how to live on twenty-four hours a day-第1节

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How　to　Live　on　Twenty…Four　Hours　a　Day

by　Arnold　Bennett




PREFACE　TO　THIS　EDITION

This　preface；　though　placed　at　the　beginning；　as　a　preface　must　be；
should　be　read　at　the　end　of　the　book。

I　have　received　a　large　amount　of　correspondence　concerning　this
small　work；　and　many　reviews　of　itsome　of　them　nearly　as　long
as　the　book　itselfhave　been　printed。　　But　scarcely　any　of　the
comment　has　been　adverse。　　Some　people　have　objected　to　a
frivolity　of　tone；　but　as　the　tone　is　not；　in　my　opinion；　at　all
frivolous；　this　objection　did　not　impress　me；　and　had　no　weightier
reproach　been　put　forward　I　might　almost　have　been　persuaded　that
the　volume　was　flawless！　　A　more　serious　stricture　has；　however；
been　offerednot　in　the　press；　but　by　sundry　obviously　sincere
correspondentsand　I　must　deal　with　it。　　A　reference　to　page　43
will　show　that　I　anticipated　and　feared　this　disapprobation。　　The
sentence　against　which　protests　have　been　made　is　as　follows：
〃In　the　majority　of　instances　he　＇the　typical　man＇　does　not
precisely　feel　a　passion　for　his　business；　at　best　he　does　not　dislike
it。　　He　begins　his　business　functions　with　some　reluctance；　as　late
as　he　can；　and　he　ends　them　with　joy；　as　early　as　he　can。　　And　his
engines；　while　he　is　engaged　in　his　business；　are　seldom　at　their
full　'h。p。'〃

I　am　assured；　in　accents　of　unmistakable　sincerity；　that　there　are
many　business　mennot　merely　those　in　high　positions　or　with　fine
prospects；　but　modest　subordinates　with　no　hope　of　ever　being
much　better　offwho　do　enjoy　their　business　functions；　who　do　not
shirk　them；　who　do　not　arrive　at　the　office　as　late　as　possible　and

depart　as　early　as　possible；　who；　in　a　word；　put　the　whole　of　their
force　into　their　day's　work　and　are　genuinely　fatigued　at　the　end
thereof。

I　am　ready　to　believe　it。　　I　do　believe　it。　　I　know　it。　　I　always　knew
it。　　Both　in　London　and　in　the　provinces　it　has　been　my　lot　to　spend
long　years　in　subordinate　situations　of　business；　and　the　fact　did
not　escape　me　that　a　certain　proportion　of　my　peers　showed　what
amounted　to　an　honest　passion　for　their　duties；　and　that　while
engaged　in　those　duties　they　were　really　*living*　to　the　fullest
extent　of　which　they　were　capable。　　But　I　remain　convinced　that
these　fortunate　and　happy　individuals　（happier　perhaps　than　they
guessed）　did　not　and　do　not　constitute　a　majority；　or　anything　like
a　majority。　　I　remain　convinced　that　the　majority　of　decent　average
conscientious　men　of　business　（men　with　aspirations　and　ideals）　do
not　as　a　rule　go　home　of　a　night　genuinely　tired。　　I　remain
convinced　that　they　put　not　as　much　but　as　little　of　themselves　as
they　conscientiously　can　into　the　earning　of　a　livelihood；　and　that
their　vocation　bores　rather　than　interests　them。

Nevertheless；　I　admit　that　the　minority　is　of　sufficient　importance
to　merit　attention；　and　that　I　ought　not　to　have　ignored　it　so
completely　as　I　did　do。　　The　whole　difficulty　of　the　hard…working
minority　was　put　in　a　single　colloquial　sentence　by　one　of　my
correspondents。　　He　wrote：　　〃I　am　just　as　keen　as　anyone　on　doing
something　to　'exceed　my　programme；'　but　allow　me　to　tell　you　that
when　I　get　home　at　six　thirty　p。m。　I　am　not　anything　like　so　fresh
as　you　seem　to　imagine。〃

