How to Live on TwentyFour Hours a Day.docx
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How to Live on TwentyFour Hours a Day.docx
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HowtoLiveonTwentyFourHoursaDay
HowtoLiveonTwenty-FourHoursaDaybyArnoldBennettPREFACETOTHISEDITIONThispreface,thoughplacedatthebeginning,asaprefacemustbe,shouldbereadattheendofthebook.
Ihavereceivedalargeamountofcorrespondenceconcerningthissmallwork,andmanyreviewsofit--someofthemnearlyaslongasthebookitself--havebeenprinted.Butscarcelyanyofthecommenthasbeenadverse.Somepeoplehaveobjectedtoafrivolityoftone;butasthetoneisnot,inmyopinion,atallfrivolous,thisobjectiondidnotimpressme;andhadnoweightierreproachbeenputforwardImightalmosthavebeenpersuadedthatthevolumewasflawless!
Amoreseriousstricturehas,however,beenoffered--notinthepress,butbysundryobviouslysincerecorrespondents--andImustdealwithit.Areferencetopage43willshowthatIanticipatedandfearedthisdisapprobation.Thesentenceagainstwhichprotestshavebeenmadeisasfollows:
--"Inthemajorityofinstanceshe[thetypicalman]doesnotpreciselyfeelapassionforhisbusiness;atbesthedoesnotdislikeit.Hebeginshisbusinessfunctionswithsomereluctance,aslateashecan,andheendsthemwithjoy,asearlyashecan.Andhisengines,whileheisengagedinhisbusiness,areseldomattheirfull'h.p.'"Iamassured,inaccentsofunmistakablesincerity,thattherearemanybusinessmen--notmerelythoseinhighpositionsorwithfineprospects,butmodestsubordinateswithnohopeofeverbeingmuchbetteroff--whodoenjoytheirbusinessfunctions,whodonotshirkthem,whodonotarriveattheofficeaslateaspossibleanddepartasearlyaspossible,who,inaword,putthewholeoftheirforceintotheirday'sworkandaregenuinelyfatiguedattheendthereof.
Iamreadytobelieveit.Idobelieveit.Iknowit.Ialwaysknewit.BothinLondonandintheprovincesithasbeenmylottospendlongyearsinsubordinatesituationsofbusiness;andthefactdidnotescapemethatacertainproportionofmypeersshowedwhatamountedtoanhonestpassionfortheirduties,andthatwhileengagedinthosedutiestheywerereally*living*tothefullestextentofwhichtheywerecapable.ButIremainconvincedthatthesefortunateandhappyindividuals(happierperhapsthantheyguessed)didnotanddonotconstituteamajority,oranythinglikeamajority.Iremainconvincedthatthemajorityofdecentaverageconscientiousmenofbusiness(menwithaspirationsandideals)donotasarulegohomeofanightgenuinelytired.Iremainconvincedthattheyputnotasmuchbutaslittleofthemselvesastheyconscientiouslycanintotheearningofalivelihood,andthattheirvocationboresratherthanintereststhem.
Nevertheless,Iadmitthattheminorityisofsufficientimportancetomeritattention,andthatIoughtnottohaveignoreditsocompletelyasIdiddo.Thewholedifficultyofthehard-workingminoritywasputinasinglecolloquialsentencebyoneofmycorrespondents.Hewrote:
"Iamjustaskeenasanyoneondoingsomethingto'exceedmyprogramme,'butallowmetotellyouthatwhenIgethomeatsixthirtyp.m.Iamnotanythinglikesofreshasyouseemtoimagine."NowImustpointoutthatthecaseoftheminority,whothrowthemselveswithpassionandgustointotheirdailybusinesstask,isinfinitelylessdeplorablethanthecaseofthemajority,whogohalf-heartedlyandfeeblythroughtheirofficialday.Theformerarelessinneedofadvice"howtolive."Atanyrateduringtheirofficialdayof,say,eighthourstheyarereallyalive;theirenginesaregivingthefullindicated"h.p."Theothereightworkinghoursoftheirdaymaybebadlyorganised,orevenfritteredaway;butitislessdisastroustowasteeighthoursadaythansixteenhoursaday;itisbettertohavelivedabitthannevertohavelivedatall.
Therealtragedyisthetragedyofthemanwhoisbracedtoeffortneitherintheofficenoroutofit,andtothismanthisbookisprimarilyaddressed."But,"saystheotherandmorefortunateman,"althoughmyordinaryprogrammeisbiggerthanhis,Iwanttoexceedmyprogrammetoo!
Iamlivingabit;Iwanttolivemore.
ButIreallycan'tdoanotherday'sworkonthetopofmyofficialday."Thefactis,I,theauthor,oughttohaveforeseenthatIshouldappealmoststronglytothosewhoalreadyhadaninterestinexistence.Itisalwaysthemanwhohastastedlifewhodemandsmoreofit.Anditisalwaysthemanwhonevergetsoutofbedwhoisthemostdifficulttorouse.
Well,youoftheminority,letusassumethattheintensityofyourdailymoney-gettingwillnotallowyoutocarryoutquiteallthesuggestionsinthefollowingpages.Someofthesuggestionsmayyetstand.Iadmitthatyoumaynotbeabletousethetimespentonthejourneyhomeatnight;butthesuggestionforthejourneytotheofficeinthemorningisaspracticableforyouasforanybody.
