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life are not managed as they ought to be？ Which of us is quite sure that his
fine suit is not surmounted by a shameful hat； or that in attending to the
crockery he has forgotten the quality of the food？ Which of us is not
saying to himselfwhich of us has not been saying to himself all his life：
〃I shall alter that when I have a little more time〃？
We never shall have any more time。 We have； and we have always had；
all the time there is。 It is the realisation of this profound and neglected
truth （which； by the way； I have not discovered） that has led me to the
minute practical examination of daily time…expenditure。
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
II THE DESIRE TO EXCEED
ONE'S PROGRAMME
〃But；〃 someone may remark； with the English disregard of
everything except the point； 〃what is he driving at with his twenty…four
hours a day？ I have no difficulty in living on twenty…four hours a day。 I do
all that I want to do； and still find time to go in for newspaper
competitions。 Surely it is a simple affair； knowing that one has only
twenty…four hours a day； to content one's self with twenty…four hours a
day！〃
To you； my dear sir； I present my excuses and apologies。 You are
precisely the man that I have been wishing to meet for about forty years。
Will you kindly send me your name and address； and state your charge for
telling me how you do it？ Instead of me talking to you； you ought to be
talking to me。 Please come forward。 That you exist； I am convinced； and
that I have not yet encountered you is my loss。 Meanwhile； until you
appear； I will continue to chat with my companions in distressthat
innumerable band of souls who are haunted； more or less painfully； by the
feeling that the years slip by； and slip by； and slip by； and that they have
not yet been able to get their lives into proper working order。
If we analyse that feeling； we shall perceive it to be； primarily； one of
uneasiness； of expectation； of looking forward； of aspiration。 It is a source
of constant discomfort； for it behaves like a skeleton at the feast of all our
enjoyments。 We go to the theatre and laugh； but between the acts it raises a
skinny finger at us。 We rush violently for the last train； and while we are
cooling a long age on the platform waiting for the last train； it promenades
its bones up and down by our side and inquires： 〃O man； what hast thou
done with thy youth？ What art thou doing with thine age？〃 You may urge
that this feeling of continuous looking forward； of aspiration； is part of life
itself； and inseparable from life itself。 True！
But there are degrees。 A man may desire to go to Mecca。 His
conscience tells him that he ought to go to Mecca。 He fares forth； either by
the aid of Cook's； or unassisted； he may probably never reach Mecca； he
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
may drown before he gets to Port Said； he may perish ingloriously on the
coast of the Red Sea； his desire may remain eternally frustrate。 Unfulfilled
aspiration may always trouble him。 But he will not be tormented in the
same way as the man who； desiring to reach Mecca； and harried by the
desire to reach Mecca； never leaves Brixton。
It is something to have left Brixton。 Most of us have not left Brixton。
We have not even taken a cab to Ludgate Circus and inquired from Cook's
the price of a conducted tour。 And our excuse to ourselves is that there are
only twenty…four hours in the day。
If we further analyse our vague； uneasy aspiration； we shall； I think；
see that it springs from a fixed idea that we ought to do something in
addition to those things which we are loyally and morally obliged to do。
We are obliged； by various codes written and unwritten； to maintain
ourselves and our families （if any） in health and comfort； to pay our debts；
to save； to increase our prosperity by increasing our efficiency。 A task
sufficiently difficult！ A task which very few of us achieve！ A task often
beyond our skill！ yet； if we succeed in it； as we sometimes do； we are not
satisfied； the skeleton is still with us。
And even when we realise tat the task is beyond our skill； that our
powers cannot cope with it； we feel that we should be less discontented if
we gave to our powers； already overtaxed； something still further to do。
And such is； indeed； the fact。 The wish to accomplish something
outside their formal programme is common to all men who in the course
of evolution have risen past a certain level。
Until an effort is made to satisfy that wish； the sense of uneasy waiting
for something to start which has not started will remain to disturb the
peace of the soul。 That wish has been called by many names。 It is one
form of the universal desire for knowledge。 And it is so strong that men
whose whole lives have been given to the systematic acquirement of
knowledge have been driven by it to overstep the limits of their
programme in search of still more knowledge。 Even Herbert Spencer； in
my opinion the greatest mind that ever lived； was often forced by it into
agreeable little backwaters of inquiry。
I imagine that in the majority of people who are conscious of the wish
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
to livethat is to say； people who have intellectual curiositythe aspiration
to exceed formal programmes takes a literary shape。 They would like to
embark on a course of reading。 Decidedly the British people are becoming
more and more literary。 But I would point out that literature by no means
comprises the whole field of knowledge； and that the disturbing thirst to
improve one's selfto increase one's knowledgemay well be slaked quite
apart from literature。 With the various ways of slaking I shall deal later。
Here I merely point out to those who have no natural sympathy with
literature that literature is not the only well。
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
III PRECAUTIONS BEFORE
BEGINNING
Now that I have succeeded （if succeeded I have） in persuading you to
admit to yourself that you are constantly haunted by a suppressed
dissatisfaction with your own arrangement of your daily life； and that the
primal cause of that inconvenient dissatisfaction is the feeling that you are
every day leaving undone something which you would like to do； and
which； indeed； you are always hoping to do when you have 〃more time〃；
and now that I have drawn your attention to the glaring； dazzling truth that
you never will have 〃more time；〃 since you already have all the time there
isyou expect me to let you into some wonderful secret by which you may
at any rate approach the ideal of a perfect arrangement of the day； and by
which； therefore； that haunting； unpleasant； daily disappointment of things
left undone will be got rid of！