Therearetwokindsofsuccess，orrathertwokindsofabilitydisplayedintheachievementofsuccess。Thereis，first，thesuccesseitherinbigthingsorsmallthingswhichcomestothemanwhohasinhimthenaturalpowertodowhatnooneelsecando，andwhatnoamountoftraining，noperseveranceorwillpower，willenableanyordinarymantodo。Thissuccess，ofcourse，likeeveryotherkindofsuccess，maybeonaverybigscaleoronasmallscale。Thequalitywhichthemanpossessesmaybethatwhichenableshimtorunahundredyardsinnineandthree-fifthsseconds，ortoplaytenseparategamesofchessatthesametimeblindfolded，ortoaddfivecolumnsoffiguresatoncewithouteffort，ortowritethe“OdetoaGrecianUrn。”ortodelivertheGettysburgspeech，ortoshowtheabilityofFrederickatLeuthenorNelsonatTrafalgar。Noamountoftrainingofbodyormindwouldenableanygoodordinarymantoperformanyoneofthesefeats。Ofcoursetheproperperformanceofeachimpliesmuchpreviousstudyortraining，butinnooneofthemissuccesstobeattainedsavebythealtogetherexceptionalmanwhohasinhimthesomethingadditionalwhichtheordinarymandoesnothave。
　　Thisisthemoststrikingkindofsuccess，anditcanbeattainedonlybythemanwhohasinhimthequalitywhichseparateshiminkindnolessthanindegreefromhisfellows。Butmuchthecommonertypeofsuccessineverywalkoflifeandineveryspeciesofeffortisthatwhichcomestothemanwhodiffersfromhisfellowsnotbythekindofqualitywhichhepossessesbutbythedegreeofdevelopmentwhichhehasgiventhatquality。Thiskindofsuccessisopentoalargenumberofpersons，ifonlytheyseriouslydeterminetoachieveit。Itisthekindofsuccesswhichisopentotheaveragemanofsoundbodyandfairmind，whohasnoremarkablementalorphysicalattributes，butwhogetsjustasmuchaspossibleinthewayofworkoutoftheaptitudesthathedoespossess。Itistheonlykindofsuccessthatisopentomostofus。Yetsomeofthegreatestsuccessesinhistoryhavebeenthoseofthissecondclass——whenIcallitsecondclassIamnotrunningitdownintheleast，Iammerelypointingoutthatitdiffersinkindfromthefirstclass。Totheaveragemanitisprobablymoreusefultostudythissecondtypeofsuccessthantostudythefirst。
　　Fromthestudyofthefirsthecanlearninspiration，hecangetupliftandloftyenthusiasm。Fromthestudyofthesecondhecan，ifhechooses，findouthowtowinasimilarsuccesshimself。
　　IneedhardlysaythatallthesuccessesIhaveeverwonhavebeenofthesecondtype。Ineverwonanythingwithouthardlaborandtheexerciseofmybestjudgmentandcarefulplanningandworkinglonginadvance。Havingbeenarathersicklyandawkwardboy，Iwasasayoungmanatfirstbothnervousanddistrustfulofmyownprowess。Ihadtotrainmyselfpainfullyandlaboriouslynotmerelyasregardsmybodybutasregardsmysoulandspirit。
　　WhenaboyIreadapassageinoneofMarryat’sbookswhichalwaysimpressedme。InthispassagethecaptainofsomesmallBritishman-
　　of-warisexplainingtotheherohowtoacquirethequalityoffearlessness。Hesaysthatattheoutsetalmosteverymanisfrightenedwhenhegoesintoaction，butthatthecoursetofollowisforthemantokeepsuchagriponhimselfthathecanactjustasifhewasnotfrightened。Afterthisiskeptuplongenoughitchangesfrompretensetoreality，andthemandoesinveryfactbecomefearlessbysheerdintofpracticingfearlessnesswhenhedoesnotfeelit。Iamusingmyownlanguage，notMarryat’s。ThiswasthetheoryuponwhichIwent。TherewereallkindsofthingsofwhichI
