When it comes to rewards for human effort, people fall into two distinct categories: those who expect more than their due for whatever they have done, and those who simply do a job and then forget about it.
The second class of people do not complain even if they are not paid. They derive their satisfaction from leading a purposeful life, and not from immediate dividends.
Both of these types appear on the surface to be the same kind of human beings, but they differ radically in that the first category only knows how to conduct business, while the second actually makes history. It is the latter who are the real assets to humanity.
Any great work requires the combined efforts of many. But in such a joint venture, the rewards are never evenly divided. It is inevitable that some receive more – others less. Some are given credit, while others are passed over. Some are welcomed, while others are ignored. This is a natural state of affairs and is bound to prevail whether the movement is a popular one, or one launched by a reformer or other great leaders. Once this has been accepted it should be clear that the continuance and success of a joint venture depends upon its supporters’ willingness to forget their rights and remember their responsibilities.
Such an attitude is necessary in a joint venture whether people go completely unrewarded or whether they only feel that they have received less than their due.
Those alone can perform great tasks, and themselves attain to greatness, for whom the accomplishment of the task is itself the real reward: the fulfilment of their responsibilities brings them such satisfaction that they desire no further recompense.
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