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Perseverance is the key to success
Perseverance is the key to success
Why is perseverance the key to success
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As Percy Bysshe Shelley said “There is no real wealth but the labor of man.” Often called the land of opportunity, the United States of America is known for its free market economy. In this free market economy, America has planted the seed for future entrepreneurs. Throughout time, this seed will eventually grow into a tree that will bear the fruits of one’s labor. However, many entrepreneurs have found different ways to cultivate this seed to bear fruit. Such two men named Dale Carnegie and Horatio Alger have given the world two of the most famous business philosophies. Those who pursue Horatio’s philosophy achieve success through hard work and dedication while those who pursue Carnegie’s philosophy achieve success by being very charismatic. …show more content…
However, through this chance, Frank is able to advance in society due to the fact Mr. Percival feels indebted to him . Although this story emphasizes luck, Horatio Alger also wrote stories based on “pluck” too. In his short story, Henry Trafton’s Independence, Horatio Alger writes about how a young boy named Henry has to deal with raising his younger siblings, Alice and George, when his father died. Being the oldest boy of fourteen, Henry has to deal with paying fifteen dollars for his rent. However, Henry’s determination to keep the family together impresses the landlord, Squire Castleton, to reduce the rent to ten dollars for the orphans and even provide some oxen and potatoes to start a farm for income. Throughout the year, Henry is shown to be taking odd jobs to support his family and is able to keep the family together and pay all expenses even when they were independent. Later on, Henry is given the squire’s farm at the halves due to the fact the squire has seen the potential in Henry. Although many people doubt whether Henry could take such a responsibility, the narrator states “But five years has passed, and Henry’s engagement still continues. I am inclined to think there is no chance of its speedy termination, as Henry is engaged to the squire’s pretty daughter…” (Alger "Henry Trafton's Independence") This shows that through determination and grit, Henry …show more content…
Carnegie dictates this idea through self-help books, such as his most famous work, How to Win Friends and Influence People. In this book, Carnegie dictates various principles to convince others to one’s way of thinking. For example, some tips include, “being sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires” and “show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “You’re wrong.” As Carnegie said “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion…” (Carnegie How to win 29) This quote provides the whole base for Carnegie’s work. When one is dealing with people, one must remember they are dealing with people who act based on emotions and not logic most of the time. Therefore, in How to Win Friends and Influence People, he profoundly states ideas in how to connect with other people and cultivate a certain type of “peace” in the process. By creating a friendly atmosphere, one can thus generate a feeling of trust others have towards him or her, and thus are more likely accept their own ideas. For example, if a boss is very friendly to his employees, the employer would gain more profit, more leisure, and more happiness in his business due to the sense of trust he had built up with his employees. The employees would be more focused on improving sales to make the boss happy due to their
The time of the Industrial Revolution allowed little room for smaller companies to make a name because the big businesses had monopolies over certain areas of industry. Therefore, for a person to make a name for himself, he had to do so with ambition, money, reputation, and inner strength. By reason of an owner not possessing these qualities, then by the rigors of business owning he would be mentally crushed by the amount of work that falls upon the owner's shoulders. In addition, even though labor came cheaply to t...
At this time, Vanderbilt had emerged as a top leader in the railroad industry during the 19th century and eventually became the richest man in America. Vanderbilt is making it abundantly clear to Americans that his only objective is to acquire as much wealth as possible even if it is at the expense of every day citizens. Another man who echoed such sentiments is Andrew Carnegie. In an excerpt from the North American Review, Carnegie takes Vanderbilt’s ideas even further and advocates for the concentration of business and wealth into the hands of a few (Document 3). Carnegie suggests that such a separation between the rich and the poor “insures survival of the fittest in every department” and encourages competition, thus, benefiting society as a whole. Carnegie, a steel tycoon and one of the wealthiest businessmen to date, continuously voiced his approval of an ideology known as Social Darwinism which essentially models the “survival of the fittest” sentiment expressed by Carnegie and others. In essence, he believed in widening inequalities in society for the sole purpose of placing power in the hands of only the most wealthy and most
True, Andrew Carnegie and John D Rockefeller may have been the most influential businessmen of the 19th century, but was the way they conducted business proper? To fully answer this question, we must look at the following: First understand how Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller changed the market of their industries. Second, look at the similarities and differences in how both men achieved domination. Third and lastly, Look at how both men treated their workers and customers in order achieve the most possible profit for their company.
...interpretations of their assumption of millions of dollars. Due to their appropriation of godlike fortunes, and numerous contributions to American society, they simultaneously displayed qualities of both aforementioned labels. Therefore, whether it be Vanderbilt’s greed, Rockefeller’s philanthropy, or Carnegie’s social Darwinist world view, such men were, quite unarguably, concurrently forces of immense good and evil: building up the modern American economy, through monopolistic trusts and exploitative measures, all the while developing unprecedented affluence. Simply, the captains of late 19th century industry were neither wholly “robber barons” or “industrial statesmen”, but rather both, as they proved to be indifferent to their “lesser man” in their quests for profit, while also helping to organize industry and ultimately, greatly improve modern American society.
