THE HABIT OF DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR 599THE PRIVILEGE OF RENDERING MORE SERVICE
Still another important feature of this habit of offering more and
better service than you are paid to do is that this habit can be
developed without having to ask permission to do so. Such service
may be rendered through your own Initiative, without the consent of
anyone else. You do not have to consult those to whom you render
the service, for it is a privilege that you control.
There are many things you could do that would tend to promote
your interests, but most of them require the Cooperation or the
consent of others. And if you render less service than that for which
you are paid, you must do this with the agreement of the purchaser
of the service, or the market for your service will soon cease.
I want you to get the full significance of your prerogative to render
more and better service than that for which you are paid, for this places
squarely on your shoulders the responsibility of rendering such service.
If you fail to do so, you haven't a plausible excuse to offer, or an alibi
on which to fall back, if you fail in the achievement of your Definite
Chief Aim in life.
One of the most essential yet most difficult truths that I have
had to learn is that every person should be their own hardest task-
master. We are all fine builders of alibis and creators of excuses in
support of our shortcomings. When we do this we are not seeking
facts and truths as they are, but as we wish them to be. We prefer words
of flattery to those of cold, unbiased truth.
Furthermore, we usually become resentful toward those who dare
to uncover the truth for our benefit. One of the most severe shocks
I received in the early part of my public career was the knowledge
that people are still being crucified for the high crime of telling the
truth. I recall an experience I had some years ago with a man who
had written a book advertising his business school. He submitted
this book to me and paid me to review it and give him my candid
opinion. I reviewed the book with painstaking care, then did my duty
by showing him where I believed the book was weak.