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IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL
______
All Rights Reserved










Pri nted i n the U. S. A.
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General Introduction
to the
LAW OF SUCCESS
COURSE
By Napoleon Hill


















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Dedicated to

ANDREW CARNEGIE

Who suggested the writing of the course,
and to


HENRY FORD

Whose astounding achievements form the
foundation for practically all of the Six-
teen Lessons of the course, and to


EDWIN C. BARNES

A business associate of Thomas A. Edison,
whose close personal friendship over a
period of more than fifteen years served to
help the author carry on in the face of a
great variety of adversities and much
temporary defeat met with in organizing
the course.


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WHO said it
could not be done?
And what great
victories has he to
his credit which
qualify him to judge
others accurately?
Napoleon Hill.



- 5 -
A PERSONAL STATEMENT BY THE
AUTHOR

Some thirty years ago a young clergyman by the
name of Gunsaulus announced in the newspapers of
Chicago that he would preach a sermon the
following Sunday morning entitled:

"WHAT I WOULD DO IF I HAD A MILLION
DOLLARS!"

The announcement caught the eye of Philip D.
Armour, the wealthy packing-house king, who
decided to hear the sermon.
In his sermon Dr. Gunsaulus pictured a great
school of technology where young men and young
women could be taught how to succeed in life by
developing the ability to THINK in practical rather
than in theoretical terms; where they would be
taught to "learn by doing." "If I had a million
dollars," said the young preacher, "I would start
such a school."
After the sermon was over Mr. Armour walked
down the aisle to the pulpit, introduced himself, and
said, "Young man, I believe you could do all you
said you could, and if you will come down to my
office tomorrow morning I will give you the million
dollars you need."
There is always plenty of capital for those who
can create practical plans for using it.
That was the beginning of the Armour Institute of
Technology, one of the very practical schools of the
country. The school was born in the "imagination"
of a young man who never would have been heard of
outside of the community in which he preached had
it not been for the "imagination," plus the capital, of
Philip D. Armour.
Every great railroad, and every outstanding
financial institution and every mammoth business
- 6 -
enterprise, and every great invention, began in the
imagination of some one person.
F. W. Woolworth created the Five and Ten Cent
Store Plan in his "imagination" before it became a
reality and made him a multimillionaire.
Thomas A. Edison created the talking machine
and the moving picture machine and the
incandescent electric light bulb and scores of other
useful inventions, in his own "imagination," before
they became a reality.
During the Chicago fire scores of merchants
whose stores went up in smoke stood near the
smoldering embers of their former places of
business, grieving over their loss. Many of them
decided to go away into other cities and start over
again. In the group was Marshall Field, who saw, in
his own "imagination," the world' s greatest retail
store, standing on the selfsame spot where his
former store had stood, which was then but a ruined
mass of smoking timbers. That store became a
reality.
Fortunate is the young man or young woman who
learns, early in life, to use imagination, and doubly
so in this age of greater opportunity.
Imagination is a faculty of the mind which can be
cultivated, developed, extended and broadened by
use. If this were not true, this course on the Fifteen
Laws of Success never would have been created,
because it was first conceived in the author' s
"imagination," from the mere seed of an idea which
was sown by a chance remark of the late Andrew
Carnegie.
Wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever you
may be following as an occupation, there is room
for you to make yourself more useful, and in that
manner more productive, by developing and using
your "imagination."
Success in this world is always a matter of
individual effort, yet you will only be deceiving
yourself if you believe that you can succeed without
- 7 -
the co-operation of other people. Success is a matter
of individual effort only to the extent that each
person must decide, in his or her own mind, what is
wanted. This involves the use of "imagination."
From this point on, achieving success is a matter of
skillfully and tactfully inducing others to co-
operate.
Before you can secure co-operation from others;
nay, before you have the right to ask for or expect
co-operation from other people, you must first show
a willingness to co-operate with them. For this
reason the eighth lesson of this course, THE HABIT
OF DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR, is one which
should have your serious and thoughtful attention.
The law upon which this lesson is based, would,
of itself, practically insure success to all who
practice it in all they do.
In the back pages of this Introduction you will
observe a Personal Analysis Chart in which ten well
known men have been analyzed for your study and
comparison. Observe this chart carefully and note
the "danger points" which mean failure to those who
do not observe these signals. Of the ten men
analyzed eight are known to be successful, while
two may be considered failures. Study, carefully,
the reason why these two men failed.
Then, study yourself. In the two columns which
have been left blank for that purpose, give yourself
a rating on each of the Fifteen Laws of Success at
the beginning of this course; at the end of the course
rate yourself again and observe the improvements
you have made.
The purpose of the Law of Success course is to
enable you to find out how you may become more
capable in your chosen field of work. To this end
you will be analyzed and all of your qualities
classified so you may organize them and make the
best possible use of them.
You may not like the work in which you are now
engaged.
- 8 -
There are two ways of getting out of that work.
One way is to take but little interest in what you are
doing, aiming merely to do enough with which to
"get by." Very soon you will find a way out,
because the demand for your services will cease.
The other and better way is by making yourself so
useful and efficient in what you are now doing that
you will attract the favorable attention of those who
have the power to promote you into more
responsible work that is more to your liking.
It is your privilege to take your choice as to
which way you will proceed.
Again you are reminded of the importance of
Lesson Nine of this course, through the aid of which
you may avail yourself of this "better way" of
promoting yourself.
Thousands of people walked over the great
Calumet Copper Mine without discovering it. Just
one lone man used his "imagination," dug down into
the earth a few feet, investigated, and discovered
the richest copper deposit on earth.
You and every other person walk, at one time or
another, over your "Calumet Mine." Discovery is a
matter of investigation and use of "imagination."
This course on the Fifteen Laws of Success may
lead the way to your "Calumet," and you may be
surprised when you discover that you were standing
right over this rich mine, in the work in which you
are now engaged. In his lecture on "Acres of
Diamonds," Russell Conwell tells us that we need
not seek opportunity in the distance; that we may
find it right where we stand! THIS IS A TRUTH
WELL WORTH REMEMBERING!

NAPOLEON HILL,
Author of the Law of Success.

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The Aut hor' s Acknowl edgment of Hel p
Rendered Hi m i n t he Wri t i ng
of Thi s Course



Thi s course i s t he resul t of careful anal ysi s of t he
l i fe-work of over one hundred men and women who
have achi eved unusual success i n t hei r respect i ve
cal l i ngs.
The aut hor of t he course has been more t han
t went y years i n gat heri ng, cl assi fyi ng, t est i ng and
organi zi ng t he Fi ft een Laws upon whi ch t he course i s
based. In hi s l abor he has recei ved val uabl e assi st ance
ei t her i n person or by st udyi ng t he l i fe-work of t he
fol l owi ng men:
Henry Ford Edward Bok
Thomas A. Edi son Cyrus H. K. Curt i s
Harvey S. Fi rest one George W. Perki ns
John D. Rockefel l er Henry L. Dohert y
Charl es M. Schwab George S. Parker
Woodrow Wi l son Dr. C. O. Henry
Darwi n P. Ki ngsl ey General Rufus A. Ayers
Wm. Wri gl ey, Jr. Judge El bert H. Gary
A. D. Lasker Wi l l i am Howard Taft
E. A. Fi l ene Dr. El mer Gat es
James J. Hi l l John W. Davi s
- 10 -
Capt ai n George M. Al ex- Samuel Insul
ander (To whom t he F. W. Wool wort h
aut hor was formerl y Judge Dani el T. Wri ght
an assi st ant ) (One of t he aut hors
Hugh Chal mers l aw i nst ruct ors)
Dr. E. W. St ri ckl er El bert Hubbard
Edwi n C. Barnes Lut her Burbank
Robert L. Tayl or O. H. Harri man
(Fi ddl i ng Bob) John Burroughs
George East man E. H. Harri man
E. M. St at l er Charl es P. St ei nmet z
Andrew Carnegi e Frank Vanderl i p
John Wanamaker Theodore Roosevel t
Marshal l Fi el d Wm. H. French
Dr. Al exander Graham Bel l
(To whom t he aut hor
owes credi t for most of
Lesson One).
Of t he men named, perhaps Henry Ford and
Andrew Carnegi e shoul d be acknowl edged as havi ng
cont ri but ed most t oward t he bui l di ng of t hi s course,
for t he reason t hat i t was Andrew Carnegi e who fi rst
suggest ed t he wri t i ng of t he course and Henry Ford
whose l i fe-work suppl i ed much of t he mat eri al out of
whi ch t he course was devel oped.
Some of t hese men are now deceased, but t o t hose
who are st i l l l i vi ng t he aut hor wi shes t o make here
grat eful acknowl edgment of t he servi ce t hey have
rendered, wi t hout whi ch t hi s course never coul d have
been wri t t en.
The aut hor has st udi ed t he maj ori t y of t hese men
at cl ose range, i n person. Wi t h many of t hem he
enj oys, or di d enj oy before t hei r deat h, t he pri vi l ege
of cl ose personal fri endshi p whi ch enabl ed hi m t o
- 11 -
gat her from t hei r phi l osophy fact s t hat woul d not have
been avai l abl e under ot her condi t i ons.
The aut hor i s grat eful for havi ng enj oyed t he
pri vi l ege of enl i st i ng t he servi ces of t he most
powerful men on eart h, i n t he bui l di ng of t he Law of
Success course. That pri vi l ege has been remunerat i on
enough for t he work done, i f not hi ng more were ever
recei ved for i t .
These men have been t he back-bone and t he
foundat i on and t he skel et on of Ameri can busi ness,
fi nance, i ndust ry and st at esmanshi p.
The Law of Success course epi t omi zes t he
phi l osophy and t he rul es of procedure whi ch made
each of t hese men a great power i n hi s chosen fi el d of
endeavor. It has been t he aut hor' s i nt ent i on t o present
t he course i n t he pl ai nest and most si mpl e t erms
avai l abl e, so i t coul d be mast ered by very young men
and young women, of t he hi gh-school age.
Wi t h t he except i on of t he psychol ogi cal l aw
referred t o i n Lesson One as t he "Mast er Mi nd, " t he
aut hor l ays no cl ai m t o havi ng creat ed anyt hi ng
basi cal l y new i n t hi s course. What he has done,
however, has been t o organi ze ol d t rut hs and known
l aws i nt o PRACTICAL, USABLE FORM, where t hey
may be properl y i nt erpret ed and appl i ed by t he
workaday man whose needs cal l for a phi l osophy of
si mpl i ci t y.
In passi ng upon t he meri t s of t he Law of Success
Judge El bert H. Gary sai d: "Two out st andi ng feat ures
connect ed wi t h t he phi l osophy i mpress me most . One
i s t he si mpl i ci t y wi t h whi ch i t has been present ed, and
t he ot her i s t he fact t hat i t s soundness i s so obvi ous t o
al l t hat i t wi l l be i mmedi at el y accept ed. "
The st udent of t hi s course i s warned agai nst
- 12 -
passi ng j udgment upon i t before havi ng read t he ent i re
si xt een l essons. Thi s especi al l y appl i es t o t hi s
Int roduct i on, i n whi ch i t has been necessary t o i ncl ude
bri ef reference t o subj ect s of a more or l ess t echni cal
and sci ent i fi c nat ure. The reason for t hi s wi l l be
obvi ous aft er t he st udent has read t he ent i re si xt een
l essons.
The st udent who t akes up t hi s course wi t h an
open mi nd, and sees t o i t t hat hi s or her mi nd remai ns
"open" unt i l t he l ast l esson shal l have been read, wi l l
be ri chl y rewarded wi t h a broader and more accurat e
vi ew of l i fe as a whol e.

- 13 -




Contents of This Introductory Lesson


1. POWER what i t i s and how t o creat e and use i t .
2. CO-OPERATION-t he psychol ogy of co-operat i ve
effort and how t o use i t const ruct i vel y.
3. THE MASTER MIND-how i t i s creat ed t hrough
harmony of purpose and effort , bet ween t wo or
more peopl e.
4. HENRY FORD, THOMAS A. EDISON and
HARVEY S. FIRESTONE-t he secret of t hei r
power and weal t h.
5. THE "BIG SIX" how t hey made t he l aw of t he
"Mast er Mi nd" yi el d t hem a profi t of more t han
$25, 000, 000. 00 a year.
6. IMAGINATION-how t o st i mul at e i t so t hat i t
wi l l creat e pract i cal pl ans and new i deas.
7. TELEPATHY-how t hought passes from one mi nd
t o anot her t hrough t he et her. Every brai n bot h a
broadcast i ng and a recei vi ng st at i on for t hought .
8. HOW SALESMEN and PUBLIC SPEAKERS
"sense" or "t une i n" on t he t hought s of t hei r
audi ences.
9. VIBRATION-descri bed by Dr. Al exander
Graham Bel l , i nvent or of t he Long Di st ance
Tel ephone.
10. AIR and ETHER how t hey carry vi brat i ons.
11. HOW and WHY i deas "fl ash" i nt o t he mi nd from
unknown sources.
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12. HISTORY of t he Law of Success Phi l osophy,
coveri ng a peri od of over t went y-fi ve years of
sci ent i fi c research and experi ment at i on.
13. JUDGE ELBERT H. GARY reads, approves and
adopt s t he Law of Success course.
14. ANDREW CARNEGIE responsi bl e for begi nni ng
of Law of Success course.
15. LAW OF SUCCESS TRAINING-hel ps group of
sal espeopl e earn $1, 000, 000. 00.
16. SO-CALLED "SPIRITUALISM" expl ai ned.
17. ORGANIZED EFFORT t he source of al l power.
18. HOW TO ANALYZE yoursel f.
19. HOW A SMALL FORTUNE was made from an
ol d, worked-out , wort hl ess (?) farm.
20. THERE' S A GOLD MINE i n your present
occupat i on i f you wi l l fol l ow di rect i ons and di g
for i t .
21. THERE' S PLENTY OF READY CAPITAL for
devel opment of any pract i cal i dea or pl an you
may creat e.
22. SOME REASONS why peopl e fai l .
23. WHY HENRY FORD i s t he most powerful man
on eart h, and how ot hers may use t he pri nci pl es
whi ch gi ve hi m hi s power.
24. WHY SOME PEOPLE ant agoni ze ot hers wi t hout
knowi ng i t .
25. THE EFFECT of sexual cont act as a mi nd
st i mul ant and heal t h bui l der.
26. WHAT happens i n t he rel i gi ous orgy known as
t he "revi val . "
27. WHAT we have l earned from "Nat ure' s Bi bl e. "
28. CHEMISTRY of t he mi nd; how i t wi l l make or
dest roy you.
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29. WHAT i s meant by t he "psychol ogi cal moment "
i n Sal esmanshi p.
30. THE MIND becomes devi t al i zed-how t o
"recharge" i t .
31. THE VALUE and meani ng of harmony i n al l
cooperat i ve effort .
32. OF WHAT do Henry Ford' s asset s consi st ? The
answer.
33. THIS IS THE AGE of mergers and hi ghl y
organi zed co-operat i ve effort .
34. WOODROW WILSON had i n mi nd t he l aw of t he
"Mast er Mi nd" i n hi s pl an for a League of
Nat i ons.
35. SUCCESS i s a mat t er of t act ful negot i at i on wi t h
ot her peopl e.
36. EVERY HUMAN BEING possesses at l east t wo
di st i nct personal i t i es; one dest ruct i ve and one
const ruct i ve.
37. EDUCATION general l y mi sunderst ood t o mean
i nst ruct i on or memori zi ng of rul es. It real l y
means devel opment from wi t hi n, of t he human
mi nd, t hrough unfol dment and use.
38. TWO METHODS of gat heri ng knowl edge,
t hrough personal experi ence and by assi mi l at i ng
t he knowl edge gai ned t hrough experi ence by
ot hers.
39. PERSONAL ANALYSIS of Henry Ford,
Benj ami n Frankl i n, George Washi ngt on,
Abraham Li ncol n, Theodore Roosevel t , Wm.
Howard Taft , Woodrow Wi l son, Napol eon
Bonapart e, Cal vi n Cool i dge and Jesse James.
40. AUTHOR' S "Aft er-t he-Lesson Vi si t . "
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TIME is a Master
Worker that heals the
wounds of temporary
defeat, and equalizes the
inequalities and rights
the wrongs of the world.
There is nothing
"Impossible" with time!



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THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson One
THE MASTER MIND



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!"

THIS i s a course on t he fundament al s of Success.
Success i s very l argel y a mat t er of adj ust i ng one' s
sel f t o t he ever-varyi ng and changi ng envi ronment s of
l i fe, i n a spi ri t of harmony and poi se. Harmony i s
based upon underst andi ng of t he forces const i t ut i ng
one' s envi ronment ; t herefore, t hi s course i s i n real i t y
a bl uepri nt t hat may be fol lowed st rai ght t o success,
because i t hel ps t he st udent t o i nt erpret , underst and
and make t he most of t hese envi ronment al forces of
l i fe.
Before you begi n readi ng t he Law of Success
l essons you shoul d know somet hi ng of t he hi st ory of
t he course. You shoul d know exact l y what t he course
promi ses t o t hose who fol l ow i t unt i l t hey have
assi mi l at ed t he l aws and pri nci pl es upon whi ch i t i s
based. You shoul d know i t s l i mi t at i ons as wel l as i t s
possi bi l i t i es as an ai d i n your fi ght for a pl ace i n t he
worl d.
From t he vi ewpoi nt of ent ert ai nment t he Law of
Success course woul d be a poor second for most any
- 18 -
of t he mont hl y peri odi cal s of t he "Snappy St ory"
vari et y whi ch may be found upon t he news st ands of
t oday.
The course has been creat ed for t he seri ous-
mi nded person who devot es at l east a port i on of hi s or
her t i me t o t he busi ness of succeedi ng i n l i fe. The
aut hor of t he Law of Success course has not i nt ended
t o compet e wi t h t hose who wri t e purel y for t he
purpose of ent ert ai ni ng.
The aut hor' s ai m, i n prepari ng t hi s course, has
been of a t wo-fol d nat ure, namel y, fi rst -t o hel p t he
earnest st udent fi nd out what are hi s or her
weaknesses, and, secondl y-t o hel p creat e a DEFINITE
PLAN for bri dgi ng t hose weaknesses.
The most successful men and women on eart h
have had t o correct cert ai n weak spot s i n t hei r
personal i t i es before t hey began t o succeed. The most
out st andi ng of t hese weaknesses whi ch st and bet ween
men and women and success are INTOLERANCE,
CUPIDITY, GREED, JEALOUSY, SUSPICION,
REVENGE, EGOTISM, CONCEIT, THE TENDENCY
TO REAP WHERE THEY HAVE NOT SOWN, and t he
HABIT OF SPENDING MORE THAN THEY EARN.
Al l of t hese common enemi es of manki nd, and
many more not here ment i oned, are covered by t he
Law of Success course i n such a manner t hat any
person of reasonabl e i nt el l i gence may mast er t hem
wi t h but l i t t l e effort or i nconveni ence.
You shoul d know, at t he very out set , t hat t he Law
of Success course has l ong si nce passed t hrough t he
experi ment al st at e; t hat i t al ready has t o i t s credi t a
record of achi evement t hat i s wort hy of seri ous
- 19 -
t hought and anal ysi s. You shoul d know, al so, t hat t he
Law of Success course has been exami ned and
endorsed by some of t he most pract i cal mi nds of t hi s
generat i on.
The Law of Success course was fi rst used as a
l ect ure, and was del i vered by i t s aut hor i n pract i cal l y
every ci t y and i n many of t he smal l er l ocal i t i es,
t hroughout t he Uni t ed St at es, over a peri od of more
t han seven years. Perhaps you were one of t he many
hundreds of t housands of peopl e who heard t hi s
l ect ure.
Duri ng t hese l ect ures t he aut hor had assi st ant s
l ocat ed i n t he audi ences for t he purpose of
i nt erpret i ng t he react i on of t hose who heard t he
l ect ure, and i n t hi s manner he l earned exact l y what
effect i t had upon peopl e. As a resul t of t hi s st udy and
anal ysi s many changes were made.
The fi rst bi g vi ct ory was gai ned for t he Law of
Success phi l osophy when i t was used by t he aut hor as
t he basi s of a course wi t h whi ch 3, 000 men and
women were t rai ned as a sal es army. The maj ori t y of
t hese peopl e were wi t hout previ ous experi ence, of any
sort , i n t he fi el d of sel l i ng. Through t hi s t rai ni ng t hey
were enabl ed t o earn more t han One Mi l l i on Dol l ars
($1, 000, 000. 00) for t hemsel ves and pai d t he aut hor
$30, 000. 00 for hi s servi ces, coveri ng a peri od of
approxi mat el y si x mont hs.
The i ndi vi dual s and smal l groups of sal espeopl e
who have found success t hrough t he ai d of t hi s course
are t oo numerous t o be ment i oned i n t hi s Int roduct i on,
but t he number i s l arge and t he benefi t s t hey deri ved
from t he course were defi ni t e.
The Law of Success phi l osophy was brought t o
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t he at t ent i on of t he l at e Don R. Mel l et t , former
publ i sher of t he Cant on (Ohi o) Dai l y News, who
formed a part nershi p wi t h t he aut hor of t he course and
was prepari ng t o resi gn as publ i sher of t he Cant on
Dai l y News and t ake up t he busi ness management of
t he aut hor' s affai rs when he was assassi nat ed on Jul y
16, 1926.
Pri or t o hi s deat h Mr. Mel l et t had made
arrangement s wi t h j udge El bert H. Gary, who was t hen
Chai rman of t he Board of t he Uni t ed St at es St eel
Corporat i on, t o present t he Law of Success course t o
every empl oyee of t he St eel Corporat i on, at a t ot al
cost of somet hi ng l i ke $150, 000. 00. Thi s pl an was
hal t ed because of j udge Gary' s deat h, but i t proves
t hat t he aut hor of t he Law of Success has produced an
educat i onal pl an of an enduri ng nat ure. Judge Gary
was emi nent l y prepared t o j udge t he val ue of such a
course, and t he fact t hat he anal yzed t he Law of
Success phi l osophy and was prepari ng t o i nvest t he
huge sum of $150, 000. 00 i n i t i s proof of t he
soundness of al l t hat i s sai d i n behal f of t he course.
You wi l l observe, i n t hi s General Int roduct i on t o
t he course, a few t echni cal t erms whi ch may not be
pl ai n t o you. Do not al l ow t hi s t o bot her you. Make no
at t empt at fi rst readi ng t o underst and t hese t erms.
They wi l l be pl ai n t o you aft er you read t he remai nder
of t he course. Thi s ent i re Int roduct i on i s i nt ended
onl y as a background for t he ot her fi ft een l essons of
t he course, and you shoul d read i t as such. You wi l l
not be exami ned on t hi s Int roduct i on, but you shoul d
read i t many t i mes, as you wi l l get from i t at each
readi ng a t hought or an i dea whi ch you di d not get on
previ ous readi ngs.
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In t hi s Int roduct i on you wi l l fi nd a descri pt i on of
a newl y di scovered l aw of psychol ogy whi ch i s t he
very foundat i on st one of al l out st andi ng personal
achi evement s. Thi s l aw has been referred t o by t he
aut hor as t he "Mast er Mi nd, " meani ng a mi nd t hat i s
devel oped t hrough t he harmoni ous co-operat i on of t wo
or more peopl e who al l y t hemsel ves for t he purpose of
accompl i shi ng any gi ven t ask.
If you are engaged i n t he busi ness of sel l i ng you
may profi t abl y experi ment wi t h t hi s l aw of t he
"Mast er Mi nd" i n your dai l y work. It has been found
t hat a group of si x or seven sal espeopl e may use t he
l aw so effect i vel y t hat t hei r sal es may be i ncreased t o
unbel i evabl e proport i ons.
Li fe Insurance i s supposed t o be t he hardest t hi ng
on eart h t o sel l . Thi s ought not t o be t rue, wi t h an
est abl i shed necessi t y such as l i fe i nsurance, but i t i s.
Despi t e t hi s fact , a smal l group of men worki ng for
t he Prudent i al Li fe Insurance Company, whose sal es
are most l y smal l pol i ci es, formed a l i t t l e fri endl y
group for t he purpose of experi ment i ng wi t h t he l aw
of t he "Mast er Mi nd, " wi t h t he resul t t hat every man
i n t he group wrot e more i nsurance duri ng t he fi rst
t hree mont hs of t he experi ment t han he had ever
wri t t en i n an ent i re year before.
What may be accompl i shed t hrough t he ai d of t hi s
pri nci pl e, by any smal l group of i nt el l i gent l i fe-
i nsurance sal esmen who have l earned how t o appl y t he
l aw of t he "Mast er Mi nd" wi l l st agger t he i magi nat i on
of t he most hi ghl y opt i mi st i c and i magi nat i ve person.
The same may be sai d of ot her groups of
sal espeopl e who are engaged i n sel l i ng merchandi se
- 22 -




NO MAN HAS A
CHANCE TO ENJOY
PERMANENT SUCCESS
UNTIL HE BEGINS TO
LOOK IN A MIRROR
FOR THE REAL CAUSE
OF ALL HIS
MISTAKES.
- Napoleon Hill.


- 23 -
and ot her more t angi bl e forms of servi ce t han l i fe
i nsurance. Bear t hi s i n mi nd as you read t hi s
Int roduct i on t o t he Law of Success course and i t i s not
unreasonabl e t o expect t hat t hi s Int roduct i on, al one,
may gi ve you suffi ci ent underst andi ng of t he l aw t o
change t he ent i re course of your l i fe.
It i s t he personal i t i es back of a busi ness whi ch
det ermi ne t he measure of success t he busi ness wi l l
enj oy. Modi fy t hose personal i t i es so t hey are more
pl easi ng and more at t ract i ve t o t he pat rons of t he
busi ness and t he busi ness wi l l t hri ve. In any of t he
great ci t i es of t he Uni t ed St at es one may purchase
merchandi se of si mi l ar nat ure and pri ce i n scores of
st ores, yet you wi l l fi nd t here i s al ways one
out st andi ng st ore whi ch does more busi ness t han any
of t he ot hers, and t he reason for t hi s i s t hat back of
t hat st ore i s a man, or men, who has at t ended t o t he
personal i t i es of t hose who come i n cont act wi t h t he
publ i c. Peopl e buy personal i t i es as much as
merchandi se, and i t i s a quest i on i f t hey are not
i nfl uenced more by t he personal i t i es wi t h whi ch t hey
come i n cont act t han t hey are by t he merchandi se.
Li fe i nsurance has been reduced t o such a
sci ent i fi c basi s t hat t he cost of i nsurance does not
vary t o any great ext ent , regardl ess of t he company
from whi ch one purchases i t , yet out of t he hundreds
of l i fe i nsurance compani es doi ng busi ness l ess t han a
dozen compani es do t he bul k of t he busi ness of t he
Uni t ed St at es.
Why? Personal i t i es! Ni net y-ni ne peopl e out of
every hundred who purchase l i fe i nsurance pol i ci es do
not know what i s i n t hei r pol i ci es and, what seems
more st art l i ng, do not seem t o care. What t hey real l y
- 24 -
purchase i s t he pl easi ng personal i t y of some man or
woman who knows t he val ue of cul t i vat i ng such a
personal i t y.
Your busi ness i n l i fe, or at l east t he most
i mport ant part of i t , i s t o achi eve success. Success,
wi t hi n t he meani ng of t hat t erm as covered by t hi s
course on t he Fi ft een Laws of Success, i s "t he
at t ai nment of your Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m wi t hout
vi ol at i ng t he ri ght s of ot her peopl e. " Regardl ess of
what your maj or ai m i n l i fe may be, you wi l l at t ai n i t
wi t h much l ess di ffi cul t y aft er you l earn how t o
cul t i vat e a pl easi ng personal i t y and aft er you have
l earned t he del i cat e art of al l yi ng yoursel f wi t h ot hers
i n a gi ven undert aki ng wi t hout fri ct i on or envy.
One of t he great est probl ems of l i fe, i f not , i n
fact , t he great est , i s t hat of l earni ng t he art of
harmoni ous negot i at i on wi t h ot hers. Thi s course was
creat ed for t he purpose of t eachi ng peopl e how t o
negot i at e t hei r way t hrough l i fe wi t h harmony and
poi se, free from t he dest ruct i ve effect s of
di sagreement and fri ct i on whi ch bri ng mi l l i ons of
peopl e t o mi sery, want and fai l ure every year.
Wi t h t hi s st at ement of t he purpose of t he course
you shoul d be abl e t o approach t he l essons wi t h t he
feel i ng t hat a compl et e t ransformat i on i s about t o t ake
pl ace i n your personal i t y.
You cannot enj oy out st andi ng success i n l i fe
wi t hout power, and you can never enj oy power wi t hout
suf f i ci ent personal i t y t o i nf l uence ot her peopl e t o
cooperat e wi t h you i n a spi ri t of harmony. Thi s course
shows you st ep by st ep how t o devel op such a
personal i t y.
Lesson by l esson, t he fol l owi ng i s a st at ement of
- 25 -
t hat whi ch you may expect t o recei ve from t he Fi ft een
Laws of Success:

I. A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM wi l l t each you how
t o save t he wast ed effort whi ch t he maj ori t y
of peopl e expend i n t ryi ng t o fi nd t hei r
l i fework. Thi s l esson wi l l show you how t o
do away forever wi t h ai ml essness and fi x
your heart and hand upon some defi ni t e, wel l
concei ved purpose as a l i fe-work.
II. SELF-CONFIDENCE wi l l hel p you mast er
t he si x basi c fears wi t h whi ch every person i s
cursed-t he fear of Povert y, t he fear of Il l
Heal t h, t he fear of Ol d Age, t he fear of
Cri t i ci sm, t he fear of Loss of Love of
Someone and t he fear of Deat h. It wi l l t each
you t he di fference bet ween egot i sm and real
sel f-confi dence whi ch i s based upon defi ni t e,
usabl e knowl edge.
III. HABIT OF SAVING wi l l t each you how t o
di st ri but e your i ncome syst emat i cal l y so t hat
a defi ni t e percent age of i t wi l l st eadi l y
accumul at e, t hus formi ng one of t he great est
known sources of personal power. No one
may succeed i n l i fe wi t hout savi ng money.
There i s no except i on t o t hi s rul e, and no one
may escape i t .
IV. INITIATIVE AND LEADERSHIP wi l l show
you how t o become a l eader i nst ead of a
fol l ower i n your chosen fi el d of endeavor. It
wi l l devel op i n you t he i nst i nct for
l eadershi p whi ch wi l l cause you gradual l y t o
gravi t at e t o t he t op i n al l undert aki ngs i n
whi ch you part i ci pat e.
- 26 -
V. IMAGINATION wi l l st i mul at e your mi nd so
t hat you wi l l concei ve new i deas and devel op
new pl ans whi ch wi l l hel p you i n at t ai ni ng
t he obj ect of your Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m. Thi s
l esson wi l l t each you how t o "bui l d new
houses out of ol d st ones, " so t o speak. It wi l l
show you how t o creat e new i deas out of ol d,
wel l known concept s, and how t o put ol d
i deas t o new uses. Thi s one l esson, al one, i s
t he equi val ent of a very pract i cal course i n
sal esmanshi p, and i t i s sure t o prove a
veri t abl e gol d mi ne of knowl edge t o t he
person who i s i n earnest .
VI. ENTHUSIASM wi l l enabl e you t o "sat urat e"
al l wi t h whom you come i n cont act wi t h
i nt erest i n you and i n your i deas. Ent husi asm
i s t he foundat i on of a Pl easi ng Personal i t y,
and you must have such a personal i t y i n
order t o i nfl uence ot hers t o co-operat e wi t h
you.
VII. SELF-CONTROL i s t he "bal ance wheel " wi t h
whi ch you cont rol your ent husi asm and di rect
i t where you wi sh i t t o carry you. Thi s l esson
wi l l t each you, i n a most pract i cal manner, t o
become "t he mast er of your fat e, t he Capt ai n
of your Soul . "
VIII. THE HABIT OF DOING MORE THAN PAID
FOR i s one of t he most i mport ant l essons of
t he Law of Success course. It wi l l t each you
how t o t ake advant age of t he Law of
Increasi ng Ret urns, whi ch wi l l event ual l y
i nsure you a ret urn i n money far out of
proport i on t o t he servi ce you render. No one
may become a real l eader i n any wal k of l i fe
- 27 -
wi t hout pract i ci ng t he habi t of doi ng more
work and bet t er work t han t hat for whi ch he
i s pai d.
IX. PLEASING PERSONALITY i s t he "ful crum"
on whi ch you must pl ace t he "crow-bar" of
your effort s, and when so pl aced, wi t h
i nt el l i gence, i t wi l l enabl e you t o remove
mount ai ns of obst acl es. Thi s one l esson,
al one, has made scores of Mast er Sal esmen.
It has devel oped l eaders over ni ght . It wi l l
t each you how t o t ransform your personal i t y
so t hat you may adapt yoursel f t o any
envi ronment , or t o any ot her personal i t y, i n
such a manner t hat you may easi l y domi nat e.
X. ACCURATE THINKING i s one of t he
i mport ant foundat i on st ones of al l enduri ng
success. Thi s l esson t eaches you how t o
separat e "fact s" from mere "i nformat i on. " It
t eaches you how t o organi ze known fact s i nt o
t wo cl asses: t he "i mport ant " and t he
"uni mport ant . " It t eaches you how t o
det ermi ne what i s an "i mport ant " fact . It
t eaches you how t o bui l d defi ni t e worki ng
pl ans, i n t he pursui t of any cal l i ng, out of
FACTS.
XI. CONCENTRATION t eaches you how t o focus
your at t ent i on upon one subj ect at a t i me
unt i l you have worked out pract i cal pl ans for
mast eri ng t hat subj ect . It wi l l t each you how
t o al l y yoursel f wi t h ot hers i n such a manner
t hat you may have t he use of t hei r ent i re
knowl edge t o back you up i n your own pl ans
and purposes. It wi l l gi ve you a pract i cal
worki ng knowl edge of t he forces around you,
and show you how to harness and use t hese
- 28 -





If you must slander
someone don't speak it-
but write it - write it in
the sand, near the water's
edge!
- Napoleon Hill.


- 29 -
forces i n furt heri ng your own i nt erest s.
XII. CO-OPERATION wi l l t each you t he val ue of
t eam-work i n al l you do. In t hi s l esson you
wi l l be t aught how t o appl y t he l aw of t he
"Mast er Mi nd" descri bed i n t hi s Int roduct i on
and i n Lesson Two of t hi s course. Thi s l esson
wi l l show you how t o co-ordi nat e your own
effort s wi t h t hose of ot hers, i n such a manner
t hat fri ct i on, j eal ousy, st ri fe, envy and
cupi di t y wi l l be el i mi nat ed. You wi l l l earn
how t o make use of al l t hat ot her peopl e have
l earned about t he work i n whi ch you are
engaged.
XIII. PROFITING BY FAILURE wi l l t each you
how t o make st eppi ng st ones out of al l of
your past and fut ure mi st akes and fai l ures. It
wi l l t each you t he di fference bet ween
"fai l ure" and "t emporary defeat , " a di fference
whi ch i s very great and very i mport ant . It
wi l l t each you how t o profi t by your own
fai l ures and by t he fai l ures of ot her peopl e.
XIV. TOLERANCE wi l l t each you how t o avoi d
t he di sast rous effect s of raci al and rel i gi ous
prej udi ces whi ch mean defeat for mi l l i ons of
peopl e who permi t t hemsel ves t o become
ent angl ed i n fool i sh argument over t hese
subj ect s, t hereby poi soni ng t hei r own mi nds
and cl osi ng t he door t o reason and
i nvest i gat i on. Thi s l esson i s t he t wi n si st er of
t he one on ACCURATE THOUGHT, for t he
reason t hat no one may become an Accurat e
Thi nker wi t hout pract i ci ng t ol erance.
Int ol erance cl oses t he book of Knowl edge
and wri t es on t he cover, "Fi ni s! I have
- 30 -
l earned i t al l !" Int ol erance makes enemi es of
t hose who shoul d be fri ends. It dest roys
opport uni t y and fi l l s t he mi nd wi t h doubt ,
mi st rust and prej udi ce.
XV. PRACTICING THE GOLDEN RULE wi l l
t each you how t o make use of t hi s great
uni versal l aw of human conduct i n such a
manner t hat you may easi l y get harmoni ous
co-operat i on from any i ndi vi dual or group of
i ndi vi dual s. Lack of underst andi ng of t he l aw
upon whi ch t he Gol den Rul e phi l osophy i s
based i s one of t he maj or causes of fai l ure of
mi l l i ons of peopl e who remai n i n mi sery,
povert y and want al l t hei r l i ves. Thi s l esson
has not hi ng what soever t o do wi t h rel i gi on i n
any form, nor wi t h sect ari ani sm, nor have
any of t he ot her l essons of t hi s course on t he
Law of Success.

When you have mast ered t hese Fi ft een Laws and
made t hem your own, as you may do wi t hi n a peri od
of from fi ft een t o t hi rt y weeks, you wi l l be ready t o
devel op suffi ci ent personal power t o i nsure t he
at t ai nment of your Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m.
The purpose of t hese Fi ft een Laws i s t o devel op or
hel p you organi ze al l t he knowl edge you have, and al l
you acqui re i n t he fut ure, so you may t urn t hi s
knowl edge i nt o POWER.
You shoul d read t he Law of Success course wi t h a
not e-book by your si de, for you wi l l observe t hat
i deas wi l l begi n t o "fl ash" i nt o your mi nd as you read,
as t o ways and means of usi ng t hese l aws i n advanci ng
your own i nt erest s.
You shoul d al so begi n t eachi ng t hese l aws t o t hose
- 31 -
i n whom you are most i nt erest ed, as i t i s a wel l known
fact t hat t he more one t ri es t o t each a subj ect t he more
he l earns about t hat subj ect . A man who has a fami l y
of young boys and gi rl s may so i ndel i bl y fi x t hese
Fi ft een Laws of Success i n t hei r mi nds t hat t hi s
t eachi ng wi l l change t he ent i re course of t hei r l i ves.
The man wi t h a fami l y shoul d i nt erest hi s wi fe i n
st udyi ng t hi s course wi t h hi m, for reasons whi ch wi l l
be pl ai n before you compl et e readi ng t hi s
Int roduct i on.
POWER i s one of t he t hree basi c obj ect s of human
endeavor.
POWER i s of t wo cl asses-t hat whi ch i s devel oped
t hrough co-ordi nat i on of nat ural physi cal l aws, and
t hat whi ch i s devel oped by organi zi ng and cl assi fyi ng
KNOWLEDGE.
POWER growi ng out of organi zed knowl edge i s t he
more i mport ant because i t pl aces i n man' s possessi on a
t ool wi t h whi ch he may t ransform, redi rect and t o
some ext ent harness and use t he ot her form of power.
The obj ect of t hi s readi ng course i s t o mark t he
rout e by whi ch t he st udent may safel y t ravel i n
gat heri ng such fact s as he may wi sh t o weave i nt o hi s
fabri c of KNOWLEDGE.
There are t wo maj or met hods of gat heri ng
knowl edge, namel y, by st udyi ng, cl assi fyi ng and
assi mi l at i ng fact s whi ch have been organi zed by ot her
peopl e, and t hrough one' s own process of gat heri ng,
organi zi ng and cl assi fyi ng fact s, general l y cal l ed
"personal experi ence. "
Thi s l esson deal s mai nl y wi t h t he ways and means of
st udyi ng t he fact s and dat a gat hered and cl assi fi ed by
ot her peopl e.


- 32 -
The st at e of advancement known as "ci vi l i zat i on"
i s but t he measure of knowl edge whi ch t he race has
accumul at ed. Thi s knowl edge i s of t wo cl asses -
ment al and physi cal .
Among t he useful knowl edge organi zed by man,
he has di scovered and cat al ogued t he ei ght y-odd
physi cal el ement s of whi ch al l mat eri al forms i n t he
uni verse consi st .
By st udy and anal ysi s and accurat e measurement s
man has di scovered t he "bi gness" of t he mat eri al si de
of t he uni verse as represent ed by pl anet s, suns and
st ars, some of whi ch are known t o be over t en mi l l i on
t i mes as l arge as t he l i t t l e eart h on whi ch he l i ves.
On t he ot her hand, man has di scovered t he
"l i t t l eness" of t he physi cal forms whi ch const i t ut e t he
uni verse by reduci ng t he ei ght y-odd physi cal el ement s
t o mol ecul es, at oms, and, fi nal l y, t o t he smal l est
part i cl e, t he el ect ron. An el ect ron cannot be seen; i t i s
but a cent er of force consi st i ng of a posi t i ve or a
negat i ve. The el ect ron i s t he begi nni ng of everyt hi ng
of a physi cal nat ure.

MOLECULES, ATOMS AND ELECTRONS: To
underst and bot h t he det ai l and t he perspect i ve of t he
process t hrough whi ch knowl edge i s gat hered,
organi zed and cl assi fi ed, i t seems essent i al for t he
st udent t o begi n wi t h t he smal l est and si mpl est
part i cl es of physi cal mat t er, because t hese are t he A B
C' s wi t h whi ch Nat ure has const ruct ed t he ent i re
frame-work of t he physi cal port i on of t he uni verse.
The mol ecul e consi st s of at oms, whi ch are sai d t o
be l i t t l e i nvi si bl e part i cl es of mat t er revol vi ng
cont i nuousl y wi t h t he speed of l i ght ni ng, on exact l y
- 33 -
t he same pri nci pl e t hat t he eart h revol ves around t he
sun.
These l i t t l e part i cl es of mat t er known as at oms,
whi ch revol ve i n one cont i nuous ci rcui t , i n t he
mol ecul e, are sai d t o be made up of el ect rons, t he
smal l est part i cl es of physi cal mat t er. As al ready
st at ed, t he el ect ron i s not hi ng but t wo forms of force.
The el ect ron i s uni form, of but one cl ass, si ze and
nat ure; t hus i n a grai n of sand or a drop of wat er t he
ent i re pri nci pl e upon whi ch t he whol e uni verse
operat es i s dupl i cat ed.
How marvel ous! How st upendous! You may
gat her some sl i ght i dea of t he magni t ude of i t al l t he
next t i me you eat a meal , by rememberi ng t hat every
art i cl e of food you eat , t he pl at e on whi ch you eat i t ,
t he t abl eware and t he t abl e i t sel f are, i n fi nal anal ysi s,
but a col l ect i on of ELECTRONS.
In t he worl d of physi cal mat t er, whet her one i s
l ooki ng at t he l argest st ar t hat fl oat s t hrough t he
heavens or t he smal l est grai n of sand t o be found on
eart h, t he obj ect under observat i on i s but an organi zed
col l ect i on of mol ecul es, at oms and el ect rons revol vi ng
around one anot her at i nconcei vabl e speed.
Every part i cl e of physi cal mat t er i s i n a
cont i nuous st at e of hi ghl y agi t at ed mot i on. Not hi ng i s
ever st i l l , al t hough nearl y al l physi cal mat t er may
appear, t o t he physi cal eye, t o be mot i onl ess. There i s
no "sol i d" physi cal mat t er. The hardest pi ece of st eel
i s but an organi zed mass of revol vi ng mol ecul es,
at oms and el ect rons. Moreover, t he el ect rons i n a
pi ece of st eel are of t he same nat ure, and move at t he
same rat e of speed as t he el ect rons i n gol d, si l ver,
brass or pewt er.
The ei ght y-odd forms of physi cal mat t er appear t o
be di fferent from one anot her, and t hey are di fferent ,
- 34 -




Don't be afraid of a
little opposition. Remem-
ber that the "Kite" of
Success generally rises
AGAINST the wind of
Adversity - not with it!


- 35 -
because t hey are made up of di fferent combi nat i ons of
at oms (al t hough t he el ect rons i n t hese at oms are
al ways t he same, except t hat some el ect rons are
posi t i ve and some are negat i ve, meani ng t hat some
carry a posi t i ve charge of el ect ri fi cat i on whi l e ot hers
carry a negat i ve charge).
Through t he sci ence of chemi st ry, mat t er may be
broken up i nt o at oms whi ch are, wi t hi n t hemsel ves,
unchangeabl e. The ei ght y-odd el ement s are creat ed
t hrough and by reason of combi ni ng and changi ng of
t he posi t i ons of t he at oms. To i l l ust rat e t he modus
operandi of chemi st ry t hrough whi ch t hi s change of
at omi c posi t i on i s wrought , i n t erms of modern
sci ence:
"Add four el ect rons (t wo posi t i ve and t wo
negat i ve) t o t he hydrogen at om, and you have t he
el ement l i t hi um; knock out of t he l i t hi um at om
(composed of t hree posi t i ve and t hree negat i ve
el ect rons) one posi t i ve and one negat i ve el ect ron, and
you have one at om of hel i um (composed of t wo
posi t i ve and t wo negat i ve el ect rons)
Thus i t may be seen t hat t he ei ght y-odd physi cal
el ement s of t he uni verse di ffer from one anot her onl y
i n t he number of el ect rons composi ng t hei r at oms, and
t he number and arrangement of t hose at oms i n t he
mol ecul es of each el ement .
As an i l l ust rat i on, an at om of mercury cont ai ns
ei ght y posi t i ve charges (el ect rons) i n i t s nucl eus, and
ei ght y negat i ve out l yi ng charges (el ect rons). If t he
chemi st were t o expel t wo of i t s posi t i ve el ect rons i t
woul d i nst ant l y become t he met al known as pl at i num.
If t he chemi st coul d t hen go a st ep furt her and t ake
from i t a negat i ve ("pl anet ary") el ect ron, t he mercury
at om woul d t hen have l ost t wo posi t i ve el ect rons and
- 36 -
one negat i ve; t hat i s, one posi t i ve charge on t he
whol e; hence i t woul d ret ai n sevent y-ni ne posi t i ve
charges i n t he nucl eus and sevent y-ni ne out l yi ng
negat i ve el ect rons, t hereby becomi ng GOLD !
The formul a t hrough whi ch t hi s el ect roni c change
mi ght be produced has been t he obj ect of di l i gent
search by t he al chemi st s al l down t he ages, and by t he
modern chemi st s of t oday.
It i s a fact known t o every chemi st t hat l i t eral l y
t ens of t housands of synt het i c subst ances may be
composed out of onl y four ki nds of at oms, vi z. :
hydrogen, oxygen, ni t rogen and carbon.
"Di fferences i n t he number of el ect rons i n at oms
confer upon t hem qual i t at i ve (chemi cal ) di fferences,
t hough al l at oms of any one el ement are chemi cal l y
al i ke. Di fferences i n t he number and spaci al
arrangement of t hese at oms (i n groups of mol ecul es)
const i t ut e bot h physi cal and chemi cal di fferences i n
subst ances, i . e. , i n compounds. Qui t e di fferent
subst ances are produced by combi nat i ons of preci sel y
t he same ki nds of at oms, but i n di fferent proport i ons.
"Take from a mol ecul e of cert ai n subst ances one
si ngl e at om, and t hey may be changed from a
compound necessary t o l i fe and growt h i nt o a deadl y
poi son. Phosphorus i s an el ement , and t hus cont ai ns
but one ki nd of at oms; but some phosphorus i s yel l ow
and some i s red, varyi ng wi t h t he spaci al di st ri but i on
of t he at oms i n t he mol ecul es composi ng t he
phosphorus. "
It may be st at ed as a l i t eral t rut h t hat t he at om i s
t he uni versal part i cl e wi t h whi ch Nat ure bui l ds al l
mat eri al forms, from a grai n of sand t o t he l argest st ar
t hat fl oat s t hrough space. The at om i s Nat ure' s
- 37 -
"bui l di ng bl ock" out of whi ch she erect s an oak t ree or
a pi ne, a rock of sandst one or grani t e, a mouse or an
el ephant .
Some of t he abl est t hi nkers have reasoned t hat t he
eart h on whi ch we l i ve, and every mat eri al part i cl e on
t he eart h, began wi t h t wo at oms whi ch at t ached
t hemsel ves t o each ot her, and t hrough hundreds of
mi l l i ons of years of fl i ght t hrough space, kept
cont act i ng and accumul at i ng ot her at oms unt i l , st ep by
st ep, t he eart h was formed. Thi s, t hey poi nt out , woul d
account for t he vari ous and di fferi ng st rat a of t he
eart h' s subst ances, such as t he coal beds, t he i ron ore
deposi t s, t he gol d and si l ver deposi t s, t he copper
deposi t s, et c.
They reason t hat , as t he eart h whi rl ed t hrough
space, i t cont act ed groups of vari ous ki nds of nebul ae,
or at oms, whi ch i t prompt l y appropri at ed, t hrough t he
l aw of magnet i c at t ract i on. There i s much t o be seen,
i n t he eart h' s surface composi t i on, t o support t hi s
t heory, al t hough t here may be no posi t i ve evi dence of
i t s soundness.
These fact s concerni ng t he smal l est anal yzabl e
part i cl es of mat t er have been bri efl y referred t o as a
st art i ng poi nt from whi ch we shal l undert ake t o
ascert ai n how t o devel op and appl y t he l aw of
POWER.
It has been not i ced t hat al l mat t er i s i n a const ant
st at e of vi brat i on or mot i on; t hat t he mol ecul e i s made
up of rapi dl y movi ng part i cl es cal l ed at oms, whi ch, i n
t urn, are made up of rapi dl y movi ng part i cl es cal l ed
el ect rons.

THE VIBRATING FLUID OF MATTER: In every
part i cl e of mat t er t here i s an i nvi si bl e "fl ui d" or
- 38 -
force whi ch causes t he at oms t o ci rcl e around one
anot her at an i nconcei vabl e rat e of speed.
Thi s "fl ui d" i s a form of energy whi ch has never
been anal yzed. Thus far i t has baffl ed t he ent i re
sci ent i fi c worl d. By many sci ent i st s i t i s bel i eved t o
be t he same energy as t hat whi ch we cal l el ect ri ci t y.
Ot hers prefer t o cal l i t vi brat i on. It i s bel i eved by
some i nvest i gat ors t hat t he rat e of speed wi t h whi ch
t hi s force (cal l i t what ever you wi l l ) moves
det ermi nes t o a l arge ext ent t he nat ure of t he out ward
vi si bl e appearance of t he physi cal obj ect s of t he
uni verse.
One rat e of vi brat i on of t hi s "fl ui d energy" causes
what i s known as sound. The human ear can det ect
onl y t he sound whi ch i s produced t hrough from 32, 000
t o 38, 000 vi brat i ons per second.
As t he rat e of vi brat i ons per second i ncreases
above t hat whi ch we cal l sound t hey begi n t o mani fest
t hemsel ves i n t he form of heat . Heat begi ns wi t h about
1, 500, 000 vi brat i ons per second.
St i l l hi gher up t he scal e vi brat i ons begi n t o
regi st er i n t he form of l i ght . 3, 000, 000 vi brat i ons per
second creat e vi ol et l i ght . Above t hi s number
vi brat i on sheds ul t ra-vi ol et rays (whi ch are i nvi si bl e
t o t he naked eye) and ot her i nvi si bl e radi at i ons.
And, st i l l hi gher up t he scal e-j ust how hi gh no
one at present seems t o know-vi brat i ons creat e t he
power wi t h whi ch man THINKS.
It i s t he bel i ef of t he aut hor t hat t he "fl ui d"
port i on of al l vi brat i on, out of whi ch grow al l known
forms of energy, i s uni versal i n nat ure; t hat t he
"fl ui d" port i on of sound i s t he same as t he "fl ui d"
port i on of l i ght , t he di fference i n effect bet ween
- 39 -
sound and l i ght bei ng onl y a di fference i n rat e of
vi brat i on, al so t hat t he "fl ui d" port i on of t hought i s
exact l y t he same as t hat i n sound, heat and l i ght ,
except i ng t he number of vi brat i ons per second.
Just as t here i s but one form of physi cal mat t er,
of whi ch t he eart h and al l t he ot her pl anet s-suns and
st ars-are composed-t he el ect ron-so i s t here but one
form of "fl ui d" energy, whi ch causes al l mat t er t o
remai n i n a const ant st at e of rapi d mot i on.

AIR AND ETHER: The vast space bet ween t he
suns, moons, st ars and ot her pl anet s of t he uni verse i s
fi l l ed wi t h a form of energy known as et her. It i s t hi s
aut hor' s bel i ef t hat t he "fl ui d" energy whi ch keeps al l
part i cl es of mat t er i n mot i on i s t he same as t he
uni versal "fl ui d" known as et her whi ch fi l l s al l t he
space of t he uni verse. Wi t hi n a cert ai n di st ance of t he
eart h' s surface, est i mat ed by some t o be about fi ft y
mi l es, t here exi st s what i s cal l ed ai r, whi ch i s a
gaseous subst ance composed of oxygen and ni t rogen.
Ai r i s a conduct or of sound vi brat i ons, but a non-
conduct or of l i ght and t he hi gher vi brat i ons, whi ch are
carri ed by t he et her. The et her i s a conduct or of al l
vi brat i ons from sound t o t hought .
Ai r i s a l ocal i zed subst ance whi ch performs, i n
t he mai n, t he servi ce of feedi ng al l ani mal and pl ant
l i fe wi t h oxygen and ni t rogen, wi t hout whi ch nei t her
coul d exi st . Ni t rogen i s one of t he chi ef necessi t i es of
pl ant l i fe and oxygen one of t he mai nst ays of ani mal
l i fe. Near t he t op of very hi gh mount ai ns t he ai r
becomes very l i ght , because i t cont ai ns but l i t t l e
ni t rogen, whi ch i s t he reason why pl ant l i fe cannot
exi st t here. On t he ot her hand, t he "l i ght " ai r found i n
- 40 -


Render more service
than that for which
you are paid and you
will soon be paid for
more than you render.
The law of "Increasing
Returns" takes care of
this.
- 41 -
hi gh al t i t udes consi st s l argel y of oxygen, whi ch i s t he
chi ef reason why t ubercul ar pat i ent s are sent t o hi gh
al t i t udes.

Even t hi s bri ef st at ement concerni ng mol ecul es,
at oms, el ect rons, ai r, et her and t he l i ke, may be heavy
readi ng t o t he st udent , but , as wi l l be seen short l y,
t hi s i nt roduct i on pl ays an essent i al part as t he
foundat i on of t hi s l esson.
Do not become di scouraged i f t he descri pt i on of
t hi s foundat i on appears t o have none of t he t hri l l i ng
effect s of a modern t al e of fi ct i on. You are seri ousl y
engaged i n fi ndi ng out what are your avai l abl e powers
and how t o organi ze and appl y t hese powers. To
compl et e t hi s di scovery successful l y you must
combi ne det ermi nat i on, persi st ency and a wel l defi ned
DESIRE t o gat her and organi ze knowl edge.

