Just Smile

When someone asks for our advice, we often relate to our own past experiences, while we should be trying to imagine ourselves in his/her situation. While Samuel Smiles's hard work and dedication payed off in his own life, in his book Self-Help Smiles therefore generalizes that if one works hard then one will reap the rewards. In 1882 when Smiles published his Self- Help book, society was far different from present day western civilization. During Smiles's era, it was extremely difficult to progress from one class to another, and often one's success was limited based on what class one was in. Thus a factory worker during the industrial revolution, who worked thirteen hour days in intense conditions, would probably never reach success because he/she was in a lower class. Unlike today in America where immigrants come over and work hard at any job they can find, in order to better their children's life, in 1882 a factory worker's child had a very low chance of becoming prosperous. In fact the children often worked in factories along side their parents, and continued to do so for the rest of their lives. Hard work was meant to keep one alive, not to succeed.
Smiles also forgot that there are various circumstances which inhibit success, not only in 1882, but also currently. Smiles blamed, "selfishness, idleness, and vice" for "national decay," but in reality there are many factors which might cause one to fail. Smiles was very well educated, so when his father passed away and left Smiles, his mother, and ten siblings behind, Smiles already had a good foundation to begin to look for work. In 1882, many people were not well educated because often times, children had to drop out of school at young ages to work, therefore continuing a cycle of "failure". Only the wealthy class truly had an opportunity to be successful because they were well educated, connected, and respected, unlike the poor who were looked down upon and scorned. The saying, "the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer" is very relevant to the situation in 1882, where people stayed in their current classes and didn't regress or progress. Although during Smile's time most obstacles were derived from class issues, in current society there are many things that can keep one from succeeding. Perhaps, the career one picks might be inhibiting, like an actress who works day and night waitressing and performing, but never getting a big break. Or perhaps and entrepreneur, who spends his/her time devoting themselves to business, but a bad economy hits, and in seconds their company is destroyed.
In many ways Smiles is correct about hard work; it is a key ingredient for success, but sometimes luck can play a big role. While Smiles was trying to help people, he based his book solely on his own experiences, therefore making his seem judgemental and in some cases completely wrong. Smiles's often looks down as the lower classes, blaming them for all of their misfortune, while he (his class) is indirectly responsible for their failures. Smiles book is more relatable in current society, but it is also too generalized and personal, rather than factual and understanding.