How to Face Life

In Short

Written by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise during the turmoil of 1917, How to Face Life is a concise, passionate guide to moral and spiritual growth across the three stages of human existence: youth, maturity, and old age. Grounded in the conviction that life is an active adventure rather than a prescribed routine, Wise urges readers to embrace independence, resist social conformity, and reject self-centered living. By framing adulthood around service and defining old age through continuous learning, the book endures as an inspiring plea for personal integrity and unselfish devotion to high human causes.

The Story

The book opens with an urgent summons to youth, challenging the reader to understand that true life requires an inner preparedness of the soul rather than a rigid external program. Wise warns against the common mistake of over-mapping one's future or relying blindly on formal education, which often leaves individuals needing spiritual repair rather than readiness. Instead, youth must embrace the risk of pioneering—breaking original paths, daring to stand out from the crowd, and avoiding the trap of unthinking conformity. To prevent young people from falling into low substitutes for adventure, such as the destructive gang spirit or superficial entertainment, Wise urges them to anchor their lives in high, unselfish causes. Crucially, youth must preserve moral integrity from the start, refusing to compromise standards under the delusion that one can wallow through political or personal corruption early in life and easily reform later.

As the narrative transitions into maturity, Wise redefines middle age not as a mere bridge between youth and senility, but as the very body and substance of life itself. It is the period of maximum self-dependence, moral strength, and intellectual capacity. However, middle age frequently falters when individuals succumb to disenchantment—a state Wise attributes to having failed to cultivate genuine ideals during youth. The central duty of maturity is twofold: the power to achieve and the power to serve. Middle-aged readers are admonished never to stop growing or learning, as physical maturity must not signal intellectual or moral stagnation.

Finally, the arc concludes with an exploration of old age, demystifying it as neither an inherently tragic burden nor an automatic reward. Old age merely clarifies what came before: a life built around self-serving desires becomes empty and bitter, while a life dedicated to high ideals remains untouched by the decline of the body. True reverence for the aged, rooted deeply in Jewish tradition, belongs to those who continue to offer a serene example of strength. Wise highlights figures who remain vibrant at fourscore years because their days are spent advocating for children, fostering interfaith brotherhood, and defending truth. Ultimately, the book closes on the conviction that age cannot wither the spirit of one who lives for others, framing a complete life as a continuous journey of knowing, loving, and serving.

How It Unfolds

Youth and the inner chart Wise opens by rejecting rigid life plans and external preparedness, asserting that young men and women must cultivate an internal compass. He warns against relying solely on university training, arguing that true preparation requires the courage to venture into the unknown rather than following prescribed paths.

The call to pioneer Youth is urged to reject the safety of crowd conformity and embrace the solitary risk of moral pioneering. Rather than settling for mean substitutes for adventure like the gang or trivial distractions, young people must attach themselves to selfless, noble causes.

Integrity without compromise Addressing the temptation to adopt temporary lower standards for practical gain, Wise insists that moral habits cannot be altered at will. A decision to compromise early in life permanently warps the soul, making high ideals impossible to reclaim later.

Maturity as life absolute Transitioning to middle age, Wise defines this era as the true core of existence, characterized by the dual powers of achievement and service. He challenges the middle-aged to maintain continuous intellectual growth and avoid the barrenness that follows misspent youth.

Age and the unaging spirit In the final section, old age is presented as a mirror reflecting a person's lifelong pursuits. Rejecting superficial attempts to hide physical aging, Wise demonstrates that those who live for truth, duty, and love remain ageless and vital to their final days.

The People

• Youth seeks meaningful adventure and authentic freedom, but faces the constant threat of over-cautious advice, conformity to the crowd, and lower moral standards. Youth ends up transformed only when it commits unreservedly to a high cause, turning raw passion into spiritual self-mastery.
• Maturity strives to realize its full potential through tangible accomplishment and community service, but is stalled by the temptation to cease intellectual growth or fall into bitter disillusionment. Maturity succeeds by shedding self-interest, using its strength to serve without needing the dash and flare of early years.
• Old Age desires serenity, respect, and a meaningful conclusion to life's journey, yet is threatened by the emptiness of a past spent solely on material gain or self-centered pursuits. It reaches a noble ending by maintaining undimmed hope, continuous learning, and an unselfish devotion to humanity.
• Selfishness acts as the primary antagonist across all stages of life, appearing either as crude personal ambition or as narrow devotion limited strictly to one's own family. It inevitably leads to a bitter, empty old age because it starves the soul of enduring purpose.

In Its Own Voice

"America’s of the spirit remain to be discovered within the life of every one of us."

Wise reminds youth that great spiritual choices and moral discoveries are available to every individual who dares to think independently.

"Middle age is not a link between youth and old age, but that period of life to which youth is an approach,—from which old age is an exit."

In redefining the middle period of life, Wise emphasizes that maturity represents the absolute substance of human capability.

"To the man of ideals, to the man who in other words lives, age comes not."

Wise asserts that physical decline cannot diminish a life that has been consistently energized by selfless devotion to higher principles.

What It's Really About

At its core, How to Face Life is an argument against passive existence and moral compromise. Wise contends that human life derives its value solely from the deliberate choice to serve principles larger than the self. The book explores the danger of living without a clear spiritual orientation, showing how societal pressure and the pursuit of material security easily degrade character. It directly confronts the illusion that one can divide life into separate moral phases—living selfishly in one's early years with the intention of becoming generous later. Instead, Wise argues for absolute continuity: the thoughts, sacrifices, and ideals cultivated in youth directly determine the dignity of middle age and the peace of old age.

Why Read It Today

How to Face Life will resonate with readers seeking a clear, high-minded philosophy of personal responsibility stripped of modern self-help jargon. Wise writes with the passionate cadence of the pulpit, offering prose that feels earnest, direct, and unhurried. What remains with the reader is his uncompromising insistence that a meaningful life is built on active service rather than passive comfort.

The book is not without its historical period markers. Written on the eve of America's full involvement in World War I, its references to military preparedness and historical figures like Higginson reflect the specific cultural vocabulary of 1917. Additionally, readers accustomed to granular, practical advice may find Wise’s focus on high abstractions—such as truth, duty, and spiritual pioneering—somewhat formal. Yet, these era-specific qualities do not diminish its force. For anyone weighing how to maintain personal integrity in a distracting world, Wise’s short treatise provides a durable, refreshing reminder that the only life worth living is one lived for others.