The Moral Vision
Starting from Scratch
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only after many years of effort that he could make a
coat with an absolutely perfect fitting. He
eventually became so expert in this that he could
even give perfect fittings to those who
unfortunately suffered from deformities—such as
hunchbacks. “In any type of work, there are many
things which one has to learn on one’s own. Often
one cannot foresee these things at the outset, and
each obstacle has to be overcome by hard work and
ingenuity”
The tailor talked of many things of this nature
concerning his skills, and it seemed to me as though
I were listening to a lecture on the building of the
nation by some very experienced person.
In truth, the only way to solve our economic and
social problems is to follow the example of the
tailor. After this initial apprenticeship, he had gone
ahead and done things on his own. He had gone up
by the stairs and not by the lift. There are no
buttons which you can just push and then
automatically reach your goals. You can only make
progress step by step. Progress can seldom be made
by leaps and bounds. By means of the ladder you
