Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 169, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1915 — Minding One’s Own Business [ARTICLE]

Minding One’s Own Business

If there Is one thing more than another that a great many persofia seem really to enjoy, says the Ledger, It Is minding other people’s business and attempting to manage their affairs for them; and take it all In all, there is no occupation that can be followed that pays less Interest on the Investment. Nobody ever yet got rich minding other people’s business, but a great many have attained wealth and honors by looking out for their own to the neglect of all other occupations. This tendency to look after other people is bom largely of conceit, and Inordinate opinion of one’s own ability, and Is more highly developed In people who are notoriously weak in Judgment than In any other class of Individuals. The really wise, clear-headed, far-seeing friend usually has quite enough personal matters to see to without desiring to monopolize the cares and burdens of others.

It is a curious fact that the very people of whom we would gladly ask advice are very chary of giving It, while those whose counsel is not worth a rap thrust their opinion and assistance upon us from all quarters. As a comprehensive proposition, It may be said that those who have themselves made a success In any line are safe advisers, but these people rarely meddle, and sflll more rarely are they willing to assume charge of any affairs that they can avoid. But these interested persons, these people who attach themselves to others and cling like barnacles, who have never accomplished anything themselves, and never will while time lasts, these are they who are never satisfied with the way we have managed our concerns. But they are ever ready with hand and tongue to help us out with their usually worthless advice. One of the wisest men of the generation past brought his children up with the thoroughly ingrained Idea that nothing was so valuable to the individual as the habit of minding one’s own business. So deeply fixed was this part of their instruction that more than once when some trifling disturbance occurred on the street or in the neighborhood, these people put themselves as far as possible out of reach of it with all convenient dispatch. This man’s theory was that if one stayed around where there was trouble it was impossible to avoid getting into it, and that the safest and best way to do was to get as far away as one could. It is needless to say that, acting upon such a principle, the family was comfortable, prosperous, thoroughly respected and rarely got into difficulties of any sort He taught the family that of all paying occupations the most profitable was studiously and industriously to mind one’s own business and let that of other people entirely alone.