　　wasafraidatfirst，rangingfromgrizzlybearsto“mean“horsesandgun-fighters；butbyactingasifIwasnotafraidIgraduallyceasedtobeafraid。Mostmencanhavethesameexperienceiftheychoose。
　　Theywillfirstlearntobearthemselveswellintrialswhichtheyanticipateandwhichtheyschoolthemselvesinadvancetomeet。Afterawhilethehabitwillgrowonthem，andtheywillbehavewellinsuddenandunexpectedemergencieswhichcomeuponthemunawares。
　　Itisofcoursemuchpleasanterifoneisnaturallyfearless，andI
　　envyandrespectthemenwhoarenaturallyfearless。Butitisagoodthingtorememberthatthemanwhodoesnotenjoythisadvantagecanneverthelessstandbesidethemanwhodoes，andcandohisdutywiththelikeefficiency，ifhechoosesto。Ofcoursehemustnotlethisdesiretaketheformmerelyofaday-dream。Lethimdreamaboutbeingafearlessman，andthemorehedreamsthebetterhewillbe，alwaysprovidedhedoeshisbesttorealizethedreaminpractice。Hecandohisparthonorablyandwellprovidedonlyhesetsfearlessnessbeforehimselfasanideal，schoolshimselftothinkofdangermerelyassomethingtobefacedandovercome，andregardslifeitselfasheshouldregardit，notassomethingtobethrownaway，butasapawntobepromptlyhazardedwheneverthehazardiswarrantedbythelargerinterestsofthegreatgameinwhichweareallengaged。
　　4
　　WhenIleftHarvard，Itookupthestudyoflaw。IfIhadbeensufficientlyfortunatetocomeunderProfessorThayer，oftheHarvardLawSchool，itmaywellbethatIwouldhaverealizedthatthelawyercandoagreatworkforjusticeandagainstlegalism。
　　But，doubtlesschieflythroughmyownfault，someoftheteachingofthelawbooksandoftheclassroomseemedtometobeagainstjustice。
　　The/caveatemptor/sideofthelaw，likethe/caveatemptor/sideofbusiness，seemedtomerepellent；itdidnotmakeforsocialfairdealing。The“letthebuyerbeware“maxim，whentranslatedintoactualpractice，whetherinlaworbusiness，tendstotranslateitselffurtherintothesellermakinghisprofitattheexpenseofthebuyer，insteadofbyabargainwhichshallbetotheprofitofboth。Itdidnotseemtomethatthelawwasframedtodiscourageasitshouldsharppractice，andallotherkindsofbargainsexceptthosewhicharefairandofbenefittobothsides。Iwasyoung；therewasmuchinthejudgmentwhichIthenformedonthismatterwhichIshouldnowrevise；
　　but，thenasnow，manyofthebigcorporationlawyers，towhomtheordinarymembersofthebarthenasnowlookedup，heldcertainstandardswhichweredifficulttorecognizeascompatiblewiththeidealismIsupposeeveryhigh-mindedyoungmanisapttofeel。IfI
　　hadbeenobligedtoearneverycentIspent，Ishouldhavegonewhole-
　　heartedlyintothebusinessofmakingbothendsmeet，andshouldhavetakenupthelaworanyotherrespectableoccupation——forIthenheld，andnowhold，thebeliefthataman’sfirstdutyistopullhisownweightandtotakecareofthosedependentuponhim；andIthenbelieved，andnowbelieve，thatthegreatestprivilegeandgreatestdutyforanymanistobehappilymarried，andthatnootherformofsuccessorservice，foreithermanorwoman，canbewiselyacceptedasasubstituteoralternative。ButithappenedthatIhadbeenleftenoughmoneybymyfathernottomakeitnecessaryformetothinksolelyofearningbreadformyselfandmyfamily。Ihadenoughtogetbread。