The l at e Dr. Al exander Graham Bel l , i nvent or of
t he l ong di st ance t el ephone and one of t he accept ed
aut hori t i es on t he subj ect of vi brat i on, i s here
i nt roduced i n support of t hi s aut hor' s t heori es
concerni ng t he subj ect of vi brat i on:
"Suppose you have t he power t o make an i ron rod
vi brat e wi t h any desi red frequency i n a dark room. At
fi rst , when vi brat i ng sl owl y, i t s movement wi l l be
i ndi cat ed by onl y one sense, t hat of t ouch. As soon as
t he vi brat i ons i ncrease, a l ow sound wi l l emanat e from
i t and i t wi l l appeal t o t wo senses.
"At about 32, 000 vi brat i ons t o t he second t he
sound wi l l be l oud and shri l l , but at 40, 000 vi brat i ons
i t wi l l be si l ent and t he movement s of t he rod wi l l not
- 42 -
be percei ved by t ouch. It s movement s wi l l be
percei ved by no ordi nary human sense.
"From t hi s poi nt up t o about 1, 500, 000 vi brat i ons
per second, we have no sense t hat can appreci at e any
effect of t he i nt erveni ng vi brat i ons. Aft er t hat st age i s
reached, movement i s i ndi cat ed fi rst by t he sense of
t emperat ure and t hen, when t he rod becomes red hot ,
by t he sense of si ght . At 3, 000, 000 i t sheds vi ol et
l i ght . Above t hat i t sheds ul t ra-vi ol et rays and ot her
i nvi si bl e radi at i ons, some of whi ch can be percei ved
by i nst rument s and empl oyed by us.
"Now i t has occurred t o me t hat t here must be a
great deal t o be l earned about t he effect of t hose
vi brat i ons i n t he great gap where t he ordi nary human
senses are unabl e t o hear, see or feel t he movement .
The power t o send wi rel ess messages by et her
vi brat i ons l i es i n t hat gap, but t he gap i s so great t hat
i t seems t here must be much more. You must make
machi nes pract i cal l y t o suppl y new senses, as t he
wi rel ess i nst rument s do.
"Can i t be sai d, when you t hi nk of t hat great gap,
t hat t here are not many forms of vi brat i ons t hat may
gi ve us resul t s as wonderful as, or even more
wonderful t han, t he wi rel ess waves? It seems t o me
t hat i n t hi s gap l i e t he vi brat i ons whi ch we have
assumed t o be gi ven off by our brai ns and nerve cel l s
when we t hi nk. But t hen, agai n, t hey may be hi gher
up, i n t he scal e beyond t he vibrat i ons t hat produce t he
ul t ra-vi ol et rays. [AUTHOR' S NOTE: The l ast
sent ence suggest s t he t heory hel d by t hi s aut hor. ]
"Do we need a wi re t o carry t hese vi brat i ons?
Wi l l t hey not pass t hrough t he et her wi t hout a wi re,
j ust as t he wi rel ess waves do? How wi l l t hey be
- 43 -
percei ved by t he recipi ent ? Wi l l he hear a seri es of
si gnal s or wi l l he fi nd t hat anot her man' s t hought s
have ent ered i nt o hi s brai n?
"We may i ndul ge i n some specul at i ons based on
what we know of t he wi rel ess waves, whi ch, as I have
sai d, are al l we can recogni ze of a vast seri es of
vi brat i ons whi ch t heoret i cal l y must exi st . If t he
t hought waves are si mi l ar t o t he wi rel ess waves, t hey
must pass from t he brai n and fl ow endl essl y around
t he worl d and t he uni verse. The body and t he skul l
and ot her sol i d obst acl es woul d form no obst ruct i on t o
t hei r passage, as t hey pass t hrough t he et her whi ch
surrounds t he mol ecul es of every subst ance, no mat t er
how sol i d and dense.
"You ask i f t here woul d not be const ant
i nt erference and confusi on i f ot her peopl e' s t hought s
were fl owi ng t hrough our brai ns and set t i ng up
t hought s i n t hem t hat di d not ori gi nat e wi t h oursel ves?
"How do you know t hat ot her men' s t hought s are
not i nt erferi ng wi t h yours now? I have not i ced a good
many phenomena of mi nd di st urbances t hat I have
never been abl e t o expl ai n. For i nst ance, t here i s t he
i nspi rat i on or t he di scouragement t hat a speaker feel s
i n addressi ng an audi ence. I have experi enced t hi s
many t i mes i n my l i fe and have never been abl e t o
defi ne exact l y t he physi cal causes of i t .
"Many recent sci ent i fi c di scoveri es, i n my
opi ni on, poi nt t o a day not far di st ant perhaps, when
men wi l l read one anot her' s t hought s, when t hought s
wi l l be conveyed di rect l y from brai n t o brai n wi t hout
i nt ervent i on of speech, wri t i ng or any of t he present
known met hods of communi cat i on.
"It i s not unreasonabl e t o l ook forward t o a t i me
- 44 -
when we shal l see wi t hout eyes, hear wi t hout ears and
t al k wi t hout t ongues.
"Bri efl y, t he hypot hesi s t hat mi nd can
communi cat e di rect l y wi t h mi nd rest s on t he t heory
t hat t hought or vi t al force i s a form of el ect ri cal
di st urbance, t hat i t can be t aken up by i nduct i on and
t ransmi t t ed t o a di st ance ei t her t hrough a wi re or
si mpl y t hrough t he al l -pervadi ng et her, as i n t he case
of wi rel ess t el egraph waves.
"There are many anal ogi es whi ch suggest t hat
t hought i s of t he nat ure of an el ect ri cal di st urbance. A
nerve, whi ch i s of t he same subst ance as t he brai n, i s
an excel l ent conduct or of t he el ect ri c current . When
we fi rst passed an el ect ri cal current t hrough t he
nerves of a dead man we were shocked and amazed t o
see hi m si t up and move. The el ect ri fi ed nerves
produced cont ract i on of t he muscl es very much as i n
l i fe.
"The nerves appear t o act upon t he muscl es very
much as t he el ect ri c current act s upon an
el ect romagnet . The current magnet i zes a bar of i ron
pl aced at ri ght angl es t o i t , and t he nerves produce,
t hrough t he i nt angi bl e current of vi t al force t hat fl ows
t hrough t hem, cont ract i on of t he muscul ar fi bers t hat
are arranged at ri ght angl es t o t hem.
"It woul d be possi bl e t o ci t e many reasons why
t hought and vi t al force may be regarded as of t he same
nat ure as el ect ri ci t y. The el ect ri c current i s hel d t o be
a wave mot i on of t he et her, t he hypot het i cal subst ance
t hat fi l l s al l space and pervades al l subst ances. We
bel i eve t hat t here must be et her because wi t hout i t t he
el ect ri c current coul d not pass t hrough a vacuum, or
sunl i ght t hrough space. It i s reasonabl e t o bel i eve t hat
onl y a wave mot i on of a simi l ar charact er can produce
- 45 -
t he phenomena of t hought and vi t al force. We may
assume t hat t he brai n cel l s act as a bat t ery and t hat
t he current produced fl ows al ong t he nerves.
"But does i t end t here? Does i t not pass out of t he
body i n waves whi ch fl ow around t he worl d
unpercei ved by our senses, j ust as t he wi rel ess waves
passed unpercei ved before Hert z and ot hers di scovered
t hei r exi st ence?"

EVERY MIND BOTH A BROADCASTING AND
A RECEIVING STATION: Thi s aut hor has proved,
t i mes t oo numerous t o enumerat e, t o hi s own
sat i sfact i on at l east , t hat every human brai n i s bot h a
broadcast i ng and a recei vi ng st at i on for vi brat i ons of
t hought frequency.
If t hi s t heory shoul d t urn out t o be a fact , and
met hods of reasonabl e cont rol shoul d be est abl i shed,
i magi ne t he part i t woul d pl ay i n t he gat heri ng,
cl assi fyi ng and organi zi ng of knowl edge. The
possi bi l i t y, much l ess t he probabi l i t y, of such a
real i t y, st aggers t he mi nd of man!
Thomas Pai ne was one of t he great mi nds of t he
Ameri can Revol ut i onary Peri od. To hi m more,
perhaps, t han t o any ot her one person, we owe bot h
t he begi nni ng and t he happy endi ng of t he Revol ut i on,
for i t was hi s keen mi nd t hat bot h hel ped i n drawi ng
up t he Decl arat i on of Independence and i n persuadi ng
t he si gners of t hat document t o t ransl at e i t i nt o t erms
of real i t y.
In speaki ng of t he source of hi s great st orehouse
of knowl edge, Pai ne t hus descri bed i t :
"Any person, who has made observat i ons on t he
- 46 -



Every failure is a bless-
ing in disguise, providing
it teaches some needed
lesson one could not have
learned without it. Most
so-called Failures are
only temporary defeats.

- 47 -
st at e of progress of t he human mi nd, by observi ng hi s
own, cannot but have observed t hat t here are t wo
di st i nct cl asses of what are cal l ed Thought s: t hose
t hat we produce i n oursel ves by refl ect i on and t he act
of t hi nki ng, and t hose t hat bol t i nt o t he mi nd of t hei r
own accord. I have al ways made i t a rul e t o t reat t hese
vol unt ary vi si t ors wi t h ci vi l i t y, t aki ng care t o
exami ne, as wel l as I was abl e, i f t hey were wort h
ent ert ai ni ng; and i t i s from t hem I have acqui red
al most al l t he knowl edge t hat I have. As t o t he
l earni ng t hat any person gai ns from school educat i on,
i t serves onl y l i ke a smal l capi t al , t o put hi m i n t he
way of begi nni ng l earni ng for hi msel f aft erwards.
Every person of l earni ng i s fi nal l y hi s own t eacher,
t he reason for whi ch i s, t hat pri nci pl es cannot be
i mpressed upon t he memory; t hei r pl ace of ment al
resi dence i s t he underst anding, and t hey are never so
l ast i ng as when t hey begi n by concept i on. "
In t he foregoi ng words Pai ne, t he great Ameri can
pat ri ot and phi l osopher, descri bed an experi ence
whi ch at one t i me or anot her i s t he experi ence of
every person. Who i s t here so unfort unat e as not t o
have recei ved posi t i ve evi dence t hat t hought s and
even compl et e i deas wi l l "pop" i nt o t he mi nd from
out si de sources?
What means of conveyance i s t here for such
vi si t ors except t he et her? Et her fi l l s t he boundl ess
space of t he uni verse. It i s t he medi um of conveyance
for al l known forms of vi brat i on such as sound, l i ght
and heat . Why shoul d i t not be, al so, t he medi um of
conveyance of t he vi brat i on of Thought ?
Every mi nd, or brai n, i s di rect l y' connect ed wi t h
every ot her brai n by means of t he et her. Every t hought
- 48 -
rel eased by any brai n may be i nst ant l y pi cked up and
i nt erpret ed by al l ot her brai ns t hat are "en rapport "
wi t h t he sendi ng brai n. Thi s aut hor i s as sure of t hi s
fact as he i s t hat t he chemi cal formul a H
2
O wi l l
produce wat er. Imagi ne, i f you can, what a part t hi s
pri nci pl e pl ays i n every wal k of l i fe.
Nor i s t he probabi l i t y of et her bei ng a conveyor
of t hought from mi nd t o mi nd t he most ast oundi ng of
i t s performances. It i s t he bel i ef of t hi s aut hor t hat
every t hought vi brat i on rel eased by any brai n i s
pi cked up by t he et her and kept i n mot i on i n
ci rcui t ous wave l engt hs correspondi ng i n l engt h t o t he
i nt ensi t y of t he energy used i n t hei r rel ease; t hat t hese
vi brat i ons remai n i n mot i on forever; t hat t hey are one
of t he t wo sources from whi ch t hought s whi ch "pop"
i nt o one' s mi nd emanat e, t he ot her source bei ng di rect
and, i mmedi at e cont act t hrough t he et her wi t h t he
brai n rel easi ng t he t hought vi brat i on.
Thus i t wi l l be seen t hat i f t hi s t heory i s a fact
t he boundl ess space of t he whol e uni verse i s now and
wi l l cont i nue t o become l i t eral l y a ment al l i brary
wherei n may be found al l t he t hought s rel eased by
manki nd.
The aut hor i s here l ayi ng t he foundat i on for one
of t he most i mport ant hypot heses enumerat ed i n t he
l esson Sel f-confi dence, a fact whi ch t he st udent
shoul d keep i n mi nd as he approaches t hat l esson.
Thi s i s a l esson on Organi zed Knowl edge. Most
of t he useful knowl edge t o whi ch t he human race has
become hei r has been preserved and accurat el y
recorded i n Nat ure' s Bi bl e. By t urni ng back t he pages
of t hi s unal t erabl e Bi bl e man has read t he st ory of; t he
t erri fi c st ruggl e t hrough and out of whi ch t he present
ci vi l i zat i on has grown. The pages of t hi s Bi bl e are
- 49 -
made up of t he physi cal el ement s of whi ch t hi s eart h
and t he ot her pl anet s consi st , and of t he et her whi ch
fi l l s al l space.
By t urni ng back t he pages wri t t en on st one and
covered near t he surface of t hi s eart h on whi ch he
l i ves, man has uncovered t he bones, skel et ons,
foot pri nt s and ot her unmi st akabl e evi dence of t he
hi st ory of ani mal l i fe on t hi s eart h, pl ant ed t here for
hi s enl i ght enment and gui dance by t he hand of Mot her
Nat ure t hroughout unbel i evabl e peri ods of t i me. The
evi dence i s pl ai n and unmi st akabl e. The great st one
pages of Nat ure' s Bi bl e found on t hi s eart h and t he
endl ess pages of t hat Bi bl e represent ed by t he et her
wherei n al l past human t hought has been recorded,
const i t ut e an aut hent i c source of communi cat i on
bet ween t he Creat or and man. Thi s Bi bl e was begun
before man had reached t he t hi nki ng st age; i ndeed,
before man had reached t he amoeba (one-cel l ani mal )
st age of devel opment .
Thi s Bi bl e i s above and beyond t he power of man
t o al t er. Moreover, i t t el l s i t s st ory not i n t he anci ent
dead l anguages or hi erogl yphi cs of hal f savage races,
but i n uni versal l anguage whi ch al l who have eyes
may read. Nat ure' s Bi bl e, from whi ch we have deri ved
al l t he knowl edge t hat i s wort h knowi ng, i s one t hat
no man may al t er or i n any manner t amper wi t h.
The most marvel ous di scovery yet made by man i s
t hat of t he recent l y di scovered radi o pri nci pl e, whi ch
operat es t hrough t he ai d of et her, an i mport ant port i on
of Nat ure' s Bi bl e. Imagi ne t he et her pi cki ng up t he
ordi nary vi brat i on of sound, and t ransformi ng t hat
vi brat i on from audi o-frequency i nt o radi o-frequency,
carryi ng i t t o a properl y at t uned recei vi ng st at i on and
- 50 -
t here t ransformi ng i t back i nt o i t s ori gi nal form of
audi o-frequency, al l i n t he fl ash of a second. It shoul d
surpri se no one t hat such a force coul d gat her up t he
vi brat i on of t hought and keep t hat vi brat i on i n mot i on
forever.
The est abl i shed and known fact of i nst ant aneous
t ransmi ssi on of sound, t hrough t he agency of t he
et her, by means of t he modern radi o apparat us,
removes t he t heory of t ransmi ssi on of t hought
vi brat i on from mi nd t o mi nd from t he possi bl e t o t he
probabl e.
THE MASTER MIND: We come, now, t o t he next
st ep i n t he descri pt i on of t he ways and means by
whi ch one may gat her, cl assi fy and organi ze useful
knowl edge, t hrough harmoni ous al l i ance of t wo or
more mi nds, out of whi ch grows a Mast er Mi nd.
The t erm "Mast er Mi nd" i s abst ract , and has no
count erpart i n t he fi el d of known fact s, except t o a
smal l number of peopl e who have made a careful st udy
of t he effect of one mi nd upon ot her mi nds.
Thi s aut hor has searched i n vai n t hrough al l t he
t ext books and essays avai l abl e on t he subj ect of t he
human mi nd, but nowhere has been found even t he
sl i ght est reference t o t he pri nci pl e here descri bed as
t he "Mast er Mi nd. " The t erm fi rst came t o t he
at t ent i on of t he aut hor t hrough an i nt ervi ew wi t h
Andrew Carnegi e, i n t he manner descri bed i n Lesson
Two.

CHEMISTRY OF THE MIND: It i s t hi s aut hor' s
bel i ef t hat t he mi nd i s made up of t he same uni versal
"fl ui d" energy as t hat whi ch const i t ut es t he et her
whi ch fi l l s t he uni verse. It i s a fact as wel l known t o
t he l ayman as t o t he man of sci ent i fi c i nvest i gat i on,
- 51 -
t hat some mi nds cl ash t he moment t hey come i n
cont act wi t h each ot her, whi l e ot her mi nds show a
nat ural affi ni t y for each ot her. Bet ween t he t wo
ext remes of nat ural ant agoni sm and nat ural affi ni t y
growi ng out of t he meet i ng or cont act i ng of mi nds
t here i s a wi de range of possi bi l i t y for varyi ng
react i ons of mi nd upon mi nd.
Some mi nds are so nat ural l y adapt ed t o each ot her
t hat "l ove at fi rst si ght " i s t he i nevi t abl e out come of
t he cont act . Who has not known of such an
experi ence? In ot her cases mi nds are so ant agoni st i c
t hat vi ol ent mut ual di sl i ke shows i t sel f at fi rst
meet i ng. These resul t s occur wi t hout a word bei ng
spoken, and wi t hout t he sl i ght est si gns of any of t he
usual causes for l ove and hat e act i ng as a st i mul us.
It i s qui t e probabl e t hat t he "mi nd" i s made up of
a fl ui d or subst ance or energy, cal l i t what you wi l l ,
si mi l ar t o (i f not i n fact t he same subst ance as) t he
et her. When t wo mi nds come cl ose enough t o each
ot her t o form a cont act , t he mi xi ng of t he uni t s of t hi s
"mi nd st uff" (l et us cal l i t t he el ect rons of t he et her)
set s up a chemi cal react i on and st art s vi brat i ons whi ch
affect t he t wo i ndi vi dual s pl easant l y or unpl easant l y.
The effect of t he meet i ng of t wo mi nds i s obvi ous
t o even t he most casual observer. Every effect must
have a cause! What coul d be more reasonabl e t han t o
suspect t hat t he cause of t he change i n ment al at t i t ude
bet ween t wo mi nds whi ch have j ust come i n cl ose
cont act i s none ot her t han t he di st urbance of t he
el ect rons or uni t s of each mi nd i n t he process of
rearrangi ng t hemsel ves i n t he new fi el d creat ed by t he
cont act ?
- 52 -



TO BELIEVE IN
THE HEROIC
MAKES HEROES.
-Disraeli.

- 53 -
For t he purpose of est abl i shi ng t hi s l esson upon a
sound foundat i on we have gone a l ong way t oward
success by admi t t i ng t hat t he meet i ng or comi ng i n
cl ose cont act of t wo mi nds set s up i n each of t hose
mi nds a cert ai n not i ceabl e "effect " or st at e of mi nd
qui t e di fferent from t he one exi st i ng i mmedi at el y
pri or t o t he cont act . Whi l e i t i s desi rabl e i t i s not
essent i al t o know what i s t he "cause" of t hi s react i on
of mi nd upon mi nd. That t he react i on t akes pl ace, i n
every i nst ance, i s a known fact whi ch gi ves us a
st art i ng poi nt from whi ch we may show what i s meant
by t he t erm "Mast er Mi nd. "
A Mast er Mi nd may be creat ed t hrough t he
bri ngi ng t oget her or bl endi ng, i n a spi ri t of perfect
harmony, of t wo or more mi nds. Out of t hi s
harmoni ous bl endi ng t he chemi st ry of t he mi nd creat es
a t hi rd mi nd whi ch may be appropri at ed and used by
one or al l of t he i ndi vi dual mi nds. Thi s Mast er Mi nd
wi l l remai n avai l abl e as l ong as t he fri endl y,
harmoni ous al l i ance bet ween t he i ndi vi dual mi nds
exi st s. It wi l l di si nt egrat e and al l evi dence of i t s
former exi st ence wi l l di sappear t he moment t he
fri endl y al l i ance i s broken.
Thi s pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry i s t he basi s and
cause for pract i cal l y al l t he so-cal l ed "soul -mat e" and
"et ernal t ri angl e" cases, so many of whi ch
unfort unat el y fi nd t hei r way i nt o t he di vorce court s
and meet wi t h popul ar ri di cul e from i gnorant and
uneducat ed peopl e who manufact ure vul gari t y and
scandal out of one of t he great est of Nat ure' s l aws.
The ent i re ci vi l i zed world knows t hat t he fi rst
t wo or t hree years of associ at i on aft er marri age are
oft en marked by much di sagreement , of a more or l ess
- 54 -
pet t y nat ure. These are t he years of "adj ust ment . " If
t he marri age survi ves t hem i t i s more t han apt t o
become a permanent al l i ance. These fact s no
experi enced marri ed person wi l l deny. Agai n we see
t he "effect " wi t hout underst andi ng t he "cause. "
Whi l e t here are ot her cont ri but i ng causes, yet , i n
t he mai n, l ack of harmony duri ng t hese earl y years of
marri age i s due t o t he sl owness of t he chemi st ry of t he
mi nds i n bl endi ng harmoni ousl y. St at ed di fferent l y,
t he el ect rons or uni t s of t he energy cal l ed t he mi nd
are oft en nei t her ext remel y fri endl y nor ant agoni st i c
upon fi rst cont act ; but , t hrough const ant associ at i on
t hey gradual l y adapt t hemsel ves i n harmony, except i n
rare cases where associ at i on has t he opposi t e effect of
l eadi ng, event ual l y, t o open host i l i t y bet ween t hese
uni t s.
It i s a wel l known fact t hat aft er a man and a
woman have l i ved t oget her for t en t o fi ft een years
t hey become pract i cal l y i ndi spensabl e t o each ot her,
even t hough t here may not be t he sl i ght est evi dence of
t he st at e of mi nd cal l ed l ove. Moreover, t hi s
associ at i on and rel at i onshi p sexual l y not onl y
devel ops a nat ural , affi ni t y bet ween t he t wo mi nds,
but i t act ual l y causes t he t wo peopl e t o t ake on a
si mi l ar faci al expressi on' and t o resembl e each ot her
cl osel y i n many ot her marked ways. Any compet ent
anal yst of human nat ure can easi l y go i nt o a crowd of
st range peopl e' and pi ck out t he wi fe aft er havi ng
been i nt roduced t o her husband. The expressi on of t he
eyes, t he cont our of t he faces and t he t one of t he
voi ces of peopl e who have l ong been associ at ed i n
marri age, become si mi l ar t o a marked degree.
So marked i s t he effect of t he chemi st ry of t he
human mi nd t hat any experi enced publ i c speaker may
- 55 -
qui ckl y i nt erpret t he manner i n whi ch hi s st at ement s
are accept ed by hi s audi ence. Ant agoni sm i n t he mi nd
of but one person i n an audi ence of one t housand may
be readi l y det ect ed by t he speaker who has l earned
how t o "feel " and regi st er t he effect s of ant agoni sm.
Moreover, t he publ i c speaker can make t hese
i nt erpret at i ons wi t hout observi ng or i n any manner
bei ng i nfl uenced by t he expressi on on t he faces of
t hose i n hi s audi ence. On account of t hi s fact an
audi ence may cause a speaker t o ri se t o great hei ght s
of orat ory, or heckl e hi m i nt o fai l ure, wi t hout maki ng
a sound or denot i ng a si ngl e expressi on of sat i sfact i on
or di ssat i sfact i on t hrough t he feat ures of t he face.
Al l "Mast er Sal esmen" know t he moment t he
"psychol ogi cal t i me for cl osi ng" has arri ved; not by
what t he prospect i ve buyer says, but from t he effect of
t he chemi st ry of hi s mi nd as i nt erpret ed or "fel t " by
t he sal esman. Words oft en bel i e t he i nt ent i ons of
t hose speaki ng t hem but a correct i nt erpret at i on of t he
chemi st ry of t he mi nd l eaves no l oophol e for such a
possi bi l i t y. Every abl e sal esman knows t hat t he
maj ori t y of buyers have t he habi t of affect i ng a
negat i ve at t i t ude al most t o t he very cl i max of a sal e.
Every abl e l awyer has devel oped a si xt h sense
whereby he i s enabl ed t o "feel " hi s way t hrough t he
most art ful l y sel ect ed words of t he cl ever wi t ness who
i s l yi ng, and correct l y i nt erpret t hat whi ch i s i n t he
wi t ness' s mi nd, t hrough t he chemi st ry of t he mi nd.
Many l awyers have devel oped t hi s abi l i t y wi t hout
knowi ng t he real source of i t ; t hey possess t he
t echni que wi t hout t he sci ent i fi c underst andi ng upon
whi ch i t i s based. Many sal esmen have done t he same
t hi ng.
- 56 -
One who i s gi ft ed i n t he art of correct l y t he
chemi st ry of t he mi nds of ot hers may, fi gurat i vel y
speaki ng, wal k i n at t he front door of t he mansi on of a
gi ven mi nd and l ei surel y expl ore t he ent i re bui l di ng,
not i ng al l i t s det ai l s, wal ki ng out agai n wi t h a
compl et e pi ct ure of t he i nt eri or of t he bui l di ng,
wi t hout t he owner of t he bui l di ng so much as knowi ng
t hat he has ent ert ai ned a vi si t or. It wi l l be observed,
i n t he l esson Accurat e Thi nki ng, t hat t hi s pri nci pl e
may be put t o a very pract i cal use (havi ng reference t o
t he pri nci pl e of t he chemi st ry of t he mi nd). The
pri nci pl e i s referred t o merel y as an approach t o t he
maj or pri nci pl es of t hi s l esson.
Enough has al ready been st at ed t o i nt roduce t he
pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry, and t o prove, wi t h t he ai d
of t he st udent ' s own every-day experi ences and casual
observat i ons t hat t he moment t wo mi nds come wi t hi n
cl ose range of each ot her a not i ceabl e ment al change
t akes pl ace i n bot h, somet i mes regi st eri ng i n t he
nat ure of ant agoni sm and at ot her t i mes regi st eri ng i n
t he nat ure of fri endl i ness. Every mi nd has what mi ght
be t ermed an el ect ri c fi el d. The nat ure of t hi s fi el d
vari es, dependi ng upon t he "mood" of t he i ndi vi dual
mi nd back of i t , and upon t he nat ure of t he chemi st ry
of t he mi nd creat i ng t he "fi el d. "
It i s bel i eved by t hi s aut hor t hat t he normal or
nat ural condi t i on of t he chemi st ry of any i ndi vi dual
mi nd i s t he resul t of hi s physi cal heredi t y pl us t he
nat ure of t hought s whi ch have domi nat ed t hat mi nd;
t hat every mi nd i s cont i nuousl y changi ng t o t he ext ent
t hat t he i ndi vi dual ' s phi l osophy and general habi t s of
t hought change t he chemi st ry of hi s or her mi nd.
These pri nci pl es t he aut hor BELIEVES t o be t rue.
That any i ndi vi dual may vol unt ari l y change t he
- 57 -
chemi st ry of hi s or her mi nd so t hat i t wi l l ei t her
at t ract or repel al l wi t h whom i t comes i n cont act i s a
KNOWN FACT! St at ed i n anot her manner, any person
may assume a ment al at t i t ude whi ch wi l l at t ract and
pl ease ot hers or repel and ant agoni ze t hem, and t hi s
wi t hout t he ai d of words or faci al expressi on or ot her
form of bodi l y movement or demeanor.
Go back, now, t o t he defi ni t i on of a "Mast er
Mi nd" - a mi nd whi ch grows out of t he bl endi ng and
coordi nat i on of t wo or more mi nds, IN A SPIRIT OF
PERFECT HARMONY, and you wi l l cat ch t he ful l
si gni fi cance of t he word "harmony" as i t i s here used.
Two mi nds wi l l not bl end nor can t hey be co-ordi nat ed
unl ess t he el ement of perfect harmony i s present ,
wherei n l i es t he secret of success or fai l ure of
pract i cal l y al l busi ness and soci al part nershi ps.
Every sal es manager and every mi l i t ary
commander and every l eader i n any ot her wal k of l i fe
underst ands t he necessi t y of an "espri t de corps"-a
spi ri t of common underst andi ng and co-operat i on - i n
t he at t ai nment of success. Thi s mass spi ri t of harmony
of purpose i s obt ai ned t hrough di sci pl i ne, vol unt ary or
forced, of such a nat ure t hat t he i ndi vi dual mi nds
become bl ended i nt o a "Mast er Mi nd, " by whi ch i s
meant t hat t he chemi st ry of t he i ndi vi dual mi nds i s
modi fi ed i n such a manner t hat t hese mi nds bl end and
funct i on as one.
The met hods t hrough whi ch t hi s bl endi ng process
t akes pl ace are as numerous as t he i ndi vi dual s
engaged i n t he vari ous forms of l eadershi p. Every
l eader has hi s or her own met hod of co-ordi nat i ng t he
mi nds of t he fol l owers. One wi l l use force. Anot her
- 58 -



IF YOU DO NOT
BELIEVE IN CO-
OPERATION, LOOK
WHAT HAPPENS TO
A WAGON THAT
LOSES A WHEEL.

- 59 -
uses persuasi on. One wi l l pl ay upon t he fear of
penal t i es whi l e anot her pl ays upon rewards, i n order
t o reduce t he i ndi vi dual minds of a gi ven group of
peopl e t o where t hey may be bl ended i nt o a mass
mi nd. The st udent wi l l not have t o search deepl y i nt o
hi st ory of st at esmanshi p, pol i t i cs, busi ness or fi nance,
t o di scover t he t echni que empl oyed by t he l eaders i n
t hese fi el ds i n t he process of bl endi ng t he mi nds of
i ndi vi dual s i nt o a mass mi nd.
The real l y great l eaders of t he worl d, however,
have been provi ded by Nat ure wi t h a combi nat i on of
mi nd chemi st ry favorabl e as a nucl eus of at t ract i on
for ot her mi nds. Napol eon was a not abl e exampl e of a
man possessi ng t he magnet i c t ype of mi nd whi ch had a
very deci ded t endency t o at t ract al l mi nds wi t h whi ch
i t came i n cont act . Sol di ers fol l owed Napol eon t o
cert ai n deat h wi t hout fl i nchi ng, because of t he
i mpel l i ng or at t ract i ng nat ure of hi s personal i t y, and
t hat personal i t y was not hi ng more nor l ess t han t he
chemi st ry of hi s mi nd.
No group of mi nds can be bl ended i nt o a Mast er
Mi nd i f one of t he i ndi vi dual s of t hat group possesses
one of t hese ext remel y negat i ve, repel l ent mi nds. The
negat i ve and posi t i ve mi nds wi l l not bl end i n t he
sense here descri bed as a Mast er Mi nd. Lack of
knowl edge of t hi s fact has brought many an ot herwi se
abl e l eader t o defeat .
Any abl e l eader who underst ands t hi s pri nci pl e of
mi nd chemi st ry may t emporari l y bl end t he mi nds of
pract i cal l y any group of peopl e, so t hat i t wi l l
represent a mass mi nd, but t he composi t i on wi l l
di si nt egrat e al most t he very moment t he l eader' s
presence i s removed from t he group. The most
- 60 -
successful l i fe-i nsurance sal es organi zat i ons and ot her
sal es forces meet once a week, or more oft en, for t he
purpose of - OF WHAT?
FOR THE PURPOSE OF MERGING THE
INDIVIDUAL MINDS INTO A MASTER MIND
WHICH WILL, FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF
DAYS, SERVE AS A STIMULUS TO THE
INDIVIDUAL MINDS!
It may be, and general l y i s, t rue t hat t he l eaders
of t hese groups do not underst and what act ual l y t akes
pl ace i n t hese meet i ngs, whi ch are usual l y cal l ed "pep
meet i ngs. " The rout i ne of such meet i ngs i s usual l y
gi ven over t o t al ks by t he l eader and ot her members of
t he group, and occasi onal l y from someone out si de of
t he group, meanwhi l e t he mi nds of t he i ndi vi dual s are
cont act i ng and rechargi ng one anot her.
The brai n of a human bei ng may be compared t o
an el ect ri c bat t ery i n t hat i t wi l l become exhaust ed or
run down, causi ng t he owner of i t t o feel despondent ,
di scouraged and l acki ng i n "pep. " Who i s so fort unat e
as never t o have had such a feel i ng? The human brai n,
when i n t hi s depl et ed condi t i on, must be recharged,
and t he manner i n whi ch t hi s i s done i s t hrough
cont act wi t h a more vi t al mi nd or mi nds. The great
l eaders underst and t he necessi t y of t hi s "rechargi ng"
process, and, moreover, t hey underst and how t o
accompl i sh t hi s resul t . THIS KNOWLEDGE IS THE
MAIN FEATURE WHICH DISTINGUISHES A
LEADER FROM A FOLLOWER!
Fort unat e i s t he person who underst ands t hi s
pri nci pl e suffi ci ent l y wel l t o keep hi s or her brai n
vi t al i zed or "recharged" by peri odi cal l y cont act i ng i t
wi t h a more vi t al mi nd. Sexual cont act i s one of t he
- 61 -
most effect i ve of t he st i mul i t hrough whi ch a mi nd
may be recharged, provi di ng t he cont act i s
i nt el l i gent l y made, bet ween man and woman who have
genui ne affect i on for each ot her. Any ot her sort of
sexual rel at i onshi p i s a devi t al i zer of t he mi nd. Any
compet ent pract i t i oner of Psycho-t herapeut i cs can
"recharge" a brai n wi t hi n a few mi nut es.
Before passi ng away from t he bri ef reference
made t o sexual cont act as a means of revi t al i zi ng a
depl et ed mi nd i t seems appropri at e t o cal l at t ent i on t o
t he fact t hat al l of t he great l eaders, i n what ever wal ks
of l i fe t hey have ari sen, have been and are peopl e of
hi ghl y sexed nat ures. (The word "sex" i s not an
i ndecent word. You' l l fi nd i t i n al l t he di ct i onari es. )
There i s a growi ng t endency upon t he part of t he
best i nformed physi ci ans and ot her heal t h
pract i t i oners, t o accept t he t heory t hat al l di seases
begi n when t he brai n of t he i ndi vi dual i s i n a depl et ed
or devi t al i zed st at e. St at ed i n anot her way, i t i s a
known fact t hat a person who has a perfect l y vi t al i zed
brai n i s pract i cal l y, i f not ent i rel y, i mmune from al l
manner of di sease.
Every i nt el l i gent heal t h pract i t i oner, of what ever
school or t ype, knows t hat "Nat ure" or t he mi nd cures
di sease i n every i nst ance where a cure i s effect ed.
Medi ci nes, fai t h, l ayi ng on of hands, chi ropract i c,
ost eopat hy and al l ot her forms of out si de st i mul ant are
not hi ng more t han art i fi ci al ai ds t o NATURE, or, t o
st at e i t correct l y, mere met hods of set t i ng t he
chemi st ry of t he mi nd i nt o mot i on t o t he end t hat i t
readj ust s t he cel l s and t i ssues of t he body, revi t al i zes
t he brai n and ot herwi se causes t he human machi ne t o
funct i on normal l y.
- 62 -
The most ort hodox pract i t i oner wi l l admi t t he
t rut h, of t hi s st at ement .
What , t hen, may be t he possi bi l i t i es of t he fut ure
devel opment s i n t he fi el d of mi nd chemi st ry?
Through t he pri nci pl e of harmoni ous bl endi ng of
mi nds perfect heal t h may be enj oyed. Through t he ai d
of t hi s same pri nci pl e suffi ci ent power may be
devel oped t o sol ve t he probl em of economi c pressure
whi ch const ant l y presses upon every i ndi vi dual .
We may j udge t he fut ure possi bi l i t i es of mi nd
chemi st ry by t aki ng i nvent ory of i t s past
achi evement s, keepi ng i n mi nd t he fact t hat t hese
achi evement s have been l argel y t he resul t of
acci dent al di scovery and of chance groupi ngs of
mi nds. We are approachi ng t he t i me when t he
professorat e of t he uni versi t i es wi l l t each mi nd
chemi st ry t he same as ot her subj ect s are now t aught .
Meanwhi l e, st udy and experi ment at i on i n connect i on
wi t h t hi s subj ect open vi st as of possi bi l i t y for t he
i ndi vi dual st udent .

MIND CHEMISTRY AND ECONOMIC, POWER:
That mi nd chemi st ry may be appropri at el y appl i ed t o
t he workaday affai rs of t he economi c and, commerci al
worl d i s a demonst rabl e fact .
Through t he bl endi ng of t wo or more mi nds, i n a
spi ri t of PERFECT HARMONY, t he pri nci pl e of mi nd
chemi st ry may be made t o devel op suffi ci ent power t o
enabl e t he i ndi vi dual s whose mi nds have been t hus
bl ended t o perform seemi ngl y superhuman feat s.
Power i s t he force wi t h whi ch man achi eves success i n
any undert aki ng. Power, i n unl i mi t ed quant i t i es, may,
be enj oyed by any group of men, or men and women,
- 63 -
who possess t he wi sdom wi t h whi ch t o submerge t hei r
own personal i t i es and t hei r own i mmedi at e i ndi vi dual
i nt erest s, t hrough t he bl endi ng of t hei r mi nds i n a
spi ri t of perfect harmony.
Observe, profi t abl y, t he frequency wi t h whi ch t he
word "harmony" appears t hroughout t hi s Int roduct i on!
There can be no devel opment of a "Mast er Mi nd"
where t hi s el ement of PERFECT HARMONY does not
exi st . The i ndi vi dual uni t s of t he mi nd wi l l not bl end
wi t h t he i ndi vi dual uni t s of anot her mi nd UNTIL THE
TWO MINDS HAVE BEEN AROUSED AND
WARMED, AS IT WERE, WITH A SPIRIT OF
PERFECT HARMONY OF PURPOSE. The moment
t wo mi nds begi n t o t ake di vergent roads of i nt erest t he
i ndi vi dual uni t s of each mi nd separat e, and t he t hi rd
el ement , known as a "MASTER MIND, " whi ch grew
out of t he fri endl y or harmoni ous al l i ance, wi l l
di si nt egrat e.
We come, now, t o t he st udy of some wel l known
men who have accumul at ed great power (al so great
fort unes) t hrough t he appl i cat i on of mi nd chemi st ry.
Let us begi n our st udy wi t h t hree men who are
known t o be men of great achi evement i n t hei r
respect i ve fi el ds of economi c, busi ness and
professi onal endeavor.
Thei r names are Henry Ford, Thomas A. Edi son
and Harvey S. Fi rest one.
Of t he t hree Henry Ford i s, by far, t he most
POWERFUL, havi ng reference t o economi c and
fi nanci al power. Mr. Ford i s t he most powerful man
now l i vi ng on eart h. Many who have st udi ed Mr. Ford
bel i eve hi m t o be t he most powerful man who ever
- 64 -

COURAGE IS THE
STANDING ARMY
OF THE SOUL
WHICH KEEPS IT
FROM CONQUEST,
PILLAGE AND SLAV-
ERY.
- Henry van Dyke
- 65 -
l i ved. As far as i s known Mr. Ford i s t he onl y man
now l i vi ng, or who ever l i ved, wi t h suffi ci ent power
t o out wi t t he money t rust of t he Uni t ed St at es. Mr.
Ford gat hers mi l l i ons of dol l ars wi t h as great ease as a
chi l d fi l l s i t s bucket wi t h sand when pl ayi ng on t he
beach. It has been sai d, by t hose who were i n posi t i on
t o know, t hat Mr. Ford, i f he needed i t , coul d send out
t he cal l for money and gat her i n a bi l l i on dol l ars (a
t housand mi l l i on dol l ars) and have i t avai l abl e for use
wi t hi n one week. No one who knows of Ford' s
achi evement s doubt s t hi s. Those who know hi m wel l
know t hat he coul d do i t wi t h no more effort t han t he
average man expends i n rai si ng t he money wi t h whi ch
t o pay a mont h' s house rent . He coul d get t hi s money,
i f he needed i t , t hrough t he i nt el l i gent appl i cat i on of
t he pri nci pl es on whi ch t hi s course i s based.
Whi l e Mr. Ford' s new aut omobi l e was i n t he
process of perfect i on, i n 1927, i t i s sai d t hat he
recei ved advance orders, wi t h cash payment s, for more
t han 375, 000 cars. At an est i mat ed pri ce of $600. 00
per car t hi s woul d amount t o $225, 000, 000. 00 whi ch
he recei ved before a si ngl e car was del i vered. Such i s
t he power of confi dence i n Ford' s abi l i t y.
Mr. Edi son, as everyone knows, i s a phi l osopher,
sci ent i st and i nvent or. He i s, perhaps, t he keenest
Bi bl e st udent on eart h; a st udent of Nat ure' s Bi bl e,
however, and not of t he myri ads of man-made Bi bl es.
Mr. Edi son has such a keen i nsi ght i nt o Mot her
Nat ure' s Bi bl e t hat he has harnessed and combi ned,
for t he good of manki nd, more of Nat ure' s l aws t han
any ot her person now l i vi ng or who ever l i ved. It was
he who brought t oget her t he poi nt of a needl e and a
pi ece of revol vi ng wax, i n such a way t hat t he
- 66 -
vi brat i on of t he human voi ce may be recorded and
reproduced t hrough t he modern t al ki ng machi ne.
(And i t may be Edi son who wi l l event ual l y enabl e
man t o pi ck up and correct l y i nt erpret t he vi brat i ons
of t hought whi ch are now recorded i n t he boundl ess
uni verse of et her, j ust as he has enabl ed man t o record
and reproduce t he spoken word. )
It was Edi son who fi rst harnessed t he l i ght ni ng
and made i t serve as a l i ght for man' s use, t hrough t he
ai d of t he i ncandescent el ect ri c l i ght bul b.
It was Edi son who gave t he worl d t he modern
movi ng pi ct ure.
These are but a few of hi s out st andi ng
achi evement s. These modern "mi racl es" whi ch he has
performed (not by t ri ckery, under t he sham pret ense of
superhuman power, but i n t he very mi dst of t he bri ght
l i ght of sci ence) t ranscend al l of t he so-cal l ed
"mi racl es" descri bed i n t he man-made books of
fi ct i on.
Mr. Fi rest one i s t he movi ng spi ri t i n t he great
Fi rest one Ti re i ndust ry, i n Akron, Ohi o. Hi s i ndust ri al
achi evement s are so wel l known wherever aut omobi l es
are used t hat no speci al comment on t hem seems
necessary.
Al l t hree of t hese men began t hei r careers,
busi ness and professi onal , wi t hout capi t al and wi t h
but l i t t l e - school i ng of t hat t ype usual l y referred t o as
"educat i on. "
Al l t hree men are now wel l educat ed. Al l t hree
are weal t hy. Al l t hree are powerful . Now l et us
i nqui re i nt o t he source of t hei r weal t h and power.
Thus far we have been deal i ng onl y wi t h effect ; t he
t rue phi l osopher wi shes t o underst and t he cause of a
gi ven effect .
- 67 -
It i s a mat t er of general knowl edge t hat Mr. Ford,
Mr. Edi son and Mr. Fi rest one are cl ose personal
fri ends, and have been so for many years; t hat i n
former years t hey were i n t he habi t of goi ng away t o
t he woods once a year for a peri od of rest , medi t at i on
and recuperat i on.
But i t i s not general l y known-i t i s a grave doubt
i f t hese t hree men t hemsel ves know i t -t hat t here exi st s
bet ween t he t hree men a bond of harmony whi ch has
caused t hei r mi nds t o become bl ended i nt o a "Mast er
Mi nd" whi ch i s t he real source of t he power of each.
Thi s mass mi nd, growi ng out of t he co-ordi nat i on of
t he i ndi vi dual mi nds of Ford, Edi son and Fi rest one,
has enabl ed t hese men t o "t une i n" on forces (and
sources of knowl edge) wi t h whi ch most men are t o no
ext ent fami l i ar.
If t he st udent doubt s ei t her t he pri nci pl e or t he
effect s here descri bed, l et hi m remember t hat more
t han hal f t he t heory here set fort h i s a known fact . For
exampl e, i t i s known t hat t hese t hree men have great
power. It i s known t hat t hey are weal t hy. It i s known
t hat t hey began wi t hout capi t al and wi t h but l i t t l e
school i ng. It i s known t hat t hey form peri odi c mi nd
cont act s. It i s known t hat t hey are harmoni ous and
fri endl y. It i s known t hat t hei r achi evement s are so
out st andi ng as t o make i t i mpossi bl e t o compare t hese
achi evement s wi t h t hose of ot her men i n t hei r
respect i ve fi el ds of act i vi t y.
Al l t hese "effect s" are known t o pract i cal l y every
school -boy i n t he ci vi l i zed worl d, t herefore t here can
be no di sput e as far as effect s are concerned.
Of one fact connect ed wi t h t he cause of t he
achi evement s of Edi son, Ford and Fi rest one we may
- 68 -
be sure, namel y, t hat t hese achi evement s were i n no
way based upon t ri ckery, decei t , t he "supernat ural " or
so-cal l ed "revel at i ons" or any ot her form of unnat ural
l aw. These men do not possess a st ock of l egerdemai n.
They work wi t h nat ural l aws; l aws whi ch, for t he most
part , are wel l known t o al l economi st s and l eaders i n
t he fi el d of sci ence, wi t h t he possi bl e except i on of t he
l aw upon whi ch chemi st ry of t he mi nd i s based. As yet
chemi st ry of t he mi nd i s not suffi ci ent l y devel oped t o
be cl assed, by sci ent i fi c men, i n t hei r cat al ogue of
known l aws.
A "Mast er Mi nd" may be creat ed by any group of
peopl e who wi l l co-ordi nat e t hei r mi nds, i n a spi ri t of
perfect harmony. The group may consi st of any
number from t wo upward. Best resul t s appear
avai l abl e from t he bl endi ng of si x or seven mi nds.
It has been suggest ed t hat Jesus Chri st di scovered
how t o make use of t he pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry,
and t hat Hi s seemi ngl y mi racul ous performances grew
out of t he power He devel oped t hrough t he bl endi ng of
t he mi nds of Hi s t wel ve di sci pl es. It has been poi nt ed
out t hat when one of t he di sci pl es (Judas Iscari ot )
broke fai t h t he "Mast er Mi nd" i mmedi at el y
di si nt egrat ed and Jesus met wi t h t he supreme
cat ast rophe of Hi s l i fe.
When t wo or more peopl e harmoni ze t hei r mi nds
and produce t he effect known as a "Mast er Mi nd, "
each person i n t he group becomes vest ed wi t h t he
power t o cont act wi t h and gat her knowl edge t hrough
t he "subconsci ous" mi nds of al l t he ot her members of
t he group. Thi s power becomes i mmedi at el y
not i ceabl e, havi ng t he effect of st i mul at i ng t he mi nd
t o a hi gher rat e of vi brat i on, and ot herwi se evi denci ng
- 69 -
i t sel f i n t he form of a more vi vi d i magi nat i on and t he
consci ousness of what appears t o be a si xt h sense. It
i s t hrough t hi s si xt h sense t hat new i deas wi l l "fl ash"
i nt o t he mi nd. These i deas t ake on t he nat ure and form
of t he subj ect domi nat i ng t he mi nd of t he i ndi vi dual .
If t he ent i re group has met for t he purpose of
di scussi ng a gi ven subj ect , i deas concerni ng t hat
subj ect wi l l come pouri ng i nt o t he mi nds of al l
present , as i f an out si de i nfl uence were di ct at i ng
t hem. The mi nds of t hose part i ci pat i ng i n t he "Mast er
Mi nd" become as magnet s, at t ract i ng i deas and
t hought st i mul i of t he most hi ghl y organi zed and
pract i cal nat ure, from no one knows where!
The process of mi nd-bl endi ng here descri bed as a
"Mast er Mi nd" may be l i kened t o t he act of one who
connect s many el ect ri c bat t eri es t o a si ngl e
t ransmi ssi on wi re, t hereby "st eppi ng up" t he power
fl owi ng over t hat l i ne. Each bat t ery added i ncreases
t he power passi ng over t hat l i ne by t he amount of
energy t he bat t ery carri es. Just so i n t he case of
bl endi ng i ndi vi dual mi nds i nt o a "Mast er Mi nd. " Each
mi nd, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry,
st i mul at es al l t he ot her mi nds i n t he group, unt i l t he
mi nd energy t hus becomes so great t hat i t penet rat es
t o and connect s wi t h t he uni versal energy known as
et her, whi ch, i n t urn, t ouches every at om of t he ent i re
uni verse.
The modern radi o apparat us subst ant i at es, t o a
consi derabl e ext ent , t he t heory here expounded.
Powerful sendi ng or broadcast i ng st at i ons must be
erect ed t hrough whi ch t he vi brat i on of sound i s
"st epped up" before i t can be pi cked up by t he much
hi gher vi brat i ng energy of t he et her and carri ed i n al l
di rect i ons. A "Mast er Mi nd" made up of many
- 70 -




MEN cease to interest us
when we find their
limitations. The only sin is
limitation. As soon as you
once come up to a man's
limitations, it is all over with
him.
-Emerson.




- 71 -
i ndi vi dual mi nds, so bl ended t hat t hey produce a
st rong vi brat i ng energy, const i t ut es al most an exact
count erpart of t he radi o broadcast i ng st at i on.
Every publ i c speaker has fel t t he i nfl uence of
mi nd chemi st ry, for i t i s a wel l known fact t hat as
soon as t he i ndi vi dual mi nds of an audi ence become
"en rapport " (at t uned t o t he rat e of vi brat i on of t he
mi nd of t he speaker) wi t h t he speaker, t here i s a
not i ceabl e i ncrease of ent husi asm i n t he speaker' s
mi nd, and he oft en ri ses t o hei ght s of orat ory whi ch
surpri se al l , i ncl udi ng hi msel f.
The fi rst fi ve t o t en mi nut es of t he average
speech are devot ed t o what i s known as "warmi ng up. "
By t hi s i s meant t he process t hrough whi ch t he mi nds
of t he speaker and hi s audi ence are becomi ng bl ended
i n a spi ri t of PERFECT HARMONY.
Every speaker knows what happens when t hi s
st at e of "perfect harmony" fai l s t o mat eri al i ze upon
part of hi s audi ence.
The seemi ngl y supernat ural phenomena occurri ng
i n spi ri t ual i st i c meet i ngs are t he resul t of t he react i on,
upon one anot her, of t he mi nds i n t he group. These
phenomena sel dom begi n t o mani fest t hemsel ves under
t en t o t went y mi nut es aft er t he group i s formed, for
t he reason t hat t hi s i s about t he t i me requi red for t he
mi nds -i n t he group t o become harmoni zed or bl ended.
The "messages" recei ved by members of a
spi ri t ual i st i c group probabl y come from one of t wo
sources, or from bot h, namel y:
Fi rst : From t he vast st orehouse of t he
subconsci ous mi nd of some member of t he group; or
Second: From t he uni versal st orehouse of t he
- 72 -
et her, i n whi ch, i t i s more t han probabl e, al l t hought
vi brat i on i s preserved.
Nei t her any known nat ural l aw nor human reason
support s t he t heory of communi cat i on wi t h i ndi vi dual s
who have di ed.
It i s a known fact t hat any i ndi vi dual may expl ore
t he st ore of knowl edge i n anot her' s mi nd, t hrough t hi s
pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry, and i t seems reasonabl e
t o suppose t hat t hi s power may be ext ended t o i ncl ude
cont act wi t h what ever vi brat i ons are avai l abl e i n t he
et her, i f t here are any.
The t heory t hat al l t he hi gher and more refi ned
vi brat i ons, such as t hose growi ng out of t hought , are
preserved i n t he et her grows out of t he known fact
t hat nei t her mat t er nor energy (t he t wo known
el ement s of t he uni verse) may be ei t her creat ed or
dest royed. It i s reasonabl e t o suppose t hat al l
vi brat i ons whi ch have been "st epped up" suffi ci ent l y
t o be pi cked up and absorbed i n t he et her, wi l l go on
forever. The l ower vi brat i ons, whi ch do not bl end wi t h
or ot herwi se cont act t he et her, probabl y l i ve a nat ural
l i fe and di e out .
Al l t he so-cal l ed geni uses probabl y gai ned t hei r
reput at i ons because, by mere chance or ot herwi se,
t hey formed al l i ances wi t h ot her mi nds whi ch enabl ed
t hem t o "st ep up" t hei r own mi nd vi brat i ons t o where
t hey were enabl ed t o cont act t he vast Templ e of
Knowl edge recorded and fi l ed i n t he et her of t he
uni verse. Al l of t he great geni uses, as far as t hi s
aut hor has been enabl ed t o gat her t he fact s, were
hi ghl y sexed peopl e. The fact t hat sexual cont act i s
t he great est known mi nd st i mul ant l ends col or t o t he
t heory herei n descri bed.
- 73 -
Inqui ri ng furt her i nt o t he source of economi c
power, as mani fest ed by t he achi evement s of men i n
t he fi el d of busi ness, l et us st udy t he case of t he
Chi cago group known as t he "Bi g Si x, " consi st i ng of
Wm. Wri gl ey, Jr. , who owns t he chewi ng gum
busi ness beari ng hi s name, and whose i ndi vi dual
i ncome i s sai d t o be more t han Fi ft een Mi l l i on Dol l ars
a year; John R. Thompson, who operat es t he chai n of
l unch rooms beari ng hi s name; Mr. Lasker, who owns
t he Lord & Thomas Advert i si ng Agency; Mr.
McCul l ough, who owns t he Parmal ee Express
Company, t he l argest t ransfer busi ness i n Ameri ca;
and Mr. Ri t chi e and Mr. Hert z, who own t he Yel l ow
Taxi cab busi ness.
A rel i abl e fi nanci al report i ng company has
est i mat ed t he yearl y i ncome of t hese si x men at
upwards of Twent y-fi ve Mi l l i on Dol l ars
($25, 000, 000. 00), or an average of more t han Four
Mi l l i on Dol l ars a year per man.
Anal ysi s of t he ent i re group of si x men di scl oses
t he fact t hat not one of t hem had any speci al
educat i onal advant ages; t hat al l began wi t hout capi t al
or ext ensi ve credi t ; t hat t hei r fi nanci al achi evement
has been due t o t hei r own i ndi vi dual pl ans, and not t o
any fort unat e t urn of t he wheel of chance.
Many years ago t hese si x men formed a fri endl y
al l i ance, meet i ng at st at ed peri ods for t he purpose of
assi st i ng one anot her wi t h i deas and suggest i ons i n
t hei r vari ous and sundry l i nes of busi ness endeavor.
Wi t h t he except i on of Hert z and Ri t chi e none of
t he si x men were i n any manner associ at ed i n a l egal
Part nershi p. These meet i ngs were st ri ct l y for t he
purpose of co-operat i ng on t he gi ve and t ake basi s of
assi st i ng one anot her wi t h i deas and suggest i ons, and
- 74 -
occasi onal l y by endorsi ng not es and ot her securi t i es t o
assi st some member of t he group who had met wi t h an
emergency maki ng such hel p necessary.
It i s sai d t hat each of t he i ndi vi dual s bel ongi ng t o
t hi s Bi g Si x group i s a mi l l i onai re many t i mes over.
As a rul e t here i s not hi ng wort hy of speci al comment
on behal f of a man who does not hi ng more t han
accumul at e a few mi l l i on dol l ars. However, t here i s
somet hi ng connect ed wi t h t he fi nanci al success of t hi s
part i cul ar group of men t hat i s wel l wort h comment ,
st udy, anal ysi s and even emul at i on, and t hat
"somet hi ng" i s t he fact t hat t hey have l earned how t o
coordi nat e t hei r i ndi vi dual mi nds by bl endi ng t hem i n
a spi ri t of perfect harmony, t hereby creat i ng a "Mast er
Mi nd" t hat unl ocks, t o each i ndi vi dual of t he group,
doors whi ch are cl osed t o most of t he human race.
The Uni t ed St at es St eel Corporat i on i s one of t he
st rongest and most powerful i ndust ri al organi zat i ons
i n t he worl d. The Idea out of whi ch t hi s great
i ndust ri al gi ant grew was born i n t he mi nd of El bert
H. Gary, a more or l ess commonpl ace smal l -t own
l awyer who was born and reared i n a smal l Il l i noi s
t own near Chi cago.
Mr. Gary surrounded hi msel f wi t h a group of men
whose mi nds he successful l y bl ended i n a spi ri t of
perfect harmony, t hereby creat i ng t he "Mast er Mi nd"
whi ch i s t he movi ng spi ri t of t he great Uni t ed St at es
St eel Corporat i on.
Search where you wi l l , wherever you fi nd an
out st andi ng success i n busi ness, fi nance, i ndust ry or
i n any of t he professi ons, you may be sure t hat back
of t he success i s some i ndi vi dual who has appl i ed t he
pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry, out of whi ch a Mast er
- 75 -
Mi nd" has been creat ed. These out st andi ng successes
oft en appear t o be t he handi work of but one person,
but search cl osel y and t he ot her i ndi vi dual s whose
mi nds have been co-ordi nat ed wi t h hi s own may be
found. Remember t hat t wo or more persons may
operat e t he pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry so as t o creat e
a "Mast er Mi nd. "
POWER (man-power) i s ORGANIZED
KNOWLEDGE, EXPRESSED THROUGH
INTELLIGENT EFFORTS!
No effort can be sai d t o be ORGANIZED unl ess
t he i ndi vi dual s engaged i n t he effort co-ordi nat e t hei r
knowl edge and energy i n a spi ri t of perfect harmony.
Lack of such harmoni ous co-ordi nat i on of effort i s t he
mai n cause of pract i cal l y every busi ness fai l ure.
An i nt erest i ng experi ment was conduct ed by t hi s
aut hor, i n col l aborat i on wi t h t he st udent s of a wel l
known col l ege. Each st udent was request ed t o wri t e an
essay on "How and Why Henry Ford Became
Weal t hy. "
Each st udent was requi red t o descri be, as a part
of hi s or her essay, what was bel i eved t o be t he nat ure
of Ford' s real asset s, of what t hese asset s consi st ed i n
det ai l .
The maj ori t y of t he st udent s gat hered fi nanci al
st at ement s and i nvent ori es of t he Ford asset s and used
t hese as t he basi s of t hei r est i mat es of Ford' s weal t h.
Incl uded i n t hese "sources of Ford' s weal t h" were
such as cash i n banks, raw and fi ni shed mat eri al s i n
st ock, real est at e and bui l di ngs, good-wi l l , est i mat ed
at from t en t o t went y-fi ve per cent of t he val ue of t he
mat eri al asset s.
- 76 -


YOU cannot become a
power in your
community nor
achieve enduring
success in any worthy
undertaking until you
become big enough to
blame yourself for
your own mistakes
and reverses.
- 77 -
One st udent out of t he ent i re group of several
hundred answered as fol l ows:
"Henry Ford' s asset s consi st , i n t he mai n, of t wo
i t ems, vi z. : (1) Worki ng capi t al and raw and fi ni shed
mat eri al s; (2) The knowl edge, gai ned from experi ence,
of Henry Ford, hi msel f, and t he co-operat i on of a wel l
t rai ned organi zat i on whi ch underst ands how t o appl y
t hi s knowl edge t o best advant age from t he Ford
vi ewpoi nt . It i s i mpossi bl e t o est i mat e, wi t h anyt hi ng
approxi mat i ng correct ness, t he act ual dol l ars and
cent s val ue of ei t her of t hese t wo groups of asset s, but
i t i s my opi ni on t hat t hei r rel at i ve val ues are:
"The organi zed knowl edge of t he Ford
Organi zat i on75%
The val ue of cash and physi cal asset s of every
nat ure, i ncl udi ng raw and fi ni shed mat eri al s . . . 25%
Thi s aut hor i s of t he opi ni on t hat t hi s st at ement
was not compi l ed by t he young man whose name was
si gned t o i t , wi t hout t he assi st ance of some very
anal yt i cal and experi enced mi nd or mi nds.
Unquest i onabl y t he bi ggest asset t hat Henry Ford
has i s hi s own brai n. Next t o t hi s woul d come t he
brai ns of hi s i mmedi at e ci rcl e of associ at es, for i t has
been t hrough co-ordi nat i on of t hese t hat t he physi cal
asset s whi ch he cont rol s were accumul at ed.
Dest roy every pl ant t he Ford Mot or Company
owns: every pi ece of machi nery; every at om of raw or
fi ni shed mat eri al , every fi ni shed aut omobi l e, and
every dol l ar on deposi t i n any bank, and Ford woul d
st i l l be t he most powerful man, economi cal l y, on
eart h. The brai ns whi ch have bui l t t he Ford busi ness
coul d dupl i cat e i t agai n i n short order. Capi t al i s
- 78 -
al ways avai l abl e, i n unl i mi t ed quant i t i es, t o such
brai ns as Ford' s.
Ford i s t he most powerful man on eart h
(economi cal l y) because he has t he keenest and most
pract i cal concept i on of t he pri nci pl e of ORGANIZED
KNOWLEDGE of any man on eart h, as far as t hi s
aut hor has t he means of knowi ng.
Despi t e Ford' s great power and fi nanci al success,
i t may be t hat he has bl undered oft en i n t he
appl i cat i on of t he pri nci pl es t hrough whi ch he
accumul at ed t hi s power. There i s but l i t t l e doubt t hat
Ford' s met hods of mi nd co-ordi nat i on have oft en been
crude; t hey must needs have been i n t he earl i er days
of t hi s experi ence, before he gai ned t he wi sdom of
appl i cat i on t hat woul d nat ural l y go wi t h mat uri t y of
years.
Nei t her can t here be much doubt t hat Ford' s
appl i cat i on of t he pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry was, at
l east at t he st art , t he resul t of a chance al l i ance wi t h
ot her mi nds, part i cul arl y t he mi nd of Edi son. It i s
more t han probabl e t hat Mr. Ford' s remarkabl e i nsi ght
i nt o t he l aws of nat ure was fi rst begun as t he resul t of
hi s fri endl y al l i ance wi t h hi s own wi fe l ong before he
ever met ei t her Mr. Edi son or Mr. Fi rest one. Many a
man who never knows t he real source of hi s success i s
made by hi s wi fe, t hrough appl i cat i on of t he "Mast er
Mi nd" pri nci pl e. Mrs. Ford i s a most remarkabl y
i nt el l i gent woman, and t hi s aut hor has reason t o
bel i eve t hat i t was her mi nd, bl ended wi t h Mr. Ford' s,
whi ch gave hi m hi s fi rst real st art t oward power.
It may be ment i oned, wi t hout i n any way
depri vi ng Ford of any honor or gl ory, t hat i n hi s
earl i er days of experi ence he had t o combat t he
- 79 -
powerful enemi es of i l l i t eracy and i gnorance t o a
great er ext ent t han di d ei t her Edi son or Fi rest one,
bot h of whom were gi ft ed by nat ural heredi t y wi t h a
most fort unat e apt i t ude for acqui ri ng and appl yi ng
knowl edge. Ford had t o hew t hi s t al ent out of t he
rough, raw t i mbers of hi s heredi t ary est at e.
Wi t hi n an i nconcei vabl y short peri od of t i me Ford
has mast ered t hree of t he most st ubborn enemi es of
manki nd and t ransformed t hem i nt o asset s const i t ut i ng
t he very foundat i on of hi s success.
These enemi es are: Ignorance, i l l i t eracy and
povert y!
Any man who can st ay t he hand of t hese t hree
savage forces, much l ess harness and use t hem t o good
account , i s wel l wort h cl ose st udy by t he l ess
fort unat e i ndi vi dual s.

