The men who have succeeded are men who have chosen one line and

Hear, O seekers of wisdom and ambition, the words of Andrew Carnegie: “The men who have succeeded are men who have chosen one line and stuck to it.” This is no idle observation, but a proclamation forged in the furnace of experience. Carnegie, who rose from poverty in Scotland to become one of the wealthiest men of America, knew the path of toil, struggle, and triumph. His words remind us that greatness is rarely won by wandering hearts, but by those who fix their gaze on a single horizon and march toward it with unyielding perseverance.

The meaning of his saying is clear: to succeed, one must choose a line—a course of life, a discipline, a vision—and remain faithful to it. The world offers countless distractions, luring men and women into diversions and false promises. But those who scatter their energy across many paths achieve little. The men Carnegie honors are those who endure, who refuse to be swayed by restlessness or doubt, who pour themselves wholly into one pursuit until it bears fruit. Such steadfastness transforms ordinary labor into extraordinary achievement.

The origin of these words lies in Carnegie’s own journey. As a young immigrant boy, he worked in factories and telegraph offices, humble beginnings that offered little promise of glory. Yet when he entered the iron and steel industry, he set his mind upon it with singular focus. While others dabbled in many ventures, Carnegie built his fortune by relentlessly perfecting and expanding his chosen craft. Through storms of competition and the fires of industry, he stuck to his line, and in time became master of steel, reshaping the destiny of a nation.

History, too, provides many examples of this truth. Consider Thomas Edison, who, though he experimented with countless ideas, devoted his life to invention itself, never straying from the pursuit of harnessing science for human progress. Or Michelangelo, who though skilled in poetry and architecture, returned again and again to his vision of art as revelation, chiseling stone until it breathed with divine life. These figures remind us that mastery is not born of wandering, but of dwelling deeply in one chosen realm.

And yet, the path of focus is not without sacrifice. To choose one line is to renounce others. It requires patience when results are slow, courage when obstacles multiply, and faith when the world mocks your vision. Many falter, abandoning their path for easier roads. But those who endure—the farmer who tends the soil year after year, the scholar who devotes his days to study, the craftsman who perfects his skill—these are the ones whose names are remembered. For it is not brilliance alone that achieves greatness, but constancy.

The lesson for us is plain: do not attempt to grasp all things, for in doing so you will hold nothing. Choose your line with care—whether it be art, trade, science, or service—and then stick to it with devotion. Guard against distraction, and do not envy those who seem to prosper quickly by wandering ways. In the end, the steady stream carves the canyon, while the rushing torrent fades into the ground.

Therefore, O listener, in your own life, cultivate perseverance. When you are tempted to abandon your course, remember Carnegie’s words. When your labor feels long and unrewarded, remind yourself that success belongs not to those who dabble, but to those who endure. Choose with wisdom, then remain steadfast. For the world honors not the restless, but the faithful—the ones who, having chosen their path, walk it with unwavering resolve until destiny itself yields to their persistence.