| A renowned mountain climber once declared that he "climbs the
mountain because it's there," an expression that used to be a popular
quotation. I would say that this applies not only to mountain climbing but to human work: People tackle work simply because it's there. While some people say that they work because they have no choice but to make a living, those who like their work can find the same fulfillment in it as a mountain climber does in mountain climbing. However, the mere liking of your work doesn't necessarily lead to any personal progress or development. It is just like you are going round and round in circles not knowing whether you are traveling up the mountain or down it. If you think that just moving around will produce some achievement in work or if you do not stop sticking to your conventional ideas of work, you are only idle and your abilities will only decrease. The fact that things have gone smoothly up to now does not necessarily mean they will continue to do so. For this reason, it's important to realize that anything unexpected can happen at any time and to get into the habit of thinking things through from many different angles. We often hear that air travel is the safest form of transportation because aircraft accidents occur once in a million flights, or something to that effect. Yet, people continue researching ways to improve on this so that the accident rate can be reduced to once in two million flights. This attitude should be applied not only to prevent accidents but to all forms of improvement. If you are content to remain as you are, you will never be able to meet the challenges of changing times, and your future will be completely dark. However, if you are curious, imaginative and insightful, you can go on growing with all the changes you face. But, I truly regret that human beings are by nature weak and tend to be contented with their present state, allowing themselves to be driven forward only by the force of habit. |
| It's a serious mistake to think that everything will be OK from now on simply because it has been OK up to now. And the more attached to your ideas you are, the more you will tend to think like this. |