... or in a counting house. Neither of these jobs would be definable as being fruitful. Not really any of Alger’s supporting characters were very fruitful either. Mr. Grayson and Mr. Whitney were both businessmen and Mr. Rockwell, Dick’s future employer, was a merchant. Not even the hero’s closest companion, Fosdick, was fruitful. This was not a priority for the men of this age either. The fact that finding fruitful jobs would be quite difficult could be the reason why Alger did not include this ideal in his books of instruction and encouragement.
Success is the chance to go out there and use the resources available to take advantage of opportunities that most people do not. Usually, things happen in life and it can prevent the process of obtaining success. In the readings, “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara and “Horatio Alger” by Harlon L. Dalton conveys the message that success is not always an everyday thing and it takes opportunities for it to become part of life. In “The Lesson”, an angered girl named Sylvia is taken on a field trip to a toy store with Miss Moore to learn a valuable lesson. The lesson is to become successful in society because it is the only way to make it to the top. On the other hand, “Horatio Alger” shows more of a realistic viewpoint where success is not as easy
In Harold C. Livesay’s Andrew Carnegie and the rise of Big Business, Andrew Carnegie’s struggles and desires throughout his life are formed into different challenges of being the influential leader of the United States of America. The book also covers the belief of the American Dream in that people can climb up the ladder of society by hard work and the dream of becoming an influential citizen, just as Carnegie did.
Carnegie’s essay contains explanations of three common methods by which wealth is distributed and his own opinions on the effects of each. After reading the entire essay, readers can see his overall appeals to logos; having wealth does not make anyone rich, but using that wealth for the greater good does. He does not force his opinions onto the reader, but is effectively convincing of why his beliefs make sense. Andrew Carnegie’s simple explanations intertwined with small, but powerful appeals to ethos and pathos become incorporated into his overall appeal to logos in his definition of what it means for one to truly be rich.
Alger, Horatio. Ragged Dick, Or, Street Life in New York with the Bootblacks. Boston: Loring, 1868. Print.
In the “Gospel of wealth”, Andrew Carnegie argues that it is the duty of the wealthy entrepreneur who has amassed a great fortune during their lifetime, to give back to those less fortunate. Greed and selfishness may force some readers to see these arguments as preposterous; however, greed is a key ingredient in successful competition. It forces competitors to perform at a higher level than their peers in hopes of obtaining more money and individual wealth. A capitalist society that allows this wealth to accumulate in the hands of the few might be beneficial to the human race because it could promote competition between companies; it might ensure health care for everyone no matter their social standing, and parks and recreation could be built for the enjoyment of society.
Andrew Carnegie believes in a system based on principles and responsibility. The system is Individualism and when everyone strives towards the same goals the system is fair and prosperous. Carnegie’s essay is his attempt to show people a way to reach an accommodation between individualism and fairness. This system can only work if everyone knows and participates in his or her responsibilities. I will discuss Carnegie’s thesis, his arguments and the possible results of his goals.
The United States has come to be known as a major world superpower throughout history. One of the main parts of America that has contributed to its renowned strength has been its economy. The United State’s economy has been growing ever since it began. Credit for its strength and progress in development can be attributed to the financial geniuses of their time. John D. Rockefeller became an economical giant during his time when he changed the face of business by developing ground-breaking new strategies to ensure financial success. Rockefeller dramatically changed the business field during The Gilded Age. He did so through the use of his social Darwinistic philosophy of capitalism, inclusion of vertical and horizontal integration, combination of both his business views and religious beliefs, his Standard Oil Company along with specific refinery processes. He founded the Standard Oil Company, one of the first types of businesses during its time. Although this company helped Rockefeller become known for his successful and competitive strategies, he did develop these strategies by himself with the use of his own beliefs and views.
In the book “Think and Grow Rich,” the author, Napoleon Hill, provides a set of principles that he calls the key to financial success. The idea at the center of these principles is that one becomes what he or she frequently thinks about, in this case success (i.e. rich). Hill lays out a method he created to translate one’s thoughts into reality, creating an insatiable hunger and drive within an individual to succeed. Using the examples of his son and some of America’s legendary iconic business leaders, of which Hill studied and interviewed, including Edwin C. Barnes, he demonstrates that anything one puts his or her mind to can be produced and conceived.
be a successful persuader. You should also know what to look out for, so you don't fall
You can see how all of these mindsets and some of the ones we discussed earlier played out in the lives of people around us like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump just to mention a few. Since these men are with us right now, let’s shift attention to how their lives reflect these mindsets and borrow a leaf there as to how you can be successful like them.