投资 · 创业者自述
塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯：节俭·摘录 156
塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯《节俭》· Thrift · 投资
Many men, in order to advance themselves in the world, and to raise themselves in society, have "scorned delights and lived laborious days." They have lived humbly and frugally, in order to accomplish greater things. They have supported themselves by their hand labour, until they could support themselves by their head labour. Some may allege that this is not justifiable--that it is a sin against the proletariat to attempt to rise in the world,--that "once a cobbler always a cobbler." But, until a better system has been established, the self-application of individuals is the only method by which science and knowledge can be conquered, and the world permanently advanced.
出处：
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14418
定位：Excerpt 156 · 核对日期：2026-10-19 · 核验：短摘录
白话
核心是：个人为了上进而甘愿吃苦、节俭，是值得肯定的，也是社会进步的必要条件。作者说，许多人为了提升自己，宁愿放弃享乐、过劳碌的日子，先靠体力劳动养活自己，再逐步转向脑力劳动。有人会批评说，想往上爬是对底层的不义，认为“鞋匠永远是鞋匠”。但作者反驳：在更好的制度建立之前，个人自我努力是掌握知识和科学、推动世界进步的唯一切实方法。这说明，与其等待外部改变，不如先投资自己。今天我们可以做的，是设定一个学习或技能提升目标，并为此牺牲一些眼前的娱乐。
上下文
斯迈尔斯在《节俭》中回应当时对个人奋斗的批评，强调自我努力对社会进步的意义。
今日一问
为了提升自己，你愿意暂时放弃哪一项娱乐或消费？
公版作品；原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg，仅摘录段落并附全书链接。
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