bring
only discontent and unhappiness.
Everywhere there are discontented men and women
who are more or less soured on life—because they could
not get what they longed for. They feel that life has
cheated them, when the truth is that they have cheated
themselves. They are struggling along in an uncon
genial environment, envying those who succeeded
where they failed, railing at the fate which has robbed
them of their own. They did not rely upon their in
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