472 TBADITION AND HEKED1TY 



cause of success. The powerful instinct of self-assertion will make 

 itself felt ; its possessor will probably arrive somewhere ; a power- 

 ful intellect may, in the absence of, or rather with the inadequate 

 development of. other innate qualities, not advance its pos- 

 sessor's position in the world. 



But though considerations based upon a testing of intelligence 

 on the one hand and upon an analysis of qualities leading to success 

 on the other do without question lead to the conclusion that there 

 are differences in innate qualities as between the successful and 

 the unsuccessful, there are grounds for thinking, for the reasons 

 mentioned above, that the differences between the classes are not 

 large. For we must remember that, so far from the lower classes 

 being drained of men of certain qualities, a very small proportion 

 of the men of these classes is ever enabled to set out on the path 

 leading to success in business or in a profession. Also we must 

 not forget, when considering success, the part played by fortunate 

 accidents under complex modern conditions mere chance happen- 

 ings which, altering the whole course of a man's life, may determine 

 whether he is successful or unsuccessful. Again, there is little 

 or no relapse worth speaking of into the lower classes when once 

 a status is gained. Such is the influence of place and status that 

 for the most part, whatever may be the innate qualities, the 

 descendants of men who won their way upwards maintain their 

 position. Therefore the regression to the mean which is always 

 at work must tend to lessen such innate differences as exist between 

 the classes. 



19. Lastly, there is a very difficult problem the existence of 

 which must not be forgotten inasmuch as it affects in the most 

 fundamental manner the judgement to be passed on the meaning 

 of these differences. We have to ask what is the value of the 

 differences which exist. Success alone cannot be taken as an 

 indication of the value of the characters exhibited by the success- 

 ful. There can indeed be no doubt that, other things being equal, 

 a decrease in the average intellect would be an unfortunate thing. 

 Similarly we may regard those temperamental qualities which 

 were indicated as leading to success as on the whole of value. 

 But it cannot be affirmed without more consideration that all 

 temperamental qualities which distinguish the successful are 

 desirable, and more particularly that a further development of 

 the instincts of self-assertion, acquisition, and emulation would be 



