Inspiration | Wisdom
A Final Word for Today
Living a useful and happy life
Would you take advice from the longest-serving president of Harvard? He gave excellent guidance for our country’s youth and the rest of us, regardless of age.
A final word
Charles W. Eliot not only served as the president of Harvard for 40 years, longer than anyone in history but also transformed it into America’s preeminent research university.
Following is an excerpt from an interview in the July 1926 edition of The Reader’s Digest.
“If I had the opportunity to say a final word to all the young people of America, it would be this:
Don’t think too much about yourself.
Try to cultivate the habit of thinking of others; this will reward you.
Selfishness always brings its own revenge. It cannot be escaped.
Be unselfish. That is the first and final commandment for those who would be useful and happy in their usefulness.”
Charles W. Eliot (1834–1926)
While Elliot intended his remarks for the young, they apply to Americans of every age. Age is relative, after all. To me, anyone in their 50s or below is young! Those of us who are older would do well to follow his wisdom, too.
While Elliot made the above statement nearly a century ago, his words apply more today than ever. Let’s unearth some of the meaning behind them.
“Don’t think too much about yourself.”
Today’s world is hyper-focused on the individual. Much of what people learn today centers on themselves and what they can get from life. Sometimes, at the expense of others! Even our government has supported such selfishness with numerous handouts that negatively affect people’s lives, often removing their dignity.
Many of us are so focused on what we want we forget who and what we are becoming. What we get can affect how we view and value others, leading to the following words:
“Try to cultivate the habit of thinking of others…”
When we learn to put others first, we humanize them and ourselves. Too often in today’s society, with social media becoming so pervasive, we label, categorize, separate, look down on, and alienate people. We base these things on looks, words, actions, and what they post or do not post online.
The endless judgments made are destructive, creating more bias, prejudice, and intolerance in society. Instead of bringing us closer, social media often divides us.
This division does not have to be but will continue so long as people selfishly think of themselves first and foremost. For those who consider others, rewards will come into their lives in many ways. The most important of these rewards is more and closer relationships.
“Selfishness always brings its own revenge…”
You will find out who your real friends are when things go wrong. You can bet those selfish, inward-focused, self-serving people will not offer to help! They will hang you out to dry, as the old saying goes.
You can bet those who are selfish will get their due sooner or later. It will come back to them without fail!
Eliot sums up his words eloquently by stating:
“Be unselfish. That is the first and final commandment…”
Similar to the Golden Rule in the Bible, when you treat others how you wish to be treated, everything in life improves. The great thing is it improves for them and you as well! You each reap the benefit of fair and equitable treatment. You develop trust, which can turn into good relationships or friendships. Considering life exists because of relationships and does not exist without them, what could be better than that?
Final thoughts
I wholeheartedly agree with Elliot’s remarks. What do you think of them?
Being fortunate to have lived many years following Eliot’s advice it can lead you to a better, happier, and more fulfilled life!
Why not heed Elliot’s admonition and make his first final commandment the first you adhere to outside the Bible? You won’t regret it!
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Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION
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