Thi s i s an age of INDUSTRIAL POWER i n whi ch
we are l i vi ng!
The source of al l t hi s POWER i s ORGANIZED
EFFORT. Not onl y has t he management of i ndust ri al
ent erpri ses effi ci ent l y organi zed i ndi vi dual workers,
but , i n many i nst ances, mergers of i ndust ry have been
effect ed i n such a manner and t o t he end t hat t hese
combi nat i ons (as i n t he case of t he Uni t ed St at es St eel
Corporat i on, for exampl e) have accumul at ed
pract i cal l y unl i mi t ed power.
One may hardl y gl ance at t he news of a day' s
event s wi t hout seei ng a report of some busi ness,
i ndust ri al or fi nanci al merger, bri ngi ng under one
management enormous resources and t hus creat i ng
great power.
One day i t i s a group of banks; anot her day i t i s a
- 80 -
chai n of rai l roads; t he next day i t i s a combi nat i on of
st eel pl ant s, al l mergi ng for t he purpose of devel opi ng
power t hrough hi ghl y organi zed and co-ordi nat ed
effort .
Knowl edge, general i n nat ure and unorgani zed, i s
not POWER; i t i s onl y pot ent i al power-t he mat eri al
out of whi ch real power may be devel oped. Any
modern l i brary cont ai ns an unorgani zed record of al l
t he knowl edge of val ue t o whi ch t he present st age of
ci vi l i zat i on i s hei r, but t hi s knowl edge i s not power
because i t i s not organi zed.
Every form of energy and every speci es of ani mal
or pl ant l i fe, t o survi ve, must be organi zed. The
oversi zed ani mal s whose bones have fi l l ed Nat ure' s
bone-yard t hrough ext i nct i on have l eft mut e but
cert ai n evi dence t hat non-organi zat i on means
anni hi l at i on.
From t he el ect ron-t he smal l est part i cl e of mat t er -
t o t he l argest st ar i n t he uni verse: t hese and every
mat eri al t hi ng i n bet ween t hese t wo ext remes offer
proof posi t i ve t hat one of Nat ure' s fi rst l aws i s t hat of
ORGANIZATION. Fort unat e i s t he i ndi vi dual who
recogni zes t he i mport ance of t hi s l aw and makes i t hi s
busi ness t o fami l i ari ze hi msel f wi t h t he vari ous ways
i n whi ch t he l aw may be appl i ed t o advant age.
The ast ut e busi ness man has not onl y recogni zed
t he i mport ance of t he l aw of organi zed effort , but he
has made t hi s l aw t he warp and t he woof of hi s
POWER.
Wi t hout any knowl edge, what soever, of t he
pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry, or t hat such a pri nci pl e
exi st s, many men have accumul at ed great power by
merel y organi zi ng t he knowl edge t hey possessed.
- 81 -
The maj ori t y of al l who have di scovered t he
pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry and devel oped t hat
pri nci pl e i nt o a "MASTER MIND" have st umbl ed upon
t hi s knowl edge by t he merest of acci dent ; oft en fai l i ng
t o recogni ze t he real nat ure of t hei r di scovery or t o
underst and t he source of t hei r power.
Thi s aut hor i s of t he opi ni on t hat al l l i vi ng
persons who at t he present t i me are consci ousl y
maki ng use of t he pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry i n
devel opi ng power t hrough t he bl endi ng of mi nds, may
be count ed on t he fi ngers of t he t wo hands, wi t h,
perhaps, several fi ngers l eft t o spare.
If t hi s est i mat e i s even approxi mat el y t rue t he
st udent wi l l readi l y see t hat t here i s but sl i ght danger
of t he fi el d of mi nd chemi st ry pract i ce becomi ng
overcrowded.
It i s a wel l known fact t hat one of t he most
di ffi cul t t asks t hat any busi ness man must perform i s
t hat of i nduci ng t hose who are associ at ed wi t h hi m t o
coordi nat e t hei r effort s i n a spi ri t of harmony. To
i nduce cont i nuous co-operat i on bet ween a group of
workers, i n any undert aki ng, i s next t o i mpossi bl e.
Onl y t he most effi ci ent l eaders can accompl i sh t hi s
hi ghl y desi red obj ect , but once i n a great whi l e such a
l eader wi l l ri se above t he hori zon i n t he fi el d of
i ndust ry, busi ness or fi nance, and t hen t he worl d hears
of a Henry Ford, Thomas A. Edi son, John D.
Rockefel l er, Sr. , E. H. Harri man or James J. Hi l l .
Power and success are pract i cal l y synonomous
t erms!
One grows out of t he ot her; t herefore, any person
who has t he knowl edge and t he abi l i t y t o devel op
power, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of harmoni ous
- 82 -


NEVER, in the history
of the world, has there
been such abundant
opportunity as there is
now for the person who
is willing to serve before
trying to collect.


- 83 -

co-ordi nat i on of effort bet ween i ndi vi dual mi nds, or
i n any ot her manner, may be successful i n any
reasonabl e undert aki ng t hat i s possi bl e of successful
t ermi nat i on.

It must not be assumed t hat a "Mast er Mi nd" wi l l
i mmedi at el y spri ng, mushroom fashi on, out of every
group of mi nds whi ch make pret ense of co-ordi nat i on
i n a spi ri t of HARMONY!
Harmony, i n t he real sense of meani ng of t he
word, i s as rare among groups of peopl e as i s genui ne
Chri st i ani t y among t hose who procl ai m t hemsel ves
Chri st i ans.
Harmony i s t he nucl eus around whi ch t he st at e of
mi nd known as "Mast er Mi nd" must be devel oped.
Wi t hout t hi s el ement of harmony t here can be no
"Mast er Mi nd, " a t rut h whi ch cannot be repeat ed t oo
oft en.
Woodrow Wi l son had i n mi nd t he devel opment of
a "Mast er Mi nd, " t o be composed of groups of mi nds
represent i ng t he ci vi l i zed nat i ons of t he worl d, i n hi s
proposal for est abl i shi ng t he League of Nat i ons.
Wi l son' s concept i on was t he most far-reachi ng
humani t ari an i dea ever creat ed i n t he mi nd of man,
because i t deal t wi t h a pri nci pl e whi ch embraces
suffi ci ent power t o est abl i sh a real Brot herhood of
Man on eart h. The League of Nat i ons, or some si mi l ar
bl endi ng of i nt ernat i onal mi nds, i n a spi ri t of
harmony, i s sure t o become a real i t y.
The t i me when such uni t y of mi nds wi l l t ake
pl ace wi l l be measured l argel y by t he t i me requi red
for t he great uni versi t i es and NON-SECTARIAN
i nst i t ut i ons of l earni ng t o suppl ant i gnorance and
- 84 -
superst i t i on wi t h underst andi ng and wi sdom. Thi s t i me
i s rapi dl y approachi ng.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE REVIVAL
MEETING: The ol d rel i gi ous orgy known as t he
"revi val " offers a favorabl e opport uni t y t o st udy t he
pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry known as "Mast er Mi nd. "
It wi l l be observed t hat musi c pl ays no smal l part
i n bri ngi ng about t he harmony essent i al t o t he
bl endi ng of a group of mi nds i n a revi val meet i ng.
Wi t hout musi c t he revi val meet i ng woul d be a t ame
affai r.
Duri ng revi val servi ces t he l eader of t he meet i ng
has no di ffi cul t y i n creat i ng harmony i n t he mi nds of
hi s devot ees, but i t i s a wel l known fact t hat t hi s st at e
of harmony l ast s no l onger t han t he presence of t he
l eader, aft er whi ch t he "Mast er Mi nd" he has
t emporari l y creat ed di si nt egrat es.
By arousi ng t he emot i onal nat ure of hi s fol l owers
t he revi val i st has no di ffi cul t y, under t he proper st age
set t i ng and wi t h t he embel l i shment of t he ri ght sort of
musi c, i n creat i ng a "Mast er Mi nd" whi ch becomes
not i ceabl e t o al l who come i n cont act wi t h i t . The very
ai r becomes charged wi t h a posi t i ve, pl easi ng
i nfl uence whi ch changes t he ent i re chemi st ry of al l
mi nds present .
The revi val i st cal l s t hi s energy "t he Spi ri t of t he
Lord. "
Thi s aut hor, t hrough experi ment s conduct ed wi t h
a group of sci ent i fi c i nvest i gat ors and l aymen (who
were unaware of t he nat ure of t he experi ment ), has
creat ed t he same st at e of mi nd and t he same posi t i ve
at mosphere wi t hout cal l i ng i t t he Spi ri t of t he Lord.
On many occasi ons t hi s aut hor has wi t nessed t he
- 85 -
creat i on of t he same posi t i ve at mosphere i n a group of
men and women engaged i n t he busi ness of
sal esmanshi p, wi t hout cal l i ng i t t he Spi ri t of t he Lord.
The aut hor hel ped conduct a school of
sal esmanshi p for Harri son Parker, founder of t he Co-
operat i ve Soci et y, of Chi cago, and, by t he use of t he
same pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry whi ch t he revi val i st
cal l s t he Spi ri t of t he Lord, so t ransformed t he nat ure
of a group of 3, 000 men and women (al l of whom were
wi t hout former sal es experi ence) t hat t hey sol d more
t han $10, 000, 000. 00 wort h of securi t i es i n l ess t han
ni ne mont hs, and earned more t han $1, 000, 000 for
t hemsel ves.
It was found t hat t he average person who j oi ned
t hi s school woul d reach t he zeni t h of hi s or her sel l i ng
power wi t hi n one week, aft er whi ch i t was necessary
t o revi t al i ze t he i ndi vi dual ' s brai n t hrough a group
sal es meet i ng. These sal es meet i ngs were conduct ed
on very much t he same order as are t he modern revi val
meet i ngs of t he rel i gi oni st , wi t h much t he same st age
equi pment , i ncl udi ng musi c and "hi gh-powered"
speakers who exhort ed t he sal espeopl e i n very much
t he same manner as does t he modern rel i gi ous
revi val i st .
Cal l i t rel i gi on, psychol ogy, mi nd chemi st ry or
anyt hi ng you pl ease (t hey are al l based upon t he same
pri nci pl e), but t here i s not hi ng more cert ai n t han t he
fact t hat wherever a group of mi nds are brought i nt o
cont act , i n a spi ri t of PERFECT HARMONY, each
mi nd i n t he group becomes i mmedi at el y suppl ement ed
and re-enforced by a not i ceabl e energy cal l ed a
"Mast er Mi nd. "
For al l t hi s wri t er professes t o know t hi s
unchart ed energy may be t he Spi ri t of t he Lord, but i t
- 86 -
operat es j ust as favorabl y when cal l ed by any ot her
name.
The human brai n and nervous syst em const i t ut e a
pi ece of i nt ri cat e machi nery whi ch but few, i f any,
underst and. When cont rol l ed and properl y di rect ed
t hi s pi ece of machi nery can be made t o perform
wonders of achi evement and i f not cont rol l ed i t wi l l
perform wonders fant ast i c and phant om-l i ke i n nat ure,
as may be seen by exami ni ng t he i nmat es of any
i nsane asyl um.
The human brai n has di rect connect i on wi t h a
cont i nuous i nfl ux of energy from whi ch man deri ves
hi s power t o t hi nk. The brai n recei ves t hi s energy,
mi xes i t wi t h t he energy creat ed by t he food t aken i nt o
t he body, and di st ri but es i t t o every port i on of t he
body, t hrough t he ai d of t he bl ood and t he nervous
syst em. It t hus becomes what we cal l l i fe.
From what source t hi s out si de energy comes no
one seems t o know; al l we know about i t i s t hat we
must have i t or di e. It seems reasonabl e t o suppose
t hat t hi s energy i s none ot her t han t hat whi ch we cal l
et her, and t hat i t fl ows i nt o t he body al ong wi t h t he
oxygen from t he ai r, as we breat he.
Every normal human body possesses a fi rst -cl ass
chemi cal l aborat ory and a st ock of chemi cal s
suffi ci ent t o carry on t he busi ness of breaki ng up,
assi mi l at i ng and properl y mi xi ng and compoundi ng
t he food we t ake i nt o t he body, preparat ory t o
di st ri but i ng i t t o wherever i t i s needed as a body
bui l der.
Ampl e t est s have been made, bot h wi t h man and
beast , t o prove t hat t he energy known as t he mi nd
pl ays an i mport ant part i n t hi s chemi cal operat i on of
compoundi ng and t ransformi ng food i nt o t he requi red
subst ances t o bui l d and keep t he body i n repai r.
- 87 -
It i s known t hat worry, exci t ement or fear wi l l
i nt erfere wi t h t he di gest i ve process, and i n ext reme
cases st op t hi s process al t oget her, resul t i ng i n i l l ness
or deat h. It i s obvi ous, t hen, t hat t he mi nd ent ers i nt o
t he chemi st ry of food di gest i on and di st ri but i on.
It i s bel i eved by many emi nent aut hori t i es,
al t hough i t may never have been sci ent i fi cal l y proved,
t hat t he energy known as mi nd or t hought may become
cont ami nat ed wi t h negat i ve or "unsoci abl e" uni t s t o
such an ext ent t hat t he whol e nervous syst em i s
t hrown out of worki ng order, di gest i on i s i nt erfered
wi t h and vari ous and sundry forms of di sease wi l l
mani fest t hemsel ves. Fi nanci al di ffi cul t i es and
unrequi t ed l ove affai rs head t he l i st of causes of such
mi nd di st urbances.
A negat i ve envi ronment such as t hat exi st i ng
where some member of t he fami l y i s const ant l y
"naggi ng, " wi l l i nt erfere wi t h t he chemi st ry of t he
mi nd t o such an ext ent t hat t he i ndi vi dual wi l l l ose
ambi t i on and gradual l y si nk i nt o obl i vi on. It i s
because of t hi s fact t hat t he ol d sayi ng t hat a man' s
wi fe may ei t her "make" or "break" hi m i s l i t eral l y
t rue. In a subsequent l esson a whol e chapt er on t hi s
subj ect i s addressed t o t he wi ves of men.
Any hi gh-school st udent knows t hat cert ai n food
combi nat i ons wi l l , i f t aken i nt o t he st omach, resul t i n
i ndi gest i on, vi ol ent pai n and even deat h. Good heal t h
depends, i n part at l east , upon a food combi nat i on t hat
"harmoni zes. " But harmony of food combi nat i ons i s
not suffi ci ent t o i nsure good heal t h; t here must be
harmony, al so, bet ween t he uni t s of energy known as
t he mi nd.
- 88 -

A man is half whipped
the minute he begins
to feel sorry for
himself, or to spin an
alibi with which he
would explain away
his defects.


- 89 -
"Harmony" seems t o be one of Nat ure' s l aws,
wi t hout whi ch t here can be no such t hi ng as
ORGANIZED ENERGY, or l i fe i n any form
what soever.
The heal t h of t he body as wel l as t he mi nd i s
l i t eral l y bui l t around, out of and upon t he pri nci pl e of
HARMONY! The energy known as l i fe begi ns t o
di si nt egrat e and deat h approaches when t he organs of
t he body st op worki ng i n harmony.
The moment harmony ceases at t he source of any
form of organi zed energy (power) t he uni t s of t hat
energy are t hrown i nt o a chaot i c st at e of di sorder and
t he power i s rendered neut ral or passi ve.
Harmony i s al so t he nucl eus around whi ch t he
pri nci pl e of mi nd chemi st ry known as a "Mast er
Mi nd" devel ops power. Dest roy t hi s harmony and you
dest roy t he power growi ng out of t he co-ordi nat ed
effort of a group of i ndi vi dual mi nds.
Thi s t rut h has been st at ed, re-st at ed and present ed
i n every manner whi ch t he aut hor coul d concei ve, wi t h
unendi ng repet i t i on, for t he reason t hat unl ess t he
st udent grasps t hi s pri nci pl e and l earns t o appl y i t t hi s
l esson i s usel ess.
Success i n l i fe, no mat t er what one may cal l
success, i s very l argel y a mat t er of adapt at i on t o
envi ronment i n such a manner t hat t here i s harmony
bet ween t he i ndi vi dual and hi s envi ronment . The
pal ace of a ki ng becomes as a hovel of a peasant i f
harmony does not abound wi t hi n i t s wal l s. Conversel y
st at ed, t he hut of a peasant may be made t o yi el d more
happi ness t han t hat of t he mansi on of t he ri ch man, i f
harmony obt ai ns i n t he former and not i n t he l at t er.
Wi t hout perfect harmony t he sci ence of
ast ronomy woul d be as usel ess as t he "bones of a
- 90 -
sai nt , " because t he st ars and pl anet s woul d cl ash wi t h
one anot her, and al l woul d be i n a st at e of chaos and
di sorder.
Wi t hout t he l aw of harmony an acorn mi ght grow
i nt o a het erogeneous t ree consi st i ng of t he wood of
t he oak, popl ar, mapl e and what not .
Wi t hout t he l aw of harmony t he bl ood mi ght
deposi t t he food whi ch grows fi nger nai l s on t he scal p
where hai r i s supposed t o grow, and t hus creat e a
horny growt h whi ch mi ght easi l y be mi st aken, by t he
superst i t i ous, t o si gni fy man' s rel at i onshi p t o a cert ai n
i magi nary gent l eman wi t h horns, oft en referred t o by
t he more pri mi t i ve t ype.
Wi t hout t he l aw of harmony t here can be no
organi zat i on of knowl edge, for what , may one ask, i s
organi zed knowl edge except t he harmony of fact s and
t rut hs and nat ural l aws?
The moment di scord begi ns t o creep i n at t he
front door harmony edges out at t he back door, so t o
speak, whet her t he appl i cat i on i s made t o a busi ness
part nershi p or t he orderl y movement of t he pl anet s of
t he heavens.
If t he st udent gat hers t he i mpressi on t hat t he
aut hor i s l ayi ng undue st ress upon t he i mport ance of
HARMONY, l et i t be remembered t hat l ack of
harmony i s t he fi rst , and oft en t he l ast and onl y, cause
of FAILURE!
There can be no poet ry nor musi c nor orat ory
wort hy of not i ce wi t hout t he presence of harmony.
Good archi t ect ure i s l argel y a mat t er of harmony.
Wi t hout harmony a house i s not hi ng but a mass of
bui l di ng mat eri al , more or l ess a monst rosi t y.
Sound busi ness management pl ant s t he very
si news of i t s exi st ence i n harmony.
- 91 -
Every wel l dressed man or woman i s a l i vi ng
pi ct ure and a movi ng exampl e of harmony.
Wi t h al l t hese workaday i l l ust rat i ons of t he
i mport ant part whi ch harmony pl ays i n t he affai rs of
t he worl d - nay, i n t he operat i on of t he ent i re uni verse
- how coul d any i nt el l i gent person l eave harmony out
of hi s "Defi ni t e Ai m" i n l i fe? As wel l have no
"defi ni t e ai m" as t o omi t harmony as t he chi ef st one
of i t s foundat i on.

The human body i s a compl ex organi zat i on of
organs, gl ands, bl ood vessel s, nerves, brai n cel l s,
muscl es, et c. The mi nd energy whi ch st i mul at es t o
act i on and co-ordi nat es t he effort s of t he component
part s of t he body i s al so a pl ural i t y of ever-varyi ng
and changi ng energi es. From bi rt h unt i l deat h t here i s
cont i nuous st ruggl e, oft en assumi ng t he nat ure of open
combat , bet ween t he forces of t he mi nd. For exampl e,
t he l i fe-l ong st ruggl e bet ween t he mot i vat i ng forces
and desi res of t he human mi nd, whi ch t akes pl ace
bet ween t he i mpul ses of ri ght and wrong, i s wel l
known t o everyone.
Every human bei ng possesses at l east t wo di st i nct
mi nd powers or personal i t i es, and as many as si x
di st i nct personal i t i es have been di scovered i n one
person. One of man' s most del i cat e t asks i s t hat of
harmoni zi ng t hese mi nd forces so t hat t hey may be
organi zed and di rect ed t oward t he orderl y at t ai nment
of a gi ven obj ect i ve. Wi t hout t hi s el ement of harmony
no i ndi vi dual can become an accurat e t hi nker.
It i s no wonder t hat l eaders i n busi ness and
i ndust ri al ent erpri ses, as wel l as t hose i n pol i t i cs and
- 92 -
and ot her fi el ds of endeavor, fi nd i t so di ffi cul t t o
organi ze groups of peopl e so t hey wi l l funct i on i n t he
at t ai nment of a gi ven obj ect i ve, wi t hout fri ct i on. Each
i ndi vi dual human bei ng possesses forces, wi t hi n
hi msel f, whi ch are hard t o harmoni ze, even when he i s
pl aced i n t he envi ronment most favorabl e t o harmony.
If t he chemi st ry of t he i ndi vi dual ' s mi nd i s such t hat
t he uni t s of hi s mi nd cannot be easi l y harmoni zed,
t hi nk how much more di ffi cult i t must be t o harmoni ze
a group of mi nds so t hey wi l l funct i on as one, i n an
orderl y manner, t hrough what i s known as a "Mast er
Mi nd. "
The l eader who successful l y devel ops and di rect s
t he energi es of a "Mast er Mi nd" must possess t act ,
pat i ence, persi st ence, sel f-confi dence, i nt i mat e
knowl edge of mi nd chemi st ry and t he abi l i t y t o adapt
hi msel f (i n a st at e of perfect poi se and harmony) t o
qui ckl y changi ng ci rcumst ances, wi t hout showi ng t he
l east si gn of annoyance.
How many are t here who can measure up t o t hi s
requi rement ?
The successful l eader must possess t he abi l i t y t o
change t he col or of hi s mi nd, chamel eon-l i ke, t o fi t
every ci rcumst ance t hat ari ses i n connect i on wi t h t he
obj ect of hi s l eadershi p. Moreover, he must possess
t he abi l i t y t o change from one mood t o anot her
wi t hout showi ng t he sl i ght est si gns of anger or l ack of
sel f-cont rol . The successful l eader must underst and
t he Fi ft een Laws of Success and be abl e t o put i nt o
pract i ce any combi nat i on of t hese Fi ft een Laws
whenever occasi on demands.
Wi t hout t hi s abi l i t y no l eader can be powerful ,
and wi t hout power no l eader can l ong endure.
- 93 -
THE MEANING OF EDUCATION: There has l ong
been a general mi sconcept i on of t he meani ng of t he
word "educat e. " The di ct i onari es have not ai ded i n t he
el i mi nat i on of t hi s mi sunderst andi ng, because t hey
have defi ned t he word "educat e" as an act of i mpart i ng
knowl edge.
The word educat e has i t s root s i n t he Lat i n word
educo, whi ch means t o devel op FROM WITHIN; t o
educe; t o draw out ; t o grow t hrough t he l aw of USE.
Nat ure hat es i dl eness i n al l i t s forms. She gi ves
cont i nuous l i fe onl y t o t hose el ement s whi ch are i n
use. Ti e up an arm, or any ot her port i on of t he body,
t aki ng i t out of use, and t he i dl e part wi l l soon
at rophy and become l i fel ess. Reverse t he order, gi ve
an arm more t han normal use, such as t hat engaged i n
by t he bl acksmi t h who wi el ds a heavy hammer al l day
l ong, and t hat arm (devel oped from wi t hi n) grows
st rong.
Power grows out of ORGANIZED KNOWLEDGE,
but , mi nd you, i t "grows out of i t " t hrough appl i cat i on
and use!
A man may become a wal ki ng encycl opaedi a of
knowl edge wi t hout possessi ng any power of val ue.
Thi s knowl edge becomes power onl y t o t he ext ent t hat
i t i s organi zed, cl assi fi ed and put i nt o act i on. Some of
t he best educat ed men t he worl d has known possessed
much l ess general knowl edge t han some who have
been known as fool s, t he di fference bet ween t he t wo
bei ng t hat t he former put what knowl edge t hey
Possessed i nt o use whi l e t he l at t er made no such
appl i cat i on.
An "educat ed" person i s one who knows how t o
acqui re everyt hi ng he needs i n t he at t ai nment of hi s
mai n Purpose i n l i fe, wi t hout vi ol at i ng t he ri ght s of
- 94 -



SEEK the counsel of
men who will tell you
the truth about
yourself, even if it
hurts you to hear it.
Mere commendation
will not bring the
improvement you
need.

- 95 -
hi s fel l ow men. It mi ght be a surpri se t o many so-
cal l ed men of "l earni ng" t o know t hat t hey come
nowhere near qual i fi cat i on as men of "educat i on. " It
mi ght al so be a great surpri se t o many who bel i eve
t hey suffer from l ack of "l earni ng" t o know t hat t hey
are wel l "educat ed. "
The successful l awyer i s not necessari l y t he one
who memori zes t he great est number of pri nci pl es of
l aw. On t he cont rary, t he successful l awyer i s t he one
who knows where t o fi nd a pri nci pl e of l aw, pl us a
vari et y of opi ni ons support i ng t hat pri nci pl e whi ch fi t
t he i mmedi at e needs of a gi ven case.
In ot her words, t he successful l awyer i s he who
knows where t o fi nd t he l aw he want s when he needs
i t .
Thi s pri nci pl e appl i es, wi t h equal force, t o t he
affai rs of i ndust ry and busi ness.
Henry Ford had but l i t t l e el ement ary school i ng,
yet he i s one of t he best "educat ed" men i n t he worl d
because he has acqui red t he abi l i t y so t o combi ne
nat ural and economi c l aws, t o say not hi ng of t he
mi nds of men, t hat he has t he power t o get anyt hi ng of
a mat eri al nat ure he want s.
Some years ago duri ng t he worl d war Mr. Ford
brought sui t agai nst t he Chi cago Tri bune, chargi ng
t hat newspaper wi t h l i bel ous publ i cat i on of st at ement s
concerni ng hi m, one of whi ch was t he st at ement t hat
Ford was an "i gnoramus, " an i gnorant paci fi st , et c.
When t he sui t came up for t ri al t he at t orneys for
t he Tri bune undert ook t o prove, by Ford hi msel f, t hat
t hei r st at ement was t rue; t hat he was i gnorant , and
wi t h t hi s obj ect i n vi ew t hey cat echi zed and cross-
exami ned hi m on al l manner of subj ect s.
- 96 -
One quest i on t hey asked was:
"How many sol di ers di d t he Bri t i sh send over t o
subdue t he rebel l i on i n t he Col oni es i n 1776?"
Wi t h a dry gri n on hi s face Ford nonchal ant l y
repl i ed:
"I do not know j ust how many, but I have heard
t hat i t was a l ot more t han ever went back. "
Loud l aught er from Court , j ury, court -room
spect at ors, and even from t he frust rat ed l awyer who
had asked t he quest i on.
Thi s l i ne of i nt errogat i on was cont i nued for an
hour or more, Ford keepi ng perfect l y cal m t he
meanwhi l e. Fi nal l y, however, he had permi t t ed t he
"smart Al eck" l awyers t o pl ay wi t h hi m unt i l he was
t i red of i t , and i n repl y t o a quest i on whi ch was
part i cul arl y obnoxi ous and i nsul t i ng, Ford
st rai ght ened hi msel f up, poi nt ed hi s fi nger at t he
quest i oni ng l awyer and repl i ed:
"If I shoul d real l y wi sh t o answer t he fool i sh
quest i on you have j ust asked, or any of t he ot hers you
have been aski ng, l et me remi nd you t hat I have a row
of el ect ri c push-but t ons hangi ng over my desk and by
pl aci ng my fi nger on t he ri ght but t on I coul d cal l i n
men who coul d gi ve me t he correct answer t o al l t he
quest i ons you have asked and t o many t hat you have
not t he i nt el l i gence ei t her t o ask or answer. Now, wi l l
you ki ndl y t el l me why I shoul d bot her about fi l l i ng
my mi nd wi t h a l ot of usel ess det ai l s i n order t o
answer every fool quest i on t hat anyone may ask, when
I have abl e men al l about me who can suppl y me wi t h
al l t he fact s I want when I cal l for t hem?"
Thi s answer i s quot ed from memory, but i t
subst ant i al l y rel at es Ford' s answer.
- 97 -
There was si l ence i n t he court -room. The
quest i oni ng at t orney' s under j aw dropped down, hi s
eyes opened wi del y; t he j udge l eaned forward from t he
bench and gazed i n Mr. Ford' s di rect i on; many of t he
j ury awoke and l ooked around as i f t hey had heard an
expl osi on (whi ch t hey act ual l y had).
A promi nent cl ergyman who was present i n t he
court -room at t he t i me sai d, l at er, t hat t he scene
remi nded hi m of t hat whi ch must have exi st ed when
Jesus Chri st was on t ri al before Pont i us Pi l at e, j ust
aft er He had gi ven Hi s famous repl y t o Pi l at e' s
quest i on, "What i s t rut h?"
In t he vernacul ar of t he day, Ford' s repl y knocked
t he quest i oner col d.
Up t o t he t i me of t hat repl y t he l awyer had been
enj oyi ng consi derabl e fun at what he bel i eved t o be
Ford' s expense, by adroi t l y di spl ayi ng hi s (t he
l awyer' s) sampl e case of general knowl edge and
compari ng i t wi t h what he i nferred t o be Ford' s
i gnorance as t o many event s and subj ect s.
But t hat answer spoi l ed t he l awyer' s fun l
It al so proved once more (t o al l who had t he
i nt el l i gence t o accept t he proof) t hat t rue educat i on
means mi nd devel opment ; not merel y t he gat heri ng
and cl assi fyi ng of knowl edge.
Ford coul d not , i n al l probabi l i t y, have named t he
capi t al s of al l t he St at es of t he Uni t ed St at es, but he
coul d have and i n fact had gat hered t he "capi t al " wi t h
whi ch t o "t urn many wheel s" wi t hi n every St at e i n t he
Uni on.
Educat i on-l et us not forget t hi s-consi st s of t he
power wi t h whi ch t o get everyt hi ng one needs when he
needs i t , wi t hout vi ol at i ng t he ri ght s of hi s fel l ow
men. Ford comes wel l wi t hi n t hat defi ni t i on, and for
- 98 -
t he reason whi ch t he aut hor has here t ri ed t o make
pl ai n, by rel at i ng t he foregoi ng i nci dent connect ed
wi t h t he si mpl e Ford phi l osophy.
There are many men of "l earni ng" who coul d
easi l y ent angl e Ford, t heoret i cal l y, wi t h a maze of
quest i ons none of whi ch he, personal l y, coul d answer.
But Ford coul d t urn ri ght around and wage a bat t l e i n
i ndust ry, or fi nance t hat woul d ext ermi nat e t hose same
men, wi t h al l of t hei r knowl edge and al l of t hei r
wi sdom.
Ford coul d not go i nt o hi s chemi cal l aborat ory
and separat e wat er i nt o i t s component at oms of
hydrogen and oxygen and t hen re-combi ne t hese at oms
i n t hei r former order, but he knows how t o surround
hi msel f wi t h chemi st s who can do t hi s for hi m i f he
want s i t done. The man who can i nt el l i gent l y use t he
knowl edge possessed by anot her i s as much or more a
man of educat i on as t he person who merel y has t he
knowl edge but does not know what t o do wi t h i t .
The presi dent of a wel l known col l ege i nheri t ed a
l arge t ract of very poor l and. Thi s l and had no t i mber
of commerci al val ue, no mi neral s or ot her val uabl e
appurt enances, t herefore i t was not hi ng but a source
of expense t o hi m, for he had t o pay t axes on i t . The
St at e bui l t a hi ghway t hrough t he l and. An
"uneducat ed" man who was dri vi ng hi s aut omobi l e
over t hi s road observed t hat t hi s poor l and was on t op
of a mount ai n whi ch commanded a wonderful vi ew for
many mi l es i n al l di rect i ons. He (t he i gnorant one)
al so observed t hat t he l and was covered wi t h a growt h
of smal l pi nes and ot her sapl i ngs. He bought fi ft y
acres of t he l and for $10. 00 an acre. Near t he publ i c
hi ghway he bui l t a uni que l og house t o whi ch he
at t ached a l arge di ni ng room. Near t he house he put i n
- 99 -
a gasol i ne fi l l i ng st at i on. He bui l t a dozen si ngl e-
room l og houses al ong t he road, t hese he rent ed out t o
t ouri st s at $3. 00 a ni ght , each. The di ni ng room,
gasol i ne fi l l i ng st at i on and l og houses brought hi m a
net i ncome of $15, 000. 00 t he fi rst year. The next year
he ext ended hi s pl an by addi ng fi ft y more l og houses,
of t hree rooms each, whi ch he now rent s out as
summer count ry homes t o peopl e i n a near-by ci t y, at
a rent al of $150. 00 each for t he season.
The bui l di ng mat eri al cost hi m not hi ng, for i t
grew on hi s l and i n abundance (t hat same l and whi ch
t he col l ege presi dent bel i eved t o be wort hl ess).
Moreover, t he uni que and unusual appearance of
t he l og bungal ows served as an advert i sement of t he
pl an, whereas many woul d have consi dered i t a real
cal ami t y had t hey been compel l ed t o bui l d out of such
crude mat eri al s.
Less t han fi ve mi l es from t he l ocat i on of t hese
l og houses t hi s same man purchased an ol d worked-out
farm of 150 acres, for $25. 00 an acre, a pri ce whi ch
t he sel l er bel i eved t o be ext remel y hi gh.
By bui l di ng a dam, one hundred feet i n l engt h,
t he purchaser of t hi s ol d farm t urned a st ream of wat er
i nt o a l ake t hat covered fi ft een acres of t he l and,
st ocked t he l ake wi t h fi sh, t hen sol d t he farm off i n
bui l di ng l ot s t o peopl e who want ed summeri ng pl aces
around t he l ake. The t ot al profi t real i zed from t hi s
si mpl e t ransact i on was more t han $25, 000. 00, and t he
t i me requi red for i t s consummat i on was one summer.
Yet t hi s man of vi si on and i magi nat i on was not
"educat ed" i n t he ort hodox meani ng of t hat t erm.
Let us keep i n mi nd t he fact t hat i t i s t hrough
- 100 -




WHEN you lose your
sense of humor, get a
job running an
elevator, because your
life will be a series of
UPS and DOWNS,
anyway.



- 101 -
t hese si mpl e i l l ust rat i ons of t he use of organi zed
knowl edge t hat one may become educat ed and
powerful .
In speaki ng of t he t ransact i on here rel at ed, t he
col l ege presi dent who sol d t he fi ft y acres of wort hl ess
(?) l and for $500. 00 sai d:
"Just t hi nk of i t ! That man, whom most of us
mi ght cal l i gnorant , mi xed hi s i gnorance wi t h fi ft y
acres of wort hl ess l and and made t he combi nat i on
yi el d more yearl y t han I earn from fi ve years of
appl i cat i on of so-cal l ed educat i on. "

There i s an opport uni t y, i f not scores of t hem, i n
every St at e i n Ameri ca, t o make use of t he i dea here
descri bed. From now on make i t your busi ness t o
st udy t he l ay of al l l and you see t hat i s si mi l ar t o t hat
descri bed i n t hi s l esson, and you may fi nd a sui t abl e
pl ace for devel opi ng a si mi l ar money-maki ng
ent erpri se. The i dea i s part i cul arl y adapt abl e i n
l ocal i t i es where bat hi ng beaches are few, as peopl e
nat ural l y l i ke such conveni ences.
The aut omobi l e has caused a great syst em of
publ i c hi ghways t o be bui l t t hroughout t he Uni t ed
St at es. On pract i cal l y every one of t hese hi ghways
t here i s a sui t abl e spot for a "Cabi n Ci t y" for t ouri st s
whi ch can be t urned i nt o a regul ar money-maki ng mi nt
by t he man wi t h t he IMAGINATION and SELF-
CONFIDENCE t o do i t .
There are opport uni t i es t o make money al l around
you. Thi s course was desi gned t o hel p you "see" t hese
opport uni t i es, and t o i nform you how t o make t he
most of t hem aft er you di scover t hem.
- 102 -
WHO CAN PROFIT MOST BY THE LAW OF
SUCCESS PHILOSOPHY?

RAILROAD OFFICIALS who want a bet t er spi ri t of
co-operat i on bet ween t hei r t rai nmen and t he publ i c
t hey serve.
SALARIED PEOPLE who wi sh t o i ncrease t hei r
earni ng power and market t hei r servi ces t o bet t er
advant age.
SALESPEOPLE who wi sh t o become mast ers i n t hei r
chosen fi el d. The Law of Success phi l osophy covers
every known l aw of sel l i ng, and i ncl udes many
feat ures not i ncl uded i n any ot her course.
INDUSTRIAL PLANT MANAGERS who underst and
t he val ue of great er harmony among t hei r
empl oyees.
RAILROAD EMPLOYEES who wi sh t o est abl i sh
records of effi ci ency whi ch wi l l l ead t o more
responsi bl e posi t i ons, wi t h great er pay.
MERCHANTS who wi sh t o ext end t hei r busi ness by
addi ng new cust omers. The Law of Success
phi l osophy wi l l hel p any merchant i ncrease hi s
busi ness by t eachi ng hi m how t o make a wal ki ng
advert i sement of every cust omer who comes i nt o hi s
st ore.
AUTOMOBILE AGENTS who wi sh t o i ncrease t he
sel l i ng power of t hei r sal esmen. A l arge part of t he
Law of Success course was devel oped from t he
l i fework and experi ence of t he great est aut omobi l e
sal esman l i vi ng, and i t i s t herefore of unusual hel p
t o t he Sal es Manager who i s di rect i ng t he effort s of
Aut omobi l e Sal esmen.
LIFE INSURANCE AGENTS who wi sh t o add new
- 103 -
pol i cy-hol ders and i ncrease t he i nsurance on
present pol i cy-hol ders. One Li fe Insurance
Sal esman, i n Ohi o, sol d a Fi ft y Thousand Dol l ar
pol i cy t o one of t he offi ci al s of t he Cent ral St eel
Company, as t he resul t of but one readi ng of t he
l esson on "Profi t i ng by Fai l ures. " Thi s same
sal esman has become one of t he st ar men of t he New
York Li fe Insurance Company' s st aff, as t he resul t
of hi s t rai ni ng i n t he Fi ft een Laws of Success.
SCHOOL TEACHERS who wi sh t o advance t o t he t op
i n t hei r present occupat i on, or who are l ooki ng for
an opport uni t y t o ent er t he more profi t abl e fi el d of
busi ness as a l i fe-work.
STUDENTS, bot h Col l ege and Hi gh School , who are
undeci ded as t o what fi el d of endeavor t hey wi sh t o
ent er as a l i fe-work. The Law of Success course
covers a compl et e Personal Anal ysi s servi ce whi ch
hel ps t he st udent of t he phi l osophy t o det ermi ne t he
work for whi ch he or she i s best fi t t ed.
BANKERS who wi sh t o ext end t hei r busi ness t hrough
bet t er and more court eous met hods of servi ng t hei r
cl i ent s.
BANK CLERKS who are ambi t i ous t o prepare
t hemsel ves for execut i ve posi t i ons i n t he fi el d of
banki ng, or i n some commerci al or i ndust ri al fi el d.
PHYSICIANS and DENTISTS who wi sh t o ext end
t hei r pract i ce wi t hout vi ol at i ng t he et hi cs of t hei r
professi on by di rect advert i si ng. A promi nent
physi ci an has sai d t hat t he Law of Success course i s
wort h $1, 000. 00 t o any professi onal man or woman
whose professi onal et hi cs prevent di rect advert i si ng.
PROMOTERS who wi sh t o devel op new and
heret ofore unworked combi nat i ons i n busi ness or
i ndust ry.
- 104 -
The pri nci pl e descri bed i n t hi s Int roduct ory Lesson
i s sai d t o have made a smal l fort une for a man who
used i t as t he basi s of a real est at e promot i on.
REAL ESTATE MEN who wi sh new met hods for
promot i ng sal es. Thi s Int roduct ory Lesson cont ai ns a
descri pt i on of an ent i rel y new real -est at e promot i on
pl an whi ch i s sure t o make fort unes for many who
wi l l put i t t o use. Thi s pl an may be put i nt o
operat i on i n pract i cal l y every St at e. Moreover, i t
may be empl oyed by men who never promot ed an
ent erpri se.
FARMERS who wi sh t o di scover new met hods of
market i ng t hei r product s so as t o gi ve t hem great er
net ret urns, and t hose who own l ands sui t abl e for
subdi vi si on promot i on under t he pl an referred t o at
t he end of t hi s Int roduct ory Lesson. Thousands of
farmers have "gol d mi nes" i n t he l and t hey own
whi ch i s not sui t abl e for cul t i vat i on, whi ch coul d be
used for recreat i on and resort purposes, on a hi ghl y
profi t abl e basi s.
STENOGRAPHERS and BOOKKEEPERS who are
l ooki ng for a pract i cal pl an t o promot e t hemsel ves
i nt o hi gher and bet t er payi ng posi t i ons. The Law of
Success course i s sai d t o be t he best course ever
wri t t en on t he subj ect of market i ng personal
servi ces.
PRINTERS who want a l arger vol ume of busi ness and
more effi ci ent product i on as t he resul t of bet t er
cooperat i on among t hei r own empl oyees.
DAY LABORERS who have t he ambi t i on t o advance
i nt o more responsi bl e posi t i ons, i n work t hat has
great er responsi bi l i t i es and consequent l y offers
more pay.
- 105 -
LAWYERS who wi sh t o ext end t hei r cl i ent el e t hrough
di gni fi ed, et hi cal met hods whi ch wi l l bri ng t hem t o
t he at t ent i on, i n a favorabl e way, of a great er
number of peopl e who need l egal servi ces.
BUSINESS EXECUTIVES who wi sh t o expand t hei r
present busi ness, or who wi sh t o handl e t hei r present
vol ume wi t h l ess expense, as t he resul t of great er
co-operat i on bet ween t hei r empl oyees.
LAUNDRY OWNERS who wi sh t o ext end t hei r
busi ness by t eachi ng t hei r dri vers how t o serve more
court eousl y and effi ci ent l y.
LIFE INSURANCE GENERAL AGENTS who wi sh
bi gger and more effi ci ent sal es organi zat i ons.
CHAIN STORE MANAGERS who want a great er
vol ume of busi ness as t he resul t of more effi ci ent
i ndi vi dual sal es effort s.
MARRIED PEOPLE who are unhappy, and t herefore
unsuccessful , because of l ack of harmony and
cooperat i on i n t he home.

To al l descri bed i n t he foregoi ng cl assi fi cat i on
t he Law of Success phi l osophy offers bot h DEFINITE
and SPEEDY ai d.
- 106 -


AN AIM IN LIFE IS
THE ONLY FORTUNE
WORTH FINDING;
AND IT IS NOT TO BE
FOUND IN FOREIGN
LANDS, BUT IN THE
HEART ITSELF.
-Robert Louis Stevenson.

- 107 -
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCTORY LESSON

The purpose of t hi s summary i s t o ai d t he st udent
i n mast eri ng t he cent ral i dea around whi ch t he l esson
has been devel oped. Thi s i dea i s represent ed by t he
t erm "Mast er Mi nd" whi ch has been descri bed i n great
det ai l t hroughout t he l esson.
Al l new i deas, and especi al l y t hose of an abst ract
nat ure, fi nd l odgment i n t he human mi nd onl y aft er
much repet i t i on, a wel l known t rut h whi ch account s
for t he re-st at ement , i n t hi s summary, of t he pri nci pl e
known as t he "Mast er Mi nd. "
A "Mast er Mi nd" may be devel oped by a fri endl y
al l i ance, i n a spi ri t of harmony of purpose, bet ween
t wo or more mi nds.
Thi s i s an appropri at e pl ace at whi ch t o expl ai n
t hat out of every al l i ance of mi nds, whet her i n a spi ri t
of harmony or not , t here i s devel oped anot her mi nd
whi ch affect s al l part i ci pat i ng i n t he al l i ance. No t wo
or more mi nds ever met wi t hout creat i ng, out of t he
cont act , anot her mi nd, but not al ways i s t hi s i nvi si bl e
creat i on a "Mast er Mi nd. "
There may be, and al t oget her t oo oft en t here i s,
devel oped out of t he meet i ng of t wo or more mi nds a
negat i ve power whi ch i s j ust t he opposi t e t o a "Mast er
Mi nd. "
There are cert ai n mi nds whi ch, as has al ready
been st at ed t hroughout t hi s l esson, cannot be made t o
bl end i n a spi ri t of harmony. Thi s pri nci pl e has i t s
comparabl e anal ogy i n chemi st ry, reference t o whi ch
may enabl e t he st udent t o grasp more cl earl y t he
pri nci pl e here referred t o.
- 108 -
For exampl e, t he chemi cal formul a H
2
O (meani ng
t he combi ni ng of t wo at oms of hydrogen wi t h one
at om of oxygen) changes t hese t wo el ement s i nt o
wat er. One at om of hydrogen and one at om of oxygen
wi l l not produce wat er; moreover, t hey cannot be
made t o associ at e t hemsel ves i n harmony!
There are many known el ement s whi ch, when
combi ned, are i mmedi at el y t ransformed from harml ess
i nt o deadl y poi sonous subst ances. St at ed di fferent l y,
many wel l known poi sonous el ement s are neut ral i zed
and rendered harml ess when combi ned wi t h cert ai n
ot her el ement s.
Just as t he combi ni ng of cert ai n el ement s changes
t hei r ent i re nat ure, t he combi ni ng of cert ai n mi nds
changes t he nat ure of t hose mi nds, produci ng ei t her a
cert ai n degree of what has been cal l ed a "Mast er
Mi nd, " or i t s opposi t e, whi ch i s hi ghl y dest ruct i ve.
Any man who has found hi s mot her-i n-l aw t o be
i ncompat i bl e has experi enced t he negat i ve appl i cat i on
of t he pri nci pl e known as a "Mast er Mi nd. " For some
reason as yet unknown t o i nvest i gat ors i n t he fi el d of
mi nd behavi or, t he maj ori t y of mot hers-i n-l aw appear
t o affect t hei r daught ers' husbands i n a hi ghl y
negat i ve manner, t he meet i ng of t hei r mi nds wi t h
t hose of t hei r sons-i n-l aw creat i ng a hi ghl y
ant agoni st i c i nfl uence i nst ead of a "Mast er Mi nd. "
Thi s fact i s t oo wel l known as a t rut h t o make
ext ended comment necessary.
Some mi nds wi l l not be harmoni zed and cannot be
bl ended i nt o a "Mast er Mi nd, " a fact whi ch al l l eaders
of men wi l l do wel l t o remember. It i s t he l eader' s
responsi bi l i t y so t o group hi s men t hat t hose who have
been pl aced at t he most st rat egi c poi nt s i n hi s organ-
- 109 -
i zat i on are made up of i ndi vi dual s whose mi nds CAN
and WILL BE bl ended i n a spi ri t of fri endl i ness and
harmony.
Abi l i t y so t o group men i s t he chi ef out st andi ng
qual i t y of l eadershi p. In Lesson Two of t hi s course t he
st udent wi l l di scover t hat t hi s abi l i t y was t he mai n
source of bot h t he power and fort une accumul at ed by
t he l at e Andrew Carnegi e.
Knowi ng not hi ng what soever of t he t echni cal end
of t he st eel busi ness, Carnegi e so combi ned and
grouped t he men of whi ch hi s "Mast er Mi nd" was
composed t hat he bui l t t he most successful st eel
i ndust ry known t o t he worl d duri ng hi s l i fe-t i me.
Henry Ford' s gi gant i c success may be t raced t o
t he successful appl i cat i on of t hi s sel fsame pri nci pl e.
Wi t h al l t he sel f-rel i ance a man coul d have, Ford,
nevert hel ess, di d not depend upon hi msel f for t he
knowl edge necessary i n t he successful devel opment of
hi s i ndust ri es.
Li ke Carnegi e, he surrounded hi msel f wi t h men
who suppl i ed t he knowl edge whi ch he, hi msel f, di d
not and coul d not possess.
Moreover, Ford pi cked men who coul d and di d
harmoni ze i n group effort .
The most effect i ve al l i ances, whi ch have resul t ed
i n t he creat i on of t he pri nci pl e known as t he "Mast er
Mi nd, " have been t hose devel oped out of t he bl endi ng
of t he mi nds of men and women. The reason for t hi s i s
t he fact t hat t he mi nds of mal e and femal e wi l l more
readi l y bl end i n harmony t han wi l l t he mi nds of mal es.
Al so, t he added st i mul us of sexual cont act oft en ent ers
i nt o t he devel opment of a "Mast er Mi nd" bet ween a
man and a woman.
- 110 -
It i s a wel l known fact t hat t he mal e of t he
speci es i s keener and more al ert for "t he chase, " l et
t he goal or obj ect of t he chase be what i t may, when
i nspi red and urged on by a femal e.
Thi s human t rai t begi ns t o mani fest i t sel f i n t he
mal e at t he age of pubert y, and cont i nues t hroughout
hi s l i fe. The fi rst evi dence of i t may be observed i n
at hl et i cs, where boys are pl ayi ng before an audi ence
made up of femal es.
Remove t he women from t he audi ence and t he
game known as foot bal l woul d soon become a very
t ame affai r. A boy wi l l t hrow hi msel f i nt o a foot bal l
game wi t h al most superhuman effort when he knows
t hat t he gi rl of hi s choi ce i s observi ng hi m from t he
grandst and.
And t hat same boy wi l l t hrow hi msel f i nt o t he
game of accumul at i ng money wi t h t he same
ent husi asm when i nspi red and urged on by t he woman
of hi s choi ce; especi al l y i f t hat woman knows how t o
st i mul at e hi s mi nd wi t h her own, t hrough t he l aw of
t he "Mast er Mi nd. "
On t he ot her hand, t hat same woman may, t hrough
a negat i ve appl i cat i on of t he l aw of t he "Mast er Mi nd"
(naggi ng, j eal ousy, sel fi shness, greed, vani t y), drag
t hi s man down t o sure defeat !
The l at e El bert Hubbard underst ood t he pri nci pl e
here descri bed so wel l t hat when he di scovered t hat
t he i ncompat i bi l i t y bet ween hi msel f and hi s fi rst wi fe
was draggi ng hi m down t o sure defeat he ran t he
gamut of publ i c opi ni on by di vorci ng her and
marryi ng t he woman who i s sai d t o have been t he mai n
source of hi s i nspi rat i on.
Not every man woul d have had t he courage t o
- 111 -
defy publ i c opi ni on, as Hubbard di d, but who i s wi se
enough t o say t hat hi s act i on was not for t he best
i nt erest of al l concerned?
A man' s chi ef busi ness i n l i fe i s t o succeed!
The road t o success may be, and general l y i s,
obst ruct ed by many i nfl uences whi ch must be removed
before t he goal can be reached. One of t he most
det ri ment al of t hese obst acl es i s t hat of unfort unat e
al l i ance wi t h mi nds whi ch do not harmoni ze. In such
cases t he al l i ance must be broken or t he end i s sure t o
be defeat and fai l ure.
The man who has mast ered t he si x basi c fears,
one of whi ch i s t he Fear of Cri t i ci sm, wi l l have no
hesi t ancy i n t aki ng what may seem t o t he more
convent i on-bound t ype of mi nd t o be drast i c act i on
when he fi nds hi msel f ci rcumscri bed and bound down
by ant agoni st i c al l i ances, no mat t er of what nat ure or
wi t h whom t hey may be.
It i s a mi l l i on t i mes bet t er t o meet and face
cri t i ci sm t han t o be dragged down t o fai l ure and
obl i vi on on account of al l i ances whi ch are not
harmoni ous, whet her t he al l i ances be of a busi ness or
soci al nat ure.
To be perfect l y frank, t he aut hor i s here
j ust i fyi ng di vorce, when t he condi t i ons surroundi ng
marri age are such t hat harmony cannot prevai l . Thi s i s
not i nt ended t o convey t he bel i ef t hat l ack of harmony
may not be removed t hrough ot her met hods t han t hat
of di vorce; for t here are i nst ances where t he cause of
ant agoni sm may be removed and harmony est abl i shed
wi t hout t aki ng t he ext reme st ep of di vorce.
Whi l e i t i s t rue t hat some mi nds wi l l not bl end i n
a spi ri t of harmony, and cannot be forced or i nduced
t o do so, because of t he chemi cal nat ure of t he
- 112 -





IF you cannot do great
things yourself, remember
that you may do small
things in a great way.




