But the individual who is forced to create his own
public is forced also to make his own special work attractive to a
public; and when he succeeds in accomplishing this result without
hauling down his personal flag, his work tends to take on a more normal
and human character.
It tends, that is, to be socially as well as individually formative. The
peculiarly competent individual is obliged to accept the
responsibilities of leadership with its privileges and fruits. There is
no escape from the circle by which he finds himself surrounded. He
cannot obtain the opportunities, the authority, and the independence
which he needs for his own individual fulfillment, unless he builds up a
following; and he cannot build up a secure personal following without
making his peculiar performances appeal to some general human interest.
The larger and more general the interest he can arouse, the more secure
and the more remunerative his personal independence becomes. It by no
means necessarily follows that he will increase his following by
increasing the excellence of his work, or that he will not frequently
find it difficult to keep his following without allowing his work to
deteriorate.
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