Love, Life & Work Being a Book of Opinions Reasonably Good-Natured Concerning How to Attain the Highest Happiness for One's Self with the Least Possible Harm to Others By: Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915)
First Page: LOVE LIFE & WORK BEING A BOOK OF OPINIONS REASONABLY GOOD NATURED CONCERNING HOW TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST HAPPINESS FOR ONE'S SELF WITH THE LEAST POSSIBLE HARM TO OTHERS 1906 By ELBERT HUBBARD CONTENTS CHAPTERS 1. A Prayer 2. Life and Expression 3. Time and Chance 4. Psychology of a Religious Revival 5. One Man Power 6. Mental Attitude 7. The Outsider 8. Get Out or Get in Line 9. The Week Day, Keep it Holy 10. Exclusive Friendships 11. The Folly of Living in the Future 12. The Spirit of Man 13. Art and Religion 14. Initiative 15. The Disagreeable Girl 16. The Neutral 17. Reflections on Progress 18. Sympathy, Knowledge and Poise 19. Love and Faith 20. Giving Something for Nothing 21. Work and Waste 22. The Law of Obedience 23. Society's Saviors 24. Preparing for Old Age 25. An Alliance With Nature 26. The Ex. Question 27. The Sergeant 28. The Spirit of the Age 29. The Grammarian 30. The Best Religion A Prayer The supreme prayer of my heart is not to be learned, rich, famous, powerful, or "good," but simply to be radiant. I desire to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage and good will. I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy, fear. I wish to be simple, honest, frank, natural, clean in mind and clean in body, unaffected ready to say "I do not know," if it be so, and to meet all men on an absolute equality to face any obstacle and meet every difficulty unabashed and unafraid. I wish others to live their lives, too up to their highest, fullest and best. To that end I pray that I may never meddle, interfere, dictate, give advice that is not wanted, or assist when my services are not needed. If I can help people, I'll do it by giving them a chance to help themselves; and if I can uplift or inspire, let it be by example, inference, and suggestion, rather than by injunction and dictation. That is to say, I desire to be radiant to radiate life. Life and Expression By exercise of its faculties the spirit grows, just as a muscle grows strong thru continued use. Expression is necessary. Life is expression, and repression is stagnation death. Yet, there can be right and wrong expression. If a man permits his life to run riot and only the animal side of his nature is allowed to express itself, he is repressing his highest and best, and the qualities not used atrophy and die. Men are punished by their sins, not for them. Sensuality, gluttony, and the life of license repress the life of the spirit, and the soul never blossoms; and this is what it is to lose one's soul. All adown the centuries thinking men have noted these truths, and again and again we find individuals forsaking in horror the life of the senses and devoting themselves to the life of the spirit. This question of expression through the spirit, or through the senses through soul or body has been the pivotal point of all philosophy and the inspiration of all religion. Every religion is made up of two elements that never mix any more than oil and water mix. A religion is a mechanical mixture, not a chemical combination, of morality and dogma. Dogma is the science of the unseen: the doctrine of the unknown and unknowable. And in order to give this science plausibility, its promulgators have always fastened upon it morality. Morality can and does exist entirely separate and apart from dogma, but dogma is ever a parasite on morality, and the business of the priest is to confuse the two. But morality and religion never saponify. Morality is simply the question of expressing your life forces how to use them? You have so much energy; and what will you do with it? And from out the multitude there have always been men to step forward and give you advice for a consideration. Without their supposed influence with the unseen we might not accept their interpretation of what is right and wrong. But with the assurance that their advice is backed up by Deity, followed with an offer of reward if we believe it, and a threat of dire punishment if we do not, the Self appointed Superior Class has driven men wheresoever it willed... Continue reading book >>

Love, Life & Work Being a Book of Opinions Reasonably Good-Natured Concerning How to Attain the Highest Happiness for One's Self with the Least Possible Harm to Others By: Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915)

First Page:

LOVE LIFE & WORK

BEING A BOOK OF OPINIONS REASONABLY GOOD NATURED CONCERNING HOW TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST HAPPINESS FOR ONE'S SELF WITH THE LEAST POSSIBLE HARM TO OTHERS

1906

By ELBERT HUBBARD

CONTENTS

CHAPTERS

1. A Prayer

2. Life and Expression

3. Time and Chance

4. Psychology of a Religious Revival

5. One Man Power

6. Mental Attitude

7. The Outsider

8. Get Out or Get in Line

9. The Week Day, Keep it Holy

10. Exclusive Friendships

11. The Folly of Living in the Future

12. The Spirit of Man

13. Art and Religion

14. Initiative

15. The Disagreeable Girl

16. The Neutral

17. Reflections on Progress

18. Sympathy, Knowledge and Poise

19. Love and Faith

20. Giving Something for Nothing

21. Work and Waste

22. The Law of Obedience

23. Society's Saviors

24. Preparing for Old Age

25. An Alliance With Nature

26. The Ex. Question

27. The Sergeant

28. The Spirit of the Age

29. The Grammarian

30. The Best Religion

A Prayer

The supreme prayer of my heart is not to be learned, rich, famous, powerful, or "good," but simply to be radiant. I desire to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage and good will. I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy, fear. I wish to be simple, honest, frank, natural, clean in mind and clean in body, unaffected ready to say "I do not know," if it be so, and to meet all men on an absolute equality to face any obstacle and meet every difficulty unabashed and unafraid.

I wish others to live their lives, too up to their highest, fullest and best. To that end I pray that I may never meddle, interfere, dictate, give advice that is not wanted, or assist when my services are not needed. If I can help people, I'll do it by giving them a chance to help themselves; and if I can uplift or inspire, let it be by example, inference, and suggestion, rather than by injunction and dictation. That is to say, I desire to be radiant to radiate life.

Life and Expression

By exercise of its faculties the spirit grows, just as a muscle grows strong thru continued use. Expression is necessary. Life is expression, and repression is stagnation death.

Yet, there can be right and wrong expression. If a man permits his life to run riot and only the animal side of his nature is allowed to express itself, he is repressing his highest and best, and the qualities not used atrophy and die.

Men are punished by their sins, not for them. Sensuality, gluttony, and the life of license repress the life of the spirit, and the soul never blossoms; and this is what it is to lose one's soul. All adown the centuries thinking men have noted these truths, and again and again we find individuals forsaking in horror the life of the senses and devoting themselves to the life of the spirit. This question of expression through the spirit, or through the senses through soul or body has been the pivotal point of all philosophy and the inspiration of all religion.

Every religion is made up of two elements that never mix any more than oil and water mix. A religion is a mechanical mixture, not a chemical combination, of morality and dogma. Dogma is the science of the unseen: the doctrine of the unknown and unknowable. And in order to give this science plausibility, its promulgators have always fastened upon it morality. Morality can and does exist entirely separate and apart from dogma, but dogma is ever a parasite on morality, and the business of the priest is to confuse the two.

But morality and religion never saponify. Morality is simply the question of expressing your life forces how to use them? You have so much energy; and what will you do with it? And from out the multitude there have always been men to step forward and give you advice for a consideration. Without their supposed influence with the unseen we might not accept their interpretation of what is right and wrong. But with the assurance that their advice is backed up by Deity, followed with an offer of reward if we believe it, and a threat of dire punishment if we do not, the Self appointed Superior Class has driven men wheresoever it willed... Continue reading book >>

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