WhatIhadtodo，ifIwantedbutterandjam，wastoprovidethebutterandjam，buttocounttheircostascomparedwithotherthings。Inotherwords，Imadeupmymindthat，whileImustearnmoney，Icouldaffordtomakeearningmoneythesecondaryinsteadoftheprimaryobjectofmycareer。IfIhadhadnomoneyatall，thenmyfirstdutywouldhavebeentoearnitinanyhonestfashion。AsIhadsomemoneyIfeltthatmyneedformoremoneywastobetreatedasasecondaryneed，andthatwhileitwasmybusinesstomakemoremoneywhereIlegitimatelyandproperlycould，yetthatitwasalsomybusinesstotreatotherkindsofworkasmoreimportantthanmoney-
　　making。
　　AlmostimmediatelyafterleavingHarvardin1880Ibegantotakeaninterestinpolitics。Ididnotthenbelieve，andIdonotnowbelieve，thatanymanshouldeverattempttomakepoliticshisonlycareer。Itisadreadfulmisfortuneforamantogrowtofeelthathiswholelivelihoodandwholehappinessdependuponhisstayinginoffice。Suchafeelingpreventshimfrombeingofrealservicetothepeoplewhileinoffice，andalwaysputshimundertheheavieststrainofpressuretobarterhisconvictionsforthesakeofholdingoffice。
　　Amanshouldhavesomeotheroccupation——Ihadseveralotheroccupations——towhichhecanresortifatanytimeheisthrownoutofoffice，orifatanytimehefindsitnecessarytochooseacoursewhichwillprobablyresultinhisbeingthrownout，unlessheiswillingtostayinatcosttohisconscience。
　　Atthatday，in1880，ayoungmanofmybringingupandconvictionscouldjoinonlytheRepublicanparty，andjoinitIaccordinglydid。
　　Itwasnosimplethingtojoinitthen。Thatwaslongbeforetheeraofballotreformandthecontrolofprimaries；longbeforetheerawhenwerealizedthattheGovernmentmusttakeofficialnoticeofthedeedsandactsofpartyorganizations。Thepartywasstilltreatedasaprivatecorporation，andineachdistricttheorganizationformedakindofsocialandpoliticalclub。Amanhadtoberegularlyproposedforandelectedintothisclub，justasintoanyotherclub。Asafriendofminepicturesquelyphrasedit，I“hadtobreakintotheorganizationwithajimmy。”
　　Underthesecircumstancestherewassomedifficultyinjoiningthelocalorganization，andconsiderableamusementandexcitementtobeobtainedoutofitafterIhadjoined。
　　Itwasoverthirty-threeyearsagothatIthusbecameamemberoftheTwenty-firstDistrictRepublicanAssociationinthecityofNewYork。
　　ThemenIknewbestwerethemenintheclubsofsocialpretensionandthemenofcultivatedtasteandeasylife。WhenIbegantomakeinquiriesastothewhereaboutsofthelocalRepublicanAssociationandthemeansofjoiningit，thesemen——andthebigbusinessmenandlawyersalso——laughedatme，andtoldmethatpoliticswere“low“；
　　thattheorganizationswerenotcontrolledby“gentlemen“；thatI
　　wouldfindthemrunbysaloon-keepers，horse-carconductors，andthelike，andnotbymenwithanyofwhomIwouldcomeincontactoutside；
　　and，moreover，theyassuredmethatthemenImetwouldberoughandbrutalandunpleasanttodealwith。IansweredthatifthisweresoitmerelymeantthatthepeopleIknewdidnotbelongtothegoverningclass，andthattheotherpeopledid——andthatIintendedtobeoneofthegoverningclass；thatiftheyprovedtoohard-bitformeI
　　supposedIwouldhavetoquit，butthatIcertainlywouldnotquituntilIhadmadetheeffortandfoundoutwhetherIreallywastooweaktoholdmyownintheroughandtumble。