Frugality

Author: Samuel Smiles
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2004-03-01
Features: Twenty-four years ago, I wrote the book Self-Help, and three years later, in 1859, it was published. The reason I wrote this book was quite accidental. At the time, I was giving a few speeches to young people at a temporary hospital in Leeds, which had previously treated cholera patients. I tried to instill in them the idea that their future happiness and health largely depended on themselves. For this, they had to be diligent, self-taught, self-disciplined, and self-controlled. Above all, they had to rely on honesty, integrity, and unwaveringly fulfilling their duties to stand tall in the world—these were essential elements of human excellence.
The results of the speeches exceeded my expectations. I found that many young people, when they grew up, chose to define their lives through trust, responsibility, and actions of value. Some of them were also willing to see their life’s success as the result of having learned these qualities, which they had acquired through training courses and which became the spiritual guides for their hard work. This prompted me to begin preparing a book on this subject. I was reluctant to let it merely be a collection of oral speeches, so in my spare time, I devoted myself to preparing it in the evenings. After completing it, I named it Self-Help, as I could not find a more suitable word to express its purpose.
After finishing the manuscript, I submitted it to a publisher in London, but it was politely rejected. At the time, the Crimean War was raging, making it nearly impossible to publish and sell books. It wasn’t until the era of "George Stephenson" and with the enthusiastic help of Mr. More, that Self-Help was finally published.
After its publication, the book received rave reviews. Here, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the critics, for I believe their reviews were fair. However, their praise for the book far exceeded what I deserved. Although I knew them nothing, they knew me even less.
Almost every European country has translated and published Self-Help in its own language, and it has also been translated into Indian and Japanese. Moreover, the book received more attention and was read more widely in the United States than in Britain. Thirteen years after the publication of Self-Help, while engaged in other work, I wrote and published Character. In this book, I tried to portray noble and generous people, citing many real-life examples of outstanding figures. In my opinion, the best way to help young people internalize these qualities is to tell them inspiring stories of virtuous people. As "some people claim," Isaac Disraeli said, "Don’t tell me anecdotes about authors; give me their works. Yet, I often find myself more interested in the anecdotes about authors than in their works." This is a story I often quote. Plutarch said, "In people’s virtues or vices, the most significant aspects may be well hidden. But often, in a casual act, a brief remark, or a joke, one can discern a person’s true character, not necessarily in great battles or important actions."
Five years later, Frugality was published. In this book, I believed that labor was noble and dignified. People practiced frugality to achieve independence; to support their families and secure a predictable future; to live a pure, noble, and humane life; to avoid the temptation of alcoholism that often accompanied poverty in others; and to cultivate good qualities, morals, and beliefs. I believe the purpose of this book is very clear. Since its publication, I have learned from various sources that institutions have been established to create international frugality organizations, and penny banks, which were once impossible, have now been established one after another.
Five years after the publication of Frugality, today I present my new book, Duty, the final book in this series. I hope it is as valuable as the preface claims. In any case, I have done my best for this book. The readers will find that these chapters gather examples of many people who have excelled and acted bravely in their work. Great actions leave behind invaluable legacies for future generations to benefit from. From the actions of these people, we learn how to act. A great career, even if its results are not entirely satisfactory, remains a milestone of human vitality. Only those who uphold the noble quality of duty to the extreme can achieve an outstanding position in their lives.
"The fundamental duty shines like stars in the night sky, praying for kindness, comforting and healing people’s hearts, scattered like flowers at their feet."