The Art of Worldly Wisdom(67)

Choose an occupation that wins distinction. Most things depend on the satisfaction of others. Esteem is to excellence what the zephyr is to flowers: the breath of life. There are some occupations that gain universal esteem, while others more important are without credit. The former, pursued before the eyes of all, obtain the universal flavor; the others, though they are rarer and more valuable, remain obscure and unperceived, honored but not applauded. Among princes, conquerors are the most celebrated, and therefore the kings of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Aragon earned such applause as warriors, conquerors, and great people. An able people will prefer occupations of distinction which all men know of and utilize, and he thus becomes immortalized by universal suffrage.