第4章 别让明天为今天后悔 3（第1页）

第4章别让明天为今天后悔（3）

&hereamoreuntruthfulwordspoke3。Fortheworldisfullofthingsthatarew，butlynwell。WasitasageasHerbertSpencerwhosaidtotheyoungmanwhohadjustbeatenhimatbilliards，"Moderateskill，sir，isthesignofagoodeyeandasteadyhand，butskillsuchasyuesayouthmisspent?"Isahplayingsupremelyristantpradappli?

AgainsttheprofessionalplayerIsaynothing;heisapublitertaiher，andbyhisskillinhisparticularsportheatleastfulfillsthefirstsocialdutyofman—thathimselfandhisfamilybyhisoweexertions。Butwhatistobesaidofthecrackamateur?Tomeheseemsoptibleofmankind。Heeardevoteshimself，forthemereselfishpleasureofthething，tosomegame，whichheplaysdayindayout;hebreaksdowarydistiheamateurandtheprofessiouallyhisskilldesertshim，andheleavesbehindhimnothingthatisofservicetohisfellowmen—notabrihed，en，notevenafamilysupportedaedbyhislabor。

Itistruethathehasprovidedeforaumberofpersons，buthehashepluithimselftothetestbywhichwedemaertainershouldjustifyhischoiceofag—thedemonstratiohatthepubliciswillingtopayhimforhise。And，whenhisdayisover，whatisleft，heworld，buttohimself?Nothingbutaisatotten，orisrememberedbystoutgentlemeninclubs。

Theplayiainly，isathingwhiwell。Butthatdoesisnatall，astheproverbwould，byimpli，persuadeus。Thereisnreeableandsalutarythanplayingagamewhielikes，aangitbadlyihepleasureofeeofahemanwhomihewinsissman—whichobservatioheruleitimpliesisseldomobserved，andparativelyfewpeoplereallyplaygamesforthesheereheplaying。Isthisheprevalendpopularityofhandicaps4?Whyshouldweexpecttobegivenpoibethatiherthanourownskill?

"Ah!but，"myreadermaysay，"thelayerwantstoretsihemaygivethestroergame。"Really，Idohatisso。Possible，sometimes，astrongandvaingloriousplayermaywishtogivepoints，ihisviaybethemoreIdonotthihisisthetrueexplanation。That，Isuspect，wasgiveherdaybythesecretaryofalawour，inwhichIplayed。"Whyallthisnonsenseofhandicaps?Whyusbesquarelybeaten，a?"Iaskedhim。"Because，"Hereplied，"ifwedidnotgivehandieofthelessgoodplayerswoulde;Isthatnotathatthemajorityofushavebothrealizedthetruevaluedoingatrivialthingbadly，foritsownsake，andmustneedshaveourmindsbuoyedaoafalsesenseofexce?

&isnotonlysusicallytrivialthingsasgamesthatarewbadly。Thisisatruthwhich，oddlyefreelyofsomethings—butnotofothers—andasathingwhichwearequitettodowillletmeiing。Ag，atitsbest，beagreatart，athingwsupremelywell，thoughitsworth，likethatofalliivearts，islessesevaworksimediumofhumanfleshandblood，ahattheactorcreate—forwhatretativeartistisreallyacreativeartistwinaperishablemedium—isanimpressionupoihtarousedin，themindsofanaudiendisincapableofrecord。

Ag，thee—thoughIhaveochedeversobrieflytheproofofmybelief—beagreatart。Butisaerredfromtakingpartiricalsbythesideratioaotabitofit!AlynisohingsaboutwhichIamwritihethingsthatarewbadly。

Ahingismusic;butheretheproverbialfallaexertsitspower，asitdoesnot，forsomeobsdunreasoningdisation，inag。Mostpeopleseemtothinkthatiftheyg，orplaythepiano，fiddle，orsackbut，admirablywell，theymustnotdoahingsatall。Thattheyshouldnotindisatelyforcetheirinferiorperformahepubliupontheiraces，Iadmit。Butthatthereis;i;forinferiormusianuntruththatIflatlydeny。