Now　I　must　point　out　that　the　case　of　the　minority；　who　throw
themselves　with　passion　and　gusto　into　their　daily　business　task；　is
infinitely　less　deplorable　than　the　case　of　the　majority；　who　go
half…heartedly　and　feebly　through　their　official　day。　　The　former　are
less　in　need　of　advice　〃how　to　live。〃　　At　any　rate　during　their
official　day　of；　say；　eight　hours　they　are　really　alive；　their　engines
are　giving　the　full　indicated　〃h。p。〃　　The　other　eight　working　hours
of　their　day　may　be　badly　organised；　or　even　frittered　away；　but　it
is　less　disastrous　to　waste　eight　hours　a　day　than　sixteen　hours　a
day；　it　is　better　to　have　lived　a　bit　than　never　to　have　lived　at　all。　
The　real　tragedy　is　the　tragedy　of　the　man　who　is　braced　to　effort
neither　in　the　office　nor　out　of　it；　and　to　this　man　this　book　is
primarily　addressed。　　〃But；〃　says　the　other　and　more　fortunate　man；
〃although　my　ordinary　programme　is　bigger　than　his；　I　want　to
exceed　my　programme　too！　　I　am　living　a　bit；　I　want　to　live　more。　
But　I　really　can't　do　another　day's　work　on　the　top　of　my　official
day。〃


The　fact　is；　I；　the　author；　ought　to　have　foreseen　that　I　should
appeal　most　strongly　to　those　who　already　had　an　interest　in
existence。　　It　is　always　the　man　who　has　tasted　life　who　demands
more　of　it。　　And　it　is　always　the　man　who　never　gets　out　of　bed
who　is　the　most　difficult　to　rouse。

Well；　you　of　the　minority；　let　us　assume　that　the　intensity　of　your
daily　money…getting　will　not　allow　you　to　carry　out　quite　all　the
suggestions　in　the　following　pages。　　Some　of　the　suggestions　may
yet　stand。　　I　admit　that　you　may　not　be　able　to　use　the　time　spent
on　the　journey　home　at　night；　but　the　suggestion　for　the　journey　to
the　office　in　the　morning　is　as　practicable　for　you　as　for　anybody。　
And　that　weekly　interval　of　forty　hours；　from　Saturday　to　Monday；
is　yours　just　as　much　as　the　other　man's；　though　a　slight
accumulation　of　fatigue　may　prevent　you　from　employing　the
whole　of　your　〃h。p。〃　upon　it。　　There　remains；　then；　the　important
portion　of　the　three　or　more　evenings　a　week。　　You　tell　me　flatly
that　you　are　too　tired　to　do　anything　outside　your　programme　at
night。　　In　reply　to　which　I　tell　you　flatly　that　if　your　ordinary　day's
work　is　thus　exhausting；　then　the　balance　of　your　life　is　wrong　and
must　be　adjusted。　　A　man's　powers　ought　not　to　be　monopolised　by
his　ordinary　day's　work。　　What；　then；　is　to　be　done？

The　obvious　thing　to　do　is　to　circumvent　your　ardour　for　your
ordinary　day's　work　by　a　ruse。　Employ　your　engines　in　something
beyond　the　programme　before；　and　not　after；　you　employ　them　on
the　programme　itself。　　Briefly；　get　up　earlier　in　the　morning。　　You
say　you　cannot。　　You　say　it　is　impossible　for　you　to　go　earlier　to
bed　of　a　nightto　do　so　would　upset　the　entire　household。　　I　do　not
think　it　is　quite　impossible　to　go　to　bed　earlier　at　night。　　I　think　that
if　you　persist　in　rising　earlier；　and　the　consequence　is　insufficiency
of　sleep；　you　will　soon　find　a　way　of　going　to　bed　earlier。　　But　my
impression　is　that　the　consequences　of　rising　earlier　will　not　be　an
insufficiency　of　sleep。　　My　impression；　growing　stronger　every
year；　is　that　sleep　is　partly　a　matter　of　habitand　of　slackness。　　I　am
convinced　that　most　people　sleep　as　long　as　they　do　because　they
are　at　a　loss　for　any　other　diversion。　　How　much　sleep　do　you　think
is　daily　obtained　by　the　powerful　healthy　man　who　daily　rattles　up
your　street　in　charge　of　Carter　Patterson's　van？　　I　have　consulted　a
doctor　on　this　point。　　He　is　a　doctor　who　for　twenty…four　years　has
had　a　large　general　practice　in　a　large　flourishing　suburb　of
London；　inhabited　by　exactly　such　people　as　you　and　me。　　He　is　a
curt　man；　and　his　answer　was　curt：