- 113 -
i ndi vi dual s' brai ns, DO NOT BE TOO READY TO
CHARGE THE OTHER PARTY TO YOUR ALLIANCE
WITH ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LACK OF
HARMONY - REMEMBER, THE TROUBLE MAY BE
WITH YOUR OWN BRAIN!
Remember, al so, t hat a mi nd whi ch cannot and
wi l l not harmoni ze wi t h one person or persons may
harmoni ze perfect l y wi t h ot her t ypes of mi nds.
Di scovery of t hi s t rut h has resul t ed i n radi cal changes
i n met hods of empl oyi ng men. It i s no l onger
cust omary t o di scharge a man because he does not fi t
i n t he posi t i on for whi ch he was ori gi nal l y hi red. The
di scri mi nat i ng l eader endeavors t o pl ace such a man i n
some ot her posi t i on, where, i t has been proved more
t han once, mi sfi t s may become val uabl e men.
The st udent of t hi s course shoul d be sure t hat t he
pri nci pl e descri bed as t he "Mast er Mi nd" i s
t horoughl y underst ood before proceedi ng wi t h t he
remai ni ng l essons of t he course. The reason for t hi s i s
t he fact t hat pract i cal l y t he ent i re course i s cl osel y
associ at ed wi t h t hi s l aw of mi nd operat i on.
If you are not sure t hat you underst and t hi s l aw,
communi cat e wi t h t he aut hor of t he course and secure
furt her expl anat i on by aski ng such quest i ons as you
may wi sh concerni ng poi nt s i n connect i on wi t h whi ch
you bel i eve you need furt her i nformat i on.
You cannot spend t oo much t i me i n seri ous
t hought and cont empl at i on i n connect i on wi t h t he l aw
of t he "Mast er Mi nd, " for t he reason t hat when you
have mast ered t hi s l aw and have l earned how t o appl y
i t new worl ds of opport uni t y wi l l open t o you.
Thi s Int roduct ory Lesson, whi l e not real l y
i nt ended as a separat e l esson of t he Law of Success
- 114 -
course, cont ai ns suffi ci ent dat a t o enabl e t he st udent
who has an apt i t ude for sel l i ng t o become a Mast er
Sal esman.
Any sal es organi zat i on may make effect i ve use of
t he l aw of t he "Mast er Mi nd" by groupi ng t he
sal esmen i n groups of t wo or more peopl e who wi l l
al l y t hemsel ves i n a spi ri t of fri endl y co-operat i on and
appl y t hi s l aw as suggest ed i n t hi s l esson.
An agent for a wel l known make of aut omobi l e,
who empl oys t wel ve sal esmen, has grouped hi s
organi zat i on i n si x groups of t wo men each, wi t h t he
obj ect of appl yi ng t he l aw of t he "Mast er Mi nd, " wi t h
t he resul t t hat al l t he sal esmen have est abl i shed new
hi gh sal es records.
Thi s same organi zat i on has creat ed what i t cal l s
t he "One-A-Week Cl ub, " meani ng t hat each man
bel ongi ng t o t he Cl ub has averaged t he sal e of one car
a week si nce t he Cl ub was organi zed.
The resul t s of t hi s effort have been surpri si ng t o
al l !
Each man bel ongi ng t o t he Cl ub was provi ded
wi t h a l i st of 100 prospect i ve purchasers of
aut omobi l es. Each sal esman sends one post al card a
week t o each of hi s 100 prospect i ve purchasers, and
makes personal cal l s on at l east t en of t hese each day.
Each post al card i s confi ned t o t he descri pt i on of
but one advant age of t he aut omobi l e t he sal esman i s
sel l i ng, and asks for a personal i nt ervi ew.
Int ervi ews have i ncreased rapi dl y, as have, al so,
sal es!
The agent who empl oys t hese sal esmen has
offered an ext ra cash bonus t o each sal esman who
earns t he ri ght t o membershi p i n t he "One-A-Week
Cl ub" by averagi ng one car a week.
- 115 -
The pl an has i nj ect ed new vi t al i t y i nt o t he ent i re
organi zat i on. Moreover, t he resul t s of t he pl an are
showi ng i n t he weekl y sal es record of each sal esman.
A si mi l ar pl an coul d be adopt ed very effect i vel y
by Li fe Insurance Agenci es. Any ent erpri si ng General
Agent mi ght easi l y doubl e or even t ri pl e t he vol ume
of hi s busi ness, wi t h t he same number of sal esmen,
t hrough t he use of t hi s pl an.
Pract i cal l y no changes what soever woul d need t o
be made i n t he met hod of use of t he pl an. The Cl ub
mi ght be cal l ed t he "Pol i cy-A-Week Cl ub, " meani ng
t hat each member pl edged hi msel f t o sel l at l east one
pol i cy, of an agreed mi ni mum amount , each week.
The st udent of t hi s course who has mast ered t he
second l esson, and underst ands how t o appl y t he
fundament al s of t hat l esson (A Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m)
wi l l be abl e t o make much more effect i ve use of t he
pl an here descri bed.
It i s not suggest ed or i nt ended t hat any st udent
shal l undert ake t o appl y t he pri nci pl es of t hi s l esson,
whi ch i s merel y an Int roduct ory Lesson, unt i l he has
mast ered at l east t he next fi ve l essons of t he Law of
Success course.
The mai n purpose of t hi s Int roduct ory Lesson i s
t o st at e some of t he pri nci pl es upon whi ch t he course
i s founded. These pri nci pl es are more accurat el y
descri bed, and t he st udent i s t aught i n a very defi ni t e
manner how t o appl y t hem, i n t he i ndi vi dual l essons
of t he course.
The aut omobi l e sal es organi zat i on referred t o i n
t hi s summary meet s at l uncheon once a week. One
hour and a hal f i s devot ed t o l uncheon and t o t he
di scussi on of ways and means of appl yi ng t he pri n-
- 116 -
ci pl es of t hi s course. Thi s gi ves each man an
opport uni t y t o profi t by t he i deas of al l t he ot her
members of t he organi zat i on.
Two t abl es are set for t he l uncheon.
At one t abl e al l who have earned t he ri ght t o
membershi p i n t he One-A-Week Cl ub are seat ed. At
t he ot her t abl e, whi ch i s servi ced wi t h t i nware i nst ead
of chi na, al l who di d not earn t he ri ght t o membershi p
i n t he Cl ub are seat ed. These, needl ess t o say, become
t he obj ect of consi derabl e good-nat ured chi di ng from
t he more fort unat e members seat ed at t he ot her t abl e.
It i s possi bl e t o make an al most endl ess vari et y of
adapt at i ons of t hi s pl an, bot h i n t he fi el d of
aut omobi l e sal esmanshi p and i n ot her fi el ds of sel l i ng.
The j ust i fi cat i on for i t s use i s t hat i t pays!
It pays not onl y t he l eader or manager of t he
organi zat i on, but every member of t he sal es force as
wel l .
Thi s pl an has been bri efl y descri bed for t he
purpose of showi ng t he st udent of t hi s course how t o
make pract i cal appl i cat i on of t he pri nci pl es out l i ned
i n t hi s course.
The fi nal aci d t est of any t heory or rul e or
pri nci pl e i s t hat i t wi l l ACTUALLY WORK! The l aw
of t he "Mast er Mi nd" has been proved sound because
i t WORKS.
If you underst and t hi s l aw you are now ready t o
proceed wi t h Lesson Two, i n whi ch you wi l l be
furt her and much more deepl y i ni t i at ed i n t he
appl i cat i on of t he pri nci pl es descri bed i n t hi s
Int roduct ory Lesson.
- 117 -




A WINNER NEVER
QUITS, AND A
QUITTER NEVER
WINS!


- 118 -

NOTICE
Study this chart carefully and com-
pare the ratings of these ten men
before grading yourself, in the two
columns at the right.
H
E
N
R
Y
F
O
R
D
B
E
N
J
A
M
I
N
F
R
A
N
K
L
I
N
G
E
O
R
G
E
W
A
S
H
I
N
G
T
O
N
T
H
E
O
D
O
R
E
R
O
O
S
E
V
E
L
T
A
B
R
A
H
A
M
L
I
N
C
O
L
N
W
O
O
D
R
O
W
W
I
L
S
O
N
W
I
L
L
I
A
M

H
.
T
A
F
T
N
A
P
O
L
E
O
N
B
O
N
A
P
A
R
T
E
C
A
L
V
I
N
C
O
O
L
I
D
G
E
J
E
S
S
E
J
A
M
E
S
THE FIFTEEN LAWS OF SUCCESS
I. Definite Chief Aim 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 -
II. Self-Confidence 100 80 90 100 75 80 50 100 60 75
III. Habit of Saving 100 100 75 50 20 40 30 40 100 -
IV. Initiative & Leadership 100 60 100 100 60 90 20 100 25 90
V. Imagination 90 90 80 80 70 80 65 90 50 60
VI. Enthusiasm 75 80 90 100 60 90 50 80 50 80
VII. Self-Control 100 90 50 75 95 75 80 40 100 50
VIII. Habit of Doing More Than Paid For
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 -
IX. Pleasing Personality 50 90 80 80 80 75 90 100 40 50
X. Accurate Thinking 90 80 75 60 90 80 80 90 70 20
XI. Concentration 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 75
XII. Cooperation 75 100 100 50 90 40 100 50 60 50
XIII. Profting by Failure 100 90 75 60 80 60 60 40 40 -
XIV. Tolerance 90 100 80 75 100 70 100 10 75 -
XV. Practicising Golden Rule 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 - 100 -

GENERAL AVERAGE 91 90 86 82 81 79 75 70 71 37
Grade yourself in
these two col-
umns, before and
after completing
the Law of Suc-
ces course.
BEFORE AFTER
The ten men who have been analyzed, in the above chart, are well known
throughout the world. Eight of these are known to be success-ful, while two are
generally considered to have been failures. The failures are Jesse James and
Napoleon Bonaparte. They have been analyzed for comparison. Carefully
observe where these two men have been graded zero and you will see why they
failed. A grading of zero on any one of the Fifteen Laws of Success is sufficient to cause
failure , even though all other grades are high.
Notice that all the successful men grade 100% on a Definite Chief Aim.
This is a prerequisite to success, in all cases, without exception. If you
wish to conduct an interesting experiment replace the above ten names
with the names of ten people whomyou know, five of whom are successful
and five of whom are failures, and grade each of them. When you are
through, GRADE YOURSELF, taking care to see that you really know
what are your weaknesses.

- 119 -
YOUR SIX MOST
DANGEROUS ENEMIES

An Af t er- t he- Lesson Vi si t Wi t h t he Aut hor



The Si x Spect ers are l abel ed: Fear of Povert y,
Fear of Deat h, Fear of Il l -Heal t h, Fear of t he
Loss of Love, Fear of Ol d Age, Fear of
Cri t i ci sm.

Every person on earth is afraid of something. Most
fears are inherited. In this essay you may study the
six basic fears which do the most damage. Your fears
must be mastered before you can win in any worth-
while undertaking in life. Find out how many of the
six fears are bothering you, but more important than
this, determine, also how to conquer these fears.

IN t hi s pi ct ure you have t he opport uni t y t o st udy
our si x worst enemi es.
These enemi es are not beaut i ful . The art i st who
drew t hi s pi ct ure di d not pai nt t he si x charact ers as
ugl y as t hey real l y are. If he had, no one woul d have
bel i eved hi m.
- 120 -
As you read about t hese ugl y charact ers anal yze
yoursel f and fi nd out whi ch of t hem does YOU t he
most damage!

The purpose of t hi s essay i s t o hel p t he readers of
t hi s course t hrow off t hese deadl y enemi es. Observe
t hat t he si x charact ers are at your back, where you
cannot conveni ent l y see t hem.
Every human bei ng on t hi s eart h i s bound down t o
some ext ent by one or more of t hese unseen FEARS.
The fi rst st ep t o be t aken i n ki l l i ng off t hese enemi es
i s t o fi nd out where and how you acqui red t hem.
They got t hei r gri p upon you t hrough t wo forms
of heredi t y. One i s known as physi cal heredi t y, t o
whi ch Darwi n devot ed so much st udy. The ot her i s
known as soci al heredi t y, t hrough whi ch t he fears,
superst i t i ons and bel i efs of men who l i ved duri ng t he
dark ages have been passed on from one generat i on t o
anot her.
Let us st udy, fi rst , t he part t hat physi cal heredi t y
has pl ayed i n creat i ng t hese si x BASIC FEARS.
St art i ng at t he begi nni ng, we fi nd t hat Nat ure has been
a cruel bui l der. From t he l owest form of l i fe t o t he
hi ghest , Nat ure has permi t t ed t he st ronger t o prey
upon t he weaker forms of ani mal l i fe.
The fi sh prey upon t he worms and i nsect s, eat i ng
t hem bodi l y. Bi rds prey upon t he fi sh. Hi gher forms of
ani mal l i fe prey upon t he bi rds, and upon one anot her,
al l t he way up t he l i ne t o man. And, man preys upon
al l t he ot her l ower forms of ani mal l i fe, and upon
MAN!
- 121 -
The whol e st ory of evol ut i on i s one unbroken
chai n of evi dence of cruel t y and dest ruct i on of t he
weaker by t he st ronger. No wonder t he weaker forms
of ani mal l i fe have l earned t o FEAR t he st ronger. The
Fear consci ousness i s born i n every l i vi ng ani mal .

So much for t he FEAR i nst i nct t hat came t o us
t hrough physi cal heredi t y. Now l et us exami ne soci al
heredi t y, and fi nd out what part i t has pl ayed i n our
make-up. The t erm "soci al heredi t y" has reference t o
everyt hi ng t hat we are t aught , everyt hi ng we l earn or
gat her from observat i on and experi ence wi t h ot her
l i vi ng bei ngs.
Lay asi de any prej udi ces and fi xed opi ni ons you
may have formed, at l east t emporari l y, and you may
know t he t rut h about your Si x Worst Enemi es, st art i ng
wi t h:
THE FEAR OF POVERTY! It requi res courage t o
t el l t he t rut h about t he hi st ory of t hi s enemy of
manki nd, and st i l l great er courage t o hear t he t rut h
aft er i t has been t ol d. The Fear of Povert y grows out
of man' s habi t of preyi ng upon hi s fel l ow men,
economi cal l y. The ani mal s whi ch have i nst i nct , but no
power t o THINK, prey upon one anot her physi cal l y.
Man, wi t h hi s superi or sense of i nt ui t i on, and hi s more
powerful weapon of THOUGHT, does not eat hi s
fel l ow man bodi l y; he get s more pl easure from eat i ng
hi m FINANCIALLY.
So great an offender i s man, i n t hi s respect , t hat
nearl y every st at e and nat i on has been obl i ged t o pass
l aws, scores of l aws, t o prot ect t he weak from t he
st rong. Every bl ue-sky l aw i s i ndi sput abl e evi dence
- 122 -
of man' s nat ure t o prey upon hi s weaker brot her
economi cal l y.
The second of t he Si x Basi c Fears wi t h whi ch
man i s bound down i s:
THE FEAR OF OLD AGE! Thi s Fear grows out of
t wo maj or causes. Fi rst , t he t hought t hat Ol d Age may
bri ng wi t h i t POVERTY. Secondl y, from fal se and
cruel sect ari an t eachi ngs whi ch have been so wel l
mi xed wi t h fi re and bri mst one t hat every human bei ng
l earned t o Fear Ol d Age because i t meant t he approach
of anot her and, perhaps, a more horri bl e worl d t han
t hi s.
The t hi rd of t he Si x Basi c Fears i s:
THE FEAR OF ILL HEALTH: Thi s Fear i s born
of bot h physi cal and soci al heredi t y. From bi rt h unt i l
deat h t here i s et ernal warfare wi t hi n every physi cal
body; warfare bet ween groups of cel l s, one group
bei ng known as t he fri endl y bui l ders of t he body, and
t he ot her as t he dest royers, or "di sease germs. " The
seed of Fear i s born i n t he physi cal body, t o begi n
wi t h, as t he resul t of Nat ure' s cruel pl an of permi t t i ng
t he st ronger forms of cel l l i fe t o prey upon t he
weaker. Soci al heredi t y has pl ayed i t s part t hrough
l ack of cl eanl i ness and knowl edge of sani t at i on. Al so,
t hrough t he l aw of suggest i on cl everl y mani pul at ed by
t hose who profi t ed by ILL HEALTH.
The fourt h of t he Si x Basi c Fears i s:
THE FEAR OF LOSS OF LOVE OF SOMEONE:
Thi s Fear fi l l s t he asyl ums wi t h t he i nsanel y j eal ous,
for j eal ousy i s not hi ng but a form of i nsani t y. It al so
fi l l s t he di vorce court s and causes murders and ot her
forms of cruel puni shment . It i s a hol dover, handed
down t hrough soci al heredi t y, from t he st one age when
- 123 -
man preyed upon hi s fel l ow man by st eal i ng hi s mat e
by physi cal force. The met hod, but not t he pract i ce,
has now changed t o some ext ent . Inst ead of physi cal
force man now st eal s hi s fel l ow man' s mat e wi t h
pret t y col orful ri bbons and fast mot or cars and boot l eg
whi sky, and sparkl i ng rocks and st at el y mansi ons.
Man i s i mprovi ng. He now "ent i ces" where once
he "drove. "
The fi ft h of t he Si x Basi c Fears i s:
THE FEAR OF CRITICISM: Just how and where
man got t hi s Fear i s di ffi cul t t o det ermi ne, but i t i s
cert ai n t hat he has i t . But for t hi s Fear men woul d not
become bal d-headed. Bal d heads come from t i ght l y
fi t t i ng hat -bands, whi ch cut off t he ci rcul at i on from
t he root s of t he hai r. Women sel dom are bal d because
t hey wear l oose fi t t i ng hat s. But for Fear of Cri t i ci sm
man woul d l ay asi de hi s hat and keep hi s hai r.
The makers of cl ot hi ng have not been sl ow t o
capi t al i ze t hi s Basi c Fear of manki nd. Every season
t he st yl es change, because t he cl ot hes makers know
t hat few peopl e have t he courage t o wear a garment
t hat i s one season out of st ep wi t h what "They are al l
weari ng. " If you doubt t hi s (you gent l emen) st art
down t he st reet wi t h l ast year' s narrow-bri mmed st raw
hat on, when t hi s year' s st yl e cal l s for t he broad bri m.
Or (you l adi es), t ake a wal k down t he st reet on East er
morni ng wi t h l ast year' s hat on. Observe how
uncomfort abl e you are, t hanks t o your unseen enemy,
t he FEAR OF CRITICISM.
The si xt h, and l ast of t he Si x Basi c Fears i s t he
most dreaded of t hem al l . It i s cal l ed:
THE FEAR OF DEATH! For t ens of t housands of
- 124 -
years man has been aski ng t he st i l l unanswered
quest i ons - "WHENCE?" and "WHITHER?" The more
craft y of t he race have not been sl ow t o offer t he
answer t o t hi s et ernal quest i on, "Where di d I come
from and where am I goi ng aft er Deat h?" "Come i nt o
my t ent , " says one l eader, "and you may go t o Heaven
aft er Deat h. " Heaven was t hen pi ct ured as a wonderful
ci t y whose st reet s were l i ned wi t h gol d and st udded
wi t h preci ous st ones. "Remai n out of my t ent and you
may go st rai ght t o hel l . " Hel l was t hen pi ct ured as a
bl azi ng furnace where t he poor vi ct i m mi ght have t he
mi sery of burni ng forever i n bri mst one.
No wonder manki nd FEARS DEATH!

Take anot her l ook at t he pi ct ure at t he begi nni ng
of t hi s essay and det ermi ne, i f you can, whi ch of t he
Si x Basi c Fears i s doi ng you t he great est damage. An
enemy di scovered i s an enemy hal f whi pped.
Thanks t o t he school s and col l eges man i s sl owl y
di scoveri ng t hese Si x Enemi es. The most effect i ve
t ool wi t h whi ch t o fi ght t hem i s ORGANIZED
KNOWLEDGE. Ignorance and Fear are t wi n si st ers.
They are general l y found t oget her.
But for IGNORANCE and SUPERSTITION t he
Si x Basi c Fears woul d di sappear from man' s nat ure i n
one generat i on. In every publ i c l i brary may be found
t he remedy for t hese si x enemi es of manki nd,
provi di ng you know what books t o read.
Begi n by readi ng The Sci ence of Power, by
Benj ami n Ki dd, and you wi l l have broken t he st rangl e
hol d of most of your Si x Basi c Fears. Fol l ow t hi s by
- 125 -
readi ng Emerson' s essay on Compensat i on. Then
sel ect some good book on aut o-suggest i on (sel f-
suggest i on) and i nform yoursel f on t he pri nci pl e
t hrough whi ch your bel i efs of t oday become t he
real i t i es of t omorrow. Mi nd In t he Maki ng, by
Robi nson, wi l l gi ve you a good st art t oward
underst andi ng your own mi nd.

Through t he pri nci pl e of soci al heredi t y t he
IGNORANCE and SUPERSTITION of t he dark ages
have been passed on t o you. But , you are l i vi ng i n a
modern age. On every hand you may see evi dence t hat
every EFFECT has a nat ural CAUSE. Begi n, now, t o
st udy effect s by t hei r causes and soon you wi l l
emanci pat e your mi nd from t he burden of t he Si x
Basi c Fears.
Begi n by st udyi ng men who have accumul at ed
great weal t h, and fi nd out t he CAUSE of t hei r
achi evement s. Henry Ford i s a good subj ect t o st art
wi t h. Wi t hi n t he short peri od of t went y-fi ve years he
has whi pped POVERTY and made hi msel f t he most
powerful man on eart h. There was no l uck or chance
or acci dent back of hi s achi evement . It grew out of hi s
careful observat i on of cert ain pri nci pl es whi ch are as
avai l abl e t o you as t hey were t o hi m.
Henry Ford i s not bound down by t he Si x Basi c
Fears; make no mi st ake about t hi s.
If you feel t hat you are t oo far away from Ford t o
st udy hi m accurat el y, t hen begi n by sel ect i ng t wo
peopl e whom you know cl ose at hand; one
represent i ng your i dea of FAILURE and t he ot her
correspondi ng t o your i dea of SUCCESS. Fi nd out
- 126 -
what made one a fai l ure and t he ot her a success. Get
t he real FACTS. In t he process of gat heri ng t hese
fact s you wi l l have t aught yoursel f a great l esson on
CAUSE and EFFECT.
Not hi ng ever j ust "happens. " Everyt hi ng, from t he
l owest ani mal form t hat creeps on t he eart h or swi ms
i n t he seas, on up t o man, i s t he EFFECT of Nat ure' s
evol ut i onary process. Evol ut i on i s "orderl y change. "
No "mi racl es" are connect ed wi t h t hi s orderl y change.
Not onl y do t he physi cal shapes and col ors of
ani mal s undergo sl ow, orderl y change from one
generat i on t o anot her, but t he mi nd of man i s al so
undergoi ng const ant change. Herei n l i es your hope for
i mprovement . You have t he power t o force your mi nd
t hrough a process of rat her qui ck change. In a si ngl e
mont h of properl y di rect ed sel f-suggest i on you may
pl ace your foot upon t he neck of every one of your Si x
Basi c Fears. In t wel ve mont hs of persi st ent effort you
may dri ve t he ent i re herd i nt o t he corner where i t wi l l
never agai n do you any seri ous i nj ury.
You wi l l resembl e, t omorrow, t he DOMINATING
THOUGHTS t hat you keep al i ve i n your mi nd t oday!
Pl ant i n your mi nd t he seed of DETERMINATION t o
whi p your Si x Basi c Fears and t he bat t l e wi l l have
been hal f won t hen and t here. Keep t hi s i nt ent i on i n
your mi nd and i t wi l l sl owl y push your Si x Worst
Enemi es out of si ght , as t hey exi st nowhere except i n
your own mi nd.
The man who i s powerful FEARS not hi ng; not
even God. The POWERFUL man l oves God, but
FEARS Hi m never! Enduri ng power never grows out
of FEAR. Any power t hat i s bui l t upon FEAR i s bound
- 127 -
t o crumbl e and di si nt egrat e. Underst and t hi s great
t rut h and you wi l l never be so unfort unat e as t o t ry t o
rai se yoursel f t o power t hrough t he FEARS of ot her
peopl e who may owe you t emporary al l egi ance.


Man i s of soul and body formed for deeds
Of hi gh resol ve; on fancy' s bol dest wi ng
To soar unweari ed, fearl essl y t o t urn
The keenest pangs t o peaceful ness, and t ast e
The j oys whi ch mi ngl ed sense and spi ri t yi el d;

Or he i s formed for abj ect ness and woe,
To grovel on t he dunghi l l of hi s fears,
To shri nk at every sound, t o quench t he fl ame
Of nat ural l ove i n sensual i sm, t o know
That hour as bl est when on hi s wort hl ess days
The frozen hand of deat h shal l set i t s seal ,
Yet fear t he cure, t hough hat i ng t he di sease.

The one i s man t hat shal l hereaft er be,
The ot her, man as vi ce has made hi m now.
-SHELLEY.
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- 129 -

ONE of the most
destructive evils is
slanderous talk. It
breaks human hearts
and ruins reputations
with a ruthlessness
unknown in connection
with all other evils.


T
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IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL
______
All Rights Reserved











Pri nted i n the U. S. A.
- 2 -







Lesson Two
A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM



- 3 -



The best rose bush, after
all, is not that which has
the fewest thorns, but
that which bears the fin-
est roses.
-Henry van Dyke



- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Two
A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!"

YOU are at t he begi nni ng of a course of
phi l osophy whi ch, for t he fi rst t i me i n t he hi st ory of
t he worl d, has been organi zed from t he known fact ors
whi ch have been used and must al ways be used by
successful peopl e.
Li t erary st yl e has been compl et el y subordi nat ed
for t he sake of st at i ng t he pri nci pl es and l aws
i ncl uded i n t hi s course i n such a manner t hat t hey may
be qui ckl y and easi l y assi mi l at ed by peopl e i n every
wal k of l i fe.
Some of t he pri nci pl es descri bed i n t he course are
fami l i ar t o al l who wi l l read t he course. Ot hers are
here st at ed for t he fi rst t i me. It shoul d be kept i n
mi nd, from t he fi rst l esson t o t he l ast , t hat t he val ue
of t he phi l osophy l i es ent i rely i n t he t hought st i mul i i t
wi l l produce i n t he mi nd of t he st udent , and not
merel y i n t he l essons t hemsel ves.
St at ed i n anot her way, t hi s course i s i nt ended as a
mi nd st i mul ant t hat wi l l cause t he st udent t o organi ze
- 5 -
and di rect t o a DEFINITE end t he forces of hi s or her
mi nd, t hus harnessi ng t he st upendous power whi ch
most peopl e wast e i n spasmodi c, purposel ess t hought .
Si ngl eness of purpose i s essent i al for success, no
mat t er what may be one' s i dea of t he defi ni t i on of
success. Yet si ngl eness of purpose i s a qual i t y whi ch
may, and general l y does, cal l for t hought on many
al l i ed subj ect s.
Thi s aut hor t ravel ed a l ong di st ance t o wat ch Jack
Dempsey t rai n for an oncomi ng bat t l e. It was observed
t hat he di d not rel y ent i rel y upon one form of
exerci se, but resort ed t o many forms. The punchi ng
bag hel ped hi m devel op one set of muscl es, and al so
t rai ned hi s eye t o be qui ck. The dumb-bel l s t rai ned
st i l l anot her set of muscl es. Runni ng devel oped t he
muscl es of hi s l egs and hi ps. A wel l bal anced food
rat i on suppl i ed t he mat eri al s needed for bui l di ng
muscl e wi t hout fat . Proper sl eep, rel axat i on and rest
habi t s provi ded st i l l ot her qual i t i es whi ch he must
have i n order t o wi n.
The st udent of t hi s course i s, or shoul d be,
engaged i n t he busi ness of t rai ni ng for success i n t he
bat t l e of l i fe. To wi n t here are many fact ors whi ch
must have at t ent i on. A wel l organi zed, al ert and
energet i c mi nd i s produced by vari ous and sundry
st i mul i , al l of whi ch are pl ai nl y descri bed i n t hese
l essons.
It shoul d be remembered, however, t hat t he mi nd
requi res, for i t s devel opment , a vari et y of exerci se,
j ust as t he physi cal body, t o be properl y devel oped,
cal l s for many forms of syst emat i c exerci se.
Horses are t rai ned t o cert ai n gai t s by t rai ners who
hurdl e-j ump t hem over handi caps whi ch cause t hem t o
devel op t he desi red st eps, t hrough habi t and
- 6 -
repet i t i on. The human mi nd must be t rai ned i n a
si mi l ar manner, by a vari et y of t hought -i nspi ri ng
st i mul i .
You wi l l observe, before you have gone very far
i nt o t hi s phi l osophy, t hat t he readi ng of t hese l essons
wi l l superi nduce a fl ow of t hought s coveri ng a wi de
range of subj ect s. For t hi s reason t he st udent shoul d
read t he course wi t h a not e-book and penci l at hand,
and fol l ow t he pract i ce of recordi ng t hese t hought s or
"i deas" as t hey come i nt o t he mi nd.
By fol l owi ng t hi s suggest i on t he st udent wi l l
have a col l ect i on of i deas, by t he t i me t he course has
been read t wo or t hree t i mes, suffi ci ent t o t ransform
hi s or her ent i re l i fe-pl an.
By fol l owi ng t hi s pract i ce i t wi l l be not i ced, very
soon, t hat t he mi nd has become l i ke a magnet i n t hat i t
wi l l at t ract useful i deas ri ght out of t he "t hi n ai r, " t o
use t he words of a not ed sci ent i st who has
experi ment ed wi t h t hi s pri nci pl e for a great number of
years.
You wi l l do yoursel f a great i nj ust i ce i f you
undert ake t hi s course wi t h even a remot e feel i ng t hat
you do not st and i n need of more knowl edge t han you
now possess. In t rut h, no man knows enough about any
wort h-whi l e subj ect t o ent i t l e hi m t o feel t hat he has
t he l ast word on t hat subj ect .
In t he l ong, hard t ask of t ryi ng t o wi pe out some
of my own i gnorance and make way for some of t he
useful t rut hs of l i fe, I have oft en seen, i n my
i magi nat i on, t he Great Marker who st ands at t he
gat eway ent rance of l i fe and wri t es "Poor Fool " on t he
brow of t hose who bel i eve t hey are wi se, and "Poor
Si nner" on t he brow of t hose who bel i eve t hey are
sai nt s.
Whi ch, t ransl at ed i nt o workaday l anguage, means
- 7 -
t hat none of us know very much, and by t he very
nat ure of our bei ng can never know as much as we
need t o know i n order t o l i ve sanel y and enj oy l i fe
whi l e we l i ve.
Humi l i t y i s a forerunner of success!
Unt i l we become humbl e i n our own heart s we are
not apt t o profi t great l y by t he experi ences and
t hought s of ot hers.
Sounds l i ke a preachment on moral i t y? Wel l ,
what i f i t does?
Even "preachment s, " as dry and l acki ng i n
i nt erest as t hey general l y are, may be benefi ci al i f
t hey serve t o refl ect t he shadow of our real sel ves so
we may get an approxi mat e i dea of our smal l ness and
superfi ci al i t y.
Success i n l i fe i s l argel y predi cat ed upon our
knowi ng men!
The best pl ace t o st udy t he man-ani mal i s i n your
own mi nd, by t aki ng as accurat e an i nvent ory as
possi bl e of YOURSELF. When you know yoursel f
t horoughl y (i f you ever do) you wi l l al so know much
about ot hers.
To know ot hers, not as t hey seem t o be, but as
t hey real l y are, st udy t hem t hrough:
1-The post ure of t he body, and t he way t hey wal k.
2-The t one of t he voi ce, i t s qual i t y, pi t ch, vol ume.
3-The eyes, whet her shi ft y or di rect .
4-The use of words, t hei r t rend, nat ure and qual i t y.
Through t hese open wi ndows you may l i t eral l y "wal k
ri ght i nt o a man' s soul " and t ake a l ook at t he REAL
MAN!
Goi ng a st ep furt her, i f you woul d know men
st udy t hem:
When angry
- 8 -
When i n l ove
When money i s i nvol ved
When eat i ng (al one, and unobserved, as t hey be-
l i eve)
When wri t i ng
When i n t roubl e
When j oyful and t ri umphant
When downcast and defeat ed
When faci ng cat ast rophe of a hazardous nat ure
When t ryi ng t o make a "good i mpressi on" on ot hers
When i nformed of anot her' s mi sfort une
When i nformed of anot her' s good fort une
When l osi ng i n any sort of a game of sport
When wi nni ng at sport
When al one, i n a medi t at i ve mood.
Before you can know any man, as he real l y i s,
you must observe hi m i n al l t he foregoi ng moods, and
perhaps more, whi ch i s pract i cal l y t he equi val ent of
sayi ng t hat you have no ri ght t o j udge ot hers at si ght .
Appearances count , t here can be no doubt of t hat , but
appearances are oft en decei vi ng.
Thi s course has been so desi gned t hat t he st udent
who mast ers i t may t ake i nvent ory of hi msel f and of
ot hers by ot her t han "snap-j udgment " met hods. The
st udent who mast ers t hi s phi l osophy wi l l be abl e t o
l ook t hrough t he out er crust of personal adornment ,
cl ot hes, so-cal l ed cul t ure and t he l i ke, and down deep
i nt o t he heart of al l about hi m.
Thi s i s a very broad promi se!
It woul d not have been made i f t he aut hor of t hi s
phi l osophy had not known, from years of
experi ment at i on and anal ysi s, t hat t he promi se can be
met . Some who have exami ned t he manuscri pt s of t hi s
- 9 -



NO person is "Educated"
who has not at least a
"Speaking Acquaintance"
with the Law of
Compensation, as it is
described by Emerson.





- 10 -
course have asked why i t was not cal l ed a course i n
Mast er Sal esmanshi p. The answer i s t hat t he word
"sal esmanshi p" i s commonl y, associ at ed wi t h t he
market i ng of goods or servi ces, and i t woul d,
t herefore, narrow down and ci rcumscri be t he real
nat ure of t he course. It i s t rue t hat t hi s i s a course i n
Mast er Sal esmanshi p, provi di ng one t akes a deeper-
t han-t he-average vi ew of t he meani ng of
sal esmanshi p.
Thi s phi l osophy i s i nt ended t o enabl e t hose who
mast er i t t o "sel l " t hei r way t hrough l i fe successful l y,
wi t h t he mi ni mum amount of resi st ance and fri ct i on.
Such a course, t herefore, must hel p t he st udent
organi ze and make use of much t rut h whi ch i s
overl ooked by t he maj ori t y of peopl e who go t hrough
l i fe as medi ocres.
Not al l peopl e are so const i t ut ed t hat t hey wi sh t o
know t he t rut h about al l mat t ers vi t al l y affect i ng l i fe.
One of t he great surpri ses t he aut hor of t hi s course
has met wi t h, i n connect i on wi t h hi s research
act i vi t i es, i s t hat so few peopl e are wi l l i ng t o hear t he
t rut h when i t shows up t hei r own weaknesses.
We prefer i l l usi ons t o real i t i es!
New t rut hs, i f accept ed at al l , are t aken wi t h t he
proverbi al grai n of sal t . Some of us demand more t han
a mere pi nch of sal t ; we demand enough t o pi ckl e new
i deas so t hey become usel ess.
For t hese reasons t he Int roduct ory Lesson of t hi s
course, and t hi s l esson as wel l , cover subj ect s
i nt ended t o pave t he way for new i deas so t hose i deas
wi l l not be t oo severe a shock t o t he mi nd of t he
st udent .
The t hought t he aut hor wi shes t o "get across" has
been qui t e pl ai nl y st at ed by t he edi t or of t he Ameri can
- 11 -
Magazi ne, i n an edi t ori al whi ch appeared i n a recent
i ssue, i n t he fol l owi ng words:
"On a recent rai ny ni ght , Carl Lomen, t he
rei ndeer ki ng of Al aska, t ol d me a t rue st ory. It has
st uck i n my crop ever si nce. And now I am goi ng t o
pass i t al ong.
"' A cert ai n Greenl and Eski mo, ' sai d Lomen, ' was
t aken on one of t he American Nort h Pol ar expedi t i ons
a number of years ago. Lat er, as a reward for fai t hful
servi ce, he was brought t o New York Ci t y for a short
vi si t . At al l t he mi racl es of si ght and sound he was
fi l l ed wi t h a most amazed wonder. When he ret urned
t o hi s nat i ve vi l l age he t ol d st ori es of bui l di ngs t hat
rose i nt o t he very face of t he sky; of st reet cars, whi ch
he descri bed as houses t hat moved al ong t he t rai l ,
wi t h peopl e l i vi ng i n t hem as t hey moved; of
mammot h bri dges, art i fi ci al l i ght s, and al l t he ot her
dazzl i ng concomi t ant s of t he met ropol i s.
"' Hi s peopl e l ooked at hi m col dl y and wal ked
away. And fort hwi t h t hroughout t he whol e vi l l age he
was dubbed "Sagdl uk, " meani ng "t he Li ar, " and t hi s
name he carri ed i n shame t o hi s grave. Long before
hi s deat h hi s ori gi nal name was ent i rel y forgot t en.
"' When Knud Rasmussen made hi s t ri p from
Greenl and t o Al aska he was accompani ed by a
Greenl and Eski mo named Mi t ek (Ei der Duck). Mi t ek
vi si t ed Copenhagen and New York, where he saw
many t hi ngs for t he fi rst t i me and was great l y
i mpressed. Lat er, upon hi s ret urn t o Greenl and, he
recal l ed t he t ragedy of Sagdl uk, and deci ded t hat i t
woul d not be wi se t o t el l t he t rut h. Inst ead, he woul d
narrat e st ori es t hat hi s peopl e coul d grasp, and t hus
save hi s reput at i on.
- 12 -
"' So he t ol d t hem how he and Doct or Rasmussen
mai nt ai ned a kayak on t he banks of a great ri ver, t he
Hudson, and how, each morni ng, t hey paddl ed out for
t hei r hunt i ng. Ducks, geese and seal s were t o be had
a-pl ent y, and t hey enj oyed t he vi si t i mmensel y.
"' Mi t ek, i n t he eyes of hi s count rymen, i s a very
honest man. Hi s nei ghbors t reat hi m wi t h rare respect . '
"The road of t he t rut h-t el l er has al ways been
rocky. Socrat es si ppi ng t he heml ock, Chri st cruci fi ed,
St ephen st oned, Bruno burned at t he st ake, Gal i l eo
t erri fi ed i nt o ret ract i on of hi s st arry t rut hs - forever
coul d one fol l ow t hat bl oodl y t rai l t hrough t he pages
of hi st ory.
"Somet hi ng i n human nat ure makes us resent t he
i mpact of new i deas. "
We hat e t o be di st urbed i n t he bel i efs and
prej udi ces t hat have been handed down wi t h t he
fami l y furni t ure. At mat uri t y t oo many of us go i nt o
hi bernat i on, and l i ve off t he fat of anci ent fet i shes. If
a new i dea i nvades our, den we ri se up snarl i ng from
our wi nt er sl eep.
The Eski mos, at l east , had some excuse. They
were unabl e t o vi sual i ze t he st art l i ng pi ct ures drawn
by Sagdl uk. Thei r si mpl e l i ves had been t oo l ong
ci rcumscri bed by t he broodi ng arct i c ni ght .
But t here i s no adequat e reason why t he average
man shoul d ever cl ose hi s mi nd t o fresh "sl ant s" on
l i fe. He does, j ust t he same. Not hi ng i s more t ragi c -
or more common - t han ment al i nert i a. For every t en
men who are physi cal l y l azy t here are t en t housand
wi t h st agnant mi nds. And st agnant mi nds are t he
breedi ng pl aces of fear.
- 13 -
An ol d farmer up i n Vermont al ways used t o wi nd
up hi s prayers wi t h t hi s pl ea: "Oh, God, gi ve me an
open mi nd!" If more peopl e fol l owed hi s exampl e t hey
mi ght escape bei ng hamst rung by prej udi ces. And
what a pl easant pl ace t o l i ve i n t he worl d woul d be.

Every person shoul d make i t hi s busi ness t o
gat her new i deas from sources ot her t han t he
envi ronment i n whi ch he dai l y l i ves and works.
The mi nd becomes wi t hered, st agnant , narrow and
cl osed unl ess i t searches for new i deas. The farmer
shoul d come t o t he ci t y qui t e oft en, and wal k among
t he st range faces and t he t al l bui l di ngs. He wi l l go
back t o hi s farm, hi s mi nd refreshed, wi t h more
courage and great er ent husi asm.
- The ci t y man shoul d t ake a t ri p t o t he count ry
every so oft en and freshen hi s mi nd wi t h si ght s new
and di fferent from t hose associ at ed wi t h hi s dai l y
l abors.
Everyone needs a change of ment al envi ronment
at regul ar peri ods, t he same as a change and vari et y of
food are essent i al . The mi nd becomes more al ert , more
el ast i c and more ready t o work wi t h speed and
accuracy aft er i t has been bat hed i n new i deas, out si de
of one' s own fi el d of dai l y l abor.
As a st udent of t hi s course you wi l l t emporari l y
l ay asi de t he set of i deas wi t h whi ch you perform your
dai l y l abors, and ent er a fi eld of ent i rel y new (and i n
some i nst ances, heret ofore unheard-of) i deas.
Spl endi d! You wi l l come out , at t he ot her end of
t hi s course, wi t h a new st ock of i deas whi ch wi l l make
you more effi ci ent , more ent husi ast i c and more
- 14 -
courageous, no mat t er i n what sort of work you may be
engaged.
Do not be afrai d of new i deas! They may mean t o
you t he di fference bet ween success and fai l ure.
Some of t he i deas i nt roduced i n t hi s course wi l l
requi re no furt her expl anat i on or proof of t hei r
soundness because t hey are fami l i ar t o pract i cal l y
everyone. Ot her i deas here i nt roduced are new, and
for t hat very reason many st udent s of t hi s phi l osophy
may hesi t at e t o accept t hem as sound.
Every pri nci pl e descri bed i n t hi s course has been
t horoughl y t est ed by t he aut hor, and t he maj ori t y of
t he pri nci pl es covered have been t est ed by scores of
sci ent i st s and ot hers who were qui t e capabl e of
di st i ngui shi ng bet ween t he merel y t heoret i c and t he
pract i cal .
For t hese reasons al l pri nci pl es here covered are
known t o be workabl e i n t he exact manner cl ai med for
t hem. However, no st udent of t hi s course i s asked t o
accept any st at ement made i n t hese l essons wi t hout
havi ng fi rst sat i sfi ed hi msel f or hersel f, by t est s,
experi ment s and anal ysi s, t hat t he st at ement i s sound.
The maj or evi l t he st udent i s request ed t o avoi d i s
t hat of formi ng opi ni ons wi t hout defi ni t e FACTS as
t he basi s, whi ch bri ngs t o mi nd Herbert Spencer' s
famous admoni t i on, i n t hese words
"There i s a pri nci pl e whi ch i s a bar agai nst al l
i nf ormat i on; whi ch i s proof agai nst al l argument ; and
whi ch cannot f ai l t o keep a man i n everl ast i ng
i gnorance. Thi s pri nci pl e i s cont empt pri or t o
exami nat i on. "
It may be wel l t o bear t hi s pri nci pl e i n mi nd when
you come t o st udy t he Law of t he Mast er Mi nd de
scri bed i n t hese l essons. Thi s l aw embodi es an
- 15 -


BY and Large, there is no
such thing as "Something
for Nothing." In the long
run you get exactly that for
which you pay, whether
you are buying an
automobile or a loaf of
bread.



- 16 -
ent i rel y new pri nci pl e of mi nd operat i on, and, for t hi s
reason al one, i t wi l l be di ffi cul t for many st udent s t o
accept i t as sound unt i l aft er t hey have experi ment ed
wi t h i t .
When t he fact i s consi dered, however, t hat t he
Law of t he Mast er Mi nd i s bel i eved t o be t he real
basi s of most of t he achi evement s of t hose who are
consi dered geni uses, t hi s Law t akes on an aspect
whi ch cal l s for more t han "snap-j udgment " opi ni ons.
It i s bel i eved by many sci ent i fi c men whose
opi ni ons on t he subj ect have been gi ven t he aut hor of
t hi s phi l osophy, t hat t he Law of t he Mast er Mi nd i s
t he basi s of pract i cal l y al l of t he more i mport ant
achi evement s resul t i ng from group or co-operat i ve
effort .
The l at e Dr. Al exander Graham Bel l sai d he
bel i eved t he Law of t he Mast er Mi nd, as i t has been
descri bed i n t hi s phi l osophy, was not onl y sound, but
t hat al l t he hi gher i nst i t ut i ons of l earni ng woul d soon
be t eachi ng t hat Law as a part of t hei r courses i n
psychol ogy.
Charl es P. St ei nmet z sai d he had experi ment ed
wi t h t he Law and had arri ved at t he same concl usi on
as t hat st at ed i n t hese l essons, l ong before he t al ked t o
t he aut hor of t he Law of Success phi l osophy about t he
subj ect .
Lut her Burbank and John Burroughs made si mi l ar
st at ement s 1
Edi son was never i nt errogat ed on t he subj ect , but
ot her st at ement s of hi s i ndi cat e t hat he woul d endorse
t he Law as bei ng a possi bi l i t y, i f not i n fact a real i t y.
Dr. El mer Gat es endorsed t he Law, i n a
conversat i on wi t h t hi s aut hor more t han fi ft een years
ago. Dr. Gat es i s a sci ent i st of t he hi ghest order,
ranki ng al ong wi t h St ei nmet z, Edi son and Bel l .
- 17 -
The aut hor of t hi s phi l osophy has t al ked t o scores
of i nt el l i gent busi ness men who, whi l e t hey were not
sci ent i st s, admi t t ed t hey bel i eved i n t he soundness of
t he Law of t he Mast er Mi nd. It i s hardl y excusabl e,
t herefore, for men of l ess abi l i t y t o j udge such
mat t ers, t o form opi ni ons as t o t hi s Law, wi t hout
seri ous, syst emat i c i nvest i gat i on.

Let me l ay before you a bri ef out l i ne of what t hi s
l esson i s and what i t i s i nt ended t o do for you!
Havi ng prepared mysel f for t he pract i ce of l aw I
wi l l offer t hi s i nt roduct i on as a "st at ement of my
case. " The evi dence wi t h whi ch t o back up my case
wi l l be present ed i n t he si xt een l essons of whi ch t he
course i s composed.
The fact s out of whi ch t hi s course has been
prepared have been gat hered t hrough more t han
t went y-fi ve years of busi ness and professi onal
experi ence, and my onl y expl anat i on of t he rat her free
use of t he personal pronoun t hroughout t he course i s
t hat I am wri t i ng from f i rst -hand experi ence.
Before t hi s Readi ng Course on t he Law of
Success was publ i shed t he manuscri pt s were submi t t ed
t o t wo promi nent uni versi t i es wi t h t he request t hat
t hey be read by compet ent professors wi t h t he obj ect
of el i mi nat i ng or correct i ng any st at ement s t hat
appeared t o be unsound, from an economi c vi ewpoi nt .
Thi s request was compl i ed wi t h and t he
manuscri pt s were careful l y exami ned, wi t h t he resul t
t hat not a si ngl e change was made wi t h t he except i on
of one or t wo sl i ght changes i n wordi ng.
One of t he professors who exami ned t he manu-
- 18 -
scri pt s expressed hi msel f, i n part , as fol l ows: "It i s a
t ragedy t hat every boy and gi rl who ent ers hi gh school
i s not effi ci ent l y dri l l ed on t he fi ft een maj or part s of
your Readi ng Course on t he Law of Success. It i s
regret t abl e t hat t he great uni versi t y wi t h whi ch I am
connect ed, and every ot her uni versi t y, does not
i ncl ude your course as a part of i t s curri cul um. "
Inasmuch as t hi s Readi ng Course i s i nt ended as a
map or bl uepri nt t hat wi l l gui de you i n t he at t ai nment
of t hat covet ed goal cal l ed "Success, " may i t not be
wel l here t o defi ne success?
Success i s t he devel opment of t he power wi t h
whi ch t o get what ever one want s i n l i f e wi t hout
i nt erf eri ng wi t h t he ri ght s of ot hers.
I woul d l ay part i cul ar st ress upon t he word
"power" because i t i s i nseparabl y rel at ed t o success.
We are l i vi ng i n a worl d and duri ng an age of i nt ense
compet i t i on, and t he l aw of t he survi val of t he fi t t est
i s everywhere i n evi dence. Because of t hese fact s al l
who woul d enj oy enduri ng success must go about i t s
at t ai nment t hrough t he use of power.
And what i s power?
Power i s organi zed energy or effort . Thi s course
i s properl y cal l ed t he Law of Success for t he reason
t hat i t t eaches how one may organi ze f act s and
knowl edge and t he facul t i es, of one' s mi nd i nt o a uni t
of power.
Thi s course bri ngs you a defi ni t e promi se,
namel y:
That t hrough i t s mast ery and appl i cat i on you can
get what ever you want , wi t h but t wo qual i f yi ng words
- "wi t hi n reason. "
Thi s qual i fi cat i on t akes i nt o consi derat i on your
educat i on, your wi sdom or your l ack of i t , your
physi cal endurance, your t emperament , and al l of t he
- 19 -
ot her qual i t i es ment i oned i n t he si xt een l essons of t hi s
course as bei ng t he fact ors most essent i al i n t he
at t ai nment of success.
Wi t hout a si ngl e except i on t hose who have
at t ai ned unusual success have done so, ei t her
consci ousl y or unconsci ousl y, t hrough t he ai d of al l or
a port i on of t he fi ft een maj or fact ors of whi ch t hi s
course i s compi l ed. If you doubt t hi s st at ement , t hen
mast er t hese si xt een l essons so you can go about t he
anal ysi s wi t h reasonabl e accuracy and anal yze such
men as Carnegi e, Rockefel l er, Hi l l , Harri man, Ford
and ot hers of t hi s t ype who have accumul at ed great
fort unes of mat eri al weal t h, and you wi l l see t hat t hey
underst ood and appl i ed t he pri nci pl e of organi zed
ef f ort whi ch runs, l i ke a gol den cord of i ndi sput abl e
evi dence, t hroughout t hi s course.
Nearl y t went y years ago I i nt ervi ewed Mr.
Carnegi e for t he purpose of wri t i ng a st ory about hi m.
Duri ng t he i nt ervi ew I asked hi m t o what he at t ri but ed
hi s success. Wi t h a merry l i t t l e t wi nkl e i n hi s eyes he
sai d:
"Young man, before I answer your quest i on wi l l
you pl ease defi ne your t erm ' success' ?"
Aft er wai t i ng unt i l he saw t hat I was somewhat
embarrassed by hi s request he cont i nued: "By success
you have reference t o my money, have you not ?" I
assured hi m t hat money was t he t erm by whi ch most
peopl e measured success, and he t hen sai d: "Oh, wel l -
i f you wi sh t o know how I got my money - i f t hat i s
what you cal l success - I wi l l answer your quest i on by
sayi ng t hat we have a mast er mi nd here i n our
busi ness, and t hat mi nd i s made up of more t han a
score of men who const i t ut e my personal st aff of
- 20 -
superi nt endent s and managers and account ant s and
chemi st s and ot her necessary t ypes. No one person i n
t hi s group i s t he mast er mi nd of whi ch I speak, but t he
sum t ot al of t he mi nds i n t he group, co-ordi nat ed,
organi zed and di rect ed t o a def i ni t e end i n a spi ri t of
harmoni ous co-operat i on i s t he power t hat got my
money for me. No t wo mi nds i n t he group are exact l y
al i ke, but each man i n t he group does t he t hi ng t hat he
i s supposed t o do and he does i t bet t er t han any ot her
person i n t he worl d coul d do i t . "
Then and t here t he seed out of whi ch t hi s course
has been devel oped was sown i n my mi nd, but t hat
seed di d not t ake root or germi nat e unt i l l at er. Thi s
i nt ervi ew marked t he begi nni ng of years of research
whi ch l ed, fi nal l y, t o t he di scovery of t he pri nci pl e of
psychol ogy descri bed i n t he Int roduct ory Lesson as
t he "Mast er Mi nd. "
I heard al l t hat Mr. Carnegi e sai d, but i t t ook t he
knowl edge gai ned from many years of subsequent
cont act wi t h t he busi ness worl d t o enabl e me t o
assi mi l at e t hat whi ch he sai d and cl earl y grasp and
underst and t he pri nci pl e back of i t , whi ch was not hi ng
more nor l ess t han t he pri nci pl e of organi zed ef f ort
upon whi ch t hi s course on t he Law of Success i s
founded.
Carnegi e' s group of men const i t ut ed a "Mast er
Mi nd" and t hat mi nd was so wel l organi zed, so wel l
co-ordi nat ed, so powerful , t hat i t coul d have
accumul at ed mi l l i ons of dol l ars for Mr. Carnegi e i n
pract i cal l y any sort of endeavor of a commerci al or
i ndust ri al nat ure. The st eel busi ness i n whi ch t hat
mi nd was engaged was but an i nci dent i n connect i on
wi t h t he accumul at i on of t he Carnegi e weal t h. The
same weal t h coul d have been accumul at ed had t he
- 21 -



IF you can run a losing
race without blaming
your loss on someone
else, you have bright
prospects of success
further down the road in
life.



