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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
How to Live on Twenty…
Four Hours a Day
Arnold Bennett
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
PREFACE TO THIS EDITION
This preface； though placed at the beginning； as a preface must be；
should be read at the end of the book。
I have received a large amount of correspondence concerning this
small work； and many reviews of itsome of them nearly as long as the
book itselfhave been printed。 But scarcely any of the comment has been
adverse。 Some people have objected to a frivolity of tone； but as the tone
is not； in my opinion； at all frivolous； this objection did not impress me；
and had no weightier reproach been put forward I might almost have been
persuaded that the volume was flawless！ A more serious stricture has；
however； been offerednot in the press； but by sundry obviously sincere
correspondentsand I must deal with it。 A reference to page 43 will show
that I anticipated and feared this disapprobation。 The sentence against
which protests have been made is as follows： 〃In the majority of
instances he ＇the typical man＇ does not precisely feel a passion for his
business； at best he does not dislike it。 He begins his business functions
with some reluctance； as late as he can； and he ends them with joy； as early
as he can。 And his engines； while he is engaged in his business； are seldom
at their full 'h。p。'〃
I am assured； in accents of unmistakable sincerity； that there are many
business mennot merely those in high positions or with fine prospects；
but modest subordinates with no hope of ever being much better offwho
do enjoy their business functions； who do not shirk them； who do not
arrive at the office as late as possible and
depart as early as possible； who； in a word； put the whole of their force
into their day's work and are genuinely fatigued at the end thereof。
I am ready to believe it。 I do believe it。 I know it。 I always knew it。
Both in London and in the provinces it has been my lot to spend long
years in subordinate situations of business； and the fact did not escape me
that a certain proportion of my peers showed what amounted to an honest
passion for their duties； and that while engaged in those duties they were
really *living* to the fullest extent of which they were capable。 But I
remain convinced that these fortunate and happy individuals （happier
perhaps than they guessed） did not and do not constitute a majority； or
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
anything like a majority。 I remain convinced that the majority of decent
average conscientious men of business （men with aspirations and ideals）
do not as a rule go home of a night genuinely tired。 I remain convinced
that they put not as much but as little of themselves as they
conscientiously can into the earning of a livelihood； and that their vocation
bores rather than interests them。
Nevertheless； I admit that the minority is of sufficient importance to
merit attention； and that I ought not to have ignored it so completely as I
did do。 The whole difficulty of the hard…working minority was put in a
single colloquial sentence by one of my correspondents。 He wrote： 〃I am
just as keen as anyone on doing something to 'exceed my programme；' but
allow me to tell you that when I get home at six thirty p。m。 I am not
anything like so fresh as you seem to imagine。〃
Now I must point out that the case of the minority； who throw
themselves with passion and gusto into their daily business task； is
infinitely less deplorable than the case of the majority； who go half…
heartedly and feebly through their official day。 The former are less in need
of advice 〃how to live。〃 At any rate during their official day of； say； eight
hours they are really alive； their engines are giving the full indicated 〃h。p。〃
The other eight working hours of their day may be badly organised； or
even frittered away； but it is less disastrous to waste eight hours a day than
sixteen hours a day； it is better to have lived a bit than never to have lived
at all。 The real tragedy is the tragedy of the man who is braced to effort
neither in the office nor out of it； and to this man this book is primarily
addressed。 〃But；〃 says the other and more fortunate man； 〃although my
ordinary programme is bigger than his； I want to exceed my programme
too！ I am living a bit； I want to live more。 But I really can't do another
day's work on the top of my official day。〃
The fact is； I； the author； ought to have foreseen that I should appeal
most strongly to those who already had an interest in existence。 It is
always the man who has tasted life who demands more of it。 And it is
always the man who never gets out of bed who is the most difficult to
rouse。
Well； you of the minority； let us assume that the intensity of your daily
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
money…getting will not allow you to carry out quite all the suggestions in
the following pages。 Some of the suggestions may yet stand。 I admit that
you may not be able to use the time spent on the journey home at night；
but the suggestion for the journey to the office in the morning is as
practicable for you as for anybody。 And that weekly interval of forty hours；
from Saturday to Monday； is yours just as much as the other man's； though
a slight accumulation of fatigue may prevent you from employing the
whole of your 〃h。p。〃 upon it。 There remains； then； the important portion of
the three or more evenings a week。 You tell me flatly that you are too tired
to do anything outside your programme at night。 In reply to which I tell
you flatly that if your ordinary day's work is thus exhausting； then the
balance of your life is wrong and must be adjusted。 A man's powers ought
not to be monopolised by his ordinary day's work。 What； then； is to be
done？
The obvious thing to do is to circumvent your ardour for your ordinary
day's work by a ruse。 Employ your engines in something beyond the
programme before； and not after； you employ them on the programme
itself。 Briefly； get up earlier in the morning。 You say you cannot。 You say it
is impossible for you to go earlier to bed of a nightto do so would upset
the entire household。 I do not think it is quite impossible to go to bed
earlier at night。 I think that if you persist in rising earlier； and the
consequence is insufficiency of sleep； you will soon find a way of going to
bed earlier。 But my impression is that the consequences of rising earlier
will not be an insufficiency of sleep。 My impression； growing stronger
every year； is that sleep is partly a matter of habitand of slackness。 I am
convinced that most people sleep as long as they do because they are at a
loss for any other diversion。 How much sleep do you think is daily
obtained by the powerful healthy man who daily rattles up your street in
charge of Carter Patterson's van？ I have consulted a doctor on this point。
He is a doctor who for twenty…four years has had a large general practice
in a large flourishing suburb of London； inhabited by exactly such people
as you and me。 He is a curt man； and his answer was curt：
〃Most people sleep themselves stupid。〃
He went on to give his opinion that nine men out of ten would have
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
better health and more fun out of life if they spent less time in bed。
Other doctors have confirmed this judgment； which； of course； does
not apply to growing youths。
Rise an hour； an hour and a half； or even two hours earlier； andif you
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