294 ^he Psychology of the Business Man 



could no more be outwardly suspicious, critical, or even re- 

 served than the cigar stand girl can afford to dress slovenly 

 . or not shake conversational dice with every customer. 



This business advantage or even necessity for friendly 

 good nature seems to have acted evolutionally towards the 

 elimination from the business world of unpleasant disposi- 

 tions ; for, in spite of some artificial assumption of friendliness, 

 the tendency is towards genuineness. The typical business 

 man is a wholesome, gentlemanly, friendly, and cheery creat- 

 ure, who sheds a deal of courage, hope and sunshine thru 

 the world. Much of this, too, he carries to the wife and chil- 

 dren at home, except as it is counteracted by over-fatigue at 

 the end of the day or by absorption of his interest and time in 

 his business. 



When we turn now to the lacking or harmful traits in the 

 business mental life, the first striking characteristic is the mo- 

 notony, uniformity and lack of individuality. The business- 

 forces and advantages, w^hich conduce to a friendly good na- 

 ture also tend to make all business men on the same pattern 

 or mould. In having to be agreeable to everyone, the business 

 man cannot seriously disagree or dispute, but the tendency is 

 to accede and conform to others. Thus the Methodist or re- 

 publican store keeper keeps these professions quiet when talk- 

 ing with his Catholic or democratic customer; the book seller 

 and music teacher, who really like good books and music, have 

 to talk and give trashy books and music to their society pa- 

 trons. Even the bank cashier has tg become almost an ac- 

 complished village barber in the catholicity of his conversa- 

 tional subjects. Just as the clothes and automobiles of the 

 club men are hardly distinguishable from one another, 

 so their conversation at the club lunch shows pitifully the lack 

 of any mental individuality. In fact, to show any very decided 

 or conspicuous mental characteristic, like an enthusiasm for 

 chamber music, a devotion to Ibsen in the original, an aver- 

 sion for club and society life, and critical distrust of religious 

 revivals, is to make one's self peculiar, disliked, in bad form, 

 and may perhaps harm one's credit. This uniformity is appa- 

 rently not nearly so much a hiding of one's true traits as the 

 lack of any strong feelings, convictions and interests outside 

 his business, which go to make up a tame and unindividual 

 personality. 