- 22 -
"Mast er Mi nd" been di rect ed i n t he coal busi ness or
t he banki ng busi ness or t he grocery busi ness, for t he
reason t hat back of t he mi nd was power - t hat sort of
power whi ch you may have when you shal l have
organi zed t he facul t i es of your own mi nd and al l i ed
yoursel f wi t h ot her wel l organi zed mi nds for t he
at t ai nment of a def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe.
A careful check-up wi t h several of Mr. Carnegi e' s
former busi ness associ at es, whi ch was made aft er t hi s
course was begun, proves concl usi vel y not onl y t hat
t here i s such a l aw as t hat whi ch has been cal l ed t he
"Mast er Mi nd, " but t hat t hi s l aw was t he chi ef source
of Mr. Carnegi e' s success.
Perhaps no man was ever associ at ed wi t h Mr.
Carnegi e who knew hi m bet t er t han di d Mr. C. M.
Schwab. In t he fol l owi ng words Mr. Schwab has very
accurat el y descri bed t hat "subt l e somet hi ng" i n Mr.
Carnegi e' s personal i t y whi ch enabl ed hi m t o ri se t o
such st upendous hei ght s.
"I never knew a man wi t h so much i magi nat i on,
l i vel y i nt el l i gence and i nst i nct i ve comprehensi on. You
sensed t hat he probed your t hought s and t ook st ock of
everyt hi ng t hat you had ever done or mi ght do. He
seemed t o cat ch at your next word before i t was
spoken. The pl ay of hi s mi nd was dazzl i ng and hi s
habi t of cl ose observat i on gave hi m a st ore of
knowl edge about i nnumerabl e mat t ers.
"But hi s out st andi ng qual i t y, from so ri ch an
endowment , was t he power of i nspi ri ng ot her men.
Confi dence radi at ed from hi m. You mi ght be doubt ful
about somet hi ng and di scuss t he mat t er wi t h Mr.
Carnegi e. In a fl ash he would make you see t hat i t was
ri ght and t hen absol ut el y bel i eve i t ; or he mi ght set t l e
- 23 -
your doubt s by poi nt i ng out i t s weakness. Thi s qual i t y
of at t ract i ng ot hers, t hen spurri ng t hem on, arose from
hi s own st rengt h.
"The resul t s of hi s l eadershi p were remarkabl e.
Never before i nn hi st ory of i ndust ry, I i magi ne, was
t here a man who, wi t hout underst andi ng hi s busi ness
i n i t s worki ng det ai l s, maki ng no pret ense of t echni cal
knowl edge concerni ng st eel or engi neeri ng, was yet
abl e t o bui l d up such an ent erpri se.
"Mr. Carnegi e' s abi l i t y t o i nspi re men rest ed on
somet hi ng deeper t han any f acul t y of j udgment . "
In t he l ast sent ence Mr. Schwab has conveyed a
t hought whi ch corroborat es t he t heory of t he "Mast er
Mi nd" t o whi ch t he aut hor of t hi s course has
at t ri but ed t he chi ef source of Mr. Carnegi e' s power.
Mr. Schwab has al so confi rmed t he st at ement t hat
Mr. Carnegi e coul d have succeeded as wel l i n any
ot her busi ness as he di d i n t he st eel busi ness. It i s
obvi ous t hat hi s success was due t o hi s underst andi ng
of hi s own mi nd and t he mi nds of ot her men, and not
t o mere knowl edge of t he st eel busi ness i t sel f.
Thi s t hought i s most consol i ng t o t hose who have
not yet at t ai ned out st andi ng success, for i t shows t hat
success i s sol el y a mat t er of correct l y appl yi ng l aws
and pri nci pl es whi ch are avai l abl e t o al l ; and t hese
l aws, l et us not forget , are ful l y descri bed i n t he
Si xt een Lessons of t hi s course.
Mr. Carnegi e l earned how t o appl y t he l aw of t he
"Mast er Mi nd. " Thi s enabl ed hi m t o organi ze t he
facul t i es of hi s own mi nd and t he facul t i es of ot her
men' s mi nds, and co-ordi nat e t he whol e behi nd a
DEFINITE CHIEF AIM.
Every st rat egi st , whet her i n busi ness or war or i n-
- 24 -
dust ry or ot her cal l i ngs, underst ands t he val ue of
organi zed, co-ordi nat ed effort . Every mi l i t ary
st rat egi st underst ands t he val ue of sowi ng seeds of
di ssensi on i n t he ranks of t he opposi ng forces,
because t hi s breaks up t he power of co-ordi nat i on
back of t he opposi t i on. Duri ng t he l at e worl d war
much was heard about t he effect s of propaganda, and
i t seems not an exaggerat i on t o say t hat t he
di sorgani zi ng forces of propaganda were much more
dest ruct i ve t han were al l t he guns and expl osi ves used
i n t he war.
One of t he most i mport ant t urni ng-poi nt s of t he
worl d war came when t he al l i ed armi es were pl aced
under t he di rect i on of t he French General , Foch. There
are wel l i nformed mi l i t ary men who cl ai m t hat t hi s
was t he move whi ch spel l ed doom for t he opposi ng
armi es.
Any modern rai l road bri dge i s an excel l ent
exampl e of t he val ue of organi zed ef f ort , because i t
demonst rat es qui t e si mpl y and cl earl y how t housands
of t ons of wei ght may be borne by a comparat i vel y
smal l group of st eel bars and beams so arranged t hat
t he wei ght i s spread over t he ent i re group.
There was a man who had seven sons who were
al ways quarrel i ng among t hemsel ves. One day he
cal l ed t hem t oget her and i nformed t hem t hat he wi shed
t o demonst rat e j ust what t hei r l ack of co-operat i ve
effort meant . He had prepared a bundl e of seven st i cks
whi ch he had careful l y t i ed t oget her. One by one he
asked hi s sons t o t ake t he bundl e and break i t . Each
son t ri ed, but i n vai n. Then he cut t he st ri ngs and
handed one of t he st i cks t o each of hi s sons and asked
hi m t o break i t over hi s knee. Aft er t he st i cks had al l
been broken, wi t h ease, he sai d:
- 25 -
"When you boys work t oget her i n a spi ri t of
harmony you resembl e t he bundl e of st i cks, and no
one can defeat you; but when you quarrel among
yoursel ves anyone can defeat you one at a t i me. "
There i s a wort h-whi l e l esson i n t hi s st ory of t he
man and hi s seven quarrel some sons, and i t may be
appl i ed t o t he peopl e of a communi t y, t he empl oyees
and empl oyers i n a gi ven pl ace of empl oyment , or t o
t he st at e and nat i on i n whi ch we l i ve.
Organi zed ef f ort may be made a power, but i t may
al so be a dangerous power unl ess gui ded wi t h
i nt el l i gence, whi ch i s t he chi ef reason why t he
si xt eent h l esson of t hi s course i s devot ed l argel y t o
descri bi ng how t o di rect t he power of organi zed effort
so t hat i t wi l l l ead t o success; t hat sort of success
whi ch i s founded upon t rut h and j ust i ce and fai rness
t hat l ead t o ul t i mat e happi ness.
One of t he out st andi ng t ragedi es of t hi s age of
st ruggl e and money-madness i s t he fact t hat so few
peopl e are engaged i n t he effort whi ch t hey l i ke best .
One of t he obj ect s of t hi s course i s t o hel p each
st udent fi nd hi s or her part i cul ar ni che i n t he worl d' s
work, where bot h mat eri al prosperi t y and happi ness i n
abundance may be found. For t hi s purpose a Charact er
Anal ysi s Chart accompani es t he si xt eent h l esson. Thi s
chart i s desi gned t o hel p t he st udent t ake i nvent ory of
hi msel f and fi nd out what l at ent abi l i t y and hi dden
forces l i e sl eepi ng wi t hi n hi m.
Thi s ent i re course i s i nt ended as a st i mul us wi t h
whi ch t o enabl e you t o see yoursel f and your hi dden
forces as t hey are, and t o awaken i n you t he ambi t i on
and t he vi si on and t he det ermi nat i on t o cause you t o
go fort h and cl ai m t hat whi ch i s ri ght ful l y yours.
- 26 -
Less t han t hi rt y years ago a man was worki ng i n
t he same shop wi t h Henry Ford, doi ng pract i cal l y t he
same sort of work t hat he was doi ng. It has been sai d
t hat t hi s man was real l y a more compet ent workman,
i n t hat part i cul ar sort of work, t han Ford. Today t hi s
man i s st i l l engaged i n t he same sort of work, at
wages of l ess t han a hundred dol l ars a week, whi l e
Mr. Ford i s t he worl d' s ri chest man.
What out st andi ng di fference i s t here bet ween
t hese t wo men whi ch has so wi del y separat ed t hem i n
t erms of mat eri al weal t h? Just t hi s - Ford underst ood
and appl i ed t he pri nci pl e of organi zed ef f ort whi l e t he
ot her man di d not .
In t he l i t t l e ci t y of Shel by, Ohi o, as t hese l i nes
are bei ng wri t t en, for t he fi rst t i me i n t he hi st ory of
t he worl d t hi s pri nci pl e of organi zed ef f ort i s bei ng
appl i ed for t he purpose of bri ngi ng about a cl oser
al l i ance bet ween t he churches and t he busi ness houses
of a communi t y.
The cl ergymen and busi ness men have formed an
al l i ance, wi t h t he resul t t hat pract i cal l y every church
i n t he ci t y i s squarel y back of every busi ness man, and
every busi ness man i s squarel y back of every church.
The effect has been t he st rengt heni ng of t he churches
and t he busi ness houses t o such an ext ent t hat i t has
been sai d t hat i t woul d be pract i cal l y i mpossi bl e for
any i ndi vi dual member of ei t her cl ass t o fai l i n hi s
cal l i ng. The ot hers who bel ong t o t he al l i ance wi l l
permi t no such fai l ures.
Here i s an exampl e of what may happen when
groups of men form an al l i ance for t he purpose of
pl aci ng t he combi ned power of t he group back of each
i ndi vi dual uni t . The al l i ance has brought bot h mat eri al
- 27 -



A GOOD Encyclopaedia
contains most of the
known facts of the world,
but they are as useless as
Sand Dunes until
organized and expressed
in terms of action.

- 28 -
and moral advant ages t o t he ci t y of Shel by such as are
enj oyed by but few ot her ci t i es of i t s si ze i n Ameri ca.
The pl an has worked so effect i vel y and so
sat i sfact ori l y t hat a movement i s now under way t o
ext end i t i nt o ot her ci t i es t hroughout Ameri ca.
That you may gai n a st i l l more concret e vi si on of
j ust how t hi s pri nci pl e of organi zed ef f ort can be
made powerful , st op for a moment and al l ow your
i magi nat i on t o draw a pi ct ure of what woul d l i kel y be
t he resul t i f every church and every newspaper and
every Rot ary Cl ub and every Ki wani s Cl ub and every
Advert i si ng Cl ub and every Woman' s Cl ub and every
ot her ci vi c organi zat i on of a si mi l ar nat ure, i n your
ci t y, or i n any ot her ci t y i n t he Uni t ed St at es, shoul d
form an al l i ance for t he purpose of pool i ng t hei r
power and usi ng i t for t he benefi t of al l members of
t hese organi zat i ons.
The resul t s whi ch mi ght easi l y be at t ai ned by
such an al l i ance st agger t he i magi nat i on I
There are t hree out st andi ng powers i n t he worl d
of organi zed ef f ort . They are: The churches, t he
school s and t he newspapers. Thi nk what mi ght easi l y
happen i f t hese t hree great powers and mol ders of
publ i c opi ni on shoul d al l y t hemsel ves t oget her for t he
purpose of bri ngi ng about any needed change i n
human conduct . They coul d, i n a si ngl e generat i on, so
modi fy t he present st andard of busi ness et hi cs, for
exampl e, t hat i t woul d pract i cal l y be busi ness sui ci de
for anyone t o t ry t o t ransact busi ness under any
st andard except t hat of t he Gol den Rul e. Such an
al l i ance coul d be made t o produce suffi ci ent i nfl uence
t o change, i n a si ngl e generat i on, t he busi ness, soci al
and moral t endenci es of t he ent i re ci vi l i zed worl d.
- 29 -
Such an al l i ance woul d have suffi ci ent power t o f orce
upon t he mi nds of t he oncomi ng generat i ons any
i deal s desi red.
Power i s organi zed ef f ort , as has al ready been
st at ed! Success i s based upon power!
That you may have a cl ear concept i on of what i s
meant by t he t erm "organi zed effort " I have made use
of t he foregoi ng i l l ust rat i ons, and for t he sake of
furt her emphasi s I am goi ng t o repeat t he st at ement
t hat t he accumul at i on of great weal t h and t he
at t ai nment of any hi gh st at i on i n l i fe such as
const i t ut e what we ordi nari l y cal l success, are based
upon t he vi si on t o comprehend and t he abi l i t y t o
assi mi l at e and appl y t he maj or pri nci pl es of t he
si xt een l essons of t hi s course.
Thi s course i s i n compl et e harmony wi t h t he
pri nci pl es of economi cs and t he pri nci pl es of Appl i ed
Psychol ogy. You wi l l observe t hat t hose l essons,
whi ch depend, for t hei r pract i cal appl i cat i on, upon
knowl edge of psychol ogy, have been suppl ement ed
wi t h suffi ci ent expl anat i on of t he psychol ogi cal
pri nci pl es i nvol ved t o render t he l essons easi l y
underst ood.
Before t he manuscri pt s for t hi s course went t o t he
publ i sher t hey were submi t t ed t o some of t he foremost
bankers and busi ness men of Ameri ca, t hat t hey mi ght
be exami ned, anal yzed and cri t i ci zed by t he most
pract i cal t ype of mi nd. One of t he best known bankers
i n New York Ci t y ret urned t he manuscri pt s wi t h t he
fol l owi ng comment :
"I hol d a mast er' s degree from Yal e, but I woul d
wi l l i ngl y exchange al l t hat t hi s degree has brought me
i n ret urn for what your course on t he Law of Success
woul d have brought me had I been afforded t he pri vi -
- 30 -
l ege of maki ng i t a part of my t rai ni ng whi l e I was
st udyi ng at Yal e.
"My wi fe and daught er have al so read t he
manuscri pt s, and my wi fe has named your course `t he
mast er key-board of l i fe' because she bel i eves t hat al l
who underst and how t o appl y i t may pl ay a perfect
symphony i n t hei r respect i ve cal l i ngs, j ust as a pi ani st
may pl ay any t une when once t he key-board of t he
pi ano and t he fundament al s of musi c have been
mast ered. "
No t wo peopl e on eart h are exact l y al i ke, and for
t hi s reason no t wo peopl e woul d be expect ed t o at t ai n
from t hi s course t he same vi ewpoi nt . Each st udent
shoul d read t he course, underst and i t and t hen
appropri at e from i t s cont ent s what ever he or she needs
t o devel op a wel l rounded personal i t y.
Before t hi s appropri at i on can be properl y made i t
wi l l be necessary for t he st udent t o anal yze hi msel f,
t hrough t he use of t he quest i onnai re t hat comes wi t h
t he si xt eent h l esson of t he course, for t he purpose of
fi ndi ng out what hi s defi ci enci es may be. Thi s
quest i onnai re shoul d not be fi l l ed out unt i l t he st udent
t horoughl y mast ers t he cont ent s of t he ent i re course,
for he wi l l t hen be i n posi t i on t o answer t he quest i ons
wi t h more accuracy and underst andi ng of hi msel f.
Through t he ai d of t hi s quest i onnai re an experi enced
charact er anal yst can t ake i nvent ory of one' s facul t i es
as easi l y and as accurat el y as a merchant can
i nvent ory t he goods on hi s shel ves.
Thi s course has been compi l ed for t he purpose of
hel pi ng t he st udent fi nd out what are hi s or her nat ural
t al ent s, and for t he purpose of hel pi ng organi ze,
coordi nat e and put i nt o use t he knowl edge gai ned from
- 31 -
experi ence. For more t han t went y years I have been
gat heri ng, cl assi fyi ng and organi zi ng t he mat eri al t hat
has gone i nt o t he course. Duri ng t he past fourt een
years I have anal yzed more t han 16, 000 men and
women, and al l of t he vi t al fact s gat hered from t hese
anal yses have been careful l y organi zed and woven
i nt o t hi s course. These anal yses brought out many
i nt erest i ng fact s whi ch have hel ped t o make t hi s
course pract i cal and usabl e. For exampl e, i t was
di scovered t hat ni net y-fi ve per cent of al l who were
anal yzed were fai l ures, and but fi ve per cent were
successes. (By t he t erm "fai l ure" i s meant t hat t hey
had fai l ed t o fi nd happi ness and t he ordi nary
necessi t i es of l i fe wi t hout st ruggl e t hat was al most
unbearabl e. ) Perhaps t hi s i s about t he proport i on of
successes and fai l ures t hat mi ght be found i f al l t he
peopl e of t he worl d were accurat el y anal yzed. The
st ruggl e for a mere exi st ence i s t erri fi c among peopl e
who have not l earned how t o organi ze and di rect t hei r
nat ural t al ent s, whi l e t he at t ai nment of t hose
necessi t i es, as wel l as t he acqui ri ng of many of t he
l uxuri es, i s comparat i vel y si mpl e among t hose who
have mast ered t he pri nci pl e of organi zed ef f ort .
One of t he most st art l i ng fact s brought t o l i ght by
t hose 16, 000 anal yses was t he di scovery t hat t he
ni net y-fi ve per cent who were cl assed as fai l ures were
i n t hat cl ass because t hey had no def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n
l i f e, whi l e t he fi ve per cent const i t ut i ng t he successful
ones not onl y had purposes t hat were def i ni t e, but t hey
had, al so, def i ni t e pl ans for t he at t ai nment of t hei r
purposes.
Anot her i mport ant fact di scl osed by t hese
anal yses was t hat t he ni net y-fi ve per cent const i t ut i ng
- 32 -
t he fai l ures were engaged i n work whi ch t hey di d not
l i ke, whi l e t he fi ve per cent const i t ut i ng t he
successful ones were doi ng t hat whi ch t hey l i ked best .
It i s doubt ful whet her a person coul d be a fai l ure
whi l e engaged i n work whi ch he l i ked best . Anot her
vi t al fact l earned from t he anal yses was t hat al l of t he
fi ve per cent who were succeedi ng had formed t he
habi t of syst emat i c savi ng of money, whi l e t he ni net y-
fi ve per cent who were fai l ures saved not hi ng. Thi s i s
wort hy of seri ous t hought .
One of t he chi ef obj ect s of t hi s course i s t o ai d
t he st udent i n performi ng hi s or her chosen work i n
such a manner t hat i t wi l l yi el d t he great est ret urns i n
bot h money and happi ness.
- 33 -

NO POSITION IN
LIFE CAN BE
SECURE, AND NO
ACHIEVEMENT CAN
BE PERMANENT
UNLESS BUILT
UPON TRUTH AND
JUSTICE.

- 34 -
A Definite Chief Aim


The key-not e of t hi s ent i re l esson may be found
i n t he word "defi ni t e. "
It i s most appal l i ng t o know t hat ni net y-fi ve per
cent of t he peopl e of t he worl d are dri ft i ng ai ml essl y
t hrough l i fe, wi t hout t he sl i ght est concept i on of t he
work for whi ch t hey are best fi t t ed, and wi t h no
concept i on what soever of even t he need of such a
t hi ng as a def i ni t e obj ect i ve t oward whi ch t o st ri ve.
There i s a psychol ogi cal as wel l as an economi c
reason for t he sel ect i on of a def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe.
Let us devot e our at t ent i on t o t he psychol ogi cal si de
of t he quest i on fi rst . It i s a wel l est abl i shed pri nci pl e
of psychol ogy t hat a person' s act s are al ways i n
harmony wi t h t he domi nat i ng t hought s of hi s or her
mi nd.
Any def i ni t e chi ef ai m t hat i s del i berat el y fi xed i n
t he mi nd and hel d t here, wi t h t he det ermi nat i on t o
real i ze i t , fi nal l y sat urat es t he ent i re subconsci ous
mi nd unt i l i t aut omat i cal l y i nfl uences t he physi cal
act i on of t he body t oward t he at t ai nment of t hat
purpose.
Your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe shoul d be sel ect ed
wi t h del i berat e care, and aft er i t has been sel ect ed i t
shoul d be wri t t en out and pl aced where you wi l l see i t
at l east once a day, t he psychol ogi cal effect of whi ch
i s t o i mpress t hi s purpose upon your subconsci ous
mi nd so st rongl y t hat i t accept s t hat purpose as a
pat t ern or bl uepri nt t hat wi l l event ual l y domi nat e your
act i vi t i es i n l i fe and l ead you, st ep by st ep, t oward t he
at t ai nment of t he obj ect back of t hat purpose.
- 35 -
The pri nci pl e of psychol ogy t hrough whi ch you
can i mpress your def i ni t e chi ef ai m upon your
subconsci ous mi nd i s cal l ed Aut o-suggest i on, or
suggest i on whi ch you repeat edl y make t o yoursel f. It
i s a degree of sel f-hypnot i sm, but do not be afrai d of
i t on t hat account , for i t was t hi s same pri nci pl e
t hrough t he ai d of whi ch Napol eon l i ft ed hi msel f from
t he l owl y st at i on of povert y-st ri cken Corsi can t o t he
di ct at orshi p of France. It was t hrough t he ai d of t hi s
same pri nci pl e t hat Thomas A. Edi son has ri sen from
t he l owl y begi nni ng of a news but cher t o where he i s
accept ed as t he l eadi ng i nvent or of t he worl d. It was
t hrough t he ai d of t hi s same pri nci pl e t hat Li ncol n
bri dged t he mi ght y chasm bet ween hi s l owl y bi rt h, i n
a l og cabi n i n t he mount ai ns of Kent ucky, and t he
presi dency of t he great est nat i on on eart h. It was
t hrough t he ai d of t hi s same pri nci pl e t hat Theodore
Roosevel t became one of t he most aggressi ve l eaders
t hat ever reached t he presi dency of t he Uni t ed St at es.
You need have no fear of t he pri nci pl e of
Aut osuggest i on as l ong as you are sure t hat t he
obj ect i ve for whi ch you are st ri vi ng i s one t hat wi l l
bri ng you happi ness of an enduri ng nat ure. Be sure
t hat your def i ni t e purpose i s const ruct i ve; t hat i t s
at t ai nment wi l l bri ng hardshi p and mi sery t o no one;
t hat i t wi l l bri ng you peace and prosperi t y, t hen appl y,
t o t he l i mi t of your underst andi ng, t he pri nci pl e of
sel f-suggest i on for t he speedy at t ai nment of t hi s
purpose.
On t he st reet corner, j ust opposi t e t he room i n
whi ch I am wri t i ng, I see a man who st ands t here al l
day l ong and sel l s peanut s. He i s busy every mi nut e.
When not act ual l y engaged i n maki ng a sal e he i s
roast i ng and packi ng t he peanut s i n l i t t l e bags. He i s
- 36 -
one of t hat great army const i t ut i ng t he ni net y-fi ve per
cent who have no def i ni t e purpose i n l i fe. He i s
sel l i ng peanut s, not because he l i kes t hat work bet t er
t han anyt hi ng el se he mi ght do, but because he never
sat down and t hought out a def i ni t e purpose t hat
woul d bri ng hi m great er ret urns for hi s l abor. He i s
sel l i ng peanut s because he i s a dri ft er on t he sea of
l i fe, and one of t he t ragedi es of hi s work i s t he fact
t hat t he same amount of effort t hat he put s i nt o i t , i f
di rect ed al ong ot her l i nes, woul d bri ng hi m much
great er ret urns.
Anot her one of t he t ragedi es of t hi s man' s work i s
t he fact t hat he i s unconsci ousl y maki ng use of t he
pri nci pl e of sel f-suggest i on, but he i s doi ng i t t o hi s
own di sadvant age. No doubt , i f a pi ct ure coul d be
made of hi s t hought s, t here woul d be not hi ng i n t hat
pi ct ure except a peanut roast er, some l i t t l e paper bags
and a crowd of peopl e buying peanut s. Thi s man coul d
get out of t he peanut busi ness i f he had t he vi si on and
t he ambi t i on fi rst t o i magi ne hi msel f i n a more
profi t abl e cal l i ng, and t he perseverance t o hol d t hat
pi ct ure before hi s mi nd unt i l i t i nfl uenced hi m t o t ake
t he necessary st eps t o ent er a more profi t abl e cal l i ng.
He put s suffi ci ent l abor i nt o hi s work t o bri ng hi m a
subst ant i al ret urn i f t hat l abor were di rect ed t oward
t he at t ai nment of a def i ni t e purpose t hat offered
bi gger ret urns.
One of my cl osest personal fri ends i s one of t he
best known wri t ers and publ i c speakers of t hi s
count ry. About t en years ago he caught si ght of t he
possi bi l i t i es of t hi s pri nci pl e of sel f-suggest i on and
began, i mmedi at el y, t o harness i t and put i t t o work.
He worked out a pl an for i t s appl i cat i on t hat proved t o
- 37 -
be very effect i ve. At t hat t i me he was nei t her a wri t er
nor a speaker.
Each ni ght , j ust before goi ng t o sl eep, he woul d
shut hi s eyes and see, i n hi s i magi nat i on, a l ong
counci l t abl e at whi ch he pl aced (i n hi s i magi nat i on)
cert ai n wel l known men whose charact eri st i cs he
wi shed t o absorb i nt o hi s own personal i t y. At t he end
of t he t abl e he pl aced Li ncol n, and on ei t her si de of
t he t abl e he pl aced Napol eon, Washi ngt on, Emerson
and El bert Hubbard. He t hen proceeded t o t al k t o
t hese i magi nary fi gures t hat he had seat ed at hi s
i magi nary counci l t abl e, somet hi ng aft er t hi s manner:
Mr. Li ncol n: I desi re t o bui l d i n my own
charact er t hose qual i t i es of pat i ence and fai rness
t oward al l manki nd and t he keen sense of humor whi ch
were your out st andi ng charact eri st i cs. I need t hese
qual i t i es and I shal l not be cont ent ed unt i l I have
devel oped t hem.
Mr. Washi ngt on: I desi re t o bui l d i n my own
charact er t hose qual i t i es of pat ri ot i sm and sel f-
sacri fi ce and l eadershi p whi ch were your out st andi ng
charact eri st i cs.
Mr. Emerson: I desi re t o bui l d i n my own
charact er t hose qual i t i es of vi si on and t he abi l i t y t o
i nt erpret t he l aws of Nat ure as wri t t en i n t he rocks of
pri son wal l s and growi ng t rees and fl owi ng brooks and
growi ng fl owers and t he faces of l i t t l e chi l dren, whi ch
were your out st andi ng charact eri st i cs.
Napol eon: I desi re t o bui l d i n my own charact er
t hose qual i t i es of sel f-rel i ance and t he st rat egi c
abi l i t y t o mast er obst acl es and profi t by mi st akes and
devel op st rengt h out of defeat , whi ch were your
out st andi ng charact eri st i cs.
- 38 -
Mr. Hubbard: I desi re t o devel op t he abi l i t y t o
equal and even t o excel t he abi l i t y t hat you possessed
wi t h whi ch t o express yoursel f i n cl ear, conci se and
forceful l anguage.
Ni ght aft er ni ght , for many mont hs, t hi s man saw
t hese men seat ed around t hat i magi nary counci l t abl e
unt i l fi nal l y he had i mpri nt ed t hei r out st andi ng
charact eri st i cs upon hi s own subconsci ous mi nd so
cl earl y t hat he began t o devel op a personal i t y whi ch
was a composi t e of t hei r personal i t i es.
The subconsci ous mi nd may be l i kened t o a
magnet , and when i t has been vi t al i zed and t horoughl y
sat urat ed wi t h any def i ni t e purpose i t has a deci ded
t endency t o at t ract al l t hat i s necessary for t he
ful fi l l ment of t hat purpose. Li ke at t ract s l i ke, and you
may see evi dence of t hi s l aw i n every bl ade of grass
and every growi ng t ree. The acorn at t ract s from t he
soi l and t he ai r t he necessary mat eri al s out of whi ch
t o grow an oak t ree. It never grows a t ree t hat i s part
oak and part popl ar. Every grai n of wheat t hat i s
pl ant ed i n t he soi l at t ract s t he mat eri al s out of whi ch
t o grow a st al k of wheat .
It never makes a mi st ake and grows bot h oat s and
wheat on t he same st al k.
And men are subj ect , al so, t o t hi s same Law of
At t ract i on. Go i nt o any cheap boardi ng house di st ri ct
i n any ci t y and t here you wi l l fi nd peopl e of t he same
general t rend of mi nd associ at ed t oget her. On t he
ot her hand, go i nt o any prosperous communi t y and
t here you wi l l fi nd peopl e of t he same general
t endenci es associ at ed t oget her. Men who are
successful al ways seek t he company of ot hers who are
successful , whi l e men who are on t he ragged si de of
- 39 -



DO NOT TELL
THE WORLD
WHAT YOU CAN
DO
SHOW IT!


- 40 -
l i fe al ways seek t he company of t hose who are i n
si mi l ar ci rcumst ances. "Mi sery l oves company. "
Wat er seeks i t s l evel wi t h no fi ner cert ai nt y t han
man seeks t he company of t hose who occupy hi s own
general st at us fi nanci al l y and ment al l y. A professor of
Yal e Uni versi t y and an i l l i t erat e hobo have not hi ng i n
common. They woul d be mi serabl e i f t hrown t oget her
for any great l engt h of t i me. Oi l and wat er wi l l mi x as
readi l y as wi l l men who have not hi ng i n common.
Al l of whi ch l eads up t o t hi s st at ement :
That you wi l l at t ract t o you peopl e who
harmoni ze wi t h your own phi l osophy of l i fe, whet her
you wi sh i t or not . Thi s bei ng t rue, can you not see
t he i mport ance of vi t al i zi ng your mi nd wi t h a def i ni t e
chi ef ai m t hat wi l l at t ract t o you peopl e who wi l l be of
hel p t o you and not a hi ndrance? Suppose your
def i ni t e chi ef ai m i s far above your present st at i on i n
l i fe. What of i t ? It i s your pri vi l ege - nay, your
DUTY, t o ai m hi gh i n l i fe. You owe i t t o yoursel f and
t o t he communi t y i n whi ch you l i ve t o set a hi gh
st andard for yoursel f.
There i s much evi dence t o j ust i fy t he bel i ef t hat
not hi ng wi t hi n reason i s beyond t he possi bi l i t y of
at t ai nment by t he man whose def i ni t e chi ef ai m has
been wel l devel oped. Some years ago Loui s Vi ct or
Eyt i nge was gi ven a l i fe sent ence i n t he Ari zona
peni t ent i ary. At t he t i me of hi s i mpri sonment he was
an al l -around "bad man, " accordi ng t o hi s own
admi ssi ons. In addi t i on t o t hi s i t was bel i eved t hat he
woul d di e of t ubercul osi s wi t hi n a year.
Eyt i nge had reason t o feel di scouraged, i f anyone
ever had. Publ i c feel i ng agai nst hi m was i nt ense and
- 41 -
he di d not have a si ngl e fri end i n t he worl d who came
fort h and offered hi m encouragement or hel p. Then
somet hi ng happened i n hi s own mi nd t hat gave hi m
back hi s heal t h, put t he dreaded "whi t e pl ague" t o rout
and fi nal l y unl ocked t he pri son gat es and gave hi m hi s
freedom.
What was t hat "somet hi ng"?
Just t hi s: He made up hi s mi nd t o whi p t he whi t e
pl ague and regai n hi s heal t h. That was a very def i ni t e
chi ef ai m. In l ess t han a year from t he t i me t he
deci si on was made he had won. Then he ext ended t hat
def i ni t e chi ef ai m by maki ng up hi s mi nd t o gai n hi s
freedom. Soon t he pri son wal l s mel t ed from around
hi m.
No undesi rabl e envi ronment i s st rong enough t o
hol d t he man or woman who underst ands how t o appl y
t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on i n t he creat i on of a
def i ni t e chi ef ai m. Such a person can t hrow off t he
shackl es of povert y; dest roy t he most deadl y di sease
germs; ri se from a l owl y st at i on i n l i fe t o power and
pl ent y.
Al l great l eaders base t hei r l eadershi p upon a
def i ni t e chi ef ai m. Fol l owers are wi l l i ng fol l owers
when t hey know t hat t hei r l eader i s a person wi t h a
defi ni t e chi ef ai m who has t he courage t o back up t hat
purpose wi t h act i on. Even a bal ky horse knows when a
dri ver wi t h a def i ni t e chi ef ai m t akes hol d of t he rei ns;
and yi el ds t o t hat dri ver. When a man wi t h a def i ni t e
chi ef ai m st art s t hrough a crowd everybody st ands
asi de and makes a way for him, but l et a man hesi t at e
and show by hi s act i ons t hat he i s not sure whi ch way
he want s t o go and t he crowd wi l l st ep al l over hi s
t oes and refuse t o budge an i nch out of hi s way.
- 42 -
Nowhere i s t he l ack of a def i ni t e chi ef ai m more
not i ceabl e or more det ri ment al t han i t i s i n t he
rel at i onshi p bet ween parent and chi l d. Chi l dren sense
very qui ckl y t he waveri ng at t it ude of t hei r parent s and
t ake advant age of t hat at t i t ude qui t e freel y. It i s t he
same al l t hrough l i fe - men wi t h a def i ni t e chi ef ai m
command respect and at t ent i on at al l t i mes.
So much for t he psychol ogi cal vi ewpoi nt of a
def i ni t e purpose. Let us now t urn t o t he economi c si de
of t he quest i on.
If a st eamshi p l ost i t s rudder, i n mi d-ocean, and
began ci rcl i ng around, i t woul d soon exhaust i t s fuel
suppl y wi t hout reachi ng shore, despi t e t he fact t hat i t
woul d use up enough energy t o carry i t t o shore and
back several t i mes.
The man who l abors wi t hout a def i ni t e purpose
t hat i s backed up by a defi ni t e pl an for i t s at t ai nment ,
resembl es t he shi p t hat has l ost i t s rudder. Hard l abor
and good i nt ent i ons are not suffi ci ent t o carry a man
t hrough t o success, for how may a man be sure t hat he
has at t ai ned success unl ess he has est abl i shed i n hi s
mi nd some defi ni t e obj ect t hat he wi shes?
Every wel l bui l t house st art ed i n t he form of a
def i ni t e purpose pl us a defi ni t e pl an i n t he nat ure of a
set of bl uepri nt s. Imagi ne what woul d happen i f one
t ri ed t o bui l d a house by t he haphazard met hod,
wi t hout pl ans. Workmen woul d be i n each ot her' s way,
bui l di ng mat eri al woul d be pi l ed al l over t he l ot
before t he foundat i on was compl et ed, and everybody
on t he j ob woul d have a di fferent not i on as t o how t he
house ought t o be bui l t . Resul t , chaos and
mi sunderst andi ngs and cost t hat woul d be prohi bi t i ve.
Yet had you ever st opped t o t hi nk t hat most
- 43 -
peopl e fi ni sh school , t ake up empl oyment or ent er a
t rade or professi on wi t hout t he sl i ght est concept i on of
anyt hi ng t hat even remot el y resembl es a def i ni t e
purpose or a defi ni t e pl an? In vi ew of t he fact t hat
sci ence has provi ded reasonabl y accurat e ways and
means of anal yzi ng charact er and det ermi ni ng t he l i fe-
work for whi ch peopl e are best fi t t ed, does i t not seem
a modern t ragedy t hat ni net y-fi ve per cent of t he adul t
popul at i on of t he worl d i s made up of men and women
who are fai l ures because t hey have not found t hei r
proper ni ches i n t he worl d' s work?
If success depends upon power, and i f power i s
organi zed ef f ort , and i f t he fi rst st ep i n t he di rect i on
of organi zat i on i s a def i ni t e purpose, t hen one may
easi l y see why such a purpose i s essent i al .
Unt i l a man sel ect s a def i ni t e purpose i n l i fe he
di ssi pat es hi s energi es and spreads hi s t hought s over
so many subj ect s and i n so many di fferent di rect i ons
t hat t hey l ead not t o power, but t o i ndeci si on and
weakness.
Wi t h t he ai d of a smal l readi ng gl ass you can
t each yoursel f a great l esson on t he val ue of organi zed
ef f ort . Through t he use of such a gl ass you can focus
t he sun-rays on a def i ni t e spot so st rongl y t hat t hey
wi l l bum a hol e t hrough a pl ank. Remove t he gl ass
(whi ch represent s t he def i ni t e purpose) and t he same
rays of sun may shi ne on t hat same pl ank for a mi l l i on
years wi t hout burni ng i t .
A t housand el ect ri c dry bat t eri es, when properl y
organi zed and connect ed t oget her wi t h wi res, wi l l
produce enough power t o run a good si zed pi ece of
machi nery for several hours, but t ake t hose same cel l s
si ngl y, di sconnect ed, and not one of t hem woul d exert
- 44 -
enough energy t o t urn t he machi nery over once. The
facul t i es of your mi nd mi ght properl y be l i kened t o
t hose dry cel l s. When you organi ze your facul t i es,
accordi ng t o t he pl an l ai d down i n t he si xt een l essons
of t hi s Readi ng Course on t he Law of Success, and
di rect t hem t oward t he at t ai nment of a def i ni t e
purpose i n l i fe, you t hen t ake advant age of t he co-
operat i ve or accumul at i ve pri nci pl e out of whi ch
power i s devel oped, whi ch i s cal l ed Organi zed Effort .
Andrew Carnegi e' s advi ce was t hi s: "Pl ace al l
your eggs i n one basket and t hen wat ch t he basket t o
see t hat no one ki cks i t over. " By t hat advi ce he
meant , of course, t hat we shoul d not di ssi pat e any of
our energi es by engagi ng i n si de l i nes. Carnegi e was a
sound economi st and he knew t hat most men woul d do
wel l i f t hey so harnessed and di rect ed t hei r energi es
t hat some one t hi ng woul d be done wel l .
When t he pl an back of t hi s Readi ng Course was
fi rst born I remember t aki ng t he fi rst manuscri pt t o a
professor of t he Uni versi t y of Texas, and i n a spi ri t of
ent husi asm I suggest ed t o hi m t hat I had di scovered a
pri nci pl e t hat woul d be of ai d t o me i n every publ i c
speech I del i vered t hereaft er, because I woul d be
bet t er prepared t o organi ze and marshal my t hought s.
He l ooked at t he out l i ne of t he fi ft een poi nt s for a
few mi nut es, t hen t urned t o me and sai d:
"Yes, your di scovery i s goi ng t o hel p you make
bet t er speeches, but t hat i s not al l i t wi l l do. It wi l l
hel p you become a more effect i ve wri t er, for I have
not i ced i n your previ ous wri t i ngs a t endency t o scat t er
your t hought s. For i nst ance, i f you st art ed t o descri be
a beaut i ful mount ai n yonder i n t he di st ance you woul d
be apt t o si det rack your descri pt i on by cal l i ng
- 45 -


THE BEST COM-
PENSATION FOR
DOING THINGS
IS THE ABILITY
TO DO MORE.

- 46 -
at t ent i on t o a beaut i ful bed of wi l d fl owers, or a
runni ng brook, or a si ngi ng bi rd, det ouri ng here and
t here, zi gzag fashi on, before fi nal l y arri vi ng at t he
proper poi nt from whi ch t o vi ew t he mount ai n. In t he
fut ure you are goi ng t o fi nd i t much l ess di ffi cul t t o
descri be an obj ect , whet her you are speaki ng or
wri t i ng, because your f i f t een poi nt s represent t he very
f oundat i on of organi zat i on. "
A man who had no l egs once met a man who was
bl i nd. To prove concl usi vel y t hat t he l ame man was a
man of vi si on he proposed t o t he bl i nd man t hat t hey
form an al l i ance t hat woul d be of great benefi t t o
bot h. "You l et me cl i mb upon your back, " sai d he t o
t he bl i nd man, "t hen I wi l l use your l egs and you may
use my eyes. Bet ween t he t wo of us we wi l l get al ong
more rapi dl y. "
Out of al l i ed effort comes great er power. Thi s i s
a poi nt t hat i s wort hy of much repet i t i on, because i t
f orms one of t he most i mport ant part s of t he
f oundat i on of t hi s Readi ng Course. The great fort unes
of t he worl d have been accumul at ed t hrough t he use of
t hi s pri nci pl e of al l i ed effort . That whi ch one man can
accompl i sh si ngl e handed, duri ng an ent i re l i fe-t i me,
i s but meagre at best , no mat t er how wel l organi zed
t hat man may be, but t hat whi ch one man may
accompl i sh t hrough t he princi pl e of al l i ance wi t h
ot her men i s pract i cal l y wi t hout l i mi t at i on.
That "mast er mi nd" t o whi ch Carnegi e referred
duri ng MY i nt ervi ew wi t h hi m was made up of more
t han a score of mi nds. In t hat group were men of
pract i cal l y every t emperament and i ncl i nat i on. Each
man was t here t o pl ay a cert ai n part and he di d
not hi ng el se. There was perfect underst andi ng and
- 47 -
t eamwork bet ween t hese men. It was Carnegi e' s
busi ness t o keep harmony among t hem.
And he di d i t wonderful l y wel l .
If you are fami l i ar wi t h t he game of foot bal l you
know, of course, t hat t he wi nni ng t eam i s t he one t hat
best co-ordi nat es t he effort s of i t s pl ayers. Team-work
i s t he t hi ng t hat wi ns. It i s t he same i n t he great game
of l i fe.
In your st ruggl e for success you shoul d keep
const ant l y i n mi nd t he necessi t y of knowi ng what i t i s
t hat you want -of knowi ng preci sel y what i s your
def i ni t e purpose - and t he val ue of t he pri nci pl e of
organi zed ef f ort i n t he at t ai nment of t hat whi ch
const i t ut es your def i ni t e purpose.
In a vague sort of way nearl y everyone has a
defi ni t e purpose - namel y, t he desi re for money! But
t hi s i s not a def i ni t e purpose wi t hi n t he meani ng of
t he t erm as i t i s used i n t hi s l esson. Before your
purpose coul d be consi dered def i ni t e, even t hough t hat
purpose were t he accumul at i on of money, you woul d
have t o reach a deci si on as t o t he preci se met hod
t hrough whi ch you i nt end t o accumul at e t hat money. It
woul d be i nsuffi ci ent for you t o say t hat you woul d
make money by goi ng i nt o some sort of busi ness. You
woul d have t o deci de j ust what l i ne of busi ness. You
woul d al so have t o deci de j ust where you woul d
l ocat e. You woul d al so have t o deci de t he busi ness
pol i ci es under whi ch you woul d conduct your
busi ness.
In answeri ng t he quest i on, "What Is Your
Defi ni t e Purpose In Li fe, " t hat appears i n t he
quest i onnai re; whi ch I have used for t he anal ysi s of
more t han 16, 000 peopl e, many answered about as
fol l ows:
"My defi ni t e purpose i n l i fe i s t o be of as much
- 48 -
servi ce t o t he worl d as possi bl e and earn a good
l i vi ng.
That answer i s about as def i ni t e as a frog' s
concept i on of t he si ze of t he uni verse i s accurat e!
The obj ect of t hi s l esson i s not t o i nform you as
t o what your l i fe-work shoul d be, for i ndeed t hi s
coul d be done wi t h accuracy onl y aft er you had been
compl et el y anal yzed, but i t i s i nt ended as a means of
i mpressi ng upon your mi nd a cl ear concept i on of t he
val ue of a def i ni t e purpose of some nat ure, and of t he
val ue of underst andi ng t he pri nci pl e of organi zed
ef f ort as a means of at t ai ni ng t he necessary power
wi t h whi ch t o mat eri al i ze your def i ni t e purpose.
Careful observat i on of t he busi ness phi l osophy of
more t han one hundred men and women who have
at t ai ned out st andi ng success i n t hei r respect i ve
cal l i ngs, di scl osed t he fact t hat each was a person of
prompt and defi ni t e deci si on.
The habi t of worki ng wi t h a def i ni t e chi ef ai m
wi l l breed i n you t he habi t of prompt deci si on, and
t hi s habi t wi l l come t o your ai d i n al l t hat you do.
Moreover, t he habi t of worki ng wi t h a def i ni t e
chi ef ai m wi l l hel p you t o concent rat e al l your
at t ent i on on any gi ven t ask unt i l you have mast ered i t .
Concent rat i on of effort and t he habi t of worki ng
wi t h a def i ni t e chi ef ai m are t wo of t he essent i al
fact ors i n success whi ch are al ways found t oget her.
One l eads t o t he ot her.
The best known successful busi ness men were al l
men of prompt deci si on who worked al ways wi t h one
mai n, out st andi ng purpose as t hei r chi ef ai m.
Some not abl e exampl es are as fol l ows:
Wool wort h chose, as hi s def i ni t e chi ef ai m, t he
- 49 -
bel t i ng of Ameri ca wi t h a chai n of Fi ve and Ten Cent
St ores, and concent rat ed hi s mi nd upon t hi s one t ask
unt i l he "made i t and i t made hi m. "
Wri gl ey concent rat ed hi s mi nd on t he product i on
and sal e of a fi ve-cent package of chewi ng gum and
t urned t hi s one i dea i nt o mi l l i ons of dol l ars.
Edi son concent rat ed upon t he work of
harmoni zi ng nat ural l aws and made hi s effort s uncover
more useful i nvent i ons t han any ot her man who ever
l i ved.
Henry L. Dohert y concent rat ed upon t he bui l di ng
and operat i on of publ i c ut i l i t y pl ant s and made
hi msel f a mul t i mi l l i onai re.
Ingersol l concent rat ed on a dol l ar wat ch and
gi rdl ed t he eart h wi t h "t i ckers" and made t hi s one i dea
yi el d hi m a fort une.
St at l er concent rat ed on "homel i ke hot el -servi ce"
and made hi msel f weal t hy as wel l as useful t o mi l l i ons
of peopl e who use hi s servi ce.
Edwi n C. Barnes concent rat ed on t he sal e of
Edi son Di ct at i ng Machi nes, and ret i red, whi l e st i l l a
young man, wi t h more money t han he needs.
Woodrow Wi l son concent rat ed hi s mi nd on t he
Whi t e House for t went y-fi ve years, and became i t s
chi ef t enant , t hanks t o hi s knowl edge of t he val ue of
st i cki ng t o a def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
Li ncol n concent rat ed hi s mi nd on freei ng t he
sl aves and became our great est Ameri can Presi dent
whi l e doi ng i t .
Mart i n W. Li t t l et on heard a speech whi ch fi l l ed
hi m wi t h t he desi re t o become a great l awyer,
concent rat ed hi s mi nd on t hat one ai m, and i s now
sai d t o be t he most successful l awyer i n Ameri ca,
whose fees for a si ngl e case sel dom fal l bel ow
$50, 000. 00.
- 50 -
Rockefel l er concent rat ed on oi l and became t he
ri chest man of hi s generat i on.
Ford concent rat ed on "fl i vvers" and made hi msel f
t he ri chest and most powerful man who ever l i ved.
Carnegi e concent rat ed on st eel and made hi s
effort s bui l d a great fort une and pl ast ered hi s name on
publ i c l i brari es t hroughout Ameri ca.
Gi l l et t e concent rat ed on a safet y razor, gave t he
ent i re worl d a "cl ose shave" and made hi msel f a
mul t i mi l l i onai re.
George East man concent rat ed on t he kodak and
made t he i dea yi el d hi m a fort une whi l e bri ngi ng much
pl easure t o mi l l i ons of peopl e.
Russel l Conwel l concent rat ed on one si mpl e
l ect ure, "Acres of Di amonds, " and made t he i dea yi el d
more t han $6, 000, 000.
Hearst concent rat ed on sensat i onal newspapers
and made t he i dea wort h mi l l i ons of dol l ars.
Hel en Kel l er concent rat ed on l earni ng t o speak,
and, despi t e t he fact t hat she was deaf, dumb and
bl i nd, real i zed her defi ni t e chi ef ai m.
John H. Pat t erson concent rat ed on cash regi st ers
and made hi msel f ri ch and ot hers "careful . "
The l at e Kai ser of Germany concent rat ed on war
and got a bi g dose of i t , l et us not forget t he fact !
Fl ei schmann concent rat ed on t he humbl e l i t t l e
cake of yeast and made t hi ngs hump t hemsel ves al l
over . t he worl d.
Marshal l Fi el d concent rat ed on t he worl d' s
great est ret ai l st ore and l o! i t rose before hi m, a
real i t y.
Phi l i p Armour concent rat ed on t he but cheri ng
busi ness and est abl i shed a great i ndust ry, as wel l as a
bi g fort une.
- 51 -

ANYONE CAN
"START," BUT
ONLY THE
THOROUGHBR-
ED WILL
"FINISH!"

- 52 -
Mi l l i ons of peopl e are concent rat i ng, dai l y, on
POVERTY and FAILURE and get t i ng bot h i n
overabundance.
Wri ght Brot hers concent rat ed on t he ai rpl ane and
mast ered t he ai r.
Pul l man concent rat ed on t he sl eepi ng car and t he
i dea made hi m ri ch and mi l l i ons of peopl e comfort abl e
i n t ravel .
The Ant i -Sal oon League concent rat ed on t he
Prohi bi t i on Amendment and (whet her for bet t er or
worse) made i t a real i t y.

Thus i t wi l l be seen t hat al l who succeed work
wi t h some defi ni t e, out st andi ng ai m as t he obj ect of
t hei r l abors.
There i s some one t hi ng t hat you can do bet t er
t han anyone el se i n t he worl d coul d do i t . Search unt i l
you fi nd out what t hi s part i cul ar l i ne of endeavor i s,
make i t t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m and t hen
organi ze al l of your forces and at t ack i t wi t h t he
bel i ef t hat you are goi ng t o wi n. In your search for t he
work for whi ch you are best fi t t ed, i t wi l l be wel l i f
you bear i n mi nd t he fact t hat you wi l l most l i kel y
at t ai n t he great est success by fi ndi ng out what work
you l i ke best , for i t i s a wel l known fact t hat a man
general l y best succeeds i n t he part i cul ar l i ne of
endeavor i nt o whi ch he can t hrow hi s whol e heart and
soul .
Let us go back, for t he sake of cl ari t y and
emphasi s, t o t he psychol ogi cal pri nci pl es upon whi ch
t hi s l esson i s founded, because i t wi l l mean a l oss t hat
you can i l l afford i f you fai l t o grasp t he real reason
for est abl i shi ng a def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n your mi nd.
These pri nci pl es are as fol l ows:
- 53 -
Fi rst : Every vol unt ary movement of t he human
body i s caused, cont rol l ed and di rect ed by t hought ,
t hrough t he operat i on of t he mi nd.
Second: The presence of any t hought or i dea i n
your consci ousness t ends t o produce an associ at ed
feel i ng and t o urge you t o t ransform t hat feel i ng i nt o
appropri at e muscul ar act i on t hat i s i n perfect harmony
wi t h t he nat ure of t he t hought .
For exampl e, i f you t hi nk of wi nki ng your eyel i d
and t here are no count er i nfl uences or t hought s i n
your mi nd at t he t i me t o arrest act i on, t he mot or nerve
wi l l carry your t hought from t he seat of government ,
i n your brai n, and appropri at e or correspondi ng
muscul ar act i on t akes pl ace i mmedi at el y.
St at i ng t hi s pri nci pl e from anot her angl e: You
choose, for exampl e, a def i ni t e purpose as your
l i fework and make up your mi nd t hat you wi l l carry
out t hat purpose. From t he very moment t hat you make
t hi s choi ce, t hi s purpose becomes t he domi nat i ng
t hought i n your consci ousness, and you are const ant l y
on t he al ert f or f act s, i nf ormat i on and knowl edge wi t h
whi ch t o achi eve t hat purpose. From t he t i me t hat you
pl ant a def i ni t e purpose i n your mi nd, your mi nd
begi ns, bot h consci ousl y and unconsci ousl y, t o gat her
and st ore away t he mat eri al wi t h whi ch you are t o
accompl i sh t hat purpose.
Desi re i s t he fact or whi ch det ermi nes what your
def i ni t e purpose i n l i fe shal l be. No one can sel ect
your domi nat i ng desi re for you, but once you sel ect i t
yoursel f i t becomes your def i ni t e chi ef ai m and
occupi es t he spot l i ght of your mi nd unt i l i t i s sat i sfi ed
by t ransformat i on i nt o real i t y, unl ess you permi t i t t o
be pushed asi de by confl i ct i ng desi res.
- 54 -
To emphasi ze t he pri nci pl e t hat I am here t ryi ng
t o make cl ear, I bel i eve i t not unreasonabl e t o suggest
t hat t o be sure of successful achi evement , one' s
def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe shoul d be backed up wi t h a
burni ng desi re for i t s achi evement . I have not i ced t hat
boys and gi rl s who ent er col l ege and pay t hei r way
t hrough by worki ng seem t o get more out of t hei r
school i ng t han do t hose whose expenses are pai d for
t hem. The secret of t hi s may be found i n t he fact t hat
t hose who are wi l l i ng t o work t hei r way t hrough are
bl essed wi t h a burni ng desi re for educat i on, and such
a desi re, i f t he obj ect of t he desi re i s wi t hi n reason, i s
pract i cal l y sure of real i zat i on.
Sci ence has est abl i shed, beyond t he sl i ght est
room for doubt , t hat t hrough t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-
suggest i on any deepl y root ed desi re sat urat es t he
ent i re body and mi nd wi t h t he nat ure of t he desi re and
l i t eral l y t ransforms t he mi nd i nt o a powerful magnet
t hat wi l l at t ract t he obj ect of t he desi re, i f i t be wi t hi n
reason. For t he enl i ght enment of t hose who mi ght not
properl y i nt erpret t he meani ng of t hi s st at ement I wi l l
endeavor t o st at e t hi s pri nci pl e i n anot her way. For
exampl e, merel y desi ri ng an aut omobi l e wi l l not cause
t hat aut omobi l e t o come rol l i ng i n, but , i f t here i s a
burni ng desi re for an aut omobi l e, t hat desi re wi l l l ead
t o t he appropri at e act i on t hrough whi ch an aut omobi l e
may be pai d for.
Merel y desi ri ng freedom woul d never rel ease a
man who was confi ned i n pri son i f i t were not
suffi ci ent l y st rong t o cause hi m t o do somet hi ng t o
ent i t l e hi msel f t o freedom.
These are t he st eps l eadi ng from desi re t o
ful fi l l ment : Fi rst t he burni ng desi re, t hen t he cryst al -
- 55 -
l i zat i on of t hat desi re i nt o a def i ni t e purpose, t hen
suffi ci ent appropri at e act i on t o achi eve t hat purpose.
Remember t hat t hese t hree st eps are al ways necessary
t o i nsure success.
I once knew a very poor gi rl who had a burni ng
desi re for a weal t hy husband, and she fi nal l y got hi m,
but not wi t hout havi ng t ransformed t hat desi re i nt o t he
devel opment of a very at t ract i ve personal i t y whi ch, i n
t urn, at t ract ed t he desi red husband.
I once had a burni ng desi re t o be abl e t o anal yze
charact er accurat el y and t hat desi re was so persi st ent
and so deepl y seat ed t hat i t pract i cal l y drove me i nt o
t en years of research and st udy of men and women.
George S. Parker makes one of t he best fount ai n
pens i n t he worl d, and despi t e t he fact t hat hi s
busi ness i s conduct ed from t he l i t t l e ci t y of
Janesvi l l e, Wi sconsi n, he has spread hi s product al l
t he way around t he gl obe and he has hi s pen on sal e i n
every ci vi l i zed count ry i n t he worl d. More t han t went y
years ago, Mr. Parker' s def i ni t e purpose was
est abl i shed i n hi s mi nd, and t hat purpose was t o
produce t he best fount ai n pen t hat money coul d buy.
He backed t hat purpose wi t h a burni ng desi re for i t s
real i zat i on and i f you carry a fount ai n pen t he chances
are t hat you have evi dence i n your own possessi on
t hat i t has brought hi m abundant success.
You are a cont ract or and bui l der, and, l i ke men
who bui l d houses out of mere wood and bri ck and
st eel , you must draw up a set of pl ans aft er whi ch t o
shape your success bui l di ng. You are l i vi ng i n a
wonderful age, when t he mat eri al s t hat go i nt o success
are pl ent i ful and cheap. You have at your di sposal , i n
t he archi ves of t he publ i c l i brari es, t he careful l y
- 56 -
compi l ed resul t s of t wo t housand years of research
coveri ng pract i cal l y every possi bl e l i ne of endeavor i n
whi ch one woul d wi sh t o engage. If you woul d become
a preacher you have at hand t he ent i re hi st ory of what
has been l earned by men who have preceded you i n
t hi s fi el d. I f you woul d become a mechani c you have
at hand t he ent i re hi st ory of t he i nvent i ons of
machi nes and t he di scovery and usages of met al s and
t hi ngs met al l i c i n nat ure. If you woul d become a
l awyer you have at your di sposal t he ent i re hi st ory of
l aw procedure. Through t he Depart ment of
Agri cul t ure, at Washi ngt on, you have at your di sposal
al l t hat has been l earned about farmi ng and
agri cul t ure, where you may use i t shoul d you wi sh t o
fi nd your l i fe-work i n t hi s fi el d.
The worl d was never so respl endent wi t h
opport uni t y as i t i s t oday. On every hand t here i s an
ever-i ncreasi ng demand for t he servi ces of t he man or
t he woman who makes a bet t er mouse-t rap or performs
bet t er st enographi c servi ce or preaches a bet t er
sermon or di gs a bet t er di t ch or runs a more
accommodat i ng bank.
Thi s l esson wi l l not be compl et ed unt i l you shal l
have made your choi ce as t o what your def i ni t e chi ef
ai m i n l i fe i s t o be and t hen recorded a descri pt i on of
t hat purpose i n wri t i ng and pl aced i t where you may
see i t every morni ng when you ari se and every ni ght
when you ret i re.
Procrast i nat i on i s-but why preach about i t ? You
know t hat you are t he hewer of your own wood and t he
drawer of your own wat er and t he shaper of your own
def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe; t herefore, why dwel l upon
t hat whi ch you al ready know?
A def i ni t e purpose i s somet hi ng t hat you must
- 57 -



Every line a man writes, and
every act in which he
indulges, and every word he
utters serves as unescapable
evidence of the nature of
that which is deeply imbed-
ded in his own heart, a
confession that he cannot
disavow.

