What Will It Do to the Man?

Whenever policies or products or principles, or actions or attitudes were under consideration, a certain thoughtful observer often asked this challenging, this compelling question: “What will it do the man?”1 — not what is politic or popular of profitable only, not what is comfortable or convenient only, but what will it do to people? It is a question of first concern in all the personal and impersonal relationships of life: “What will it do to the man?”1 It is a question always to be asked and answered, for there is no way to live understandingly, effectively, comfortably — or safely — without giving due consideration to the importance of people: people with their problems, their rights, their hopes; their health and happiness; their peace and progress here, and their continuance into eternity — all with their own choices to make, their own values to arrive at, their own conduct to be responsible for, their own performance to face. We must live in compassion and consideration for others, always — for what we do to one another often lasts a lifetime, or longer than a mortal lifetime: offended feelings, hurts of the heart, cruelty or kindliness; good and bad advise, good and bad example; the teaching we do, the principles we perpetuate, the products we promote; the true or false things with which we fill men’s minds, the misleading of men by any misstatement — these all have pertinence to the health and happiness, to the peace and progress and possibilities of people. And it is a sobering thought to consider that we are all responsible for the total effect of our actions and influence on others. “What will it do to the man?”1 This question is inherent in every commandment, in every principle, in every product, in every policy — what does it do to people, personally? That which makes men free and happy, compassionate and considerate, reverent and respectful; that preserves dignity and justice, virtue and honor, character and integrity; that brings mankind closer in understanding, and makes them more mindful of the everlasting things of life must, in all decisions, be a major cause of concern. Never safely can any society, any organization, any individual, lose sight primarily of the importance of people — of each individual person. The great planning, the great purpose of the Creator pertains to the importance of people. “What will it do to the man?”¹