Andthatweeklyintervaloffortyhours,fromSaturdaytoMonday,isyoursjustasmuchastheotherman's,thoughaslightaccumulationoffatiguemaypreventyoufromemployingthewholeofyour"h.p."uponit.Thereremains,then,theimportantportionofthethreeormoreeveningsaweek.Youtellmeflatlythatyouaretootiredtodoanythingoutsideyourprogrammeatnight.InreplytowhichItellyouflatlythatifyourordinaryday'sworkisthusexhausting,thenthebalanceofyourlifeiswrongandmustbeadjusted.Aman'spowersoughtnottobemonopolisedbyhisordinaryday'swork.What,then,istobedone?
Theobviousthingtodoistocircumventyourardourforyourordinaryday'sworkbyaruse.Employyourenginesinsomethingbeyondtheprogrammebefore,andnotafter,youemploythemontheprogrammeitself.Briefly,getupearlierinthemorning.Yousayyoucannot.Yousayitisimpossibleforyoutogoearliertobedofanight--todosowouldupsettheentirehousehold.Idonotthinkitisquiteimpossibletogotobedearlieratnight.Ithinkthatifyoupersistinrisingearlier,andtheconsequenceisinsufficiencyofsleep,youwillsoonfindawayofgoingtobedearlier.Butmyimpressionisthattheconsequencesofrisingearlierwillnotbeaninsufficiencyofsleep.Myimpression,growingstrongereveryyear,isthatsleepispartlyamatterofhabit--andofslackness.Iamconvincedthatmostpeoplesleepaslongastheydobecausetheyareatalossforanyotherdiversion.HowmuchsleepdoyouthinkisdailyobtainedbythepowerfulhealthymanwhodailyrattlesupyourstreetinchargeofCarterPatterson'svan?
Ihaveconsultedadoctoronthispoint.Heisadoctorwhofortwenty-fouryearshashadalargegeneralpracticeinalargeflourishingsuburbofLondon,inhabitedbyexactlysuchpeopleasyouandme.Heisacurtman,andhisanswerwascurt:
"Mostpeoplesleepthemselvesstupid."
Hewentontogivehisopinionthatninemenoutoftenwouldhavebetterhealthandmorefunoutoflifeiftheyspentlesstimeinbed.
Otherdoctorshaveconfirmedthisjudgment,which,ofcourse,doesnotapplytogrowingyouths.
Riseanhour,anhourandahalf,oreventwohoursearlier;and--ifyoumust--retireearlierwhenyoucan.Inthematterofexceedingprogrammes,youwillaccomplishasmuchinonemorninghourasintwoeveninghours."But,"yousay,"Icouldn'tbeginwithoutsomefood,andservants."Surely,mydearsir,inanagewhenanexcellentspirit-lamp(includingasaucepan)canbeboughtforlessthanashilling,youarenotgoingtoallowyourhighestwelfaretodependupontheprecariousimmediateco-operationofafellowcreature!
Instructthefellowcreature,whoevershemaybe,atnight.Tellhertoputatrayinasuitablepositionovernight.Onthattraytwobiscuits,acupandsaucer,aboxofmatchesandaspirit-lamp;onthelamp,thesaucepan;onthesaucepan,thelid--butturnedthewrongwayup;onthereversedlid,thesmallteapot,containingaminutequantityoftealeaves.Youwillthenhavetostrikeamatch--thatisall.Inthreeminutesthewaterboils,andyoupouritintotheteapot(whichisalreadywarm).Inthreemoreminutestheteaisinfused.Youcanbeginyourdaywhiledrinkingit.Thesedetailsmayseemtrivialtothefoolish,buttothethoughtfultheywillnotseemtrivial.Theproper,wisebalancingofone'swholelifemaydependuponthefeasibilityofacupofteaatanunusualhour.
A.B.
CONTENTS
PREFACE,V
ITHEDAILYMIRACLE,21
IITHEDESIRETOEXCEEDONE'SPROGRAMME,28IIIPRECAUTIONSBEFOREBEGINNING,35
IVTHECAUSEOFTHETROUBLE,42
VTENNISANDTHEIMMORTALSOUL,49
VIREMEMBERHUMANNATURE,56
VIICONTROLLINGTHEMIND,62
VIIITHEREFLECTIVEMOOD,69
IXINTERESTINTHEARTS,76
XNOTHINGINLIFEISHUMDRUM,83
XISERIOUSREADING,90
XIIDANGERSTOAVOID,97
HOWTOLIVEON
TWENTY-FOURHOURSADAY
ITHEDAILYMIRACLE
"Yes,he'soneofthosementhatdon'tknowhowtomanage.
Goodsituation.Regularincome.Quiteenoughforluxuriesaswellasneeds.Notreallyextravagant.Andyetthefellow'salwaysindifficulties.Somehowhegetsnothingoutofhismoney.Excellentflat--halfempty!
Alwayslooksasifhe'dhadthebrokersin.Newsuit--oldhat!
Magnificentnecktie--baggytrousers!
Asksyoutodinner:
cutglass--badmutton,orTurkishcoffee--crackedcup!
Hecan'tunderstandit.Explanationsimplyisthathefrittershisincomeaway.WishIhadthehalfofit!
I'dshowhim--"Sowehavemostofuscriticised,atonetimeoranother,inoursuperiorway.
Wearenearlyallchancellorsoftheexchequer:
itistheprideofthemoment.Newspapersarefullofarticlesexplaininghowtoliveonsuch-and-suchasum,andthesearticlesprovokeacorrespondencewhoseviolenceprovestheinteresttheyexcite.Recently,inadailyorgan,abattleragedroundthequestion
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