- 58 -
creat e for yoursel f. No one el se wi l l creat e i t for you
and i t wi l l not creat e i t sel f. What are you goi ng t o do
about i t ? and when? and how?
St art now t o anal yze your desi res and fi nd out
what i t i s t hat you wi sh, t hen make up your mi nd t o
get i t . Lesson Three wi l l poi nt out t o you t he next st ep
and show you how t o proceed. Not hi ng i s l eft t o
chance, i n t hi s Readi ng Course. Every st ep i s marked
pl ai nl y. Your part i s t o fol l ow t he di rect i ons unt i l you
arri ve at your dest i nat i on, whi ch i s represent ed by
your def i ni t e chi ef ai m. Make t hat ai m cl ear and back
i t up wi t h persi st ence whi ch does not recogni ze t he
word "i mpossi bl e. "
When you come t o sel ect your def i ni t e chi ef ai m
j ust keep i n mi nd t he fact t hat you cannot ai m t oo
hi gh.
Al so keep i n mi nd t he never-varyi ng t rut h t hat
you' l l get nowhere i f you st art nowhere. If your ai m i n
l i fe i s vague your achi evement s wi l l al so be vague,
and i t mi ght wel l be added, very meager. Know what
you want , when you want i t , why you want i t and HOW
you i nt end t o get i t . Thi s i s known t o t eachers and
st udent s of psychol ogy as t he WWWH formul a -
"what , when, why and how. "
Read t hi s l esson four t i mes, at i nt erval s of one
week apart .
You wi l l see much i n t he l esson t he fourt h t i me
you read i t t hat you di d not see t he fi rst t i me.
Your success i n mast eri ng t hi s course and i n
maki ng i t bri ng you success wi l l depend very l argel y,
i f not ent i rel y, upon how wel l you fol l ow ALL t he
i nst ruct i ons i t cont ai ns.
Do not set up your own rul es of st udy. Fol l ow
t hose l ai d down i n t he Course, as t hey are t he resul t of
- 59 -
years of t hought and experi ment at i on. If you wi sh t o
experi ment wai t unt i l you mast er t hi s course i n t he
manner suggest ed by i t s aut hor. You wi l l t hen be i n
posi t i on t o experi ment more safel y. For t he present
cont ent yoursel f by bei ng t he st udent . You wi l l , l et us
hope, become t he t eacher as wel l as t he st udent aft er
you have fol l owed t he Course unt i l you have mast ered
i t .
If you fol l ow t he i nst ruct i ons l ai d down i n t hi s
Course for t he gui dance of i t s st udent s, you can no
more fai l t han wat er can run uphi l l above t he l evel of
i t s source.

- 60 -
INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLYING THE
PRINCIPLES OF THIS
LESSON

Through t he Int roduct ory Lesson of t hi s course
you became fami l i ar wi t h t he pri nci pl e of psychol ogy
known as t he "Mast er Mi nd. "
You are now ready t o begi n use of t hi s pri nci pl e
as a means of t ransformi ng your def i ni t e chi ef ai m
i nt o real i t y. It must have occurred t o you t hat one
mi ght as wel l have no def i ni t e chi ef ai m unl ess one
has, al so, a very defi ni t e and pract i cal pl an for maki ng
t hat ai m become a real i t y.
Your fi rst st ep i s t o deci de what your maj or ai m
i n l i fe shal l be. Your next st ep i s t o wri t e out a cl ear,
conci se st at ement of t hi s ai m. Thi s shoul d be fol l owed
by a st at ement , i n wri t i ng, of t he pl an or pl ans
t hrough whi ch you i nt end t o at t ai n t he obj ect of your
ai m.
Your next and fi nal st ep wi l l be t he formi ng of an
al l i ance wi t h some person or persons who wi l l
cooperat e wi t h you i n carryi ng out t hese pl ans and
t ransformi ng your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i nt o real i t y.
The purpose of t hi s fri endl y al l i ance i s t o empl oy
t he l aw of t he "Mast er Mi nd" i n support of your pl ans.
The al l i ance shoul d be made bet ween yoursel f and
t hose who have your hi ghest and best i nt erest s at
heart . If you are a marri ed man your wi fe shoul d be
one of t he members of t hi s al l i ance, provi di ng t here
exi st s bet ween you a normal st at e of confi dence and
sympat hy. Ot her members of t hi s al l i ance may be your
mot her, fat her, brot hers or si st ers, or some cl ose
fri end or fri ends.
- 61 -
If you are a si ngl e person your sweet heart , i f you
have one, shoul d become a member of your al l i ance.
Thi s i s no j oke - you are now st udyi ng one of t he most
powerful l aws of t he human mi nd, and you wi l l serve
your own best i nt erest s by seri ousl y and earnest l y
fol l owi ng t he rul es l ai d down i n t hi s l esson, even
t hough you may not be sure where t hey wi l l l ead you.
Those who j oi n wi t h you i n t he format i on of a
fri endl y al l i ance for t he purpose of ai di ng you i n t he
creat i on of a "Mast er Mi nd" shoul d si gn, wi t h you,
your st at ement of t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef
ai m. Every member of your al l i ance must be ful l y
acquai nt ed wi t h t he nat ure of your obj ect i n formi ng
t he al l i ance. Moreover, every member must be i n
heart y accord wi t h t hi s obj ect , and i n ful l sympat hy
wi t h you. Each member of your al l i ance must be
suppl i ed wi t h a wri t t en copy of your st at ement of your
defi ni t e chi ef ai m. Wi t h t hi s except i on, however, you
are expl i ci t l y i nst ruct ed t o keep t he obj ect of your
chi ef ai m t o yoursel f . The worl d i s ful l of "Doubt i ng
Thomases" and i t wi l l do your cause no good t o have
t hese rat t l e-brai ned peopl e scoffi ng at you and your
ambi t i ons. Remember, what you need i s fri endl y
encouragement and hel p, not deri si on and doubt .
If you bel i eve i n prayer you are i nst ruct ed t o
make your def i ni t e chi ef ai m t he obj ect of your prayer
at , l east once every t went y-four hours, and more oft en
i f conveni ent . If you bel i eve t here i s a God who can
and wi l l ai d t hose who are earnest l y st ri vi ng t o be of
const ruct i ve servi ce i n t he worl d, surel y you feel t hat '
you have a ri ght t o pet i t i on Hi m for ai d i n t he
at t ai nment of what shoul d be t he most i mport ant t hi ng
i n l i fe t o you.
- 62 -
If t hose who have been i nvi t ed t o j oi n your
fri endl y al l i ance bel i eve i n prayer, ask t hem, al so, t o
i ncl ude t he obj ect of t hi s al l i ance as a part of t hei r
dai l y prayer.
Comes, now, one of t he most essent i al rul es
whi ch you must f ol l ow. Arrange wi t h one or al l of t he
members of your fri endl y al l i ance t o st at e t o you, i n
t he most posi t i ve and defi ni t e t erms at t hei r command,
t hat THEY KNOW YOU CAN AND WILL REALIZE
THE OBJECT OF YOUR DEFINITE CHIEF AIM. Thi s
affi rmat i on or st at ement shoul d be made t o you at
l east once a day; more oft en i f possi bl e.
These st eps must be fol l owed persi st ent l y, wi t h
ful l fai t h t hat t hey wi l l l ead you where you wi sh t o
go! It wi l l not suffi ce t o carry out t hese pl ans for a
few days or a few weeks and t hen di scont i nue t hem.
YOU MUST FOLLOW THE DESCRIBED
PROCEDURE. UNTIL YOU ATTAIN THE OBJECT
OF YOUR DEFINITE CHIEF AIM, REGARDLESS OF
THE TIME REQUIRED.
From t i me t o t i me i t may become necessary t o
change t he pl ans you have adopt ed for t he
achi evement of t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
Make t hese changes wi t hout hesi t at i on. No human
bei ng has suffi ci ent foresi ght t o bui l d pl ans whi ch
need no al t erat i on or change.
If any member of your fri endl y al l i ance l oses
fai t h i n t he l aw known as t he "Mast er Mi nd, "
i mmedi at el y remove t hat member and repl ace hi m or
her wi t h some ot her person.
Andrew Carnegi e st at ed t o t he aut hor of t hi s
course t hat he had found i t necessary t o repl ace some
of t he members of hi s "Mast er Mi nd. " In fact he st at ed
- 63 -

"Yes, he succeeded - but -
he almost failed!" So did
Robert Fulton and Abra-
ham Lincoln and nearly all
the others whom we call
successful. No man ever
achieved worth-while suc-
cess who did not, at one
time or other, find himself
with at least one foot hang-
ing well over the brink of
failure.
- 64 -
t hat pract i cal l y every member of whom hi s al l i ance
was ori gi nal l y composed had, i n t i me, been removed
and repl aced wi t h some ot her person who coul d adapt
hi msel f more l oyal l y and ent husi ast i cal l y t o t he spi ri t
and obj ect of t he al l i ance.
You cannot succeed when surrounded by di sl oyal
and unfri endl y associ at es, no mat t er what may be t he
obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m. Success i s bui l t upon
l oyal t y, fai t h, si nceri t y, co-operat i on and t he ot her
posi t i ve forces wi t h whi ch one must surcharge hi s
envi ronment .
Many of t he st udent s of t hi s course wi l l want t o
form fri endl y al l i ances wi t h t hose wi t h whom t hey are
associ at ed professi onal l y or i n busi ness, wi t h t he
obj ect of achi evi ng success i n t hei r busi ness or
professi on. In such cases t he same rul es of procedure
whi ch have been here descri bed shoul d be fol l owed.
The obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m may be one t hat
wi l l benefi t you i ndi vi dual l y, or i t may be one t hat
wi l l benefi t t he busi ness or professi on wi t h whi ch you
are connect ed. The l aw of t he "Mast er Mi nd" wi l l
work t he same i n ei t her case. If you fai l , ei t her
t emporari l y or permanent l y, i n t he appl i cat i on of t hi s
l aw i t wi l l be f or t he reason t hat some member of your
al l i ance di d not ent er i nt o t he spi ri t of t he al l i ance
wi t h f ai t h, l oyal t y and si nceri t y of purpose.
The l ast sent ence i s wort hy of a second readi ng!
The obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m shoul d
become your "hobby. " You shoul d ri de t hi s "hobby"
cont i nuousl y; you shoul d sl eep wi t h i t , eat wi t h i t ,
pl ay wi t h i t , work wi t h i t , l i ve wi t h i t and THINK wi t h
i t .
What ever you want you may get i f you want i t
wi t h suf f i ci ent i nt ensi t y, and keep on want i ng i t ,
- 65 -
provi di ng t he obj ect want ed i s one wi t hi n reason, and
you ACTUALLY BELIEVE YOU WILL GET IT 1
There i s a di fference, however, bet ween merel y
"wi shi ng" for somet hi ng and ACTUALLY
BELIEVING you wi l l get i t . Lack of underst andi ng of
t hi s di fference has meant fai l ure t o mi l l i ons of peopl e.
The "doers" are t he "bel i evers" i n al l wal ks of l i fe.
Those who BELIEVE t hey can achi eve t he obj ect of
t hei r def i ni t e chi ef ai m do not recogni ze t he word
i mpossi bl e. Nei t her do t hey acknowl edge t emporary
defeat . They KNOW t hey are goi ng t o succeed, and i f
one pl an fai l s t hey qui ckl y repl ace i t wi t h anot her
pl an.
Every not ewort hy achi evement met wi t h some
sort of t emporary set back before success came. Edi son
made more t han t en t housand experi ment s before he
succeeded i n maki ng t he fi rst t al ki ng machi ne record
t he words, "Mary had a l i t t l e l amb. "
If t here i s one word whi ch shoul d st and out i n
your mi nd i n connect i on wi t h t hi s l esson, i t i s t he
word PERSISTENCE!
You now have wi t hi n your possessi on t he pass-
key t o achi evement . You have but t o unl ock t he door
t o t he Templ e of Knowl edge and wal k i n. But you
must go t o t he Templ e; i t wi l l not come t o you. If
t hese l aws are new t o you t he "goi ng" wi l l not be easy
at fi rst . You wi l l st umbl e many t i mes, but keep
movi ng 1 Very soon you wi l l come t o t he brow of t he
mount ai n you have been cl i mbi ng, and you wi l l
behol d, i n t he val l eys bel ow, t he ri ch est at e of
KNOWLEDGE whi ch shal l be your reward for your
fai t h and effort s.
Everyt hi ng has a pri ce. There i s no such
possi bi l i t y as "somet hi ng for not hi ng. " In your
experi ment s wi t h t he Law of t he Mast er Mi nd you are
- 66 -
j ockeyi ng wi t h Nat ure, i n her hi ghest and nobl est
form. Nat ure cannot be t ri cked or cheat ed. She wi l l
gi ve up t o you t he obj ect of your st ruggl es onl y aft er
you have pai d her pri ce, whi ch i s CONTINUOUS,
UNYIELDING, PERSISTENT EFFORT!
What more coul d be sai d on t hi s subj ect ?
You have been shown what t o do, when t o do i t ,
how t o do i t and why you shoul d do i t . If you wi l l
mast er t he next l esson, on Sel f-confi dence, you wi l l
t hen have t he fai t h i n yoursel f t o enabl e you t o carry
out t he i nst ruct i ons l ai d down for your gui dance i n
t hi s l esson.


Mast er of human dest i ni es am I!
Fame, l ove, and fort une on my foot st eps wai t .
Ci t i es and fi el ds I wal k; I penet rat e
Desert s and seas remot e, and passi ng by
Hovel and mart and pal ace - soon or l at e
I knock, unbi dden, once at every gat e!
If sl eepi ng, wake - i f feast i ng, ri se before
I t urn away. It i s t he hour of fat e,
And t hey who fol l ow me reach every st at e
Mort al s desi re, and conquer every foe
Save deat h; but t hose who doubt or hesi t at e,
Condemned t o fai l ure, penury, and woe,
Seek me i n vai n and usel essl y i mpl ore.
I answer not , and I ret urn no more!
- INGALLS.

- 67 -
- 68 -


NEGLECTING TO
BROADEN THEIR
VIEW HAS KEPT
SOME MEN DOING
ONE THING ALL
THEIR LIVES.


T
T
H
H
E
E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
U
U
C
C
C
C
E
E
S
S
S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL
______
All Rights Reserved











Pri nted i n the U. S. A.


- 2 -







Lesson Three
SELF-CONFIDENCE



- 3 -

AMIDST all the mys-
teries by which we are
surrounded, nothing is
more certain than that
we are in the presence
of an Infinite and
Eternal Energy from
which all things
proceed.
- Herbert Spencer

- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Three
SELF-CONFIDENCE



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!"

BEFORE approachi ng t he fundament al pri nci pl es
upon whi ch t hi s l esson i s founded i t wi l l be of benefi t
t o you t o keep i n mi nd t he fact t hat i t i s pract i cal -
t hat i t bri ngs you t he di scoveri es of more t han t went y-
fi ve years of research-t hat i t has t he approval of t he
l eadi ng sci ent i fi c men and women of t he worl d who
have t est ed every pri nci pl e i nvol ved.
Skept i ci sm i s t he deadl y enemy of progress and
sel f-devel opment . You mi ght as wel l l ay t hi s book
asi de and st op ri ght here as t o approach t hi s l esson
wi t h t he feel i ng t hat i t was wri t t en by some l ong-
hai red t heori st who had never t est ed t he pri nci pl es
upon whi ch t he l esson i s based.
Surel y t hi s i s no age for t he skept i c, because i t i s
an age i n whi ch we have seen more of Nat ure' s l aws
uncovered and harnessed t han had been di scovered i n
al l past hi st ory of t he human race. Wi t hi n t hree
decades we have wi t nessed t he mast ery of t he ai r; we
have expl ored t he ocean; we have al l but anni hi l at ed
- 5 -
di st ances on t he eart h; we have harnessed t he
l i ght ni ng and made i t t urn t he wheel s of i ndust ry; we
have made seven bl ades of grass grow where but one
grew before; we have i nst ant aneous communi cat i on
bet ween t he nat i ons of t he worl d. Trul y, t hi s i s an age
of i l l umi nat i on and unfol dment , but we have as yet
barel y scrat ched t he surface of knowl edge. However,
when we shal l have unl ocked t he gat e t hat l eads t o t he
secret power whi ch i s st ored up wi t hi n us i t wi l l bri ng
us knowl edge t hat wi l l make al l past di scoveri es pal e
i nt o obl i vi on by compari son.
Thought i s t he most hi ghl y organi zed form of
energy known t o man, and t hi s i s an age of
experi ment at i on and research t hat i s sure t o bri ng us
i nt o great er underst andi ng of t hat myst eri ous force
cal l ed t hought , whi ch reposes wi t hi n us. We have
al ready found out enough about t he human mi nd t o
know t hat a man may t hrow off t he accumul at ed
effect s of a t housand generat i ons of f ear, t hrough t he
ai d of t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on. We have
al ready di scovered t he fact t hat fear i s t he chi ef
reason for povert y and fai l ure and mi sery t hat t akes on
a t housand di fferent forms. We have al ready
di scovered t he fact t hat t he man who mast ers f ear may
march on t o successful achi evement i n pract i cal l y any
undert aki ng, despi t e al l effort s t o defeat hi m.
The devel opment of sel f-confi dence st art s wi t h
t he el i mi nat i on of t hi s demon cal l ed fear, whi ch si t s
upon a man' s shoul der and whi spers i nt o hi s ear, "You
can' t do i t - you are af rai d t o t ry - you are af rai d of
publ i c opi ni on - you are af rai d t hat you wi l l f ai l - you
are af rai d you have not t he abi l i t y. "
Thi s f ear demon i s get t i ng i nt o cl ose quart ers.
- 6 -
Sci ence has found a deadl y weapon wi t h whi ch t o put
i t t o fl i ght , and t hi s l esson on sel f -conf i dence has
brought you t hi s weapon for use i n your bat t l e wi t h
t he worl d-ol d enemy of progress, f ear.
THE SIX BASIC FEARS OF MANKIND: Every
person fal l s hei r t o t he i nfl uence of si x basi c fears.
Under t hese si x fears may be l i st ed t he l esser fears.
The si x basi c or maj or fears are here enumerat ed and
t he sources from whi ch t hey are bel i eved t o have
grown are descri bed.
The si x basi c fears are:
a The fear of Povert y
b The fear of Ol d Age
c The fear of Cri t i ci sm
d The fear of Loss of Love of Someone.
e The fear of Il l Heal t h
f The fear of Deat h.
St udy t he l i st , t hen t ake i nvent ory of your own
fears and ascert ai n under whi ch of t he si x headi ngs
you can cl assi fy t hem.
Every human bei ng who has reached t he age of
underst andi ng i s bound down, t o some ext ent , by one
or more of t hese si x basi c fears. As t he fi rst st ep i n
t he el i mi nat i on of t hese si x evi l s l et us exami ne t he
sources from whence we i nheri t ed t hem.

PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL HEREDITY

Al l t hat man i s, bot h physi cal l y and ment al l y, he
came by t hrough t wo forms of heredi t y. One i s known
as physi cal heredi t y and t he ot her i s cal l ed soci al
heredi t y.
Through t he l aw of physi cal heredi t y man has
- 7 -
sl owl y evol ved from t he amoeba (a si ngl e-cel l ani mal
form), t hrough st ages of devel opment correspondi ng
t o al l t he known ani mal forms now on t hi s eart h,
i ncl udi ng t hose whi ch are known t o have exi st ed but
whi ch are now ext i nct .
Every generat i on t hrough whi ch man has passed
has added t o hi s nat ure somet hi ng of t he t rai t s, habi t s
and physi cal appearance of t hat generat i on. Man' s
physi cal i nheri t ance, t herefore, i s a het erogeneous
col l ect i on of many habi t s and physi cal forms.
There seems l i t t l e, i f any, doubt t hat whi l e t he si x
basi c fears of man coul d not have been i nheri t ed
t hrough physi cal heredi t y (t hese si x basi c fears bei ng
ment al st at es of mi nd and t herefore not capabl e of
t ransmi ssi on t hrough physi cal heredi t y), i t i s obvi ous
t hat t hrough physi cal heredi t y a most favorabl e
l odgi ng pl ace for t hese si x fears has been provi ded.
For exampl e, i t i s a wel l known fact t hat t he
whol e process of physi cal evol ut i on i s based upon
deat h, dest ruct i on, pai n and cruel t y; t hat t he el ement s
of t he soi l of t he eart h fi nd t ransport at i on, i n t hei r
upward cl i mb t hrough evol ut i on, based upon t he deat h
of one form of l i fe i n order t hat anot her and hi gher
form may subsi st . Al l veget at i on l i ves by "eat i ng" t he
el ement s of t he soi l and t he el ement s of t he ai r. Al l
forms of ani mal l i fe l i ve by "eat i ng" some ot her and
weaker form, or some form of veget at i on.
The cel l s of al l veget at i on have a very hi gh order
of i nt el l i gence. The cel l s of al l ani mal l i fe l i kewi se
have a very hi gh order of i nt el l i gence.
Undoubt edl y t he ani mal cel l s of a fi sh have
l earned, out of bi t t er experi ence, t hat t he group of
ani mal cel l s known as a fi sh hawk are t o be great l y
feared.
- 8 -
By reason of t he fact t hat many ani mal forms
(i ncl udi ng t hat of most men) l i ve by eat i ng t he smal l er
and weaker ani mal s, t he "cel l i nt el l i gence" of t hese
ani mal s whi ch ent er i nt o and become a part of man
bri ngs wi t h i t t he FEAR growi ng out of t hei r
experi ence i n havi ng been eat en al i ve.
Thi s t heory may seem t o be far-fet ched, and i n
fact i t may not be t rue, but i t i s at l east a l ogi cal
t heory i f i t i s not hi ng more. The aut hor makes no
part i cul ar poi nt of t hi s t heory, nor does he i nsi st t hat
i t account s for any of t he si x basi c fears. There i s
anot her, and a much bet t er expl anat i on of t he source
of t hese fears, whi ch we wi l l proceed t o exami ne,
begi nni ng wi t h a descri pt i on of soci al heredi t y.
By far t he most i mport ant part of man' s make-up
comes t o hi m t hrough t he l aw of soci al heredi t y, t hi s
t erm havi ng reference t o t he met hods by whi ch one
generat i on i mposes upon t he mi nds of t he generat i on
under i t s i mmedi at e cont rol t he superst i t i ons, bel i efs,
l egends and i deas whi ch i t , i n t urn, i nheri t ed from t he
generat i on precedi ng.
The t erm "soci al heredi t y" shoul d be underst ood
t o mean any and al l sources t hrough whi ch a person
acqui res knowl edge, such as school i ng of rel i gi ous
and al l ot her nat ures; readi ng, word of mout h
conversat i on, st ory t el l i ng and al l manner of t hought
i nspi rat i on comi ng from what i s general l y accept ed as
one' s "personal experi ences. "
Through t he operat i on of t he l aw of soci al
heredi t y anyone havi ng cont rol of t he mi nd of a chi l d
may, t hrough i nt ense t eachi ng, pl ant i n t hat chi l d' s
mi nd any i dea, whet her fal se or t rue, i n such a manner
t hat t he chi l d accept s i t as t rue and i t becomes as
- 9 -


REMEMBER that when
you make an
appointment with
another person you
assume the responsibility
of punctuality, and that
you have not the right to
be a single minute late.

- 10 -
much a part of t he chi l d' s personal i t y as any cel l or
organ of i t s physi cal body (and j ust as hard t o change
i n i t s nat ure) .
It i s t hrough t he l aw of soci al heredi t y t hat t he
rel i gi oni st pl ant s i n t he chi l d mi nd dogmas and creeds
and rel i gi ous ceremoni es t oo numerous t o descri be,
hol di ng t hose i deas before t hat mi nd unt i l t he mi nd
accept s t hem and forever seal s t hem as a part of i t s
i rrevocabl e bel i ef.
The mi nd of a chi l d whi ch has not come i nt o t he
age of general underst andi ng, duri ng an average
peri od coveri ng, l et us say, t he fi rst t wo years of i t s
l i fe, i s pl ast i c, open, cl ean and free. Any i dea pl ant ed
i n such a mi nd by one i n whom t he chi l d has
confi dence t akes root and grows, so t o speak, i n such
a manner t hat i t never can be eradi cat ed or wi ped out ,
no mat t er how opposed t o l ogi c or reason t hat i dea
may be.
Many rel i gi oni st s cl ai m t hat t hey can so deepl y
i mpl ant t he t enet s of t hei r rel i gi on i n t he mi nd of a
chi l d t hat t here never can be room i n t hat mi nd for any
ot her rel i gi on, ei t her i n whol e or i n part . The cl ai ms
are not great l y overdrawn.
Wi t h t hi s expl anat i on of t he manner i n whi ch t he
l aw of soci al heredi t y operat es t he st udent wi l l be
ready t o exami ne t he sources from whi ch man i nheri t s
t he si x basi c fears. Moreover, any st udent (except
t hose who have not yet grown bi g enough t o exami ne
t rut h t hat st eps upon t he "pet corns" of t hei r own
superst i t i ons) may check t he soundness of t he
pri nci pl e of soci al heredi t y as i t i s here appl i ed t o t he
si x basi c fears, wi t hout goi ng out si de of hi s or her
own personal experi ences.
Fort unat el y, pract i cal l y t he ent i re mass of
- 11 -
evi dence submi t t ed i n t hi s l esson i s of such a nat ure
t hat al l who si ncerel y seek t he t rut h may ascert ai n, for
t hemsel ves, whet her t he evi dence i s sound or not .
For t he moment at l east , l ay asi de your prej udi ces
and preconcei ved i deas (you may al ways go back and
pi ck t hem up agai n, you know) whi l e we st udy t he
ori gi n and nat ure of man' s Si x Worst Enemi es, t he si x
basi c fears, begi nni ng wi t h:
THE FEAR OF POVERTY: It requi res courage t o
t el l t he t rut h about t he ori gi n of t hi s fear, and st i l l
great er courage, perhaps, t o accept t he t rut h aft er i t
has been t ol d. The fear of povert y grew out of man' s
i nheri t ed t endency t o prey upon hi s fel l ow man
economi cal l y. Nearl y al l forms of l ower ani mal s have
i nst i nct but appear not t o have t he power t o reason
and t hi nk; t herefore, t hey prey upon one anot her
physi cal l y. Man, wi t h hi s superi or sense of i nt ui t i on,
t hought and reason, does not eat hi s fel l ow men
bodi l y; he get s more sat i sfact i on out of eat i ng t hem
FINANCIALLY!
Of al l t he ages of t he worl d of whi ch we know
anyt hi ng, t he age i n whi ch we l i ve seems t o be t he age
of money worshi p. A man i s consi dered l ess t han t he
dust of t he eart h unl ess he can di spl ay a fat bank
account . Not hi ng bri ngs man so much sufferi ng and
humi l i at i on as does POVERTY. No wonder man
FEARS povert y. Through a l ong l i ne of i nheri t ed
experi ences wi t h t he man-ani mal man has l earned, for
cert ai n, t hat t hi s ani mal cannot al ways be t rust ed
where mat t ers of money and ot her evi dences of eart hl y
possessi ons are concerned.
Many marri ages have t hei r begi nni ng (and
oft ent i mes t hei r endi ng) sol el y on t he basi s of t he
- 12 -
weal t h possessed by one or bot h of t he cont ract i ng
part i es.
It i s no wonder t hat t he di vorce court s are busy!
"Soci et y" coul d qui t e properl y be spel l ed
"$oci et y, " because i t i s i nseparabl y associ at ed wi t h
t he dol l ar mark. So eager i s man t o possess weal t h
t hat he wi l l acqui re i t i n what ever manner he can;
t hrough l egal met hods, i f possi bl e, t hrough ot her
met hods i f necessary.
The fear of povert y i s a t erri bl e t hi ng!
A man may commi t murder, engage i n robbery,
rape and al l ot her manner of vi ol at i on of t he ri ght s of
ot hers and st i l l regai n a hi gh st at i on i n t he mi nds of
hi s fel l ow men, PROVIDING al ways t hat he does not
l ose hi s weal t h. Povert y, t herefore, i s a cri me-an
unforgi vabl e si n, as i t were.
No wonder man fears i t !
Every st at ut e book i n t he worl d bears evi dence
t hat t he fear of povert y i s one of t he si x basi c fears of
manki nd, for i n every such book of l aws may be found
vari ous and sundry l aws i nt ended t o prot ect t he weak
from t he st rong. To spend t i me t ryi ng t o prove ei t her
t hat t he fear of povert y i s one of man' s i nheri t ed fears,
or t hat t hi s fear has i t s ori gi n i n man' s nat ure t o cheat
hi s fel l ow man, woul d be si mi l ar t o t ryi ng t o prove
t hat t hree t i mes t wo are si x. Obvi ousl y no man woul d
ever fear povert y i f he had any grounds for t rust i ng
hi s fel l ow men, for t here i s food and shel t er and
rai ment and l uxury of every nat ure suffi ci ent for t he
needs of every person on eart h, and al l t hese bl essi ngs
woul d be enj oyed by every person except for t he
swi ni sh habi t t hat man has of t ryi ng t o push al l t he
ot her "swi ne" out of t he t rough, even aft er he has al l
and more t han he needs.
- 13 -
The second of t he si x basi c fears wi t h whi ch man
i s bound i s:
THE FEAR OF OLD AGE: In t he mai n t hi s fear
grows out of t wo sources. Fi rst , t he t hought t hat Ol d
Age may bri ng wi t h i t POVERTY. Secondl y, and by
far t he most common source of ori gi n, from fal se and
cruel sect ari an t eachi ngs whi ch have been so wel l
mi xed wi t h "fi re and bri mst one" and wi t h
"purgat ori es" and ot her bogi es t hat human bei ngs have
l earned t o fear Ol d Age because i t meant t he approach
of anot her, and possi bl y a much more HORRIBLE,
worl d t han t hi s one whi ch i s known t o be bad enough.
In t he basi c fear of Ol d Age man has t wo very
sound reasons for hi s apprehensi on: t he one growi ng
out of di st rust of hi s fel l ow men who may sei ze
what ever worl dl y goods he may possess, and t he ot her
ari si ng from t he t erri bl e pi ct ures of t he worl d t o come
whi ch were deepl y pl ant ed i n hi s mi nd, t hrough t he
l aw of soci al heredi t y, l ong before he came i nt o
possessi on of t hat mi nd.
Is i t any wonder t hat man fears t he approach of
Ol d Age?
The t hi rd of t he si x basi c fears i s:
THE FEAR OF CRITICISM: Just how man
acqui red t hi s basi c fear i t woul d be hard, i f not
i mpossi bl e, defi ni t el y t o det ermi ne, but one t hi ng i s
cert ai n, he has i t i n wel l devel oped form.
Some bel i eve t hat t hi s fear made i t s appearance i n
t he mi nd of man about t he t i me t hat pol i t i cs came i nt o
exi st ence. Ot hers bel i eve i t s source can be t raced no
furt her t han t he fi rst meet i ng of an organi zat i on of
femal es known as a "Woman' s Cl ub. " St i l l anot her
school of humori st s charges t he ori gi n t o t he cont ent s
- 14 -
of t he Hol y Bi bl e, whose pages abound wi t h some
very vi t ri ol i c and vi ol ent forms of cri t i ci sm. If t he
l at t er cl ai m i s correct , and t hose who bel i eve l i t eral l y
al l t hey fi nd i n t he Bi bl e are not mi st aken, t hen God i s
responsi bl e for man' s i nherent fear of Cri t i ci sm,
because God caused t he Bi bl e t o be wri t t en.
Thi s aut hor, bei ng nei t her a humori st nor a
"prophet , " but j ust an ordi nary workaday t ype of
person, i s i ncl i ned t o at t ri but e t he basi c fear of
Cri t i ci sm t o t hat part of man' s i nheri t ed nat ure whi ch
prompt s hi m not onl y t o t ake away hi s fel l ow man' s
goods and wares, but t o j ust i fy hi s act i on by
CRITICISM of hi s fel l ow man' s charact er.
The fear of Cri t i ci sm t akes on many di fferent
forms, t he maj ori t y of whi ch are pet t y and t ri vi al i n
nat ure, even t o t he ext ent of bei ng chi l di sh i n t he
ext reme.
Bal d-headed men, for exampl e, are bal d for no
ot her reason t han t hei r fear of Cri t i ci sm. Heads
become bal d because of t he prot ect i on of hat s wi t h
t i ght fi t t i ng bands whi ch cut off t he ci rcul at i on at t he
root s of t he hai r. Men wear hat s, not because t hey
act ual l y need t hem for t he sake of comfort , but mai nl y
because "everybody' s doi ng i t , " and t he i ndi vi dual
fal l s i n l i ne and does i t al so, l est some ot her
i ndi vi dual CRITICIZE hi m.
Women sel dom have bal d heads, or even t hi n
hai r, because t hey wear hat s t hat are l oose, t he onl y
purpose of whi ch i s t o make an appearance.
But i t must not be i magi ned t hat women are free
from t he fear of Cri t i ci sm associ at ed wi t h hat s. If any
woman cl ai ms t o be superi or t o man wi t h reference t o
t hi s fear, ask her t o wal k down t he st reet weari ng a
hat t hat i s one or t wo seasons out of st yl e!
- 15 -

IN every soul there has
been deposited the seed
of a great future, but
that seed will never
germinate, much less
grow to maturity,
except through the
rendering of useful
service.
- 16 -
The makers of al l manner of cl ot hi ng have not
been sl ow t o capi t al i ze t hi s basi c fear of Cri t i ci sm
wi t h whi ch al l manki nd i s cursed. Every season, i t
wi l l be observed, t he "st yl es" i n many art i cl es of
weari ng apparel change. Who est abl i shes t he "st yl es"?
Cert ai nl y not t he purchaser of cl ot hes, but t he
manufact urer of cl ot hes. Why does he change t he
st yl es so oft en? Obvi ousl y t hi s change i s made so t hat
t he manufact urer can sel l more cl ot hes.
For t he same reason t he manufact urers of
aut omobi l es (wi t h a few rare and very sensi bl e
except i ons) change st yl es every season.
The manufact urer of cl ot hi ng knows how t he man-
ani mal fears t o wear a garment whi ch i s one season
out of st ep wi t h "t hat whi ch t hey are al l weari ng
now. "
Is t hi s not t rue? Does not your own experi ence
back i t up?
We have been descri bi ng t he manner i n whi ch
peopl e behave under t he i nfl uence of t he fear of
Cri t i ci sm as appl i ed t o t he smal l and pet t y t hi ngs of
l i fe. Let us now exami ne human behavi or under t hi s
fear when i t affect s peopl e i n connect i on wi t h t he
more i mport ant mat t ers connect ed wi t h human
i nt ercourse. Take, for exampl e, pract i cal l y any person
who has reached t he age of "ment al mat uri t y" (from
t hi rt y-fi ve t o fort y-fi ve years of age, as a general
average), and i f you coul d read hi s or her mi nd you
woul d fi nd i n t hat mi nd a very deci ded di sbel i ef of
and rebel l i on agai nst most of t he fabl es t aught by t he
maj ori t y of t he rel i gi oni st s.
Powerful and mi ght y i s t he fear of CRITICISM!
The t i me was, and not so very l ong ago at t hat ,
- 17 -
when t he word "i nfi del " meant rui n t o whomsoever i t
was appl i ed. It i s seen, t herefore, t hat man' s fear of
CRITICISM i s not wi t hout ampl e cause for i t s
exi st ence.
The fourt h basi c fear i s t hat of:
THE FEAR OF LOSS OF LOVE OF SOMEONE:
The source from whi ch t hi s fear ori gi nat ed needs but
l i t t l e descri pt i on, for i t i s obvi ous t hat i t grew out of
man' s nat ure t o st eal hi s fel l ow man' s mat e; or at l east
t o t ake l i bert i es wi t h her, unknown t o her ri ght ful
"l ord" and mast er. By nat ure al l men are pol ygamous,
t he st at ement of a t rut h whi ch wi l l , of course, bri ng
deni al s from t hose who are ei t her t oo ol d t o funct i on
i n a normal way sexual l y, or have, from some ot her
cause, l ost t he cont ent s of cert ai n gl ands whi ch are
responsi bl e for man' s t endency t oward t he pl ural i t y of
t he opposi t e sex.
There can be but l i t t l e doubt t hat j eal ousy and al l
ot her si mi l ar forms of more or l ess mi l d dement i a
praecox (i nsani t y) grew out of man' s i nheri t ed fear of
t he Loss of Love of Someone.
Of al l t he "sane fool s" st udi ed by t hi s aut hor, t hat
represent ed by a man who has become j eal ous of some
woman, or t hat of a woman who has become j eal ous of
some man, i s t he oddest and st rangest . The aut hor,
fort unat el y, never had but one case of personal
experi ence wi t h t hi s form of i nsani t y, but from t hat
experi ence he l earned enough t o j ust i fy hi m i n st at i ng
t hat t he fear of t he Loss of Love of Someone i s one of
t he most pai nful , i f not i n fact t he most pai nful , of al l
t he si x basi c fears. And i t seems reasonabl e t o add
t hat t hi s fear pl ays more havoc wi t h t he human mi nd
t han do any of t he ot her si x basi c fears, oft en l eadi ng
- 18 -
t o t he more vi ol ent forms of permanent i nsani t y.
The fi ft h basi c fear i s t hat of:
THE FEAR OF ILL HEALTH: Thi s fear has i t s
ori gi n, t o consi derabl e ext ent al so, i n t he same
sources from whi ch t he fears of Povert y and Ol d Age
are deri ved.
The fear of Il l Heal t h must needs be cl osel y
associ at ed wi t h bot h Povert y and Ol d Age, because i t
al so l eads t oward t he border l i ne of "t erri bl e worl ds"
of whi ch man knows not , but of whi ch he has heard
some di scomfort i ng st ori es.
The aut hor st rongl y suspect s t hat t hose engaged
i n t he busi ness of sel l i ng good heal t h met hods have
had consi derabl e t o do wi t h keepi ng t he fear of Il l
Heal t h al i ve i n t he human mi nd.
For l onger t han t he record of t he human race can
be rel i ed upon, t he worl d has known of vari ous and
sundry forms of t herapy and heal t h purveyors. If a
man gai ns hi s l i vi ng from keepi ng peopl e i n good
heal t h i t seems but nat ural t hat he woul d use every
means at hi s command for persuadi ng peopl e t hat t hey
needed hi s servi ces. Thus, i n t i me, i t mi ght be t hat
peopl e woul d i nheri t a fear of Il l Heal t h.
The si xt h and l ast of t he si x basi c fears i s t hat of:
THE FEAR OF DEATH: To many t hi s i s t he worst
of al l t he si x basi c fears, and t he reason why i t i s so
regarded becomes obvi ous t o even t he casual st udent
of psychol ogy.
The t erri bl e pangs of fear associ at ed wi t h DEATH
may be charged di rect l y t o rel i gi ous fanat i ci sm, t he
source whi ch i s more responsi bl e for i t t han are al l
ot her sources combi ned.
- 19 -
So-cal l ed "heat hen" are not as much afrai d of
DEATH as are t he "ci vi l i zed, " especi al l y t hat port i on
of t he ci vi l i zed popul at i on whi ch has come under t he
i nfl uence of t heol ogy.
For hundreds of mi l l i ons of years man has been
aski ng t he st i l l unanswered (and, i t may be, t he
unanswerabl e) quest i ons, "WHENCE?" and
"WHITHER?" "Where di d I come from and where am I
goi ng aft er deat h?"
The more cunni ng and craft y, as wel l as t he
honest but credul ous, of t he race have not been sl ow
t o offer t he answer t o t hese quest i ons. In fact t he
answeri ng of t hese quest i ons has become one of t he
so-cal l ed "l earned" professi ons, despi t e t he fact t hat
but l i t t l e l earni ng i s requi red t o ent er t hi s professi on.
Wi t ness, now, t he maj or source of ori gi n of t he
fear of DEATH!
"Come i nt o my t ent , embrace my fai t h, accept my
dogmas (and pay my sal ary) and I wi l l gi ve you a
t i cket t hat wi l l admi t you st rai ght way i nt o heaven
when you di e, " says t he l eader of one form of
sect ari ani sm. "Remai n out of my t ent , " says t hi s same
l eader, "and you wi l l go di rect t o hel l , where you wi l l
burn t hroughout et erni t y. "
Whi l e, i n fad, t he sel f-appoi nt ed l eader may not
be abl e t o provi de safe-conduct i nt o heaven nor, by
l ack of such provi si on, al l ow t he unfort unat e seeker
aft er t rut h t o descend i nt o hel l , t he possi bi l i t y of t he
l at t er seems so t erri bl e t hat i t l ays hol d of t he mi nd
and creat es t hat fear of fears, t he fear of DEATH!
In t rut h no man knows, and no man has ever
known, what heaven or hel l i s l i ke, or i f such pl aces
exi st , and t hi s very l ack of defi ni t e knowl edge opens
- 20 -
t he door of t he human mi nd t o t he charl at an t o ent er
and cont rol t hat mi nd wi t h hi s st ock of l egerdemai n
and vari ous brands of t ri ckery, decei t and fraud.
The t rut h i s t hi s - not hi ng l ess and not hi ng more -
That NO MAN KNOWS NOR HAS ANY MAN EVER
KNOWN WHERE WE COME FROM AT BIRTH OR
WHERE WE GO AT DEATH. Any person cl ai mi ng
ot herwi se i s ei t her decei vi ng hi msel f or he i s a
consci ous i mpost or who makes i t a busi ness t o l i ve
wi t hout renderi ng servi ce of val ue, t hrough pl ay upon
t he credul i t y of humani t y.
Be i t sai d, i n t hei r behal f, however, t he maj ori t y
of t hose engaged i n "sel l i ng t i cket s i nt o heaven"
act ual l y bel i eve not onl y t hat t hey know where heaven
exi st s, but t hat t hei r creeds and formul as wi l l gi ve
safe passage t o al l who embrace t hem.
Thi s bel i ef may be summed up i n one word -
CREDULITY!
Rel i gi ous l eaders, general l y, make t he broad,
sweepi ng cl ai m t hat t he present ci vi l i zat i on owes i t s
exi st ence t o t he work done by t he churches. Thi s
aut hor, as far as he i s personal l y concerned, i s wi l l i ng
t o grant t hei r cl ai ms t o be correct , i f, at t he same t i me
he be permi t t ed t o add t hat even i f t hi s cl ai m be t rue
t he t heol ogi ans haven' t a great deal of whi ch t o brag.
But , i t i s not - cannot be - t rue t hat ci vi l i zat i on
has grown out of t he effort s of t he organi zed churches
and creeds, i f by t he t erm "ci vi l i zat i on" i s meant t he
uncoveri ng of t he nat ural l aws and t he many
i nvent i ons t o whi ch t he worl d i s t he present hei r.
If t he t heol ogi ans wi sh t o cl ai m t hat part of
ci vi l i zat i on whi ch has t o do wi t h man' s conduct
t oward hi s fel l ow man t hey are perfect l y wel come t o
- 21 -


YOU are fortunate if you
have learned the
difference between tem-
porary defeat and failure;
more fortunate still, if
you have learned the
truth that the very seed
of success is dormant in
every defeat that you
experience.
- 22 -
i t , as far as t hi s aut hor i s concerned; but , on t he ot her
hand, i f t hey presume t o gobbl e up t he credi t for al l
t he sci ent i fi c di scovery of manki nd t he aut hor begs
l eave t o offer vi gorous prot est .

It i s hardl y suffi ci ent t o st at e t hat soci al heredi t y
i s t he met hod t hrough whi ch man gat hers al l
knowl edge t hat reaches hi m t hrough t he fi ve senses. It
i s more t o t he poi nt t o st at e HOW soci al heredi t y
works, i n as many di fferent appl i cat i ons as wi l l gi ve
t he st udent a comprehensi ve underst andi ng of t hat
l aw.
Let us begi n wi t h some of t he l ower forms of
ani mal l i fe and exami ne t he manner i n whi ch t hey are
affect ed by t he l aw of soci al heredi t y.
Short l y aft er t hi s aut hor began t o exami ne t he
maj or sources from whi ch men gat her t he knowl edge
whi ch makes t hem what t hey are, some t hi rt y-odd
years ago, he di scovered t he nest of a ruffed grouse.
The nest was so l ocat ed t hat t he mot her bi rd coul d be
seen from a consi derabl e dist ance when she was on t he
nest . Wi t h t he ai d of a pai r of fi el d gl asses t he bi rd
was cl osel y wat ched unt i l t he young bi rds were
hat ched out . It happened t hat t he regul ar dai l y
observat i on was made but a few hours aft er t he young
bi rds came out of t he shel l . Desi ri ng t o know what
woul d happen, t he aut hor approached t he nest . The
mot her bi rd remai ned near by unt i l t he i nt ruder was
wi t hi n t en or t wel ve feet of her, t hen she di sarranged
her feat hers, st ret ched one wi ng over her l eg and went
hobbl i ng away, maki ng a pret ense of bei ng cri ppl ed.
Bei ng somewhat fami l i ar wi t h t he t ri cks of mot her
bi rds, t he aut hor di d not fol l ow, but , i nst ead, went t o
- 23 -
t he nest t o t ake a l ook at t he l i t t l e ones. Wi t hout t he
sl i ght est si gns of fear t hey t urned t hei r eyes t oward
hi m, movi ng t hei r heads fi rst one way and t hen
anot her. He reached down and pi cked one of t hem up.
Wi t h no si gns of fear i t st ood i n t he pal m of hi s hand.
He l ai d t he bi rd back i n t he nest and went away t o a
safe di st ance t o gi ve t he mot her bi rd a chance t o
ret urn.
The wai t was short . Very soon she began
caut i ousl y t o edge her way back t oward t he nest unt i l
she was wi t hi n a few feet of i t , when she spread her
wi ngs and ran as fast as she coul d, ut t eri ng,
meanwhi l e, a seri es of sounds si mi l ar t o t hose of a hen
when she has found some morsel of food and wi shes t o
cal l her brood t o part ake of i t .
She gat hered t he l i t t l e bi rds around and cont i nued
t o qui ver i n a hi ghl y exci t ed manner, shaki ng her
wi ngs and ruffl i ng her feat hers. One coul d al most hear
her words as she gave t he l i t t l e bi rds t hei r fi rst l esson
i n sel f-defense, t hrough t he l aw of SOCIAL
HEREDITY:
"You si l l y l i t t l e creat ures! Do you not know t hat
men are your enemi es? Shame on you for al l owi ng t hat
man t o pi ck you up i n hi s hands. It ' s a wonder he
di dn' t carry you off and eat you al i ve! The next t i me
you see a man approachi ng make yoursel ves scarce.
Li e down on t he ground, run under l eaves, go
anywhere t o get out of si ght , and remai n out of si ght
unt i l t he enemy i s wel l on hi s way. "
The l i t t l e bi rds st ood around and l i st ened t o t he
l ect ure wi t h i nt ense i nt erest . Aft er t he mot her bi rd had
qui et ed down t he aut hor again st art ed t o approach t he
nest . When wi t hi n t went y feet or so of t he guarded
- 24 -
househol d t he mot her bi rd agai n st art ed t o l ead hi m i n
t he ot her di rect i on by crumpl i ng up her wi ng and
hobbl i ng al ong as i f she were cri ppl ed. He l ooked at
t he nest , but t he gl ance was i n vai n. The l i t t l e bi rds
were nowhere t o be found! They had l earned rapi dl y
t o avoi d t hei r nat ural enemy, t hanks t o t hei r nat ural
i nst i nct .
Agai n t he aut hor ret reat ed, awai t ed unt i l t he
mot her bi rd had reassembl ed her househol d, t hen came
out t o vi si t t hem, but wi t h si mi l ar resul t s. When he
approached t he spot where he l ast saw t he mot her bi rd
not t he sl i ght est si gns of t he l i t t l e fel l ows were t o be
found.

When a smal l boy t he aut hor capt ured a young
crow and made a pet of i t . The bi rd became qui t e wel l
sat i sfi ed wi t h i t s domest i c surroundi ngs and l earned t o
perform many t ri cks requi ri ng consi derabl e
i nt el l i gence. Aft er t he bi rd was bi g enough t o fl y i t
was permi t t ed t o go wherever i t pl eased. Somet i mes i t
woul d be gone for many hours, but i t al ways ret urned
home before dark.
One day some wi l d crows became i nvol ved i n a
fi ght wi t h an owl i n a fi el d near t he house where t he
pet crow l i ved. As soon as t he pet heard t he "caw,
caw, caw" of i t s wi l d rel at i ves i t fl ew up on t op of t he
house, and wi t h si gns of great agi t at i on, wal ked from
one end of t he house t o t he ot her. Fi nal l y i t t ook wi ng
and fl ew i n t he di rect i on of t he "bat t l e. " The aut hor
fol l owed t o see what woul d happen. In a few mi nut es
he came up wi t h t he pet . It was si t t i ng on t he l ower
branches of a t ree and t wo wi l d crows were si t t i ng on
- 25 -
a l i mb j ust above, chat t eri ng and wal ki ng back and
fort h, act i ng very much i n t he same fashi on t hat angry
parent s behave t oward t hei r offspri ng when chast i si ng
t hem.
As t he aut hor approached, t he t wo wi l d crows
fl ew away, one of t hem ci rcl i ng around t he t ree a few
t i mes, meanwhi l e l et t i ng out a t erri bl e fl ow of most
abusi ve l anguage, whi ch, no doubt , was di rect ed at i t s
fool i sh rel at i ve who hadn' t enough sense t o fl y whi l e
t he fl yi ng was good.
The pet was cal l ed, but i t pai d no at t ent i on. That
eveni ng i t ret urned home, but woul d not come near t he
house. It sat on a hi gh l i mb of an appl e t ree and t al ked
i n crow l anguage for about t en mi nut es, sayi ng, no
doubt , t hat i t had deci ded t o go back t o t he wi l d l i fe
of i t s fel l ows, t hen fl ew away and di d not ret urn unt i l
t wo days l at er, when i t came back and di d some more
t al ki ng i n crow l anguage, keepi ng at a safe di st ance
meanwhi l e. It t hen went away and never ret urned.
Soci al heredi t y had robbed t he aut hor of a fi ne
pet !
The onl y consol at i on he got from t he l oss of hi s
crow was t he t hought t hat i t had shown fi ne
sport smanshi p by comi ng back and gi vi ng not i ce of i t s
i nt ent i on t o depart . Many farm hands had l eft t he farm
wi t hout goi ng t o t he t roubl e of t hi s formal i t y.

It i s a wel l known fact t hat a fox wi l l prey upon
al l manner of fowl and smal l ani mal s wi t h t he
except i on of t he skunk. No reason need be st at ed as t o
why Mr. Skunk enj oys i mmuni t y. A fox may t ackl e a
skunk once, but never t wi ce! For t hi s reason a skunk
- 26 -
hi de, when nai l ed t o a chi cken roost , wi l l keep al l but
t he very young and i nexperi enced foxes at a safe
di st ance.
The odor of a skunk, once experi enced, i s never
t o be forgot t en. No ot her smel l even remot el y
resembl es i t . It i s nowhere recorded t hat any mot her
fox ever t aught her young how t o det ect and keep
away from t he fami l i ar smel l of a skunk, but al l who
are i nformed on "fox l ore" know t hat foxes and skunks
never seek l odgment i n t he same cave.
But one l esson i s suffi ci ent t o t each t he fox al l i t
cares t o know about skunks. Through t he l aw of soci al
heredi t y, operat i ng vi a t he sense of smel l , one l esson
serves for an ent i re l i fe-t i me.

