What the better American individual particularly needs, then, is a completer faith in his own individual purpose and power—­a clearer understanding of his own individual opportunities.  He needs to do what he has been doing, only more so, and with the conviction that thereby he is becoming not less but more of an American.  His patriotism, instead of being something apart from his special work, should be absolutely identified therewith, because no matter how much the eminence of his personal achievement may temporarily divide him from his fellow-countrymen, he is, by attaining to such an eminence, helping in the most effectual possible way to build the only fitting habitation for a sincere democracy.  He is to make his contribution to individual improvement primarily by making himself more of an individual.  The individual as well as the nation must be educated and “uplifted” chiefly by what the individual can do for himself.  Education, like charity, should begin at home.

An individual can, then, best serve the cause of American individuality by effectually accomplishing his own individual emancipation—­that is, by doing his own special work with ability, energy, disinterestedness, and excellence.  The scope of the individual’s opportunities at any one time will depend largely upon society, but whatever they amount to, the individual has no excuse for not making the most of them.  Before he can be of any service to his fellows, he must mold himself into the condition and habit of being a good instrument.  On this point there can be no compromise.  Every American who has the opportunity of doing faithful and fearless work, and who proves faithless to it, belongs to the perfect type of the individual anti-democrat.  By cheapening his own personality he has cheapened the one constituent of the national life over which he can exercise most effectual control; and thereafter, no matter how superficially patriotic and well-intentioned he may be, his words and his actions are tainted and are in some measure corrupting in their social effect.

A question will, however, immediately arise as to the nature of this desirable individual excellence.  It is all very well to say that a man should do his work competently, faithfully, and fearlessly, but how are we to define the standard of excellence?  When a man is seeking to do his best, how shall he go about it?  Success in any one of these individual pursuits demands that the individual make some sort of a personal impression.  He must seek according to the nature of the occupation a more or less numerous popular following.  The excellence of a painter’s work does not count unless he can find at least a small group of patrons who will admire and buy it.  The most competent architect can do nothing for himself or for other people unless he attracts clients who will build his paper houses.  The playwright needs even a larger following.  If his plays are to be produced, he must manage to amuse and to interest