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Show ; SELF-CONFIDENCE IS OFT ,. THE SECRET OF SUCCESS : - Solf-contldcnco Is tho explanation of all successful careers. It Is a vtrtuo that should be carefully cultUated In tho young, for lack of Bclf-trust may amount to complete self-effacement In the competitions of life. Theio was fomethlng Imposing In tho excessive Roif-rcllance of Napoleon, who declared de-clared if there was no ono to make cannon and gunpowder ho could mnko them. "It Is I nlono who havo arranged ar-ranged tho llnnuccs, you know." This was colossal egotism. It Is true, but It wns tho motive power thnt mndo Napoleon Na-poleon one of tlio most magnificent military successes In history. It Is better to possess tho quality of sclf-confldenco sclf-confldenco In excess than not to possess pos-sess It nt all. Montalgno, among tho shrewdest of practical philosophers, nays, "To speak less of himself than ho possessed! Is folly nnd not modesty." mod-esty." Offense lies not In relying upon one's self, but in speaking boastfully of one's ability and exploits. A writer observes that same offensive cgotlBts aro of Indispensable Importnnco to tho carrying on of American llfo, "whom wo could HI spare; any ono of them would bo a national loss. Hut It spoils conversation. They aro over thniBt-Ing thniBt-Ing their pampered self between you and them. Nature utilizes misers, fanatics, fan-atics, egotists, to accomplish hor ends, but wo must not think better ot tho folblo for that." Sclf-confldcnco Is, therefore, to bo carefully distinguished from self-pratso, self-pratso, which, oven In tho greatest of men, is Intolerable. A man should bellovo In himself, but ho should not ndvcrtleo his merit by his own proclamation. procla-mation. It was tho Injunction of n famous artist, "to conflde In oue't) self, nnd bo somc.Mng of value." When this Is ono's mental attitude- toward one's self, n long step has been taken In tho path of success. Solf-confldcnco Is tho offspring of self-respect. "To think meanly ot one's self Is to sink." "Keel yourself nnd bo not daunted by things." Those aro tho precepts which Inspire men to worthy, If not famous, achievements. A great deal may bo expected of a man who, In a now, difficult and untried un-tried position, acts as If ho had tho right to bo there. It is related that tho Saxons were taught to bellovo that they would bo first, and tho ag-gresslvo ag-gresslvo energy of tho racu may bo ddo to this prlmltlvo Inspiration, Though It may scorn an atlllctlon, tho young man who stands nlono has nn opportunity to test his manhood, and such opportunities should bo welcomed, wel-comed, "(5o forward with hope and coulldonco" was tho host advlco which tho sago could glvo to tho youth who desired to learn tho mystery ot success. suc-cess. Solf-contldonco can never bo learned In seclusion. It Is nurtured in tho school of tho world, by contact with men In touch with affairs. Of course. It will bo understood that wo nro not encouraging tho overweening soif-confldenco thnt despises tho advlco ad-vlco of experience; but wo must learn to try our own wings, to trust to our own powers, If wo nro tomako notr.ble progress In tho world. fhlladolphla Ledger. |