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Show THE AMERICAN WAY i if ': J (f A wk&pm CHALLENGE 'l.k'i TO 'V, HAPPINESS Morton Clausen EDITOR'S NOTE: Morton Clausen was for many years publisher and editor of a weekly-newspaper. Throughout human history, perhaps the most sought-after intangible is happiness. Philosophers, Philos-ophers, poets and preachers have variously defined its meaning, mean-ing, interpreted its desirability as a motivating force of human endeavor, and have sought to chart courses of conduct toward achieving it. The Twentieth Century saw vast strides in seeking to ensure en-sure man's happiness in the material ma-terial for greater human comfort com-fort and convenience. But the ultimate goal of happiness remained re-mained an elusive factor. The philosophers, poets and preachers, preach-ers, noting the increasing unrest un-rest and frustration on the part of man, offered the antidote of peace of mind, peace of heart and peace of soul. The politician, not to be outdone, out-done, offered his potion of material ma-terial security through various social and economic welfare guarantees. Perhaps to his own astonishment, he found himself in the role qf ch,ief medicine nijjn in the galaxy qf quacks, generously dispensing an opiate that called for ever increasing dpsages of ever higher potencies, poten-cies, until the "addict" is abpyt tp become slave tp the most dangerous spcial and economic hoax ever perpetrated on a grand scale, In pur evaluation of man we myst pecpgnlae that although he is a spiritual being, he is also al-so a mundane creature. He is constantly torn between inner conflicts vested in the spiritual and in the material. Too often we have failed to recognize that man's inner conflicts, seeking solution in the individual, are Prerequisites to human progress. The problem is not to create a world in which man is a do-cill do-cill inactive creature of bovine complacency, but a world in which he is free to direct his drives, urges, appetites and conflicts con-flicts along creative and constructive con-structive lines. Only in that direction lies human happiness Toward this end we must find some premise upon which o accomplish an effective merging merg-ing of the spiritual and material natures in man. His creative urges is the answer. Man is most at peace with himself and in harmony with his universe when his creative powers are called upon to func tion. Real nunidu "wi"'-" therefore found in the expression expres-sion of the individual's creative instincts. , This then, becomes one of the major challenges of our modern civilization: How, can we best create an atmosphere in which the individual may most effectively release and express ex-press his creative forces? Unfortunately, we are living in an age where work is frowned frown-ed upon. Too many people want to share in the fruits of enterprise enter-prise without having to earn them through work. Labor is a chore in disrepute. We key our endeavors toward retirementthe retire-mentthe time we don't have to work any more and the earlier, the better. This apathy toward work must change if America is to escape economic ruin, social depravity, de-pravity, political disintegration and abasement of the individual. The individual must cease to regard his efforts solely as a means toward earning a livelihood, live-lihood, with the pay check as Its only compensation. Management Manage-ment must cease to regard labor as merely an instrument to be employed for material gains. Labor and management mus become increasingly aware of the fact that they are co-workers, not only in a productive material enterprise, but also in a creative experiment that calls for concerted expression of the highest human resources and latent powers. It is an experiment wherein we must determine whether t man shall rernlT above himself1" he shall reap nn he Vn. est Possible L0".1 ft " but also to acfe1 ' its highest degrV. SC-employment SC-employment of & 'Huh' ces. ni croatf |