〃Most　people　sleep　themselves　stupid。〃


He　went　on　to　give　his　opinion　that　nine　men　out　of　ten　would　have　
better　health　and　more　fun　out　of　life　if　they　spent　less　time　in　bed。

Other　doctors　have　confirmed　this　judgment；　which；　of　course；　does　
not　apply　to　growing　youths。

Rise　an　hour；　an　hour　and　a　half；　or　even　two　hours　earlier；　andif　
you　mustretire　earlier　when　you　can。　　In　the　matter　of　exceeding
programmes；　you　will　accomplish　as　much　in　one　morning　hour　as　
in　two　evening　hours。　　〃But；〃　you　say；　〃I　couldn't　begin　without　
some　food；　and　servants。〃　　Surely；　my　dear　sir；　in　an　age　when　an　
excellent　spirit…lamp　（including　a　saucepan）　can　be　bought　for　less
than　a　shilling；　you　are　not　going　to　allow　your　highest　welfare　to　
depend　upon　the　precarious　immediate　co…operation　of　a　fellow　
creature！　　Instruct　the　fellow　creature；　whoever　she　may　be；　at　
night。　　Tell　her　to　put　a　tray　in　a　suitable　position　over　night。　　On　
that　tray　two　biscuits；　a　cup　and　saucer；　a　box　of　matches　and　a　
spirit…lamp；　on　the　lamp；　the　saucepan；　on　the　saucepan；　the　lid
but　turned　the　wrong　way　up；　on　the　reversed　lid；　the　small　teapot；　
containing　a　minute　quantity　of　tea　leaves。　　You　will　then　have　to　
strike　a　matchthat　is　all。　　In　three　minutes　the　water　boils；　and　you　
pour　it　into　the　teapot　（which　is　already　warm）。　　In　three　more　minutes　
the　tea　is　infused。　　You　can　begin　your　day　while　drinking　it。　　These　
details　may　seem　trivial　to　the　foolish；　but　to　the　thoughtful　they　will　
not　seem　trivial。　　The　proper；　wise　balancing　of　one's　whole　life　may　
depend　upon　the　feasibility　of　a　cup　of　tea　at　an　unusual　hour。

A。　B。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CONTENTS

PREFACE；　V

　　　　　I　　　THE　DAILY　MIRACLE；　21
　　　　II　　　THE　DESIRE　TO　EXCEED　ONE'S　PROGRAMME；　28
　　　III　　　PRECAUTIONS　BEFORE　BEGINNING；　35
　　　IV　　THE　CAUSE　OF　THE　TROUBLE；　42
　　　　V　　　TENNIS　AND　THE　IMMORTAL　SOUL；　49
　　　VI　　　REMEMBER　HUMAN　NATURE；　56
　　VII　　CONTROLLING　THE　MIND；　62
　VIII　　THE　REFLECTIVE　MOOD；　69
　　　　IX　　INTEREST　IN　THE　ARTS；　76
　　　　　X　　NOTHING　IN　LIFE　IS　HUMDRUM；　83

　　　　XI　　SERIOUS　READING；　90
　　　XII　　DANGERS　TO　AVOID；　97



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　HOW　TO　LIVE