The Vital Second Law
And so, if you are to arrive at SUCCESS in LIFE, you must first set the right goal, and
then comes the PREPARATION to achieve that goal.
So, the SECOND law of success, in time sequence, is EDUCATION, or
PREPARATION.
How can one expect to accomplish his purpose unless he acquires the know-how?
One thing we need to know about life -- and many do not -- is that humans do not
come equipped with instinct.
To this extent, the dumb animals have a certain advantage over us. They do not have
to learn. They never need weary their brains with book learning.
The newborn calf does not have to be taught how to walk. It starts immediately to get
up on its somewhat infirm and uncertain legs. It may fall down on the first or second
attempt, but in a matter of a few moments it stands, even if a little unsteady at first. It
does not require a year or two -- not even an hour or two -- the little calf starts walking in
a few minutes! It does not need to reason out any goals. It requires no textbooks, nor
teaching. It instinctively knows its goal -- dinner! And it knows, also instinctively, the
way. On its own four legs it proceeds immediately to the first meal!
I have repeated so many times: birds build nests -- by instinct. No one teaches them
how. Five generations of weaver birds, isolated from nests or nest-building materials,
never saw a nest. When nest- building materials were made accessible, the sixth
generation, without any instruction, proceeded to build nests! They were not crows’ nests
or eagles’ nests. They were the same kind of nests weaver birds have built since creation.
They had no minds to think out, imagine, design, and construct a different kind of nest.
Of course dogs, horses, elephants, dolphins, and some other animals can be taught and
trained to do certain tricks. But they cannot reason, imagine, think, plan, design and
construct new and different things. They do not acquire knowledge, perceive truth from
error, make decisions, and employ WILL to exercise self- discipline according to their
own reasoned wisdom and decisions. THEY CANNOT DEVELOP MORAL AND
SPIRITUAL CHARACTER.
But humans have it not quite so easy. Humans have to learn, or be taught. Humans
have to learn to walk, to talk, to eat or drink.
We don’t come to these basic accomplishments instinctively and immediately like the
dumb animals. It may take a little more time. It may come a little harder. But we can go
on to learn reading, writing, and “’rithmetic”!
Then we can go further, and learn to appreciate literature, music, art. We can learn to
think and reason to conceive a new idea, to plan, design, construct.
We can investigate, experiment, invent telescopes and learn something about outer
space and far-off planets, stars, and galaxies. We invent microscopes and learn about
infinitesimal particles of matter.
We learn about electricity, laws of physics and chemistry. We learn to use the wheel,
construct highways, and roll over ground faster than any animal. We learn to fly higher,
farther and faster than any bird. We learn how to take nature apart and make it work for
us.
But we have to LEARN -- to STUDY -- to be EDUCATED -- to be PREPARED for
what we propose to do.
One of the first things we need to learn is -- that we need to learn!
Once you have learned enough to CHOOSE A GOAL, the second step toward
successfully accomplishing that goal is to LEARN THE WAY -- to acquire the additional
education, training, experience, to give you the know-how to achieve your goal.
Most people fail to set any definite goals. Having no specific aims, they neglect the
specialized EDUCATION to make possible the attainment of their purpose.
Now all these men whose case histories I have recounted had goals. They had the
overall purpose of acquiring possessions, attaining status, and enjoying the passing
moments. As a means to this objective, they had the specialized goals of succeeding in
banking, industry, politics, acting, writing, or whatever. The all EDUCATED
THEMSELVES for their particular profession or calling.
They were broad enough to realize that education included not only book learning, but
personality development, leadership, experience, knowledge from contacts and
associations, and from observation.
Yet these “successful” people were not really successful. They not only chose an
overall goal that led them in the way of false values, they also failed to equip themselves
with the RIGHT education to make possible that REAL LASTING success -- fulfilling
the PURPOSE of life.
There is, then, a right and a false education.
These successful people were not lastingly successful. Their education failed to teach
them the TRUE VALUES. They chose goals that led them in the way of false values that
didn’t last.
The entire system of education in this world neglects to recapture the true values.
Even the scholarly educators themselves too often devote themselves to arduous years of
research into non- essential and useless channels.
The basic and most essential knowledge -- the true values, the meaning and purpose of
life, the WAY to peace, to happiness and abundant well-being -- these basics are never
taught. Because I was given to see this decadence in modern education -- to recognize
this tragic knowledge gap -- I was led to found a college that fills this need.
Right education must teach that all things are a matter of cause and effect -- that for
every result, whether good or evil, there is a cause. True education will teach the CAUSE
of this world’s evils -- of personal or collective troubles -- so that they may be avoided.
Also it must instruct in the CAUSE of the GOOD results, that we may know how to win
them instead of the troubles. Right education must not stop at teaching TO LIVE! It must
know, and teach, the PURPOSE of human life, and how to fulfill it.
Decadent education has spawned student revolt, which has, on occasion, plunged
many colleges and universities into states of violence and chaos!
It’s another significant tragedy of our time!
This world is disseminating false education that has come down to us from the
thinking, philosophizing, yet misguided pagans who lacked a knowledge of the true
values and purposes of life! The true history of education is an eye-opening story in
itself!
