Norwell High School - Shipbuilder Yearbook (Norwell, MA)

Page 15 text:

0-O-OOO 00009 OOO O0 0-O-00000--O4-OC-09-0-O-0-009-C THE SHIPBUILDER Paqeli . 'POQ 0G?QQOCCG90000OOO0OQ44 VALEDICTGRY CONTENTMENT HINDERS PROGRESS One of the essayists of the class of 1837 spoke on Contentment Hinders Progress, showing that then, as now, it was a recognized fact. That it is acknowledged now, and stressed even more, is an interesting point. The subject is universal, however, it fits any time, any place, and any person, it has been proved by Roman history, when the most highly civil- ized nation rotted, it is being proved at the present time, in the United States, where ter- rifying unemployment has followed prosperity, it is being proved in the lives of those about us, and often in our own. In the nineties, the people seem to have recognized the fact that contentment hinders progress, and that one cannot be satisfied with himself and still keep up with the world. This view was limited to a certain extent, however. filled with mar- The preceding year has been velous inventions, that fertile period of Amer- improvement in ican growth had brought an evcry line, Bell made it possible to speak and be heard beyond natural earshot, by means of his telephone, Morse made it possible to send a message half-way around the world without having to wait for mailing conveniences. by means of his telegraph, Watt made it possible to drive engines without the use of man or ani- mal power, when he invented the steam engine. These men, along with many others, had made such rapid progress in such a comparatively short time that the world was convinced that further progress was impossible. For these reasons, that maxim was used as advice that was meant to have been taken seriously, but was given with little prospect of actual appli- cation. It is possible, too, that it was a gener- ality, because the people were not fitted yet to cope time. In 1931, at the present time, that sentence has come to have unlimited meaning. So much more unbelievable progress has been made since the days when it was deemed impossible that the world is prepared for anything, and it even hopes to see more inventions. The ap- plication now is as widely physical as it is mental. As a beginning, the application of the fact that contentment hinders progress will be made to the average household. Daily one sees new appliances that will surely revolutionize house- work, often they are successful, more often they are not, yet, they show that many hundreds of people are not content to drudge. and so, these people by their small in- ventions add to the progress of the world. with the increasingly rapid pace of the The housewife wants the newest, so now many new things are being manufactured daily. lt has become the custom in late years for the owner of an automobile to turn his in each year for the latest model, the average man is not satisfied with the same old car, and the same old conveniences. By the creation of this demand, the automobile manufacturers have to strive to meet it. They can not be content to keep the same old place in the field of auto- mobile manufacturing, if a concern makes a car that is not the best, that concern must strive to put out a car that will excel all others, another that may make the best, has to struggle to keep its reputation. Thus progress is brought about, the manufacturers can not be content because satisfaction would hinder that progress. Everyone worries about the air- plane, the many accidents, the great loss of life. But pilots are not satisfied, they can not afford to be satisfied, because it is inevitable that regular air travel will be accepted in the future. In the larger field of medicine, re- search workers are not content to allow the pneumonia, cancer and the tuberculosis germs to remain a mystery: witness the progress made in the isolation of the pneumonia germ. These doctors can not afford to be content, either, the health of the nation is at stake. In plain lan- guage, this is the spirit of keeping up with the Jonses, so ridiculed by Europe. But it is the source of America's prosperity, the reason for her progress. But, then, to what does all this lead? Merely to the proof that mentally, too, content- ment hinders progress. Had those men-Bell, Morse, Watt, and the others,-been content. perhaps we should still have had to run across the street to talk to a neighbor. to rely upon postal service to deliver messages, or to de- pend on animals to carry us to our destinations. Each of these men stands out because he has advanced so far ahead. Were he far behind, he would stand out, too, but he would not he noticed because it is more natural to look ahead. Perhaps that is why God put our eyes in the front of our heads. In every walk of life, l'm satisfied is a danger sign. Pronounced by a professional man, it shows that he has none of the essential love for his profession. It signines that he has no desire to know what the pioneers in his pro- fession have found, that he does not care par- ticularly to get ahead and to keep ahead. Should a doctor give the least hint that he is satisfied, his ofiicc. his tools, so to speak. and CQCOQOO0O90000QCOQQOO000000

Page 14 text:

