The Moral Vision
Through Fire and Water
~ 153 ~
THROUGH FIRE AND WATER
As Dale Carnegie—that most pragmatic of modern
thinkers—once remarked: “The most important
thing in life is not to capitalize on your gains. Any
fool can do that: the really important thing is to
profit from your losses. That requires intelligences;
and it makes the difference between a man of sense
and a fool.”
It is seldom in this world that aspirants to wealth
and fame meet with nothing but success throughout
their careers. Many are the trials and tribulations
through which they must pass before they can
savour the fruits of their endeavours. The people
who ultimately succeed are those who are
undaunted by disadvantageous circumstances, who
waste no time in lamenting over them and who give
their attention instead to overcoming whatever
difficulties they are faced with.
The idea of profiting from one’s losses may seem
paradoxical, but it is something definitely worth
aiming at, whether it be an individual, a group or a
nation whose welfare is at stake. It is not, after all,
