第9部分(第1/6 頁)

Perhaps　the　greatest　threat　to　productivity　in　both　work　and　play　is　the　fear　of　doing　things　badly　or　wrong。　This　article　offers　some　fort。　Williams　points　out　that　there　are　many　things　worth　doing　badly；　and　that　our　lives　are　enriched　and　our　personalities　enhanced　by　these　activities。　Two　central　examples；　sports　and　music；　are　valuable　to　most　people　in　proportion　to　how　enthusiastically　they　do　them；　rather　than　how　well。

Charles　Lamb　wrote　a　series　of　essays　upon　popular　fallacies。　I　do　not；　at　the　moment；　carry　them　very　clearly　in　my　memory；　but；　unless　that　treacherous　servant　misleads　me　more　even　than　she　usually　does；　he　did　not　write　of　one　piece　of　proverbial　so…called　wisdom　that　has　always　seemed　to　me　to　be　peculiarly　pernicious。　And　this　saw；　this　scrap　of　specious　advice；　this　untruth　masquerading　as　logic；　is　one　that　I　remember　to　have　had　hurled　at　my　head　at　frequent　intervals　from　my　earliest　youth　right　up　to　my　present　advanced　age。　How　many　times　have　I　not　been　told　that　“If　a　thing　is　worth　doing　at　all；　it　is　worth　doing　well”？

Never　was　there　a　more　untruthful　word　spoken　in　earnest。　For　the　world　is　full　of　things　that　are　worth　doing；　but　certainly　not　worth　doing　well。　Was　it　not　so　great　a　sage　as　Herbert　Spencer　who　said　to　the　young　man　who　had　just　beaten　him　at　billiards；　“Moderate　skill；　sir；　is　the　sign　of　a　good　eye　and　a　steady　hand；　but　skill　such　as　yours　argues　a　youth　misspent？”　Is　any　game　worth　playing　supremely　well；　at　the　price　of　constant　practice　and　application？

Against　the　professional　player　I　say　nothing；　he　is　a　public　entertainer；　like　any　other；　and　by　his　skill　in　his　particular　sport　he　at　least　fulfills　the　first　social　duty　of　man—that　of　supporting　himself　and　his　family　by　his