e planted and developed in
their minds.

In addition to this ignorance as to one's own mental disposition and
to the lack of understanding of the true mental requirements of the
various social tasks comes finally the abundance of trivial chances
which become decisive in the choice of a vocation. Vocation and
marriage are the two most consequential decisions in life. In the
selection of a husband or a wife, too, the decision is very frequently
made dependent upon the most superficial and trivial motives. Yet the
social philosopher may content himself with the belief that even in
the fugitive love desire a deeper instinct of nature is expressed,
which may at least serve the biological tasks of married life. In the
choice of a vocation, even such a belief in a biological instinct is
impossible. The choice of a vocation, determined by fugitive whims and
chance fancies, by mere imitation, by a hope for quick earnings, by
irresponsible recommendation, or by mere laziness, has no internal
reason or excuse. Illusory ideas as to the prospects of a career,
moreover, often falsify the whole vista; and if we consider all this,
we can hardly be surprised that our total result is in many respects
hardly better than if everything were left entirely to accident. Even
on the height of a mental training to the end of adolescence, we see
how the college graduates are too often led by accidental motives to
the decision whether they shall become lawyers or physicians or
business men, but this superficiality of choice of course appears much
more strongly where the lifework is to be built upon the basis of a
mere elementary or high school education.

The final result corresponds exactly to these conditions. Everywhere,
in all countries and in all vocations, but especially in the economic
careers, we hear the complaint that there is lack of really good men.
Everywhere places are waiting for the right man, while at the same
time we find everywhere an oversupply of mediocre aspirants. This,
however, does not in the least imply that there really are not enough
personalities who might be perfectly fit even for the highest demands
of the vocations; it means only that as a matter of course the result
in the filling of positions cannot be satisfactory, if the placing of
the individuals is carried on without serious regard for the personal
mental qualities. The complaint that there is lack of fit human
material would probably never entirely disappea