[ " IF" ]

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http://www.informationweek.com/816/16uwbe.htm

Business/IT:
'If' You Were Wondering

Rudyard Kipling's poem still teaches a valuable lesson
in the 21st Century

By Bob Evans

... From Rudyard Kipling's poem "If", which is
printed in its entirety to the right of this page, the
lines are, "If you can keep your head when all about
you/Are losing theirs and blaming it on youý." (One
wag said, "This is probably not what you are looking
for, but I couldn't resist: 'If you can keep your head
while those about you are losing theirs/You may be a
guillotine operator.'" Thank you, Michael L. Horne!)
Many readers were kind enough to send in URLs linking
to the poem, including
http://www.swarthmore.edu/~apreset1/docs/if.html
(thank you, Dave Boyle).

... This extraordinary poem and its transcendent
themes are indeed sage advice for these uncertain
times. And in closing, I want to offer three things:
First, some comments on the poem from readers; second,
another bit of wisdom from another philosopher I'll
ask you to identify; and third, my sincere thanks to
the several hundred readers who replied. But here are
some of your thoughts on "If": From J. Vincent: "This
is a favorite of mine because my grandmother gave me a
copy when I was graduated from high school." From
Janet Woods: "I'm quite sure I'm not first with this,
but it was fun to know it--and almost be able to
recite it by heart!" From Joe Daniels: "It sits on my
desk facing me." From John Reilly: "A timeless poem,
which provides some powerful words to live by."
Indeed. ...


BOB EVANS
Editor-in-Chief
bevans@cmp.com

/// *** [ If ]
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
--Rudyard Kipling

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