"For evil to flourish, all that is needed is for good people to do nothing."
Edmund Burke
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
For those who were unable to attend our meeting last Tuesday, our District Governor Lim Kok Beng, inter alia, spoke on the Four Way Test. Some of you may have long read it and memorised it, but many may not remember the origin of the test. So below is an account of the Test:
1. The Story Behind the Four Way Test by Darrel Thompson
As every member of Rotary should know the Four Way Test of Rotary states:-
Of the things we think, say or do...
Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
The simple and straightforward Four Way Test was written by Chicago Rotarian Herbert J Taylor in 1932.It is not necessarily a catechism but rather a purely subjective form of self-analysis. Truth is, of course, relative.
The test was primarily written for his bankrupt Club Aluminium Company in 1932. Herb actually gave up his job in ‘packaged groceries; house to house sales’ (his classification in #1 club) in order to join 250 other employees onboard the so-called “sinking ship”.
Rotarian Herb retold the concept of the test in his own words:
”To win our way out of this situation, I reasoned we must be morally and ethically strong. I knew that in right there was might. I felt that if we could get out our employees to think right they would do right. We needed some sort of ethical yardstick that everybody in the company could memorize and apply to what we thought, said, and did in our relations to others.
So one morning I leaned over on my desk, rested my head in my hands. In a few moments, I reached for a white paper card and wrote down that which had come to me – in twenty-four words.”
When a company advertisement was placed before Herb, declaring his aluminium product as “the greatest cooking ware in the world”, Herb simply stated “We can’t prove that”. The advert was rewritten simply stating the facts.
Herb’s heads of department belonged to different religions and all found no incompatibility with their respective faiths. Thus, the test was “for any man to take as arises”.
The most significant and practical example of the test in action concerned an incident involving a Printing contract. One local printer won an order from Herb’s company beating all other tenders. The printer, however, soon realised that he had under-estimated his quote by $500. Legally, Club Aluminium could ignore the printer’s appeals and compel him to fulfil his side of the contract. Club Aluminium was deeply in debt and had acted in good faith but Herb asked his board to reconsider and pay the printer the extra $500. Remember the second line of the test, he told his fellow directors, - “is it fair to all concerned?”
Club Aluminium’s future grew brighter and brighter and in five years had pulled itself out of the red. Perhaps, the test had real, practical benefits.
Also, for the benefit of Rotarians, below is an article by Brian Tracy
2. The Three Primary Virtues
By Brian Tracy
Adam Smith, in his important book The Theory of Moral Sentiments, wrote that excellent people have three primary virtues: prudence, justice, and benevolence—in that order. Each is essential to the others and for living a full life in society.
Prudence
The virtue of prudence refers to your habit of providing well for yourself, your family, your friends, your co-workers, and your company. This requires that you think intelligently and honestly about the very best course of action to maximize your opportunities and minimize possible danger and threats. The habit of prudence means you investigate every investment carefully, think ahead about what might happen if you were to take a particular course of action, and take intelligent steps to guard against setbacks and reversals of fortune. The most successful people are those who are prudent in all areas of their personal and business affairs.
Justice Is Blind
The second habit for you to develop is justice. This refers to your commitment to the establishment and maintenance of laws in society that protect the person and property of every individual. The American republic has endured for more than 200 years because it was carefully established on the basis of law, not men. At every level of our society, specific laws are prescribed that are applicable to all people, regardless of wealth or station in life.
John Rawls, the Harvard philosopher and author of A Theory of Justice (Belknap Press, revised edition, 1999), once presented a question to his class that has been repeated often through the years:
“Imagine that you could write the laws and create the circumstances of your society. You are given the power to prescribe the economic, social and political relationships that would exist in your country throughout your lifetime.
“There is only one limitation on your power. You would set up this structure without knowing into what sort of family or situation you would be born. You would not know in advance what sort of physical condition you might be born with. Whatever system of laws and customs you decided upon, you would then be required to live by them for the rest of your life. What kind of structure would you design in this situation?”
The answer to this question is the very essence of the concept of justice. The statue of justice, holding the balances and scales in her hand, is blind folded. True justice is therefore applicable to all people who live under a certain system, irrespective of their background.
When justice is part of your character, you will insist that, whatever the relative power of the parties, everyone be treated fairly and justly in the resolution of any difficulty or dispute.
The habit of prudence is essential for personal success. The habit of justice is essential for the creation of a society within which a person can pursue his or her own best interests with the greatest of possibilities. The rule is that you should never want or demand anything from anyone else that you are not perfectly willing to accept for yourself.
Benevolence
The third quality you must develop is benevolence. This is one hallmark of a truly superior person. Aristotle referred to it—generosity—as one of the eight essential virtues. Most people are psychologically and emotionally structured in such a way that they are only truly happy and satisfied when they feel they are doing something that serves and benefits other people.
When you give freely and generously of yourself to others, whether it is to members of your family or to members of the public, you feel more valuable and content. When you dedicate yourself to serving your customers with the very best quality product or service, not only do you feel a deep sense of personal satisfaction, but you also put yourself on the side of the angels when it comes to personal and business success.
You remember the principle: “The more you give of yourself to others with no expectation of return, the more good things there are that will come back to you from the most unexpected sources.”
The regular practice of prudence, justice, and benevolence leads naturally to feelings and actions of kindness, compassion, and tolerance toward others. You become more open-minded and flexible. You develop greater patience and understanding. You are less judgmental or demanding of others. You become a better person.
Action Exercise
Imagine yourself to be a person of complete honesty and impeccable integrity. Is there any behavior of yours that you would change?
