Comments on: Manvotional: Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son, No. 1

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:27:09 +0000

This young man could receive a good education simply by following his father around for a few years. A true font of wisdom. Can’t wait for the next installment.

By: John

John — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:18:45 +0000

This is something I think every father should give his child, whether it be high school or college. Some silly stuff, but a lot of good stuff and an article like this just goes to show what good a father can do in a childs life.
A chat, or a letter, or anything like this is something that I wish I could have had from my father if reality wasn’t as it was. Very nice piece, and a book that I will have to buy.

By: Kawika

Kawika — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:13:39 +0000

This was a great article. Thanks for posting!

By: Christian

Christian — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:22:07 +0000

Very clever!

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:37:07 +0000

I teach for a living myself — particularly a college class called Professional Development, or “Introduction to College” as I have come to call it. I will be distributing this to class this evening. Cheers, friends, what a wonderful post. I’m amazed at how many friends I have with degrees in this, that, and the other thing that are incapable of taking care of themselves (though I am not out of this group myself, I am trying).

By: Hondo

Hondo — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:33:26 +0000

“College doesn’t make fools; it develops them. It doesn’t make bright men; it develops them. A fool will turn out a fool, whether he goes to college or not, though he’ll probably turn out a different sort of a fool.”

So very, very true and my favorite line hands down. I used to live near Boulder Colorado (aka The People’s Republic of Boulder) and you saw these people quite often protesting this or that at CSU. They never knew much more than what they had scrawled on their signs and seemed to be protesting something new every few days.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:21:49 +0000

I agree with the passage that said college should provide both an education and character. I’m entering my senior year of college right now and while I’ve learned a great deal about business, I’ve learned even more about discipline and hard work, which will pay off even more than that piece of paper will. I worry none about kids of priviledge who coast through college with a 2.3. They got none of the ‘education’ I got.

By: Eagle Driver

Eagle Driver — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:42:12 +0000

Excellent advice, thank you for publishing this. I especially enjoyed the concluding truism:

“The last I heard of him he was writing articles on Why Young Men Fail, and making a success of it, because failing was the one subject on which he was practical.

I simply mention Stan in passing as an example of the fact that it isn’t so much knowing a whole lot, as knowing a little and how to use it that counts.”

Oh, how I have learned this the hard way. As an old squadron commander told me in my 20s, “You get a whole lot more bees with honey than you do with vinegar, young man.” Great advice, and I am happy to say I am finally following it many years later.

Jack of all Trades, Master of None.

By: Core

Core — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:24:31 +0000

This article depressed me, even more than I was….I relate too much to Stan in the general sense of I know a lot of areas… but, its getting me nowhere quick.

*Sighs*

Anyways, besides that, great article in the sense of the wisdom/common sense that’s there.

By: Ben Holeton

Ben Holeton — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:14:03 +0000

Wow. Some great stuff in that. Will be adding that to the read list