A bul l frog can be caught on a fi sh-hook by
at t achi ng a smal l pi ece of red cl ot h or any ot her smal l
red obj ect t o t he hook and dangl i ng i t i n front of t he
frog' s nose. That i s, Mr. Frog may be caught i n t hi s
manner, provi ded he i s hooked t he fi rst t i me he snaps
at t he bai t , but i f he i s poorl y hooked and makes a get -
away, or i f he feel s t he poi nt of t he hook when he
bi t es at t he bai t but i s not caught , he wi l l never make
t he same mi st ake agai n. The aut hor spent many hours
i n st eal t hy at t empt t o hook a part i cul arl y desi rabl e
speci men whi ch had snapped and mi ssed, before
l earni ng t hat but one l esson i n soci al heredi t y i s
enough t o t each even a humbl e "croaker" t hat bi t s of
red fl annel are t hi ngs t o be l et al one.
The aut hor once owned a very fi ne mal e Ai redal e
dog whi ch caused no end of annoyance by hi s habi t of
comi ng home wi t h a young chi cken i n hi s mout h.
- 27 -
IS it not strange that we
fear most that which
never happens? That we
destroy our initiative by
the fear of defeat, when
in reality, defeat is a
most useful tonic and
should be accepted as
such.
- 28 -
Each t i me t he chi cken was t aken away from t he dog
and he was soundl y swi t ched, but t o no avai l ; he
cont i nued i n hi s l i ki ng for fowl .
For t he purpose of savi ng t he dog, i f possi bl e,
and as an experi ment wi t h soci al heredi t y, t hi s dog
was t aken t o t he farm of a nei ghbor who had a hen and
some newl y hat ched chi ckens. The hen was pl aced i n
t he barn and t he dog was t urned i n wi t h her. As soon
as everyone was out of si ght t he dog sl owl y edged up
t oward t he hen, sni ffed t he ai r i n her di rect i on a t i me
or t wo (t o make sure she was t he ki nd of meat for
whi ch he was l ooki ng), t hen made a di ve t oward her.
Meanwhi l e Mrs. Hen had been doi ng some "surveyi ng"
on her own account , for she met Mr. Dog more t han
hal fway; moreover, she met hi m wi t h such a surpri se
of wi ngs and cl aws as he had never before
experi enced. The fi rst round was cl earl y t he hen' s. But
a ni ce fat bi rd, reckoned t he dog, was not t o sl i p
bet ween hi s paws so easi l y; t herefore he backed away
a short di st ance, t hen charged agai n. Thi s t i me Mrs.
Hen l i t upon hi s back, drove her cl aws i nt o hi s ski n
and made effect i ve use of her sharp bi l l ! Mr. Dog
ret reat ed t o hi s comer, l ooki ng for al l t he worl d as i f
he were l i st eni ng for someone t o ri ng t he bel l and cal l
t he fi ght off unt i l he got hi s beari ngs. But Mrs. Hen
craved no t i me for del i berat i on; she had her adversary
on t he run and showed t hat she knew t he val ue of t he
offensi ve by keepi ng hi m on t he run.
One coul d al most underst and her words as she
fl ogged t he poor Ai redal e from one corner t o anot her,
keepi ng up a seri es of rapi d-fi re sounds whi ch for al l
t he worl d resembl ed t he remonst rat i ons of an angry
- 29 -
mot her who had been cal l ed upon t o defend her
offspri ng from an at t ack by ol der boys.
The Ai redal e was a poor sol di er! Aft er runni ng
around t he barn from corner t o corner for about t wo
mi nut es he spread hi msel f on t he ground as fl at as he
coul d and di d hi s best t o prot ect hi s eyes wi t h hi s
paws. Mrs. Hen seemed t o be maki ng a speci al at t empt
t o peck out hi s eyes.
The owner of t he hen t hen st epped i n and
ret ri eved her - or, more accurat el y st at i ng i t , he
ret ri eved t he dog - whi ch i n no way appeared t o meet
wi t h t he dog' s di sapproval .
The next day a chi cken was pl aced i n t he cel l ar
where t he dog sl ept . As soon as he saw t he bi rd he
t ucked hi s t ai l bet ween hi s l egs and ran for a corner!
He never agai n at t empt ed t o cat ch a chi cken. One
l esson i n soci al heredi t y, vi a t he sense of "t ouch, " was
suffi ci ent t o t each hi m t hat whi l e chi cken-chasi ng may
offer some enj oyment , i t i s al so fraught wi t h much
hazard.
Al l t hese i l l ust rat i ons, wi t h t he except i on of t he
fi rst , descri be t he process of gat heri ng knowl edge
t hrough di rect experi ence. Observe t he marked
di fference bet ween knowl edge gat hered by di rect
experi ence and t hat whi ch i s gat hered t hrough t he
t rai ni ng of t he young by t he ol d, as i n t he case of t he
ruffed grouse and her young.
The most i mpressi ve l essons are t hose l earned by
t he young from t he ol d, t hrough hi ghl y col ored or
emot i onal i zed met hods of t eachi ng. When t he mot her
grouse spread her wi ngs, st ood her feat hers on end,
shook hersel f l i ke a man sufferi ng wi t h t he pal sy and
chat t ered t o her young i n a hi ghl y exci t ed manner, she
- 30 -
pl ant ed t he fear of man i n t hei r heart s i n a manner
whi ch t hey were never t o forget .
The t erm "soci al heredi t y, " as used i n connect i on
wi t h t hi s l esson, has part i cul ar reference t o al l
met hods t hrough whi ch a chi l d i s t aught any i dea,
dogma, creed, rel i gi on or syst em of et hi cal conduct ,
by i t s parent s or t hose who may have aut hori t y over i t ,
before reachi ng t he age at whi ch i t may reason and
refl ect upon such t eachi ng i n i t s own way; est i mat i ng
t he age of such reasoni ng power at , l et us say, seven
t o t wel ve years.

There are myri ads of forms of f ear, but none are
more deadl y t han t he fear of povert y and ol d age. We
dri ve our bodi es as i f t hey were sl aves because we are
so afrai d of povert y t hat we wi sh t o hoard money for
what - ol d age! Thi s common form of f ear dri ves us so
hard t hat we overwork our bodi es and bri ng on t he
very t hi ng we are st ruggl i ng t o avoi d.
What a t ragedy t o wat ch a man dri ve hi msel f
when he begi ns t o arri ve al ong about t he fort y-year
mi l e post of l i fe-t he age at whi ch he i s j ust begi nni ng
t o mat ure ment al l y. At fort y a man i s j ust ent eri ng t he
age i n whi ch he i s abl e t o see and underst and and
assi mi l at e t he handwri t i ng of Nat ure, as i t appears i n
t he forest s and fl owi ng brooks and faces of men and
l i t t l e chi l dren, yet t hi s devi l f ear dri ves hi m so hard
t hat he becomes bl i nded and l ost i n t he ent angl ement
of a maze of confl i ct i ng desi res. The pri nci pl e of
organi zed ef f ort i s l ost si ght of, and i nst ead of l ayi ng
hol d of Nat ure' s forces whi ch are i n evi dence al l
around hi m, and permi t t i ng t hose forces t o carry hi m
- 31 -
t o t he hei ght s of great achi evement , he defi es t hem
and t hey become forces of dest ruct i on.
Perhaps none of t hese great forces of Nat ure are
more avai l abl e for man' s unfol dment t han i s t he
pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on, but i gnorance of t hi s
force i s l eadi ng t he maj ori t y of t he human race t o
appl y i t so t hat i t act s as a hi ndrance and not as a
hel p.
Let us here enumerat e t he fact s whi ch show j ust
how t hi s mi sappl i cat i on of a great force of Nat ure
t akes pl ace:
Here i s a man who meet s wi t h some
di sappoi nt ment ; a fri end proves fal se, or a nei ghbor
seems i ndi fferent . Fort hwi t h he deci des (t hrough sel f-
suggest i on) al l men are unt rust wort hy and al l
nei ghbors unappreci at i ve. These t hought s so deepl y
i mbed t hemsel ves i n hi s subconsci ous mi nd t hat t hey
col or hi s whol e at t i t ude t oward ot hers. Go back, now,
t o what was sai d i n Lesson Two, about t he domi nat i ng
t hought s of a man' s mi nd at t ract i ng peopl e whose
t hought s are si mi l ar.
Appl y t he Law of At t ract i on and you wi l l soon
see and underst and why t he unbel i ever at t ract s ot her
unbel i evers.
Reverse t he Pri nci pl e:
Here i s a man who sees not hi ng but t he best t here
i s i n al l whom he meet s. If hi s nei ghbors seem
i ndi fferent he t akes no not i ce of t hat fact , for he
makes i t hi s busi ness t o fi l l hi s mi nd wi t h domi nat i ng
t hought s of opt i mi sm and good cheer and fai t h i n
ot hers. If peopl e speak t o hi m harshl y he speaks back
i n t ones of soft ness. Through t he operat i on of t hi s
same et ernal Law of At t ract i on he draws t o hi msel f
t he at t ent i on of peopl e whose at t i t ude t oward l i fe and
- 32 -
whose domi nat i ng t hought s harmoni ze wi t h hi s own.
Traci ng t he pri nci pl e a st ep furt her:
Here i s a man who has been wel l school ed and
has t he abi l i t y t o render t he worl d some needed
servi ce. Somewhere, somet i me, he has heard i t sai d
t hat modest y i s a great vi rt ue and t hat t o push hi msel f
t o t he front of t he st age i n t he game of l i fe savors of
egot i sm. He qui et l y sl i ps i n at t he back door and t akes
a seat at t he rear whi l e ot her pl ayers i n t he game of
l i fe bol dl y st ep t o t he front . He remai ns i n t he back
row because he f ears "what t hey wi l l say. "
Publ i c opi ni on, or t hat whi ch he bel i eves t o be
publ i c opi ni on, has hi m pushed t o t he rear and t he
worl d hears but l i t t l e of hi m. Hi s school i ng count s for
naught because he i s af rai d t o l et t he worl d know t hat
he has had i t . He i s const ant l y suggest i ng t o hi msel f
(t hus usi ng t he great force of Aut o-suggest i on t o hi s
own det ri ment ) t hat he shoul d remai n i n t he
background l est he be cri t i ci zed, as i f cri t i ci sm woul d
do hi m any damage or defeat hi s purpose.
Here i s anot her man who was born of poor
parent s. Si nce t he fi rst day t hat he can remember he
has seen evi dence of povert y. He has heard t al k of
povert y. He has fel t t he i cy hand of povert y on hi s
shoul ders and i t has so i mpressed hi m t hat he fi xes i t
i n hi s mi nd as a curse t o whi ch he must submi t . Qui t e
unconsci ousl y he permi t s hi msel f t o fal l vi ct i m of t he
bel i ef "once poor al ways poor" unt i l t hat bel i ef
becomes t he domi nat i ng t hought of hi s mi nd. He
resembl es a horse t hat has been harnessed and broken
unt i l i t forget s t hat i t has t he pot ent i al power wi t h
whi ch t o t hrow off t hat harness. Aut o-suggest i on i s
rapi dl y rel egat i ng hi m t o t he back of t he st age of l i fe.
- 33 -

YOUR work and mine are
peculiarly akin; I am
helping the laws of Nature
create more perfect
specimens of vegetation,
while you are using those
same laws, through the Law
of Success philosophy, to
create more perfect
specimens of thinkers.
-Luther Burbank.
- 34 -
Fi nal l y he becomes a qui t t er. Ambi t i on i s gone.
Opport uni t y comes hi s way no l onger, or i f i t does he
has not t he vi si on t o see i t . He has accept ed hi s
FATE! It i s a wel l est abl i shed fact t hat t he facul t i es of
t he mi nd, l i ke t he l i mbs of t he body, at rophy and
wi t her away i f not used. Sel f-confi dence i s no
except i on. It devel ops when used but di sappears i f not
used.
One of t he chi ef di sadvant ages of i nheri t ed
weal t h i s t he fact t hat i t t oo oft en l eads t o i nact i on
and l oss of Sel f-confi dence. Some years ago a baby
boy was born t o Mrs. E. B. McLean, i n t he ci t y of
Washi ngt on. Hi s i nheri t ance was sai d t o be around a
hundred mi l l i on dol l ars. When t hi s baby was t aken for
an ai ri ng i n i t s carri age i t was surrounded by nurses
and assi st ant nurses and det ect i ves and ot her servant s
whose dut y was t o see t hat no harm befel l i t . As t he
years passed by t hi s same vi gi l ance was kept up. Thi s
chi l d di d not have t o dress hi msel f; he had servant s
who di d t hat . Servant s wat ched over hi m whi l e he
sl ept and whi l e he was at pl ay. He was not permi t t ed
t o do anyt hi ng t hat a servant coul d do for hi m. He had
grown t o t he age of t en years. One day he was pl ayi ng
i n t he yard and not i ced t hat t he back gat e had been
l eft open. In al l of hi s l i fe he had never been out si de
of t hat gat e al one, and nat ural l y t hat was j ust t he
t hi ng t hat he wi shed t o do. Duri ng a moment when t he
servant s were not l ooki ng he dashed out at t he gat e,
and was run down and ki l l ed by an aut omobi l e before
he reached t he mi ddl e of t he st reet .
He had used hi s servant s' eyes unt i l hi s own no
l onger served hi m as t hey mi ght have done had he
l earned t o rel y upon t hem.
- 35 -
Twent y years ago t he man whom I served as
secret ary sent hi s t wo sons away t o school . One of
t hem went t o t he Uni versi t y of Vi rgi ni a and t he ot her
t o a col l ege i n New York. Each mont h i t was a part of
my t ask t o make out a check for $100. 00 for each of
t hese boys. Thi s was t hei r "pi n money, " t o be spent as
t hey wi shed. How profi t abl y I remember t he way I
envi ed t hose boys as I made out t hose checks each
mont h. I oft en wondered why t he hand of fat e bore me
i nt o t he worl d i n povert y. I coul d l ook ahead and see
how t hese boys woul d ri se t o t he hi gh st at i ons i n l i fe
whi l e I remai ned a humbl e cl erk.
In due t i me t he boys ret urned home wi t h t hei r
"sheep-ski ns. " Thei r fat her was a weal t hy man who
owned banks and rai l roads and coal mi nes and ot her
propert y of great val ue. Good posi t i ons were wai t i ng
for t he boys i n t hei r fat her' s empl oy.
But , t went y years of t i me can pl ay cruel t ri cks on
t hose who have never had t o st ruggl e. Perhaps a bet t er
way t o st at e t hi s t rut h woul d be t hat t i me gi ves t hose
who have never had t o st ruggl e a chance t o pl ay cruel
t ri cks on t hemsel ves! At any rat e, t hese t wo boys
brought home from school ot her t hi ngs besi des t hei r
sheep-ski ns. They came back wi t h wel l devel oped
capaci t i es for st rong dri nk - capaci t i es whi ch ' t hey
devel oped because t he hundred dol l ars whi ch each of
t hem recei ved each mont h made i t unnecessary f or
t hem t o st ruggl e.
Thei rs i s a l ong and sad st ory, t he det ai l s of
whi ch wi l l not i nt erest you, but you wi l l be i nt erest ed
i n t hei r "fi ni s" As t hi s l esson i s bei ng wri t t en I have
on my desk a copy of t he newspaper publ i shed i n t he
t own where t hese boys l i ved. Thei r fat her has been
- 36 -
bankrupt ed and hi s cost l y mansi on, where t he boys
were born, has been pl aced on t he bl ock for sal e. One
of t he boys di ed of del i ri um t remens and t he ot her one
i s i n an i nsane asyl um.
Not al l ri ch men' s sons t urn out so unfort unat el y,
but t he fact remai ns, nevert hel ess, t hat i nact i on l eads
t o at rophy and t hi s, i n t urn, l eads t o l oss of ambi t i on
and sel f-confi dence, and wi t hout t hese essent i al
qual i t i es a man wi l l be carri ed t hrough l i fe on t he
wi ngs of uncert ai nt y, j ust as a dry l eaf may be carri ed
here and t here on t he bosom of t he st ray wi nds.
Far from bei ng a di sadvant age, st ruggl e i s a
deci ded advant age, because i t devel ops t hose qual i t i es
whi ch woul d forever l i e dormant wi t hout i t . Many a
man has found hi s pl ace i n t he worl d because of
havi ng been forced t o st ruggl e for exi st ence earl y i n
l i fe. Lack of knowl edge of t he advant ages accrui ng
from st ruggl e has prompt ed many a parent t o say, "I
had t o work hard when I was young, but I shal l see t o
i t t hat my chi l dren have an easy t i me!" Poor fool i sh
creat ures. An "easy" t i me usual l y t urns out t o be a
great er handi cap t han t he average young man or
woman can survi ve. There are worse t hi ngs i n t hi s
worl d t han bei ng forced t o work i n earl y l i fe. Forced
i dl eness i s far worse t han forced l abor. Bei ng forced
t o work, and forced t o do your best , wi l l breed i n you
t emperance and sel f-cont rol and st rengt h of wi l l and
cont ent and a hundred ot her vi rt ues whi ch t he i dl e wi l l
never know.
Not onl y does l ack of t he necessi t y for st ruggl e
l ead t o weakness of ambi t i on and wi l l -power, but ,
what i s more dangerous st i l l , i t set s up i n a person' s
mi nd a st at e of l et hargy t hat l eads t o t he l oss of Sel f-
- 37 -
confi dence. The person who has qui t st ruggl i ng
because effort i s no l onger necessary i s l i t eral l y
appl yi ng t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on i n
undermi ni ng hi s own power of Sel f-confi dence. Such a
person wi l l fi nal l y dri ft i nt o a frame of mi nd i n whi ch
he wi l l act ual l y l ook wi t h more or l ess cont empt upon
t he person who i s forced t o carry on.
The human mi nd, i f you wi l l pardon repet i t i on,
may be l i kened t o an el ect ri c bat t ery. It may be
posi t i ve or i t may be negat i ve. Sel f-confi dence i s t he
qual i t y wi t h whi ch t he mi nd i s re-charged and made
posi t i ve.
Let us appl y t hi s l i ne of reasoni ng t o
sal esmanshi p and see what part Sel f-confi dence pl ays
i n t hi s great fi el d of endeavor. One of t he great est
sal esmen t hi s count ry has ever seen was once a cl erk
i n a newspaper offi ce.
It wi l l be wort h your whi l e t o anal yze t he met hod
t hrough whi ch he gai ned hi s t i t l e as "t he worl d' s
l eadi ng sal esman. "
He was a t i mi d young man wi t h a more or l ess
ret i ri ng sort of nat ure. He was one of t hose who
bel i eve i t best t o sl i p i n by t he back door and t ake a
seat at t he rear of t he st age of l i fe. One eveni ng he
heard a l ect ure on t he subj ect of t hi s l esson, Sel f-
confi dence, and t hat l ect ure so i mpressed hi m t hat he
l eft t he l ect ure hal l wi t h a fi rm det ermi nat i on t o pul l
hi msel f out of t he rut i nt o whi ch he had dri ft ed.
He went t o t he Busi ness Manager of t he paper and
asked for a posi t i on as sol i ci t or of advert i si ng and was
put t o work on a commi ssi on basi s. Everyone i n t he
offi ce expect ed t o see hi m fai l , as t hi s sort of
sal esmanshi p cal l s for t he most posi t i ve t ype of sal es
abi l i t y. He went t o hi s room and made out a l i st of a
- 38 -
cert ai n t ype of merchant s on whom he i nt ended t o
cal l . One woul d t hi nk t hat he woul d nat ural l y have
made up hi s l i st of t he names of t hose whom he
bel i eved he coul d sel l wi t h t he l east effort , but he di d
not hi ng of t he sort . He pl aced on hi s l i st onl y t he
names of t he merchant s on whom ot her advert i si ng
sol i ci t ors had cal l ed wi t hout maki ng a sal e. Hi s l i st
consi st ed of onl y t wel ve names. Before he made a
si ngl e cal l he went out t o t he ci t y park, t ook out hi s
l i st of t wel ve names, read i t over a hundred t i mes,
sayi ng t o hi msel f as he di d so, "You wi l l purchase
advert i si ng space f rom me bef ore t he end of t he
mont h. "
Then he began t o make hi s cal l s. The fi rst day he
cl osed sal es wi t h t hree of t he t wel ve "i mpossi bi l i t i es. "
Duri ng t he remai nder of t he week he made sal es t o
t wo ot hers. By t he end of t he mont h he had opened
advert i si ng account s wi t h al l but one of t he merchant s
t hat he had on t he l i st . For t he ensui ng mont h he made
no sal es, for t he reason t hat he made no cal l s except
on t hi s one obst i nat e merchant . Every morni ng when
t he st ore opened he was on hand t o i nt ervi ew t hi s
merchant and every morni ng t he merchant sai d "No. "
The merchant knew he was not goi ng t o buy
advert i si ng space, but t hi s young man di dn' t know i t .
When t he merchant sai d No t he young man di d not
hear i t , but kept ri ght on comi ng. On t he l ast day of
t he mont h, aft er havi ng t ol d t hi s persi st ent young man
No for t hi rt y consecut i ve t i mes, t he merchant sai d:
"Look here, young man, you have wast ed a whol e
mont h t ryi ng t o sel l me; now, what I woul d l i ke t o
know i s t hi s - why have you wast ed your t i me?"
"Wast ed my t i me not hi ng, " he ret ort ed; "I have
- 39 -


NO man can become a
great leader of men
unless he has the milk
of human kindness in
his own heart, and leads
by suggestion and kind-
ness, rather than by
force.
- 40 -
been goi ng t o school and you have been my t eacher.
Now I know al l t he argument s t hat a merchant can
bri ng up for not buyi ng, and besi des t hat I have been
dri l l i ng mysel f i n Sel f-confi dence. "
Then t he merchant sai d: "I wi l l make a l i t t l e
confessi on of my own. I, t oo, have been goi ng t o
school , and you have been my t eacher. You have
t aught me a l esson i n persi st ence t hat i s wort h money
t o me, and t o show you my appreci at i on I am goi ng t o
pay my t ui t i on fee by gi vi ng you an order for
advert i si ng space. "
And t hat was t he way i n whi ch t he Phi l adel phi a
Nort h Ameri can' s best advert i si ng account was
brought i n. Li kewi se, i t marked t he begi nni ng of a
reput at i on t hat has made t hat same young man a
mi l l i onai re.
He succeeded because he del i berat el y charged hi s
own mi nd wi t h suffi ci ent Sel f-confi dence t o make t hat
mi nd an i rresi st i bl e force. When he sat down t o make
up t hat l i st of t wel ve names he di d somet hi ng t hat
ni net y-ni ne peopl e out of a hundred woul d not have
done-he sel ect ed t he names of t hose whom he bel i eved
i t woul d be hard t o sel l , because he underst ood t hat
out of t he resi st ance he woul d meet wi t h i n t ryi ng t o
sel l t hem woul d come st rengt h and Sel f-confi dence.
He was one of t he very few peopl e who underst and
t hat al l ri vers and some men are crooked because of
fol l owi ng t he l i ne of l east resi st ance.

I am goi ng t o di gress and here break t he l i ne of
t hought for a moment whi l e recordi ng a word of
advi ce t o t he wi ves of men. Remember, t hese l i nes are
- 41 -
i nt ended onl y for wi ves, and husbands are not
expect ed t o read t hat whi ch i s here set down.
From havi ng anal yzed more t han 16, 000 peopl e,
t he maj ori t y of whom were marri ed men, I have
l earned somet hi ng t hat may be of val ue t o wi ves. Let
me st at e my t hought i n t hese words:
You have i t wi t hi n your power t o send your
husband away t o hi s work or hi s busi ness or hi s
professi on each day wi t h a feel i ng of Sel f-confi dence
t hat wi l l carry hi m successful l y over t he rough spot s
of t he day and bri ng hi m home agai n, at ni ght , smi l i ng
and happy. One of my acquai nt ances of former years
marri ed a woman who had a set of fal se t eet h. One day
hi s wi fe dropped her t eet h and broke t he pl at e. The
husband pi cked up t he pieces and began exami ni ng
t hem. He showed such i nt erest i n t hem t hat hi s wi fe
sai d:
"You coul d make a set of t eet h l i ke t hose i f you
made up your mi nd t o do i t . "
Thi s man was a farmer whose ambi t i ons had never
carri ed hi m beyond t he bounds of hi s l i t t l e farm unt i l
hi s wi fe made t hat remark. She wal ked over and l ai d
her hand on hi s shoul der and encouraged hi m t o t ry
hi s hand at dent i st ry. She fi nal l y coaxed hi m t o make
t he st art , and t oday he i s one of t he most promi nent
and successful dent i st s i n t he st at e of Vi rgi ni a. I know
hi m wel l , for he i s my fat her!
No one can foret el l t he possi bi l i t i es of
achi evement avai l abl e t o t he man whose wi fe st ands at
hi s back and urges hi m on t o bi gger and bet t er
endeavor, for i t i s a wel l known fact t hat a woman can
arouse a man so t hat he wi l l perform al most
superhuman feat s. It i s your ri ght and your dut y t o
- 42 -
encourage your husband and urge hi m on i n wort hy
undert aki ngs unt i l he shal l have found hi s pl ace i n t he
worl d. You can i nduce hi m t o put fort h great er effort
t han can any ot her person i n t he worl d. Make hi m
bel i eve t hat not hi ng wi t hi n reason i s beyond hi s power
of achi evement and you wi l l have rendered hi m a
servi ce t hat wi l l go a l ong way t oward hel pi ng hi m
wi n i n t he bat t l e of l i fe.

One of t he most successful men i n hi s l i ne i n
Ameri ca gi ves ent i re credi t for hi s success t o hi s wi fe.
When t hey were fi rst marri ed she wrot e a creed whi ch
he si gned and pl aced over hi s desk. Thi s i s a copy of
t he creed:

I bel i eve i n mysel f . I bel i eve i n t hose who work
wi t h me. I bel i eve i n my empl oyer. I bel i eve i n my
f ri ends. I bel i eve i n my f ami l y. I bel i eve t hat God
wi l l l end me everyt hi ng I need wi t h whi ch t o
succeed i f I do my best t o earn i t t hrough f ai t hf ul
and honest servi ce. I bel i eve i n prayer and I wi l l
never cl ose my eyes i n sl eep wi t hout prayi ng f or
di vi ne gui dance t o t he end t hat I wi l l be pat i ent
wi t h ot her peopl e and t ol erant wi t h t hose who do
not bel i eve as I do. I bel i eve t hat success i s t he
resul t of i nt el l i gent ef f ort and does not depend
upon l uck or sharp pract i ces or doubl e-crossi ng
f ri ends, f el l ow men or my empl oyer. I bel i eve I
wi l l get out of l i f e exact l y what I put i nt o i t ,
t heref ore I wi l l be caref ul t o conduct mysel f
t oward ot hers as I woul d want t hem t o act t oward
me. I wi l l not sl ander t hose whom I do not l i ke. I
- 43 -
wi l l not sl i ght my work no mat t er what I may see
ot hers doi ng. I wi l l render t he best servi ce of
whi ch I am capabl e because I have pl edged
mysel f t o succeed i n l i f e and I know t hat success
i s al ways t he resul t of consci ent i ous and ef f i ci ent
ef f ort . Fi nal l y, I wi l l f orgi ve t hose who of f end me
because I real i ze t hat I shal l somet i mes of f end
ot hers and I wi l l need t hei r f orgi veness.

Si gned

The woman who wrot e t hi s creed was a pract i cal
psychol ogi st of t he fi rst order. Wi t h t he i nfl uence and
gui dance of such a woman as a hel pmat e any man
coul d achi eve not ewort hy success.
Anal yze t hi s creed and you wi l l not i ce how freel y
t he personal pronoun i s used. It st art s off wi t h t he
affi rmat i on of Sel f-confi dence, whi ch i s perfect l y
proper. No man coul d make t hi s creed hi s own wi t hout
devel opi ng t he posi t i ve at t i t ude t hat woul d at t ract t o
hi m peopl e who woul d ai d hi m i n hi s st ruggl e for
success.
Thi s woul d be a spl endi d creed for every
sal esman t o adopt . It mi ght not hurt your chances for
success i f you adopt ed i t . Mere adopt i on, however, i s
not enough. You must pract i ce i t ! Read i t over and
over unt i l you know i t by heart . Then repeat i t at l east
once a day unt i l you have l i t eral l y t ransformed i t i nt o
your ment al make-up. Keep a copy of i t before you as
a dai l y remi nder of your pl edge t o pract i ce i t . By
doi ng so you wi l l be maki ng effi ci ent use of t he
pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on as a means of devel opi ng
Sel f-confi dence. Never mi nd what anyone may say
about your procedure. Just remember t hat i t i s your
- 44 -
busi ness t o succeed, and t hi s creed, i f mast ered and
appl i ed, wi l l go a l ong way t oward hel pi ng you.
You l earned i n Lesson Two t hat any i dea you
fi rml y fi x i n your subconsci ous mi nd, by repeat ed
affi rmat i on, aut omat i cal l y becomes a pl an or bl uepri nt
whi ch an unseen power uses i n di rect i ng your effort s
t oward t he at t ai nment of t he obj ect i ve named - i n t he
pl an.
You have al so l earned t hat t he pri nci pl e t hrough
whi ch you may fi x any i dea you choose i n your mi nd
i s cal l ed Aut o-suggest i on, whi ch si mpl y means a
suggest i on t hat you gi ve t o your own mi nd. It was t hi s
pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on t hat Emerson had i n
mi nd when he wrot e:
"Not hi ng can bri ng you peace but yoursel f!"
You mi ght wel l remember t hat Not hi ng can bri ng
you success but yoursel f . Of course you wi l l need t he
co-operat i on of ot hers i f you ai m t o at t ai n success of a
far-reachi ng nat ure, but you wi l l never get t hat
cooperat i on unl ess you vi t al i ze your mi nd wi t h t he
posi t i ve at t i t ude of Sel f-confi dence.
Perhaps you have wondered why a few men
advance t o hi ghl y pai d posi t i ons whi l e ot hers al l
around t hem, who have as much t rai ni ng and who
seemi ngl y perform as much work, do not get ahead.
Sel ect any t wo peopl e of t hese t wo t ypes t hat you
choose, and st udy t hem, and t he reason why one
advances and t he ot her st ands st i l l wi l l be qui t e
obvi ous t o you. You wi l l fi nd t hat t he one who
advances bel i eves i n hi msel f. You wi l l fi nd t hat he
backs t hi s bel i ef wi t h such dynami c, aggressi ve act i on
t hat he l et s ot hers know t hat he bel i eves i n hi msel f.
You wi l l al so not i ce t hat t hi s Sel f-confi dence i s
cont agi ous; i t i s i mpel l i ng; i t i s persuasi ve; i t at t ract s
ot hers.
- 45 -

IF you want a thing
done well, call on
some busy person to
do it. Busy people are
generally the most
painstaking and
thorough in all they
do.
- 46 -
You wi l l al so fi nd t hat t he one who does not
advance shows cl earl y, by t he l ook on hi s face, by t he
post ure of hi s body, by t he l ack of bri skness i n hi s
st ep, by t he uncert ai nt y wi t h whi ch he speaks, t hat he
l acks Sel f-confi dence. No one i s goi ng t o pay much
at t ent i on t o t he person who has no confi dence i n
hi msel f.
He does not at t ract ot hers because hi s mi nd i s a
negat i ve force t hat repel s rat her t han at t ract s.
In no ot her fi el d of endeavor does Sel f-
confi dence or t he l ack of i t pl ay such an i mport ant
part as i n t he fi el d of sal esmanshi p, and you do not
need t o be a charact er anal yst t o det ermi ne, t he
moment you meet hi m, whet her a sal esman possesses
t hi s qual i t y of Sel f-confi dence. If he has i t t he si gns
of i t s i nfl uence are wri t t en al l over hi m. He i nspi res
you wi t h confi dence i n him and i n t he goods he i s
sel l i ng t he moment he speaks.
We come, now, t o t he poi nt at , whi ch you are
ready t o t ake hol d of t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on
and make di rect use of i t i n devel opi ng yoursel f i nt o a
posi t i ve and dynami c and sel f-rel i ant person. You are
i nst ruct ed t o copy t he fol l owi ng formul a, si gn i t and
commi t i t t o memory:

SELF-CONFIDENCE FORMULA

Fi rst : I know t hat I have t he abi l i t y t o achi eve t he
obj ect of my def i ni t e purpose, t herefore I demand
of mysel f persi st ent , aggressi ve and cont i nuous
act i on t oward i t s at t ai nment .
Second: I real i ze t hat t he domi nat i ng t hought s of my
mi nd event ual l y reproduce t hemsel ves i n out ward,
bodi l y act i on, and gradual l y t ransform t hemsel ves
i nt o physi cal real i t y, t herefore I wi l l concent rat e
- 47 -
My mi nd for t hi rt y mi nut es dai l y upon t he t ask of
t hi nki ng of t he person I i nt end t o be, by creat i ng
a ment al pi ct ure of t hi s person and t hen
t ransformi ng t hat pi ct ure i nt o real i t y t hrough
pract i cal servi ce.
Thi rd: I know t hat t hrough t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-
suggest i on, any desi re t hat I persi st ent l y hol d i n
my mi nd wi l l event ual l y seek expressi on t hrough
some pract i cal means of real i zi ng i t , t herefore I
shal l devot e t en mi nut es dai l y t o demandi ng of
mysel f t he devel opment of t he fact ors named i n
t he si xt een l essons of t hi s Readi ng Course on t he
Law of Success.
Fourt h: I have cl earl y mapped out and wri t t en down a
descri pt i on of my def i ni t e purpose i n l i fe, for t he
comi ng fi ve years. I have set a pri ce on my
servi ces for each of t hese fi ve years; a pri ce t hat
I i nt end t o earn and recei ve, t hrough st ri ct
appl i cat i on of t he pri nci pl e of effi ci ent ,
sat i sfact ory servi ce whi ch I wi l l render i n
advance.
Fi f t h: I ful l y real i ze t hat no weal t h or posi t i on can
l ong endure unl ess bui l t upon t rut h and j ust i ce,
t herefore I wi l l engage i n no t ransact i on whi ch
does not benef i t al l whom i t af f ect s. 1 wi l l
succeed by at t ract i ng t o me t he forces I wi sh t o
use, and t he co-operat i on of ot her peopl e. I wi l l
i nduce ot hers t o serve me because I wi l l fi rst
serve t hem. I wi l l el i mi nat e hat red, envy,
j eal ousy, sel fi shness and cyni ci sm by devel opi ng
l ove for al l humani t y, because I know t hat a
negat i ve at t i t ude t oward ot hers can never bri ng
me success. I wi l l cause ot hers t o bel i eve i n me
because I wi l l bel i eve i n t hem and i n mysel f.
- 48 -
I wi l l si gn my name t o t hi s formul a, commi t i t t o
memory and repeat i t al oud once a day wi t h ful l
f ai t h t hat i t wi l l gradual l y i nfl uence my ent i re
l i fe so t hat I wi l l become a successful and happy
worker i n my chosen fi el d of endeavor.

Si gned.


Before you si gn your name t o t hi s formul a make
sure t hat you i nt end t o carry out i t s i nst ruct i ons. Back
of t hi s formul a l i es a l aw t hat no man can expl ai n. The
psychol ogi st s refer t o t hi s l aw as Aut o-suggest i on and
l et i t go at t hat , but you shoul d bear i n mi nd one poi nt
about whi ch t here i s no uncert ai nt y, and t hat i s t he
fact t hat what ever t hi s l aw i s i t act ual l y works!
Anot her poi nt t o be kept i n mi nd i s t he fact t hat ,
j ust as el ect ri ci t y wi l l t urn t he wheel s of i ndust ry and
serve manki nd i n a mi l l i on ot her ways, or snuff out
l i fe i f wrongl y appl i ed, so wi l l t hi s pri nci pl e of Aut o-
suggest i on l ead you up t he mount ai n-si de of peace and
prosperi t y, or down i nt o t he val l ey of mi sery and
povert y, accordi ng t o t he appl i cat i on you make of i t .
If you fi l l your mi nd wi t h doubt and unbel i ef i n your
abi l i t y t o achi eve, t hen t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-
suggest i on t akes t hi s spi ri t of unbel i ef and set s i t up
i n your subconsci ous mi nd as your domi nat i ng t hought
and sl owl y but surel y draws you i nt o t he whi rl pool of
f ai l ure. But , i f you fi l l your mi nd wi t h radi ant Sel f-
confi dence, t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on t akes t hi s
bel i ef and set s i t up as your domi nat i ng t hought and
hel ps you mast er t he obst acl es t hat fal l i n your way
unt i l you reach t he mount ai n-t op of success.
- 49 -
THE POWER OF HABIT

Havi ng, mysel f, experi enced al l t he di ffi cul t i es
t hat st and i n t he road of t hose who l ack t he
underst andi ng t o make pract i cal appl i cat i on of t hi s
great pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on, l et me t ake you a
short way i nt o t he pri nci pl e of habi t , t hrough t he ai d
of whi ch you may easi l y appl y t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-
suggest i on i n any di rect i on and for any purpose
what soever.
Habi t grows out of envi ronment ; out of doi ng t he
same t hi ng or t hi nki ng t he same t hought s or repeat i ng
t he same words over and over agai n. Habi t may be
l i kened t o t he groove on a phonograph record, whi l e
t he human mi nd may be l i kened t o t he needl e t hat fi t s
i nt o t hat groove. When any habi t has been wel l
formed, t hrough repet i t i on of t hought or act i on, t he
mi nd has a t endency t o at t ach i t sel f t o and fol l ow t he
course of t hat habi t as cl osel y as t he phonograph
needl e fol l ows t he groove i n t he wax record.
Habi t i s creat ed by repeat edl y di rect i ng one or
more of t he fi ve senses of seei ng, heari ng, smel l i ng,
t ast i ng and feel i ng, i n a gi ven di rect i on. It i s t hrough
t hi s repet i t i on pri nci pl e t hat t he i nj uri ous drug habi t
i s formed. It i s t hrough t hi s same pri nci pl e t hat t he
desi re for i nt oxi cat i ng dri nk i s formed i nt o a habi t .
Aft er habi t has been wel l est abl i shed i t wi l l
aut omat i cal l y cont rol and di rect our bodi l y act i vi t y,
wherei n may be found a t hought t hat can be
t ransformed i nt o a powerful fact or i n t he devel opment
of Sel f -conf i dence. The t hought i s t hi s: Vol unt ari l y,
and by f orce i f necessary, di rect your ef f ort s and your
t hought s al ong a desi red l i ne unt i l you have f ormed
t he habi t t hat wi l l l ay hol d of you and cont i nue,
- 50 -
vol unt ari l y, t o di rect your ef f ort s al ong t he same l i ne.
The obj ect i n wri t i ng out and repeat i ng t he Sel f-
confi dence formul a i s t o form t he habi t of maki ng
bel i ef i n yoursel f t he domi nat i ng t hought of your mi nd
unt i l t hat t hought has been t horoughl y i mbedded i n
your subconsci ous mi nd, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of
habi t .
You l earned t o wri t e by repeat edl y di rect i ng t he
muscl es of your arm and hand over cert ai n out l i nes
known as l et t ers, unt i l fi nal l y you formed t he habi t of
t raci ng t hese out l i nes. Now you wri t e wi t h ease and
rapi di t y, wi t hout t raci ng each l et t er sl owl y. Wri t i ng
has become a habi t wi t h you.
The pri nci pl e of habi t wi l l l ay hol d of t he
facul t i es of your mi nd j ust t he same as i t wi l l
i nfl uence t he physi cal muscl es of your body, as you
can easi l y prove by mast eri ng and appl yi ng t hi s l esson
on Sel f-confi dence. Any st at ement t hat you repeat edl y
make t o yoursel f, or any desi re t hat you deepl y pl ant
i n your mi nd t hrough repeat ed st at ement , wi l l
event ual l y seek expressi on t hrough your physi cal ,
out ward bodi l y effort s. The pri nci pl e of habi t i s t he
very foundat i on upon whi ch t hi s l esson on Sel f-
confi dence i s bui l t , and i f you wi l l underst and and
fol l ow t he di rect i ons l ai d down i n t hi s l esson you wi l l
soon know more about t he l aw of habi t , from fi rst -
hand knowl edge, t han coul d be t aught you by a
t housand such l essons as t hi s.
You have but l i t t l e concept i on of t he possi bi l i t i es
whi ch l i e sl eepi ng wi t hi n you, awai t i ng but t he
awakeni ng hand of vi si on t o arouse you, and you wi l l
never have a bet t er concept i on of t hose possi bi l i t i es
unl ess you devel op suffi ci ent Sel f-confi dence t o l i ft
- 51 -




A HOME is something
that cannot be bought.
You can buy house but
only a woman can make
of it a home.



- 52 -
you above t he commonpl ace i nfl uences of your present
envi ronment .
The human mi nd i s a marvel ous, myst eri ous pi ece
of machi nery, a fact of whi ch I was remi nded a few
mont hs ago when I pi cked up Emerson' s Essays and
re-read hi s essay on Spi ri t ual Laws. A st range t hi ng
happened. I saw i n t hat essay, whi ch I had read scores
of t i mes previ ousl y, much t hat I had never not i ced
before. I saw more i n t hi s essay t han I had seen duri ng
previ ous readi ngs because t he unfol dment of my mi nd
si nce t he l ast readi ng had prepared me t o i nt erpret
more.
The human mi nd i s const ant l y unfol di ng, l i ke t he
pet al s of a fl ower, unt i l i t reaches t he maxi mum of
devel opment . What t hi s maxi mum i s, where i t ends, or
whet her i t ends at al l or not , are unanswerabl e
quest i ons, but t he degree of unfol dment seems t o vary
accordi ng t o t he nat ure of t he i ndi vi dual and t he
degree t o whi ch he keeps hi s mi nd at work. A mi nd
t hat i s forced or coaxed i nt o anal yt i cal t hought every
day seems t o keep on unfol di ng and devel opi ng
great er powers of i nt erpret at i on.
Down i n Loui svi l l e, Kent ucky, l i ves Mr. Lee
Cook, a man who has pract i cal l y no l egs and has t o
wheel hi msel f around on a cart . In spi t e of t he fact
t hat Mr. Cook has been wi t hout l egs si nce bi rt h, he i s
t he owner of a great i ndust ry and a mi l l i onai re
t hrough hi s own effort s. He has proved t hat a man can
get al ong very wel l wi t hout l egs i f he has a wel l
devel oped Sel f-confi dence.
In t he ci t y of New York one may see a st rong
abl e-bodi ed and abl e-headed young man, wi t hout l egs,
rol l i ng hi msel f down Fi ft h Avenue every aft ernoon,
- 53 -
wi t h cap i n hand, beggi ng for a l i vi ng. Hi s head i s
perhaps as sound and as abl e t o t hi nk as t he average.
Thi s young man coul d dupl i cat e anyt hi ng t hat Mr.
Cook, of Loui svi l l e, has done, i f he t hought of hi msel f
as Mr. Cook t hi nks of hi msel f .
Henry Ford owns more mi l l i ons of dol l ars t han he
wi l l ever need or use. Not so many years ago, he was
worki ng as a l aborer i n a machi ne shop, wi t h but l i t t l e
school i ng and wi t hout capi t al . Scores of ot her men,
some of t hem wi t h bet t er organi zed brai ns t han hi s,
worked near hi m. Ford t hrew off t he povert y
consci ousness, devel oped confi dence i n hi msel f,
t hought of success and at t ai ned i t . Those who worked
around hi m coul d have done as wel l had t hey t hought
as he di d.
Mi l o C. Jones, of Wi sconsi n, was st ri cken down
wi t h paral ysi s a few years ago. So bad was t he st roke
t hat he coul d not t urn hi msel f i n bed or move a muscl e
of hi s body. Hi s physi cal body was usel ess, but t here
was not hi ng wrong wi t h hi s brai n, so i t began t o
funct i on i n earnest , probabl y for t he fi rst t i me i n i t s
exi st ence. Lyi ng fl at on hi s back i n bed, Mr. Jones
made t hat brai n creat e a def i ni t e purpose. That
purpose was prosai c and humbl e enough i n nat ure, but
i t was def i ni t e and i t was a purpose, somet hi ng t hat he
had never known before.
Hi s def i ni t e purpose was t o make pork sausage.
Cal l i ng hi s fami l y around hi m he t ol d of hi s pl ans and
began di rect i ng t hem i n carryi ng t he pl ans i nt o act i on.
Wi t h not hi ng t o ai d hi m except a sound mi nd and
pl ent y of Sel f -conf i dence, Mi l o C. Jones spread t he
name and reput at i on of "Li t t l e Pi g Sausage" al l over
t he Uni t ed St at es, and accumul at ed a fort une besi des.
- 54 -
Al l t hi s was accompl i shed aft er paral ysi s had
made i t i mpossi bl e for hi m t o work wi t h hi s hands.
Where t hought prevai l s power may be found!
Henry Ford has made mi l l i ons of dol l ars and i s
st i l l maki ng mi l l i ons of dol l ars each year because he
bel i eved i n Henry Ford and t ransformed t hat bel i ef
i nt o a def i ni t e purpose and backed t hat purpose wi t h a
defi ni t e pl an. The ot her machi ni st s who worked al ong
wi t h Ford, duri ng t he earl y days of hi s career,
vi si oned not hi ng but a weekl y pay envel ope and t hat
was al l t hey ever got . They demanded not hi ng out of
t he ordi nary of t hemsel ves. If you want t o get more be
sure t o demand more of yoursel f. Not i ce t hat t hi s
demand i s t o be made on yoursel f !
There comes t o mi nd a wel l known poem whose
aut hor expressed a great psychol ogi cal t rut h:


If you t hi nk you are beat en, you are;
If you t hi nk you dare not , you don' t ;
If you l i ke t o wi n, but you t hi nk you can' t ,
It i s al most cert ai n you won' t .


If you t hi nk you' l l l ose you' ve l ost ,
For out of t he worl d we fi nd
Success begi ns wi t h a fel l ow' s wi l l
It ' s al l i n t he st at e of mi nd.


If you t hi nk you are out cl assed, you are -
You' ve got t o t hi nk hi gh t o ri se.
You' ve got t o be sure of yoursel f before
You can ever wi n a pri ze.
- 55 -
Li fe' s bat t l es don' t al ways go
To t he st ronger or fast er man;
But soon or l at e t he man who wi ns
Is t he man who t hi nks he can.

It can do no harm i f you commi t t hi s poem t o
memory and use i t as a part of your worki ng
equi pment i n t he devel opment of Sel f-confi dence.
Somewhere i n your make-up t here i s a "subt l e
somet hi ng" whi ch, i f i t were aroused by t he proper
out si de i nfl uence, woul d carry you t o hei ght s of
achi evement such as you have never before
ant i ci pat ed. Just as a mast er pl ayer can t ake hol d of a
vi ol i n and cause t hat i nst rument t o pour fort h t he most
beaut i ful and ent ranci ng st rai ns of musi c, so i s t here
some out si de i nfl uence t hat can l ay hol d of your mi nd
and cause you t o go fort h i nt o t he fi el d of your chosen
endeavor and pl ay a gl ori ous symphony of success. No
man knows what hi dden forces l i e dormant wi t hi n you.
You, yoursel f, do not know your capaci t y for
achi evement , and you never wi l l know unt i l you come
i n cont act wi t h t hat part i cul ar st i mul us whi ch arouses
you t o great er act i on and ext ends your vi si on,
devel ops your Sel f-confi dence and moves you wi t h a
deeper desi re t o achi eve.
It i s not unreasonabl e t o expect t hat some
st at ement , some i dea or some st i mul at i ng word of t hi s
Readi ng Course on t he Law of Success wi l l serve as
t he needed st i mul us t hat wi l l re-shape your dest i ny
and re-di rect your t hought s and energi es al ong a
pat hway t hat wi l l l ead you, fi nal l y, t o your covet ed
goal of l i fe. It i s st range, but t rue, t hat t he most
i mport ant t urni ng-poi nt s of l i fe oft en come at t he most
- 56 -
unexpect ed t i mes and i n t he most unexpect ed ways. I
have i n mi nd a t ypi cal exampl e of how some of t he
seemi ngl y uni mport ant experi ences of l i fe oft en t urn
out t o be t he most i mport ant of al l , and I am rel at i ng
t hi s ease because i t shows, al so, what a man can
accompl i sh when he awakens t o a ful l underst andi ng
of t he val ue of Sel f-confi dence. The i nci dent t o whi ch
I refer happened i n t he ci t y of Chi cago, whi l e I was
engaged i n t he work of charact er anal ysi s. One day a
t ramp present ed hi msel f at my offi ce and asked for an
i nt ervi ew. As I l ooked up from my work and greet ed
hi m he sai d, "I have come t o see t he man who wrot e
t hi s l i t t l e book, " as he removed from hi s pocket a
copy of a book ent i t l ed Sel f-confi dence, whi ch I had
wri t t en many years previ ousl y. "It must have been t he
hand of fat e, " he cont i nued, "t hat sl i pped t hi s book
i nt o my pocket yest erday aft ernoon, because I was
about ready t o go out t here and punch a hol e i n Lake
Mi chi gan. I had about come t o t he concl usi on t hat
everyt hi ng and everybody, i ncl udi ng God, had i t i n for
me unt i l I read t hi s book, and i t gave me a new
vi ewpoi nt and brought me t he courage and t he hope
t hat sust ai ned me t hrough t he ni ght . I made up my
mi nd t hat i f I coul d see t he man who wrot e t hi s book
he coul d hel p me get on my feet agai n. Now, I am here
and I woul d l i ke t o know what you can do for a man
l i ke me. "
Whi l e he was speaki ng I had been st udyi ng hi m
from head t o foot , and I am frank t o admi t t hat down
deep i n my heart I di d not bel i eve t here was anyt hi ng I
coul d do for hi m, but I di d not wi sh t o t el l hi m so.
The gl assy st are i n hi s eyes, t he l i nes of
di scouragement i n hi s face, t he post ure of hi s body,
- 57 -

THE only man who
makes no mistakes is
the man who never does
anything. Do not be
afraid of mistakes prov-
iding you do not make
the same one twice.
-Roosevelt.
- 58 -
t he t en days' growt h of beard on hi s face, t he nervous
manner about t hi s man al l conveyed t o me t he
i mpressi on t hat he was hopel ess, but I di d not have t he
heart t o t el l hi m so, t herefore I asked hi m t o si t down
and t el l me hi s whol e st ory. I asked hi m t o be
perfect l y frank and t el l me, as nearl y as possi bl e, j ust
what had brought hi m down t o t he ragged edge of l i fe.
I promi sed hi m t hat aft er I had heard hi s ent i re st ory I
woul d t hen t el l hi m whet her or not I coul d be of
servi ce t o hi m. He rel at ed hi s st ory, i n l engt hy det ai l ,
t he sum and subst ance of whi ch was t hi s: He had
i nvest ed hi s ent i re fort une i n a smal l manufact uri ng
busi ness. When t he worl d war began i n 1914, i t was
i mpossi bl e for hi m t o get t he raw mat eri al s necessary
i n t he operat i on of hi s fact ory, and he t herefore fai l ed.
The l oss of hi s money broke hi s heart and so di st urbed
hi s mi nd t hat he l eft hi s wi fe and chi l dren and became
a t ramp. He had act ual l y brooded over hi s l oss unt i l he
had reached t he poi nt at whi ch he was cont empl at i ng
sui ci de.
Aft er he had fi ni shed hi s st ory, I sai d t o hi m: "I
have l i st ened t o you wi t h a great deal of i nt erest , and
I wi sh t hat t here was somet hi ng whi ch I coul d do t o
hel p you, but t here i s absol ut el y not hi ng. "
He became as pal e as he wi l l be when he i s l ai d
away i n a coffi n, and set t l ed back i n hi s chai r and
dropped hi s chi n on hi s chest as much as t o say, "That
set t l es i t . " I wai t ed for a few seconds, t hen sai d:
"Whi l e t here i s not hi ng t hat I can do for you,
t here i s a man i n t hi s bui l di ng t o whom I wi l l
i nt roduce you, i f you wi sh, who can hel p you regai n
your l ost fort une and put you back on your feet
- 59 -
agai n. " These words had barel y fal l en from my l i ps
when he j umped up, grabbed me by t he hands and
sai d, "For God' s sake l ead me t o t hi s man. "
It was encouragi ng t o not e t hat he had asked t hi s
"for God' s sake. " Thi s i ndi cat ed t hat t here was st i l l a
spark of hope wi t hi n hi s breast , so I t ook hi m by t he
arm and l ed hi m out i nt o t he l aborat ory where my
psychol ogi cal t est s i n charact er anal ysi s were
conduct ed, and st ood wi t h hi m i n front of what l ooked
t o be a curt ai n over a door. I pul l ed t he curt ai n asi de
and uncovered a t al l l ooki ng-gl ass i n whi ch he saw
hi msel f from head t o foot . Poi nt i ng my fi nger at t he
gl ass I sai d:
"There st ands t he man t o whom I promi sed t o
i nt roduce you. There i s t he onl y man i n t hi s worl d
who can put you back on your feet agai n, and unl ess
you si t down and become acquai nt ed wi t h t hat man, as
you never became acquai nt ed wi t h hi m before, you
mi ght j ust as wel l go on over and `punch a hol e' i n
Lake Mi chi gan, because you wi l l be of no val ue t o
yoursel f or t o t he worl d unt i l you know t hi s man
bet t er. "
He st epped over t o t he gl ass, rubbed hi s hands
over hi s bearded face, st udi ed hi msel f from head t o
foot for a few moment s, t hen st epped back, dropped
hi s head and began t o weep. I knew t hat t he l esson had
been dri ven home, so I l ed hi m back t o t he el evat or
and sent hi m away. I never expect ed t o see hi m agai n,
and I doubt ed t hat t he l esson woul d be suffi ci ent t o
hel p hi m regai n hi s pl ace i n t he worl d, because he
seemed t o be t oo far gone for redempt i on. He seemed
t o be not onl y down, but al most out .
A few days l at er I met t hi s man on t he st reet . Hi s
- 60 -
t ransformat i on had been so compl et e t hat I hardl y
recogni zed hi m. He was wal ki ng bri skl y, wi t h hi s head
t i l t ed back. That ol d, shi ft i ng, nervous post ure of hi s
body was gone. He was dressed i n new cl ot hes from
head t o foot . He l ooked prosperous and he fel t
prosperous. He st opped me and rel at ed what had
happened t o bri ng about hi s rapi d t ransformat i on from
a st at e of abj ect fai l ure t o one of hope and promi se.
"I was j ust on my way t o your offi ce, " he
expl ai ned, "t o bri ng you t he good news. I went out t he
very day t hat I was i n your offi ce, a down-and-out
t ramp, and despi t e my appearance I sol d mysel f at a
sal ary of $3, 000. 00 a year. Thi nk of i t , man, t hree
t housand dol l ars a year! And my empl oyer advanced
me money enough wi t h whi ch t o buy some new
cl ot hes, as you can see for yoursel f. He al so advanced
me some money t o send home t o my fami l y, and I am
once more on t he road t o success. It seems l i ke a
dream when I t hi nk t hat onl y a few days ago I had l ost
hope and fai t h and courage, and was act ual l y
cont empl at i ng sui ci de.
"I was comi ng t o t el l you t hat one of t hese days,
when you are l east expect i ng me, I wi l l pay you
anot her vi si t , and when I do. I wi l l be a successful
man. I wi l l bri ng wi t h me a check, si gned i n bl ank and
made payabl e t o you, and you may fi l l i n t he amount
because you have saved me from mysel f by
i nt roduci ng me t o mysel f - t hat sel f whi ch I never
knew unt i l you st ood me i n front of t hat l ooki ng-gl ass
and poi nt ed out t he real me. "
As t hat man t urned and depart ed i n t he crowded
st reet s of Chi cago I saw, for t he fi rst t i me i n my l i fe,
- 61 -
what st rengt h and power and possi bi l i t y l i e hi dden i n
t he mi nd of t he man who has never di scovered t he
val ue of Sel f -rel i ance. Then and t here I made up my
mi nd t hat I, t oo, woul d st and i n front of t hat same
l ooki ng-gl ass and poi nt an accusi ng fi nger at mysel f
for not havi ng di scovered t he l esson whi ch I had
hel ped anot her t o l earn. I di d st and before t hat same
l ooki ng-gl ass, and as I di d so I t hen and t here fi xed i n
my mi nd, as my def i ni t e purpose i n l i fe, t he
det ermi nat i on t o hel p men and women di scover t he
forces t hat l i e sl eepi ng wi t hi n t hem. The book you
hol d i n your hands i s evi dence t hat my defi ni t e
purpose i s bei ng carri ed out .
The man whose st ory I have rel at ed i s now t he
presi dent of one of t he l argest and most successful
concerns of i t s ki nd i n Ameri ca, wi t h a busi ness t hat
ext ends from coast t o coast and from Canada t o
Mexi co.
A short whi l e aft er t he i nci dent j ust rel at ed, a
woman came t o my offi ce for personal anal ysi s. She
was t hen a t eacher i n t he Chi cago publ i c school s. I
gave her an anal ysi s chart and asked her t o fi l l i t out .
She had been at work on t he chart but a few mi nut es
when she came back t o my desk, handed back t he chart
and sai d, "I do not bel i eve I wi l l fi l l t hi s out . " I asked
her why she had deci ded not t o fi l l out t he chart and
she repl i ed: "To be perfect l y frank wi t h you, one of
t he quest i ons i n t hi s chart put me t o t hi nki ng and I
now know what i s wrong wi t h me, t herefore I feel i t
unnecessary t o pay you a fee t o anal yze me. " Wi t h
t hat t he woman went away and I di d not hear from her
for t wo years. She went t o New York Ci t y, became a
wri t er of advert i si ng copy for one of t he l argest
- 62 -
agenci es i n t he count ry and her i ncome at t he t i me she
wrot e me was $10, 000. 00 a year.
Thi s woman sent me a check t o cover t he cost of
my anal ysi s fee, because she fel t t hat t he fee had been
earned, even t hough I di d not render her t he servi ce
t hat I usual l y render my cl i ent s. It i s i mpossi bl e for
anyone t o foret el l what seemi ngl y i nsi gni fi cant
i nci dent may l ead t o an i mport ant t urni ng-poi nt i n
one' s career, but t here i s no denyi ng t he fact t hat t hese
"t urni ng-poi nt s" may be more readi l y recogni zed by
t hose who have wel l -rounded-out confi dence i n
t hemsel ves.
One of t he i rreparabl e l osses t o t he human race
l i es i n t he l ack of knowl edge t hat t here i s a defi ni t e
met hod t hrough whi ch Sel f-confi dence can be
devel oped i n any person of average i nt el l i gence. What
an i mmeasurabl e l oss t o ci vi l i zat i on t hat young men
and women are not t aught t hi s known met hod of
devel opi ng Sel f-confi dence before t hey compl et e t hei r
school i ng, for no one who l acks fai t h i n hi msel f i s
real l y educat ed i n t he proper sense of t he t erm.
Oh, what gl ory and sat i sfact i on woul d be t he
happy heri t age of t he man or woman who coul d pul l
asi de t he curt ai n of f ear t hat hangs over t he human
race and shut s out t he sunl i ght of underst andi ng t hat
Sel f-confi dence bri ngs, wherever i t i s i n evi dence.
Where f ear cont rol s, not ewort hy achi evement
becomes an i mpossi bi l i t y, a fact whi ch bri ngs t o mi nd
t he defi ni t i on of f ear, as st at ed by a great phi l osopher:
"Fear i s t he dungeon of t he mi nd i nt o whi ch i t
runs and hi des and seeks secl usi on. Fear bri ngs on
superst i t i on and superst i t i on i s t he dagger wi t h whi ch
hypocri sy assassi nat es t he soul . "
In front of t he t ypewri t er on whi ch I am wri t i ng
- 63 -


LOVE, beauty, joy and
worship are forever
building, tearing down
and rebuilding the
foundation of each
man's soul.