And so, if you are to arrive at SUCCESS in LIFE, you must first set the right goal, and
then comes the PREPARATION to achieve that goal.
So, the SECOND law of success, in time sequence, is EDUCATION, or
PREPARATION.
How can one expect to accomplish his purpose unless he acquires the know-how?
One thing we need to know about life -- and many do not -- is that humans do not
come equipped with instinct.
To this extent, the dumb animals have a certain advantage over us. They do not have
to learn. They never need weary their brains with book learning.
The newborn calf does not have to be taught how to walk. It starts immediately to get
up on its somewhat infirm and uncertain legs. It may fall down on the first or second
attempt, but in a matter of a few moments it stands, even if a little unsteady at first. It
does not require a year or two -- not even an hour or two -- the little calf starts walking in
a few minutes! It does not need to reason out any goals. It requires no textbooks, nor
teaching. It instinctively knows its goal -- dinner! And it knows, also instinctively, the
way. On its own four legs it proceeds immediately to the first meal!
I have repeated so many times: birds build nests -- by instinct. No one teaches them
how. Five generations of weaver birds, isolated from nests or nest-building materials,
never saw a nest. When nest- building materials were made accessible, the sixth
generation, without any instruction, proceeded to build nests! They were not crows’ nests
or eagles’ nests. They were the same kind of nests weaver birds have built since creation.
They had no minds to think out, imagine, design, and construct a different kind of nest.
Of course dogs, horses, elephants, dolphins, and some other animals can be taught and
trained to do certain tricks. But they cannot reason, imagine, think, plan, design and
construct new and different things. They do not acquire knowledge, perceive truth from
error, make decisions, and employ WILL to exercise self- discipline according to their
own reasoned wisdom and decisions. THEY CANNOT DEVELOP MORAL AND
SPIRITUAL CHARACTER.
But humans have it not quite so easy. Humans have to learn, or be taught. Humans
have to learn to walk, to talk, to eat or drink.
We don’t come to these basic accomplishments instinctively and immediately like the
dumb animals. It may take a little more time. It may come a little harder. But we can go
on to learn reading, writing, and “’rithmetic”!
Then we can go further, and learn to appreciate literature, music, art. We can learn to
think and reason to conceive a new idea, to plan, design, construct.
We can investigate, experiment, invent telescopes and learn something about outer
space and far-off planets, stars, and galaxies. We invent microscopes and learn about
infinitesimal particles of matter.
We learn about electricity, laws of physics and chemistry. We learn to use the wheel,
construct highways, and roll over ground faster than any animal. We learn to fly higher,
farther and faster than any bird. We learn how to take nature apart and make it work for
us.
But we have to LEARN -- to STUDY -- to be EDUCATED -- to be PREPARED for
what we propose to do.
One of the first things we need to learn is -- that we need to learn!
Once you have learned enough to CHOOSE A GOAL, the second step toward
successfully accomplishing that goal is to LEARN THE WAY -- to acquire the additional
education, training, experience, to give you the know-how to achieve your goal.
Most people fail to set any definite goals. Having no specific aims, they neglect the
specialized EDUCATION to make possible the attainment of their purpose.
Now all these men whose case histories I have recounted had goals. They had the
overall purpose of acquiring possessions, attaining status, and enjoying the passing
moments. As a means to this objective, they had the specialized goals of succeeding in
banking, industry, politics, acting, writing, or whatever. The all EDUCATED
THEMSELVES for their particular profession or calling.
They were broad enough to realize that education included not only book learning, but
personality development, leadership, experience, knowledge from contacts and
associations, and from observation.
Yet these “successful” people were not really successful. They not only chose an
overall goal that led them in the way of false values, they also failed to equip themselves
with the RIGHT education to make possible that REAL LASTING success -- fulfilling
the PURPOSE of life.
There is, then, a right and a false education.
These successful people were not lastingly successful. Their education failed to teach
them the TRUE VALUES. They chose goals that led them in the way of false values that
didn’t last.
The entire system of education in this world neglects to recapture the true values.
Even the scholarly educators themselves too often devote themselves to arduous years of
research into non- essential and useless channels.
The basic and most essential knowledge -- the true values, the meaning and purpose of
life, the WAY to peace, to happiness and abundant well-being -- these basics are never
taught. Because I was given to see this decadence in modern education -- to recognize
this tragic knowledge gap -- I was led to found a college that fills this need.
Right education must teach that all things are a matter of cause and effect -- that for
every result, whether good or evil, there is a cause. True education will teach the CAUSE
of this world’s evils -- of personal or collective troubles -- so that they may be avoided.
Also it must instruct in the CAUSE of the GOOD results, that we may know how to win
them instead of the troubles. Right education must not stop at teaching TO LIVE! It must
know, and teach, the PURPOSE of human life, and how to fulfill it.
Decadent education has spawned student revolt, which has, on occasion, plunged
many colleges and universities into states of violence and chaos!
It’s another significant tragedy of our time!
This world is disseminating false education that has come down to us from the
thinking, philosophizing, yet misguided pagans who lacked a knowledge of the true
values and purposes of life! The true history of education is an eye-opening story in
itself!
