Short Cuts to Far Horizons

Within our generation we have learned to do many things better and more quickly than have ever been done before within recorded time. This efficiency has given us many blessings and material advantages. We have seen assembly lines and machines roll out material goods at a speed almost beyond belief. We have seen the words of men travel with the speed of light, and man himself move out in orbiting the earth. But one by-product of all this may be the erroneous idea that we can make short cuts to any destination we may have in mind. Those who suppose this, fail to differentiate between material and intangible things. We may turn out an automobile or an airplane with ever-increasing speed, but we can’t build character faster than a man lives, faster than he gains experience, faster than he learns to cherish principles. We can increase the production of household conveniences, but we can’t find intelligence where it doesn’t exist, or integrity where it hasn’t been planted and nurtured. We can pour concrete across the course of a racing river, but we can’t pour honesty, courage, fidelity, devotion, and self-reliance into our children in any way except the old-fashioned way the hard way, as some would describe it. We may revolutionize an industry in six easy steps, but beware of people who want to make a man in six easy lessons who offer to give us poise and culture and talent and a commanding personality in a short time, for a stipulated price, with a minimum of effort. These, and all the other elements of human character don’t come by automation. Looking at it squarely, we must face the fact that there is no easy short cut to any worth-while result, where man himself is concerned. And those who think they are on a short cut are often on a detour. Those who ignore the rules and disregard the commandments are fooling themselves, and only themselves. Those who gamble for high stakes against the basic laws of life, aren’t gambling at all they are playing a sure game a game they are sure to lose. No matter how difficult it seems at times to live life with solid preparation and faithful, honest practice, it is, in reality, the easy way, because no other way leads anywhere that anyone wants to go. And this all men would do well to remember when they begin to cast about for short cuts.