The Message of the Month

The most important point on which success rests is a strong will, accompanied by swift execution and the seizing of opportunities.

Did they not say "war is struggle" — in other words, "life is war"? And the best warrior is he who attacks and does not confine himself to defense, who acts and does not confine himself to caution. When an opportunity presents itself he steps forward and seizes it, and does not hesitate a moment lest he lose it. Then he aims at the target and makes sure of his hit; and no harm in failure, for he fails only in order to succeed.

If you hesitate too much and carry caution to extremes, and will not embark on any undertaking until you are one hundred percent sure of its success, you may do well as a dreaming man of letters, or a philosopher swimming in fantasy, but you will not do as a successful man of business.

For the battle is not won by the cowardly commander, nor by the cautious commander, nor by the commander who will not sacrifice a single one of his soldiers. It is won by the one who thinks according to his capacity, and does not prolong his thinking beyond what is needed, then strikes the blow at its proper moment, contending for success even though he cannot be certain of it; and if he fails after that, he has done his duty.

Modern morals prefer the "imperative" to the "prohibitive": "be truthful" is better than "do not lie," and "be just" is better than "do not oppress"; commanding virtue is better than forbidding vice, for in the first there is action, existence, and life, and in the second abandonment, nothingness, and death.

Better than prevention is "vitality" — through exercise, work, movement, and activity. It is the sick in their beds who rely on prevention; the healthy rely little on prevention, and much on vitality and work.