Pagellf THE SHIPBUILDER I O' GRADE SEVEN rpg 45' Y M 14 V T.-Twyvkw-Q-T wr Y V' JY 4 'Y f 'Y --'Q - ,-A if-w-?W'F-1.77 Q YE ' 'f' Y' - f' y-f - 'gf f ff Q If .5171 ' 'EY' ' ' ' ' v A yv' - 'r-w l',-- 1-A. -Y . Y 1 T 7-1 2' v., .Q , r ' YYY y Q A V Q X Q Y Qui- v iq 4 W? 'Y' K E GRADES FIVE AND SIX f ' f lf' Y : if 'F' f v ' Q .F S, , E A A . , 1 'T ,,,...A f, . f , - Q-in-,fy Y Q , ' v4i -v if-1--.7 'WW v V iv? wwf M ,YA I -If--J' --V Y Y v 5 it S Y Y 'V V ' W ' ' v ' v---. ,. , 'F' '- 4 '-+'1- t Ml' , Y' 'VV' 'iff K 'Y '--'V -f -2- Fv-1-f f 'VJ-7: ff ,TL 1 W' W W' ,--W , G V - 7 , ww Y V A A, 4 - A AMAA-A Iv' 1 u f 1 L Q , . A - .A - . -vi - .-J-.- , M9 -- En 9 9 .09009941 -U I Q 9 00 0 O 0

Page 16 text:

Page16 THE SHIPBUILDER Oo-4-Q-o-o-404 even his practice will become cob-webby. His contentment will hinder his own progress. It would seem nearly incongruous for a mod- ern business man to lean back in his chair, smile, and say, Oh, yes, I'm satisfied, perfectly satisfied! In the time he would take to say it, he would lose sight of his associates: they would prefer to go on without him. A pros- pective employer would also overlook him, be- cause the employer, as a perfect business man, would want an employee who would advance the business by advancing himself. Other em- ployers might recognize it as a form of laziness. That satisfied man will remain b-ehind, alone, and there will be one less person to progress with the world. For anyone at all, it would be a pitiful ad- mission to himself, it would show that he ad- mits defeat, and one who admits defeat shows that mentally he is unwilling to make the effort. The world will continue to rush onward as it is bound to, and such a person might as well be deadg he has closed his mind to progress. In preference to being self-satisfied, it is better to worry continually, because that would denote an interest in the world: it would show that one is not satisfied with the present. Con- trary to popular fancy, perfect contentment can not last, because the contented person is not doing anything about it,-he is passive: on the other hand, there may be nearly perfect happi- ness, if one keeps going, if one has sufficient will to get ahead. In fact, it is better to be unsatisfied than to be dissatisfied. There is a very fine distinction between the terms: dis- satisfied signifies passive distaste, unsatis- fied signifies distaste in that the subject is searching for something better. For example, a man who is dissatisfied with his job merely dislikes it intensely: one who is unsatisfied with his job dislikes it because he feels that he is capable of one better. Now to get back to earth for the final word. It is easy to see that contentment was the cause of this last depression. The United States must admit that it was quite satisfied with its prosperity: that satisfaction has im- peded the progress usually made in the period. Contentment hinders progress: the content- ment of a man is like a stone upon which he may rest for a while: but if the stone is great, it will take so much longer to move it. Thus. the greater your contentment, the longer it will retard your particular progess. J. Franceschini. SALUTATORY The Great Nickel Adventure How often have you heard that expression. Oh, how thrilling it must be to ride in an aeroplane! After several aeroplane rides, do you have the same romantic feeling? Perhaps, and perhaps you do not. This new means of locomotion is indeed very popular but being celebrated so much makes it conceited. Of course there is some romance in an aeroplane ride. From the time the plane slowly lifts itself from the ground until it reaches the lofty clouds and then gradually descends, one is really thrilled! During this time, the pas- senger first loses sight of the vast plains and the hour' appear like little dots, then the large clouds surround the machine and if it is dark. stars are obvious. lflverything is both pictur- esque and dangerous, yet it is not near so ro- mantic as a ride in the subway, even if the sub- way may not be so well ventilated or comfort- able. Remember, a little discomfort is worth accompanying adventure. Unseen dangers are far more thrilling than seen For example. let us think of the subway. Can you imagine anything romantic about it? Perhaps not immediately, but think hard. Why. of course! There is a sort of charm in it that draws the passengers and guards to think of recklessness. But why? The working man. after working all day. hurries to the subway and never thinks any danger may delay him. It never occurs to him that his life may be lost while in one of these underground trains. In truth. what is the difference between an acro- bat being shut in a hollow ball and tossed across the circus ring and a man shut in a box and shot through the earth I' Neither has any fear because they have faith in both cases. What if we were to think of a subway in the olden days? Of course this is 1931, but do we not often consider ancient history? If a man ever said that underground transportation would be used sooner or later-that we would 9 6 0-000000-0-0000006 QQQGQOQQOQQOOOQQQ 0009000000 0000-0-0-0000000000-0-0-00 00 o++o4-9+-Q-0-Q