How to be happy though human / by W. Béran Wolfe.
107/400
- Publication/creation
- London : George Routledge, 1932.
- Physical description
- xiv, 374 pages ; 22 cm
- Contributors
- Wolfe, W. Béran 1900-1935.
- Notes
-
This edition was reprinted in 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946 and 1948.
Copy 1 Note: 1937 reprint. X158203
- Attribution and usage
-
Wellcome Collection
Conditions of use: it is possible this item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
The image contains the following text:
so discouraged that they make no attempts to compensate,
but spend their lives blindly enduring and tolerating the
evil conditions of their birth, or constructing the wrongs
of their childhood into a system of excuses, as if they were
saying, “ I had a hard lot ! You must expect nothing of
me!” This, as any intelligent reader can see, is pure
nonsense. The most brilliant contributions that have been
made to human happiness have been made by just such
men and women who would not allow themselves to be
downed by the untoward circumstances of their childhood.
How to Compensate for being Pampered
In the case of the spoiled, pampered, and over-indulged
child the problem must be solved in a similar manner.
The spoiled child sooner or later feels that he is an enemy
alien in a world which shows not the least inclination to
treat him as well as he would like to be treated. Most
spoiled children, unfortunately, try the easy way out of
their difficulties—they attempt to reconstruct a situation
in which someone has the task of spoiling and pampering
them. When they succeed at this, they sacrifice their
lives and the opportunity of developing most of the
worth-while qualities which make men happy. They
swell the tremendous army of men and women who
remain irresponsible grown-up children.
If you have been a spoiled child you will never find true
happiness until you incorporate independence, social
feeling, and social courage into the pattern of your life.
It may be difficult for you to break the ties that bind you
to home and the perennial cheering section of your
family, but there is no other way to be a complete human
being. The bigger the job you tackle on your own, the
more satisfaction you will get from it. To remain spoiled
is to surrender yourself to the torture of comparisons with
other individuals who do not demand such absolute
guarantees of approbation and security. Do not be afraid
of people. Most of them are as frightened as you are,
and most of them have the same problems that you have.
Move to another town, and begin from “ scratch ” as a