The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20. 1908. CHANCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 380, 20 February 1908, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20. 1908. CHANCE.

A very interesting article on .the above subject recently appeared in the columns of the Masterton Times. The writer says Chance is simply "an unforeseen occurrence,” and is sometimes called " opportunity.” A highly intelligent man has but little to do with chance, because he is able to foresee occurrences ; but a man of lower intelligence hangs on to chance, because he is unable to trace the natural course of human events. The wise man does not trust to chance, because he knows that it is only another word for ignorance. It is his business, as a reasoning being, to exercise foresight, and not to depend upon luck. Chance is merely the guesswork of people who do not possess sufficient information to foresee results springing from perfectly natural causes. In games and pastimes chance is but a' small factor. The most skilful player with a pack of cards, shuffle them how you will, wins the greater number of games; the best horse wins the greater number of races; the better team wins the football match. One and all may be called games of chance, but they are really determined by rule and by law. In gambling, too—-the favourite pastime, we are sorry to say, of young New Zealand —chance is not a real factor. A capable bookmaker makes so many thousands of pounds per annum, and incapable investors lose so many thousands of pounds per annum* just because the former knows the mathematical' odds against any particular horse winning in a certain race, and the latter is ignorant of this knowledge, and depends upon blind chance, which is the other name for ignorance. .... Business ventures do not depend upon chance, but on merit. If intelligent work is infused into them, they succeed ; and, if this be not apparent, they fail. . . . • • A man may associate himself with angels or with devils; but the choice of one or the other is his own, and he may not ascribe it to chance. Any choice made with a pure and a right motive, whatever be its consequences, helps him upwards; and any choice made with an impure or evil motive drags him downwards,

"Cbaiice” has been defined by many yreat write,!s. The subtle Voltaire declared that " Chance is a wuid devoid of sense ; nothing can exist without a cause.” Pope, in his “ Essay on Man,” wrote : All Mature is but art, unknown to’ tliee ; All chance, direction which thou canst not see. The great poet Milton, a seer of the ages, spoke of " That power which erring men call chance.” The erring men of to-day are very numerous. They will crowd round a totalisator, and in profound ignorance of ascertainable tacts, and of the conditions which determine racing, simply throw their money away. The writer, himself, once upon a time, invested good money in a Terawhiti Gold Mine, being supremely ignorant of the intricacies of gold mining ventures, and the manner in which gold mining companies were at that period, called into existence. Fortunately, he lost his money, and learnt a lesson not to depend upon the blind god "Chance”—a lesson which, perhaps, protected him in after years from ignorant speculation. The young man with a career before him, is to be pitied if he depends upon "chance.” Intelligence and. industry are absolutely to be depended upon. . . But trusting to chance is an utterly foolish idea. If what appears to be chance, gives a young man a step up, be is pretty sure to tumble down again. . . A young man may fit himself by diligence for doing good work, but chance is the refuge of the unfit, and no substantial growth or development arises from it. Every young man has opportunities, but these are different from chances. An opportunity is merely doing a right thing at a right time. Some men are regarded as lucky, whereas others are looked upon as distinctly unlucky. The real explanation of this is that some men are careful and do not leave their affairs at the mercy of blihd chance. Other men are careless, and with them chance is a favourite but an unreliable set* vane. The lucky man wins his luck and the careless man reaps his ill luck. Chance has but little to do with either, but natural causes.briug about natural results. In all serious affairs the element of chance does not count, and ought not to be depended upon.