- 64 -
t he manuscri pt s for t hi s Readi ng Course hangs a si gn
wi t h t he fol l owi ng wordi ng, i n bi g l et t ers:
"Day by day i n every way I am becomi ng more
successf ul . "
A skept i c who read t hat si gn asked i f I real l y
bel i eved "t hat st uff" and I repl i ed, "Of course not . Al l
i t ever di d for me was t o hel p me get out of t he coal
mi nes, where I st art ed as a l aborer, and fi nd a pl ace i n
t he worl d i n whi ch I am servi ng upwards of 100, 000
peopl e, i n whose mi nds I am pl ant i ng t he same
posi t i ve t hought t hat t hi s si gn bri ngs out ; t herefore,
why shoul d I bel i eve i n i t ?"
As t hi s man st art ed t o l eave he sai d: "Wel l ,
perhaps t here i s somet hi ng t o t hi s sort of phi l osophy,
aft er al l , for I have al ways been afrai d t hat I woul d be
a fai l ure, and so far my fears have been t horoughl y
real i zed. "
You are condemni ng yoursel f t o povert y, mi sery
and fai l ure, or you are dri vi ng yoursel f on t oward t he
hei ght s of great achi evement , sol el y by t he t hought s
you t hi nk. If you demand success of yoursel f and back
up t hi s demand wi t h i nt el l i gent act i on you are sure t o
wi n. Bear i n mi nd, t hough, t hat t here i s a di fference
bet ween demandi ng success and j ust merel y wi shi ng
for i t . You shoul d fi nd out what t hi s di fference i s, and
t ake advant age of i t .
Do you remember what t he Bi bl e says (l ook i t up,
somewhere i n t he book of Mat t hew) about t hose who
have fai t h as a grai n of must ard seed? Go at t he t ask
of devel opi ng Sel f-confi dence wi t h at l east t hat much
fai t h i f not more. Never mi nd "what t hey wi l l say"
because you mi ght as wel l know t hat "t hey" wi l l be of
l i t t l e ai d t o you i n your cl i mb up t he mount ai n-si de of
- 65 -
l i fe t oward t he obj ect of your def i ni t e purpose. You
have wi t hi n you al l t he power you need wi t h whi ch t o
get what ever you want or need i n t hi s worl d, and
about t he best way t o avai l yoursel f of t hi s power i s t o
bel i eve i n yoursel f .
"Know t hysel f, man; know t hysel f. "
Thi s has been t he advi ce of t he phi l osophers al l
down t he ages. When you real l y know yoursel f you
wi l l know t hat t here i s not hi ng fool i sh about hangi ng
a si gn i n front of you t hat reads l i ke t hi s: "Day by day
i n every way I am becomi ng more successful , " wi t h
due apol ogi es t o t he Frenchman who made t hi s mot t o
popul ar. I am not afrai d t o pl ace t hi s sort of
suggest i on i n front of my desk, and, what i s more t o
t he poi nt , I am not afrai d t o bel i eve t hat i t wi l l
i nfl uence me so t hat I wi l l become a more posi t i ve and
aggressi ve human bei ng.
More t han t went y-fi ve years ago I l earned my
fi rst l esson i n Sel f-confi dence bui l di ng. One ni ght I
was si t t i ng before an open fi re-pl ace, l i st eni ng t o a
conversat i on bet ween some ol der men, on t he subj ect
of Capi t al and Labor. Wi t hout i nvi t at i on I j oi ned i n
t he conversat i on and sai d somet hi ng about empl oyers
and empl oyees set t l i ng t hei r di fferences on t he Gol den
Rul e basi s. My remarks at t ract ed t he at t ent i on of one
of t he men, who t urned t o me, wi t h a l ook of surpri se
on hi s face and sai d:
"Why, you are a bri ght boy, and i f you woul d go
out and get a school i ng you woul d make your mark i n
t he worl d. "
Those remarks fel l on "fert i l e" ears, even t hough
t hat was t he fi rst t i me anyone had ever t ol d me t hat I
was bri ght , or t hat I mi ght accompl i sh anyt hi ng wort h
- 66 -
whi l e i n l i fe. The remark put me t o t hi nki ng, and t he
more I al l owed my mi nd t o dwel l upon t hat t hought
t he more cert ai n I became t hat t he remark had back of
i t a possi bi l i t y.
It mi ght be t rut hful l y st at ed t hat what ever servi ce
I am renderi ng t he worl d and what ever good I
accompl i sh, shoul d be credi t ed t o t hat off-hand
remark.
Suggest i ons such as t hi s are oft en powerful , and
none t he l ess so when t hey are del i berat e and sel f-
expressed. Go back, now, t o t he Sel f-confi dence
formul a and mast er i t , for i t wi l l l ead you i nt o t he
"power-house" of your own mi nd, where you wi l l t ap a
force t hat can be made t o carry you t o t he very t op of
t he Ladder of Success.
Ot hers wi l l bel i eve i n you onl y when you bel i eve
i n yoursel f. They wi l l "t une i n" on your t hought s and
feel t oward you j ust as you feel t oward yoursel f. The
l aw of ment al t el epat hy t akes care of t hi s. You are
cont i nuousl y broadcast i ng *hat you t hi nk of yoursel f,
and i f you have no fai t h i n yoursel f ot hers wi l l pi ck
up t he vi brat i ons of your t hought s and mi st ake t hem
for t hei r own. Once underst and t he l aw of ment al
t el epat hy and you wi l l know why Sel f-confi dence i s
t he second of t he Fi ft een Laws of Success.
You shoul d be caut i oned, however, t o l earn t he
di fference bet ween Sel f-confi dence, whi ch i s based
upon sound knowl edge of what you know and what
you can do, and egot i sm, whi ch i s onl y based upon
what you wi sh you knew or coul d do. Learn t he
di fference bet ween t hese t wo t erms or you wi l l make
yoursel f boresome, ri di cul ous and annoyi ng t o peopl e
of cul t ure and underst andi ng. Sel f-confi dence i s
somet hi ng whi ch shoul d never be procl ai med or
- 67 -
announced except t hrough i nt el l i gent performance of
const ruct i ve deeds.
If you have Sel f-confi dence t hose around you wi l l
di scover t hi s fact . Let t hem make t he di scovery. They
wi l l feel proud of t hei r al ert ness i n havi ng made t he
di scovery, and you wi l l be free from t he suspi ci on of
egot i sm. Opport uni t y never st al ks t he person wi t h a
hi ghl y devel oped st at e of egot i sm, but bri ck-bat s and
ugl y remarks do. Opport uni t y forms affi ni t i es much
more easi l y and qui ckl y wi t h Sel f-confi dence t han i t
does wi t h egot i sm. Sel f-prai se i s never a proper
measure of sel f-rel i ance. Bear t hi s i n mi nd and l et
your Sel f-confi dence speak onl y t hrough t he t ongue of
const ruct i ve servi ce rendered wi t hout fuss or fl urry.
Sel f-confi dence i s t he product of knowl edge.
Know yoursel f, know how much you know (and how
l i t t l e), why you know i t , and how you are goi ng t o use
i t . "Four-fl ushers" come t o gri ef, t herefore, do not
pret end t o know more t han you act ual l y do know.
There' s no use of pret ense, because any educat ed
person wi l l measure you qui t e accurat el y aft er heari ng
you speak for t hree mi nut es. What you real l y are wi l l
speak so l oudl y t hat what you "cl ai m" you are wi l l not
be heard.
If you heed t hi s warni ng t he l ast four pages of
t hi s one l esson may mark one of t he most i mport ant
t urni ng-poi nt s of your l i fe.
Bel i eve i n yoursel f, but do not t el l t he worl d what
you can do-SHOW IT!
You are now ready for Lesson Four, whi ch wi l l
t ake you t he next st ep up t he Ladder of Success.
- 68 -
DISCONTENTMENT

An Af t er- t he- Lesson Vi si t Wi t h t he Aut hor



The marker st ands at t he Ent rance Gat e of Li f e
and wri t es "Poor Fool " on t he brow of t he wi se
man and "Poor Si nner" on t he brow of t he
sai nt .

The supreme myst ery of t he uni verse i s l i f e! We
come here wi t hout our consent , f rom whence we
know not ! We go away wi t hout our consent ,
whi t her, we know not !
We are et ernal l y t ryi ng t o sol ve t hi s great ri ddl e
of "LIFE, " and, f or what purpose and t o what
end?
That we are pl aced on t hi s eart h f or a def i ni t e
reason t here can be no doubt by any t hi nker. May
i t not be possi bl e t hat t he power whi ch pl aced us
here wi l l know what t o do wi t h us when we pass
on beyond t he Great Di vi de?
Woul d i t not be a good pl an t o gi ve t he Creat or
who pl aced us here on eart h, credi t f or havi ng
enough i nt el l i gence t o know what t o do wi t h us
af t er we pass on; or, shoul d we assume t he
i nt el l i gence and t he abi l i t y t o cont rol t he f ut ure
l i f e i n our own way? May i t not be possi bl e t hat
we can co- operat e wi t h t he Creat or very
i nt el l i gent l y by assumi ng t o cont rol our conduct
- 69 -
on t hi s eart h t o t he end t hat we may be decent t o
one anot her and do al l t he good we can i n al l t he
ways we can duri ng t hi s l i f e, l eavi ng t he hereaf t er
t o one who probabl y knows, bet t er t han we, what
i s best f or us?

THE art i st has t ol d a powerful st ory i n t he pi ct ure
at t he t op of t hi s page.
From bi rt h unt i l deat h t he mi nd i s al ways
reachi ng out for t hat whi ch i t does not possess.
The l i t t l e chi l d, pl ayi ng wi t h i t s t oys on t he fl oor,
sees anot her chi l d wi t h a di fferent sort of t oy and
i mmedi at el y t ri es t o l ay hands on t hat t oy.
The femal e chi l d (grown t al l ) bel i eves t he ot her
woman' s cl ot hes more becomi ng t han her own and set s
out t o dupl i cat e t hem.
The mal e chi l d (grown t al l ) sees anot her man wi t h
a bi gger col l ect i on of rai l roads or banks or
merchandi se and says t o hi msel f: "How fort unat e!
How fort unat e! How can I separat e hi m from hi s
bel ongi ngs?"
F. W. Wool wort h, t he Fi ve and Ten Cent St ore
ki ng, st ood on Fi ft h Avenue i n New York Ci t y and
gazed upward at t he t al l Met ropol i t an Bui l di ng and
sai d: "How wonderful ! I wi l l bui l d one much t al l er. "
The crowni ng achi evement of hi s l i fe was measured by
t he Wool wort h Bui l di ng. That bui l di ng st ands as a
t emporary symbol of man' s nat ure t o excel t he
handi work of ot her men. A MONUMENT TO THE
VANITY OF MAN, WITH BUT LITTLE ELSE TO
JUSTIFY ITS EXISTENCE!

The l i t t l e ragged newsboy on t he st reet st ands,
wi t h wi de-open mout h, and envi es t he busi ness man as
- 70 -
he al i ght s from hi s aut omobi l e at t he curb and st art s
i nt o hi s offi ce. "How happy I woul d be, " t he newsboy
says t o hi msel f, "i f I owned a Li zzi e. " And, t he
busi ness man seat ed at hi s desk i nsi de, t hi nks how
happy he woul d be i f he coul d add anot her mi l l i on
dol l ars t o hi s al ready overswol l en bank rol l .
The grass i s al ways sweet er on t he ot her si de of
t he fence, says t he j ackass, as he st ret ches hi s neck i n
t he at t empt t o get t o i t .
Turn a crowd of boys i nt o an appl e orchard and
t hey wi l l pass by t he ni ce mel l ow appl es on t he
ground. The red, j ui cy ones hangi ng dangerousl y hi gh
i n t he t op of t he t ree l ook much more t empt i ng, and up
t he t ree t hey wi l l go.
The marri ed man t akes a sheepi sh gl ance at t he
dai nt i l y dressed l adi es on t he st reet and t hi nks how
fort unat e he woul d be i f hi s wi fe were as pret t y as
t hey. Perhaps she i s much pret t i er, but he mi sses t hat
beaut y because-wel l , because "t he grass i s al ways
greener on t he ot her si de of t he fence. " Most di vorce
cases grow out of man' s t endency t o cl i mb t he fence
i nt o t he ot her fel l ow' s past ures.

Happi ness i s al ways j ust around t he bend; al ways
i n si ght but j ust out of reach. Li fe i s never compl et e,
no mat t er what we have or how much of i t we possess.
One t hi ng cal l s for somet hi ng el se t o go wi t h i t .
Mi l ady buys a pret t y hat . She must have a gown
t o mat ch i t . That cal l s for new shoes and hose and
gl oves, and ot her accessori es t hat run i nt o a bi g bi l l
far beyond her husband' s means.
Man l ongs for a home-j ust a pl ai n l i t t l e house
set t i ng off i n t he edge of t he woods. He bui l ds i t , but
- 71 -
i t i s not compl et e; he must have shrubbery and fl owers
and l andscapi ng t o go wi t h i t . St i l l i t i s not compl et e;
he must have a beaut i ful fence around i t , wi t h a
gravel ed dri veway.
That cal l s for a mot or car and a garage i n whi ch
t o house i t .
Al l t hese l i t t l e t ouches have been added, but t o no
avai l ! The pl ace i s now t oo smal l . He must have a
house wi t h more rooms. The Ford Coupe must be
repl aced by a Cadi l l ac sedan, so t here wi l l be room for
company i n t he cross count ry t ours.
On and on t he st ory goes, ad i nfi ni t um!

The young man recei ves a sal ary suffi ci ent t o
keep hi m and hi s fami l y fai rl y comfort abl e. Then
comes a promot i on and an advance i n sal ary of a
t housand dol l ars a year. Does he l ay t he ext ra
t housand dol l ars away i n t he savi ngs account and
cont i nue l i vi ng as before? He does not hi ng of t he sort .
Immedi at el y he must t rade t he ol d car i n for a new
one. A porch must be added t o t he house. The wi fe
needs a new wardrobe. The t abl e must be set wi t h
bet t er food and more of i t . (Pi t y hi s poor, groani ng
st omach. ) At t he end of t he year i s he bet t er off wi t h
t he i ncrease? He i s not hi ng of t he sort ! The more he
get s t he more he want s, and t he rul e appl i es t o t he
man wi t h mi l l i ons t he same as t o t he man wi t h but a
few t housands.
The young man sel ect s t he gi rl of hi s choi ce,
bel i evi ng he cannot l i ve wi t hout her. Aft er he get s her
he i s not sure t hat he can l i ve wi t h her. If a man
remai ns a bachel or he wonders why he i s so st upi d as
t o depri ve hi msel f of t he j oys of marri ed l i fe. If he
- 72 -
marri es he wonders how she happened t o cat ch hi m off
guard l ong enough t o "harpoon" hi m.
And t he god of Dest i ny cri es out "O fool , 0 fool !
You are damned i f you DO and you are damned i f you
DON' T. "
At every crossroad of Li fe t he i mps of
Di scont ent ment st and i n t he shadows of t he back-
ground, wi t h a gri n of mockery on t hei r faces, cryi ng
out "Take t he road of your own choi ce! We wi l l get
you i n t he end!"

At l ast man becomes di si l l usi oned and begi ns t o
l earn t hat Happi ness and Cont ent ment are not of t hi s
worl d. Then begi ns t he search for t he pass-word t hat
wi l l open t he door t o hi m i n some worl d of whi ch he
knows not . Surel y t here must be Happi ness on t he
ot her si de of t he Great Di vi de. In desperat i on hi s
t i red, care-worn heart t urns t o rel i gi on for hope and
encouragement .
But , hi s t roubl es are not over; t hey are j ust
st art i ng!
"Come i nt o our t ent and accept our creed, " says
one sect , "and you may go st rai ght t o heaven aft er
deat h. " Poor man hesi t at es, l ooks and l i st ens. Then he
hears t he cal l of anot her brand of rel i gi on whose
l eader says:
"St ay out of t he ot her camp or you' l l go st rai ght
t o hel l ! They onl y spri nkl e wat er on your head, but we
push you al l t he way under, t hereby i nsuri ng you safe
passage i nt o t he Land of Promi se. "
In t he mi dst of sect ari an cl ai ms and count er-
cl ai ms Poor man becomes undeci ded. Not knowi ng
whet her t o t urn t hi s way or t hat , he wonders whi ch
- 73 -
brand of rel i gi on offers t he safest passage-way, unt i l
Hope vani shes.

"Mysel f when young
di d eagerl y frequent
Doct or and Sai nt and heard
great argument
About i t and about ; but
evermore
Came out by t he same door
where i n I went . "

Al ways seeki ng but never fi ndi ng - t hus mi ght be
descri bed man' s st ruggl e for Happi ness and
Cont ent ment . He t ri es one rel i gi on aft er anot her,
fi nal l y j oi ni ng t he "Bi g Church" whi ch t he worl d has
named t he "Damned. " Hi s mi nd becomes an et ernal
quest i on mark, searchi ng hi t her and yon for an answer
t o t he quest i ons - "Whence and Whi t her?"

"The worl dl y hope men set
t hei r Heart s upon
Turns Ashes-or i t prospers;
and anon,
Li ke Snow upon t he Desert ' s
Dust y Face
Li ght i ng a l i t t l e Hour or t wo
i s gone. "

Li fe i s an everl ast i ng quest i on-mark!
That whi ch we want most i s al ways i n t he
embryoni c di st ance of t he fut ure. Our power t o
acqui re i s al ways a decade or so behi nd our power t o
DESIRE!
- 74 -
And, i f we cat ch up wi t h t he t hi ng we want we no
l onger want i t !
Fort unat e i s t he young woman who l earns t hi s
great t rut h and keeps her l over al ways guessi ng,
al ways on t he defensi ve l est he may l ose her.
Our favori t e aut hor i s a hero and a geni us unt i l
we meet hi m i n person and l earn t he sad t rut h t hat ,
aft er al l , he i s onl y a man. "How oft en must we l earn
t hi s l esson? Men cease t o i nt erest us when we fi nd
t hei r l i mi t at i ons. The onl y si n i s l i mi t at i on. As soon
as you once come up wi t h a man' s l i mi t at i ons, i t i s al l
over wi t h hi m. "-EMERSON.
How beaut i ful t he mount ai n yonder i n t he
di st ance; but , t he moment we draw near i t we fi nd i t
t o be not hi ng but a wret ched col l ect i on of rocks and
di rt and t rees.
Out of t hi s t rut h grew t he oft -repeat ed adage
"Fami l i ari t y breeds cont empt . "
Beaut y and Happi ness and Cont ent ment are st at es
of mi nd. They can never be enj oyed except t hrough
vi si on of t he afar. The most beaut i ful pai nt i ng of
Rembrandt becomes a mere smudge of daubed pai nt i f
we come t oo near i t .
Dest roy t he Hope of unfi ni shed dreams i n man' s
heart and he i s fi ni shed.
The moment a man ceases t o cheri sh t he vi si on of
fut ure achi evement he i s t hrough. Nat ure has bui l t
man so t hat hi s great est and onl y l ast i ng Happi ness i s
t hat whi ch he feel s i n t he pursui t of some yet
unat t ai ned obj ect . Ant i ci pat i on i s sweet er t han
real i zat i on. That whi ch i s at hand does not sat i sfy.
The onl y enduri ng sat i sfact i on i s t hat whi ch comes t o
t he Person who keeps al i ve i n hi s heart t he HOPE of
- 75 -
fut ure achi evement . When t hat hope di es wri t e FINIS
across t he human heart .

Li fe' s great est i nconsi st ency i s t he fact t hat most
of t hat whi ch we bel i eve i s not t rue. Russel Conwel l
wrot e t he most popul ar l ect ure ever del i vered i n t he
Engl i sh l anguage. He cal l ed i t "Acres of Di amonds. "
The cent ral i dea of t he l ect ure was t he st at ement t hat
one need not seek opport uni t y i n t he di st ance; t hat
opport uni t y may be found i n t he vi ci ni t y of one' s
bi rt h. Perhaps! but , how many bel i eve i t ?
Opport uni t y may be found wherever one real l y
l ooks for i t , and nowhere el se! To most men t he
pi cki ng l ooks bet t er on t he ot her si de of t he fence.
How fut i l e t o urge one t o t ry out one' s l uck i n t he
l i t t l e home-t own when i t i s man' s nat ure t o l ook for
opport uni t y i n some ot her l ocal i t y.
Do not worry because t he grass l ooks sweet er on
t he ot her si de of t he fence. Nat ure i nt ended i t so. Thus
does she al l ure us and groom us for t he l i fe-l ong t ask
of GROWTH THROUGH STRUGGLE.
- 76 -
- 77 -



THE highest compact
we can make with our
fellow is: Let there be
truth between us two
forevermore.
-Emerson


T
T
H
H
E
E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
U
U
C
C
C
C
E
E
S
S
S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL
______
All Rights Reserved











Pri nted i n the U. S. A.


- 2 -







Lesson Four
THE HABIT OF SAVING



- 3 -





THE only lasting favor
which the parent may
confer upon the child
is that of helping the
child to help itself.



- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Four
THE HABIT OF SAVING



"Man i s a combi nat i on of fl esh, bone,
bl ood, hai r and brai n cel l s. These are t he
bui l di ng mat eri al s out of whi ch he shapes,
t hrough t he Law of Habi t , hi s own
personal i t y. "


TO advi se one t o save money wi t hout descri bi ng
how t o save woul d be somewhat l i ke drawi ng t he
pi ct ure of a horse and wri t i ng under i t , "Thi s i s a
horse. " It i s obvi ous t o al l t hat t he savi ng of money i s
one of t he essent i al s for success, but t he bi g quest i on
uppermost i n t he mi nds of t he maj ori t y of t hose who
do not save i s:
"How can I do i t ?"
The savi ng of money i s sol el y a mat t er of habi t .
For t hi s reason t hi s l esson begi ns wi t h a bri ef anal ysi s
of t he Law of Habi t .
It i s l i t eral l y t rue t hat man, t hrough t he Law of
Habi t , shapes hi s own personal i t y. Through repet i t i on,
- 5 -
any act i ndul ged i n a few t i mes becomes a habi t , and
t he mi nd appears t o be not hi ng more t han a mass of
mot i vat i ng forces growi ng out of our dai l y habi t s.
When once fi xed i n t he mi nd a habi t vol unt ari l y
i mpel s one t o act i on. For exampl e, fol l ow a gi ven
rout e t o your dai l y work, or t o some ot her pl ace t hat
you frequent l y vi si t , and very soon t he habi t has been
formed and your mi nd wi l l l ead you over t hat rout e
wi t hout t hought on your part . Moreover, i f you st art
out wi t h t he i nt ent i on of t ravel i ng i n anot her
di rect i on, wi t hout keepi ng t he t hought of t he change
i n rout es const ant l y i n mi nd, you wi l l fi nd yoursel f
fol l owi ng t he ol d rout e.
Publ i c speakers have found t hat t he t el l i ng over
and over agai n of a st ory, whi ch may be based upon
pure fi ct i on, bri ngs i nt o pl ay t he Law of Habi t , and
very soon t hey forget whet her -t he st ory i s t rue or not .

WALLS OF LIMITATION BUILT THROUGH
HABIT

Mi l l i ons of peopl e go t hrough l i fe i n povert y and
want because t hey have made dest ruct i ve use of t he
Law of Habi t . Not underst andi ng ei t her t he Law of
Habi t or t he Law of At t ract i on t hrough whi ch "l i ke
at t ract s l i ke, " t hose who remai n i n povert y sel dom
real i ze t hat t hey are where t hey are as t he resul t of
t hei r own act s.
Fi x i n your mi nd t he t hought t hat your abi l i t y i s
l i mi t ed t o a gi ven earni ng capaci t y and you wi l l never
earn more t han t hat , because t he l aw of habi t wi l l set
up a defi ni t e l i mi t at i on of t he amount you can earn,
- 6 -
your subconsci ous mi nd wi l l accept t hi s l i mi t at i on,
and very soon you wi l l feel yoursel f "sl i ppi ng" unt i l
fi nal l y you wi l l become so hedged i n by FEAR OF
POVERTY (one of t he si x basi c fears) t hat
opport uni t y wi l l no l onger knock at your door; your
doom wi l l be seal ed; your fat e fi xed.
Format i on of t he Habi t of Savi ng does not mean
t hat you shal l l i mi t your earni ng capaci t y; i t means
j ust t he opposi t e - t hat you shal l appl y t hi s l aw so t hat
i t not onl y conserves t hat whi ch you earn, i n a
syst emat i c manner, but i t al so pl aces you i n t he way of
great er opport uni t y and gi ves you t he vi si on, t he sel f -
conf i dence, t he i magi nat i on, t he ent husi asm, t he
i ni t i at i ve and l eadershi p act ual l y t o i ncrease your
earni ng capaci t y.
St at i ng t hi s great l aw i n anot her way, when you
t horoughl y underst and t he Law of Habi t you may
i nsure yoursel f success i n t he great game of
moneymaki ng by "pl ayi ng bot h ends of t hat game
agai nst t he mi ddl e. "
You proceed i n t hi s manner:
Fi rst , t hrough t he l aw of Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m you
set up, i n your mi nd, an accurat e, defi ni t e descri pt i on
of t hat whi ch you want , i ncl udi ng t he amount of
money you i nt end t o earn. Your subconsci ous mi nd
t akes over t hi s pi ct ure whi ch you have creat ed and
uses i t as a bl uepri nt , chart or map by whi ch t o mol d
your t hought s and act i ons i nt o pract i cal pl ans for
at t ai ni ng t he obj ect of your Chi ef Ai m, or purpose.
Through t he Law of Habi t you keep t he obj ect of your
Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m fi xed i n your mi nd (i n t he manner
descri bed i n Lesson Two unt i l i t becomes fi rml y and
permanent l y i mpl ant ed t here. Thi s pract i ce wi l l dest -
- 7 -
roy t he povert y consci ousness and set up, i n i t s pl ace,
a prosperi t y consci ousness. You wi l l act ual l y begi n t o
DEMAND prosperi t y, you wi l l begi n t o expect i t , you
wi l l begi n t o prepare yoursel f t o recei ve i t and t o use
i t wi sel y, t hus pavi ng t he way or set t i ng t he st age for
t he devel opment of t he Habi t of Savi ng.
Second, havi ng i n t hi s manner i ncreased your
earni ng power you wi l l make furt her use of t he Law of
Habi t by provi si on, i n your wri t t en st at ement of your
Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m, for savi ng a defi ni t e proport i on of
al l t he money you earn.
Therefore, as your earni ngs i ncrease, your
savi ngs wi l l , l i kewi se, i ncrease i n proport i on.
By ever urgi ng yoursel f on and demandi ng of
your sel f i ncreased earni ng power, on t he one hand,
and by syst emat i cal l y l ayi ng asi de a defi ni t e amount
of al l your earni ngs, on t he ot her hand, you wi l l soon
reach t he poi nt at whi ch you have removed al l
i magi nary l i mi t at i ons from your own mi nd and you
wi l l t hen be wel l st art ed on t he road t oward fi nanci al
i ndependence.
Not hi ng coul d be more pract i cal or more easi l y
accompl i shed t han t hi s!
Reverse t he operat i on of t he Law of Habi t , by
set t i ng up i n your mi nd t he Fear of Povert y, and very,
soon t hi s fear wi l l reduce your earni ng capaci t y unt i l ,
you wi l l be barel y abl e t o earn suffi ci ent money t o
t ake care of your act ual necessi t i es.
The publ i shers of newspapers coul d creat e a pani c
i n a week' s t i me by fi l l i ng t hei r col umns wi t h news
i t ems concerni ng t he act ual busi ness fai l ures of t he
count ry, despi t e t he fact t hat but few busi nesses com-
- 8 -
pared t o t he t ot al number i n exi st ence, act ual l y fai l .
The so-cal l ed "cri me waves" are very l argel y t he
product s of sensat i onal j ournal i sm. A si ngl e murder
case, when expl oi t ed by t he newspapers of t he
count ry, t hrough scare headl i nes, i s suffi ci ent t o st art
a regul ar "wave" of si mi l ar cri mes i n vari ous
l ocal i t i es. Fol l owi ng t he repet i t i on i n t he dai l y papers
of t he Hi ckman murder st ory, si mi l ar cases began t o
be report ed from ot her part s of t he count ry.
We are t he vi ct i ms of our habi t s, no mat t er who
we are or what may be our l i fe-cal l i ng. Any i dea t hat
i s del i berat el y fi xed i n t he mi nd, or any i dea t hat i s
permi t t ed t o set i t sel f up i n t he mi nd, as t he resul t of
suggest i on, envi ronment , t he i nfl uence of associ at es,
et c. , i s sure t o cause us t o i ndul ge i n act s whi ch
conform t o t he nat ure of t he i dea.
Form t he habi t of t hi nki ng and t al ki ng of
prosperi t y and abundance, and very soon mat eri al
evi dence of t hese wi l l begi n t o mani fest i t sel f i n t he
nat ure of wi der opport uni t y and new and unexpect ed
opport uni t y.
Li ke at t ract s l i ke! If you are i n busi ness and have
formed t he habi t of t al ki ng and t hi nki ng about
"busi ness bei ng bad" busi ness wi l l be bad. One
pessi mi st , provi di ng he i s permi t t ed t o cont i nue hi s
dest ruct i ve i nfl uence l ong enough, can dest roy t he
work of hal f a dozen compet ent men, and he wi l l do i t
by set t i ng adri ft i n t he mi nds of hi s associ at es t he
t hought of povert y and fai l ure.
Don' t be t hi s t ype of man or woman.
One of t he most successful bankers i n t he st at e of
Il l i noi s has t hi s si gn hangi ng i n hi s pri vat e offi ce:
- 9 -



YOU are a human
magnet and you are
constantly attracting to
you people whose
characters harmonize
with your own.


- 10 -
"WE TALK AND THINK ONLY OF
ABUNDANCE HERE. IF YOU HAVE A TALE OF
WOE PLEASE KEEP IT, AS WE DO NOT WANT IT. "
No busi ness fi rm want s t he servi ces of a
pessi mi st , and t hose who underst and t he Law of
At t ract i on and t he Law of Habi t wi l l no more t ol erat e
t he pessi mi st t han t hey woul d permi t a burgl ar t o roam
around t hei r pl ace of busi ness, for t he reason t hat one
such person wi l l dest roy t he useful ness of t hose
around hi m.
In t ens of t housands of homes t he general t opi c of
conversat i on i s povert y and want , and t hat i s j ust what
t hey are get t i ng. They t hi nk of povert y, t hey t al k of
povert y, t hey accept povert y as t hei r l ot i n l i fe. They
reason t hat because t hei r ancest ors were poor before
t hem t hey, al so, must remai n poor.
The povert y consci ousness i s formed as t he resul t
of t he habi t of t hi nki ng of and feari ng povert y. "Lo!
t he t hi ng I had feared has come upon me. "

THE SLAVERY OF DEBT

Debt i s a merci l ess mast er, a fat al enemy of t he
savi ngs habi t .
Povert y, al one, i s suffi ci ent t o ki l l off ambi t i on,
dest roy sel f-confi dence and dest roy hope, but add t o i t
t he burden of debt and al l who are vi ct i ms of t hese
t wo cruel t ask-mast ers are pract i cal l y doomed t o
fai l ure.
No man can do hi s best work, no man can express
hi msel f i n t erms t hat command respect , no man can
ei t her creat e or carry out a defi ni t e purpose i n l i fe,
wi t h heavy debt hangi ng over hi s head. The man who
i s bound i n t he sl avery of debt i s j ust as hel pl ess as
- 11 -
t he sl ave who i s bound by i gnorance, or by act ual
chai ns.
The aut hor has a very cl ose fri end whose i ncome
i s $1, 000 a mont h. Hi s wi fe l oves "soci et y" and t ri es
t o make a $20, 000 showi ng on a $12, 000 i ncome, wi t h
t he resul t t hat t hi s poor fel l ow i s usual l y about $8, 000
i n debt . Every member of hi s fami l y has t he "spendi ng
habi t , " havi ng acqui red t hi s from t he mot her. The
chi l dren, t wo gi rl s and one boy, are now of t he age
when t hey are t hi nki ng of goi ng t o col l ege, but t hi s i s
i mpossi bl e because of t he fat her' s debt s. The resul t i s
di ssensi on bet ween t he fat her and hi s chi l dren whi ch
makes t he ent i re fami l y unhappy and mi serabl e.
It i s a t erri bl e t hi ng even t o t hi nk of goi ng
t hrough l i fe l i ke a pri soner i n chai ns, bound down and
owned by somebody el se on account of debt s. The
accumul at i on of debt s i s a habi t . It st art s i n a smal l
way and grows t o enormous proport i ons sl owl y, st ep
by st ep, unt i l fi nal l y i t t akes charge of one' s very
soul .
Thousands of young men st art t hei r marri ed l i ves
wi t h unnecessary debt s hangi ng over t hei r heads and
never manage t o get out from under t he l oad. Aft er t he
novel t y of marri age begi ns t o wear off (as i t usual l y
does) t he marri ed coupl e begi n t o feel t he
embarrassment of want , and t hi s feel i ng grows unt i l i t
l eads, oft ent i mes, t o open di ssat i sfact i on wi t h one
anot her, and event ual l y t o t he di vorce court .
A man who i s bound by t he sl avery of debt has no
t i me or i ncl i nat i on t o set up or work out i deal s, wi t h
t he resul t t hat he dri ft s downward wi t h t i me unt i l he
event ual l y begi ns t o set up l i mi t at i ons i n hi s own
mi nd, and by t hese he hedges hi msel f behi nd pri son
- 12 -
wal l s of FEAR and doubt from whi ch he never
escapes.
No sacri fi ce i s t oo great t o avoi d t he mi sery of
debt !
"Thi nk of what you owe yoursel f and t hose who
are dependent upon you and resol ve t o be no man' s
debt or, " i s t he advi ce of one very successful man
whose earl y chances were dest royed by debt . Thi s man
came t o hi msel f soon enough t o t hrow off t he habi t of
buyi ng t hat whi ch he di d not need and event ual l y
worked hi s way out of sl avery.
Most men who devel op t he habi t of debt wi l l not
be so fort unat e as t o come t o t hei r senses i n t i me t o
save t hemsel ves, because debt i s somet hi ng l i ke
qui cksand i n t hat i t has a t endency t o draw i t s vi ct i m
deeper and deeper i nt o t he mi re.
The Fear of Povert y i s one of t he most dest ruct i ve
of t he si x basi c fears descri bed i n Lesson Three. The
man who becomes hopel essl y i n debt i s sei zed wi t h
t hi s povert y fear, hi s ambi t i on and sel f-confi dence
become paral yzed, and he si nks gradual l y i nt o
obl i vi on.
There are t wo cl asses of debt s, and t hese are so
di fferent i n nat ure t hat t hey deserve t o be here
descri bed, as fol l ows:
1. There are debt s i ncurred for l uxuri es whi ch
become a dead l oss.
2. There are debt s i ncurred i n t he course of
professi onal or busi ness t radi ng whi ch represent
servi ce or merchandi se t hat can be convert ed back i nt o
asset s.
The fi rst cl ass of debt s i s t he one t o be avoi ded.
The second cl ass may be i ndul ged i n, provi di ng t he
one i ncurri ng t he debt s uses j udgment and does not go
- 13 -
beyond t he bounds of reasonabl e l i mi t at i on. The
moment one buys beyond hi s l i mi t at i ons he ent ers t he
real m of specul at i on, and specul at i on swal l ows more
of i t s vi ct i ms t han i t enri ches.
Pract i cal l y al l peopl e who l i ve beyond t hei r
means are t empt ed t o specul at e wi t h t he hope t hat t hey
may recoup, at a si ngl e t urn of t he wheel of fort une,
so t o speak, t hei r ent i re i ndebt edness. The wheel
general l y st ops at t he wrong pl ace and, far from
fi ndi ng t hemsel ves out of debt , such peopl e as i ndul ge
i n specul at i on are bound more cl osel y as sl aves of
debt .
The Fear of Povert y breaks down t he wi l l -power
of i t s vi ct i ms, and t hey t hen fi nd t hemsel ves unabl e t o
rest ore t hei r l ost fort unes, and, what i s st i l l more sad,
t hey l ose al l ambi t i on t o ext ri cat e t hemsel ves from.
t he sl avery of debt .
Hardl y a day passes t hat one may not see an
account i n t he newspapers of at l east one sui ci de as
t he resul t of worry over debt s. The sl avery of debt
causes more sui ci des every year t han al l ot her causes
combi ned, whi ch i s a sl i ght i ndi cat i on of t he cruel t y
of t he povert y fear.
Duri ng t he war mi l l i ons of men faced t he front -
l i ne t renches wi t hout fl i nchi ng, knowi ng t hat deat h
mi ght overt ake t hem any moment . Those same men,
when faci ng t he Fear of Povert y, oft en cri nge and out
of sheer desperat i on, whi ch paral yzes t hei r reason,
somet i mes commi t sui ci de.
The person who i s free from debt may whi p
povert y and achi eve out st andi ng fi nanci al success,
but , i f he i s bound by debt , such achi evement i s but a
remot e possi bi l i t y, and never a probabi l i t y.
Fear of Povert y i s a negat i ve, dest ruct i ve st at e of
- 14 -
mi nd. Moreover, one negat i ve st at e of mi nd has a
t endency t o at t ract ot her si mi l ar st at es of mi nd. For
exampl e, t he Fear of Povert y may at t ract t he fear of
Il l Heal t h, and t hese t wo may at t ract t he Fear of Ol d
Age, so t hat t he vi ct i m fi nds hi msel f povert y-st ri cken,
i n i l l heal t h and act ual l y growi ng ol d l ong before t he
t i me when he shoul d begi n t o show t he si gns of ol d
age.
Mi l l i ons of unt i mel y, namel ess graves have been
fi l l ed by t hi s cruel st at e of mi nd known as t he Fear of
Povert y!
Less t han a dozen years ago a young man hel d a
responsi bl e posi t i on wi t h t he Ci t y Nat i onal Bank, of
New York Ci t y. Through l i vi ng beyond hi s i ncome he
cont ract ed a l arge amount of debt s whi ch caused hi m
t o worry unt i l t hi s dest ruct i ve habi t began t o show up
i n hi s work and he was di smi ssed from t he bank' s
servi ce.
He secured anot her posi t i on, at l ess money, but
hi s credi t ors embarrassed hi m so t hat he deci ded t o
resi gn and go away i nt o anot her ci t y, where he hoped
t o escape t hem unt i l he had accumul at ed enough
money t o pay off hi s i ndebt edness. Credi t ors have a
way of t raci ng debt ors, so very soon t hey were cl ose
on t he heel s of t hi s young man, whose empl oyer found
out about hi s i ndebt edness and di smi ssed hi m from hi s
posi t i on.
He t hen searched i n vai n for empl oyment for t wo
mont hs. One col d ni ght he went t o t he t op of one of
t he t al l bui l di ngs on Broadway and j umped off. Debt
had cl ai med anot her vi ct i m.
- 15 -


WHO told you it
couldn't be done? and,
what great achievement
has he to his credit that
entitles him to use the
word "impossible" so
freely?

- 16 -
HOW TO MASTER THE FEAR OF POVERTY

To whi p t he Fear of Povert y one must t ake t wo
very defi ni t e st eps, provi di ng one i s i n debt . Fi rst ,
qui t t he habi t of buyi ng on credi t , and fol l ow t hi s by
gradual l y payi ng off t he debt s t hat you have al ready
i ncurred.
Bei ng free from t he worry of i ndebt edness you
are ready t o revamp t he habi t s of your mi nd and re-
di rect your course t oward prosperi t y. Adopt , as a part
of your Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m, t he habi t of savi ng a
regul ar proport i on of your i ncome, even i f t hi s be no
more t han a penny a day. Very soon t hi s habi t wi l l
begi n t o l ay hol d of your mi nd and you wi l l act ual l y
get j oy out of savi ng.
Any habi t may be di scont i nued by bui l di ng i n i t s
pl ace some ot her and more desi rabl e habi t . The
"spendi ng" habi t must be repl aced by t he "savi ng"
habi t by al l who at t ai n fi nanci al i ndependence.
Merel y t o di scont i nue an undesi rabl e habi t i s not
enough, as such habi t s have a t endency t o reappear
unl ess t he pl ace t hey formerl y occupi ed i n t he mi nd i s
fi l l ed by some ot her habi t of a di fferent nat ure.
The di scont i nuance of a habi t l eaves a "hol e" i n
t he mi nd, and t hi s hol e must be fi l l ed up wi t h some
ot her form of habi t or t he ol d one wi l l ret urn and
cl ai m i t s pl ace.
Throughout t hi s course many psychol ogi cal
formul as, whi ch t he st udent has been request ed t o
memori ze and pract i ce, have been descri bed. You wi l l
fi nd such a formul a i n Lesson Three, t he obj ect of
whi ch i s t o devel op Sel f-confi dence.
- 17 -
These formul as may be assi mi l at ed so t hey
become a part of your ment al machi nery, t hrough t he
Law of Habi t , i f you wi l l fol l ow t he i nst ruct i ons for
t hei r use whi ch accompany each of t hem.
It i s assumed t hat you are st ri vi ng t o at t ai n
fi nanci al i ndependence. The accumul at i on of money i s
not di ffi cul t aft er you have once mast ered t he Fear of
Povert y and devel oped i n i t s pl ace t he Habi t of
Savi ng.
The aut hor of t hi s course woul d be great l y
di sappoi nt ed t o know t hat any st udent of t he course
got t he i mpressi on from anyt hi ng i n t hi s or any of t he
ot her: l essons t hat Success i s measured by dol l ars
al one.
However, money does represent an i mport ant
fact or i n success, and i t must be gi ven i t s proper val ue
i n any phi l osophy i nt ended t o hel p peopl e i n becomi ng
useful , happy and prosperous.
The col d, cruel , rel ent l ess t rut h i s t hat i n t hi s
age, of mat eri al i sm a man i s no more t han so many
grai ns of sand, whi ch may be bl own hel t er-skel t er by
every^ st ray wi nd of ci rcumst ance, unl ess he i s
ent renched behi nd t he power of money!
Geni us may offer many rewards t o t hose who
possess i t , but t he fact st i l l remai ns t hat geni us
wi t hout money wi t h whi ch t o gi ve i t expressi on i s but
an empt y, skel et on-l i ke honor.
The man wi t hout money i s at t he mercy of t he
man who has i t !
And t hi s goes, regardl ess of t he amount of abi l i t y
he may possess, t he t rai ni ng he has had or t he nat i ve
geni us wi t h whi ch he was gi ft ed by nat ure.
There i s no escape from t he fact t hat peopl e wi l l
wei gh you very l argel y i n t he l i ght of bank bal ances,
- 18 -
no mat t er who you are or what you can do. The fi rst
quest i on t hat ari ses, i n t he mi nds of most peopl e,
when t hey meet a st ranger, i s, "How much money has
he?" If he has money he i s wel comed i nt o homes and
busi ness opport uni t i es are t hrown hi s way. Al l sort s of
at t ent i on are l avi shed upon hi m. He i s a pri nce, and as
such i s ent i t l ed t o t he best of t he l and.
But i f hi s shoes are run down at t he heel s, hi s
cl ot hes are not pressed, hi s col l ar i s di rt y, and he
shows pl ai nl y t he si gns of i mpoveri shed fi nances, woe
be hi s l ot , for t he passi ng crowd wi l l st ep on hi s t oes
and bl ow t he smoke of di srespect i n hi s face.
These are not pret t y st at ement s, but t hey have one
vi rt ue - THEY ARE TRUE!
Thi s t endency t o j udge peopl e by t he money t hey
have, or t hei r power t o cont rol money, i s not confi ned
t o any one cl ass of peopl e. We al l have a t ouch of i t ,
whet her we recogni ze t he fact or not .
Thomas A. Edi son i s one of t he best known and
most respect ed i nvent ors i n t he worl d, yet i t i s no
mi sst at ement of fact s t o say t hat he woul d have
remai ned a pract i cal l y unknown, obscure personage
had he not fol l owed t he habi t of conservi ng hi s
resources and shown hi s abi l i t y t o save money.
Henry Ford never woul d have got t o fi rst base
wi t h hi s "horsel ess carri age" had he not devel oped,
qui t e earl y i n l i fe, t he habi t of savi ng. Moreover, had
Mr. Ford not conserved hi s resources and hedged
hi msel f behi nd t hei r power he woul d have been
"swal l owed up" by hi s compet i t ors or t hose who
covet ousl y desi red t o t ake hi s busi ness away from
hi m, l ong, l ong years ago.
Many a man has gone a very l ong way t oward
- 19 -
success, onl y t o st umbl e and fal l , never agai n t o ri se,
because of l ack of money i n t i mes of emergency. The
mort al i t y rat e i n busi ness each year, due t o l ack of
reserve capi t al for emergenci es, i s st upendous. To t hi s
one cause are due more of t he busi ness fai l ures t han t o
al l ot her causes combi ned!
Reserve Funds are essent i al i n t he successful
operat i on of busi ness!
Li kewi se, Savi ngs Account s are essent i al t o
success on t he part of i ndi vi dual s. Wi t hout a savi ngs
fund t he i ndi vi dual suffers i n t wo ways: fi rst , by
i nabi l i t y t o sei ze opport uni t i es t hat come onl y t o t he
person wi t h some ready cash, and, second, by
embarrassment due t o some unexpect ed emergency
cal l i ng for cash.
It mi ght be sai d, al so, t hat t he i ndi vi dual suffers
i n st i l l a t hi rd respect by not devel opi ng t he Habi t of
Savi ng, t hrough l ack of cert ai n ot her qual i t i es
essent i al for success whi ch grow out of t he pract i ce of
t he Habi t of Savi ng.
The ni ckel s, di mes and penni es whi ch t he average
person al l ows t o sl i p t hrough hi s fi ngers woul d, i f
syst emat i cal l y saved and properl y put t o work,
event ual l y bri ng fi nanci al i ndependence.
Through t he court esy of a promi nent Bui l di ng and
Loan Associ at i on t he fol l owi ng t abl e has been
compi l ed, showi ng what a mont hl y savi ng of $5. 00,
$10. 00, $25. 00 or $50. 00 wi l l amount t o at t he end of
t en years. These fi gures are st art l i ng when one comes
t o consi der t he fact t hat t he average person spends
from $5. 00 t o $50. 00 a mont h for usel ess merchandi se
or so-cal l ed "ent ert ai nment . "
The maki ng and savi ng of money i s a sci ence, yet

- 20 -
The Amazing Way Your Money Grows
SAVE $5 A MONTH (Only 17 cents a day)
Amount Saved Profit Savings Plus Profits Withdrawal Value
1st yr. 60.00 $ 4.30 $ 64.30 $ 61.30 $
2nd yr. 120.00 $ 16.55 $ 136.55 $ 125.00 $
3rd yr. 180.00 $ 36.30 $ 216.30 $ 191.55 $
4th yr. 240.00 $ 64.00 $ 304.00 $ 260.20 $
5th yr. 300.00 $ 101.00 $ 401.00 $ 338.13 $
6th yr. 360.00 $ 140.00 $ 500.00 $ 414.75 $
7th yr. 420.00 $ 197.10 $ 617.10 $ 495.43 $
8th yr. 480.00 $ 257.05 $ 737.05 $ 578.32 $
9th yr. 540.00 $ 324.95 $ 864.95 $ 687.15 $
10th yr. 600.00 $ 400.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 1,000.00 $
SAVE $10 A MONTH (Only 33 cents a day)
Amount Saved Profit Savings Plus Profits Withdrawal Value
1st yr. 120.00 $ 8.60 $ 128.60 $ 122.60 $
2nd yr. 240.00 $ 33.11 $ 273.11 $ 250.00 $
3rd yr. 360.00 $ 72.60 $ 432.60 $ 383.10 $
4th yr. 480.00 $ 128.00 $ 608.00 $ 520.40 $
5th yr. 600.00 $ 202.00 $ 802.00 $ 676.25 $
6th yr. 720.00 $ 280.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 829.50 $
7th yr. 840.00 $ 394.20 $ 1,234.20 $ 990.85 $
8th yr. 960.00 $ 514.10 $ 1,474.10 $ 1,156.64 $
9th yr. 1,080.00 $ 649.90 $ 1,729.90 $ 1,374.30 $
10th yr. 1,200.00 $ 800.00 $ 2,000.00 $ 2,000.00 $
SAVE $25 A MONTH (Only 83 cents a day)
Amount Saved Profit Savings Plus Profits Withdrawal Value
1st yr. 300.00 $ 21.50 $ 321.50 $ 306.50 $
2nd yr. 600.00 $ 82.75 $ 682.75 $ 625.00 $
3rd yr. 900.00 $ 181.50 $ 1,081.50 $ 957.75 $
4th yr. 1,200.00 $ 320.00 $ 1,520.00 $ 1,301.00 $
5th yr. 1,500.00 $ 505.00 $ 2,005.00 $ 1,690.63 $
6th yr. 1,800.00 $ 700.00 $ 2,500.00 $ 2,073.75 $
7th yr. 2,100.00 $ 985.50 $ 3,085.50 $ 2,477.13 $
8th yr. 2,400.00 $ 1,285.25 $ 3,685.25 $ 2,891.60 $
9th yr. 2,700.00 $ 1,624.75 $ 4,324.75 $ 3,435.75 $
10th yr. 3,000.00 $ 2,000.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 $
SAVE $50 A MONTH (Only $1.66 a day)
Amount Saved Profit Savings Plus Profits Withdrawal Value
1st yr. 600.00 $ 43.00 $ 643.00 $ 613.00 $
2nd yr. 1,200.00 $ 165.50 $ 1,365.50 $ 1,250.00 $
3rd yr. 1,800.00 $ 363.00 $ 2,163.00 $ 1,915.50 $
4th yr. 2,400.00 $ 640.00 $ 3,040.00 $ 2,602.00 $
5th yr. 3,000.00 $ 1,010.00 $ 4,010.00 $ 3,381.25 $
6th yr. 3,600.00 $ 1,400.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 4,147.50 $
7th yr. 4,200.00 $ 1,971.00 $ 6,171.00 $ 4,954.25 $
8th yr. 4,800.00 $ 2,570.50 $ 7,370.50 $ 5,783.20 $
9th yr. 5,400.00 $ 3,249.50 $ 8,649.50 $ 6,871.50 $
10th yr. 6,000.00 $ 4,000.00 $ 10,000.00 $ 10,000.00 $
- 21 -


EVERY failure, every
adversity, every heart-
ache may be a blessing
in disguise providing it
softens the animal
portion of our nature.


- 22 -
t he rul es by whi ch money i s accumul at ed are so
si mpl e t hat anyone may fol l ow t hem. The mai n
prerequi si t e i s a wi l l i ngness t o subordi nat e t he present
t o t he fut ure, by el i mi nat i ng unnecessary expendi t ures
for l uxuri es.
A young man, who was earni ng onl y $20. 00 a
week as chauffeur for a promi nent New York banker,
was i nduced by hi s empl oyer t o keep an accurat e
account of every cent he spent for one week. The
fol l owi ng i s an i t emi zed l i st of hi s expenses:

Ci garet t es $ . 75
Chewi ng gum. . 30
Soda fount ai n. 1. 80
Ci gars for associ at es 1. 50
Movi ng pi ct ure show 1. 00
Shaves, i ncl udi ng t i ps. 1. 60
Newspaper, dai l y and Sunday . 22
Shoe shi nes . 30

$ 7. 47

Board and room $ 12. 00
Money on hand. . 53

$ 20. 00

These fi gures t el l a t ragi c st ory whi ch mi ght as
wel l appl y t o t housands of ot her peopl e as t o t he
young man who kept t hi s account . Hi s act ual savi ngs
out of $20. 00 were onl y 53 cent s. He spent $7. 47 for
i t ems, every one of whi ch coul d have been great l y
reduced, and most of whi ch coul d have been
el i mi nat ed ent i rel y. In fact , by shavi ng hi msel f and
- 23 -
shi ni ng hi s own shoes, he coul d have saved every cent
of t he $7. 47.
Now t urn t o t he t abl e made up by t he Bui l di ng
and Loan Associ at i on and observe what t he savi ng of
$7. 47 a week woul d amount t o. Suppose t he amount
t hi s young man act ual l y saved had been onl y $25. 00 a
mont h; t he savi ng woul d have i ncreased t o t he snug
sum of $5, 000. 00 by t he end of t he fi rst t en years.
The young man i n quest i on was t went y-one years
ol d at t he t i me he kept t hi s expense account . By t he
t i me he reached t he age of t hi rt y-one years he coul d
have had a subst ant i al amount i n t he bank, had he
saved $25. 00 a mont h, and t hi s savi ng woul d have
brought hi m many opport uni t i es t hat woul d have l ed
di rect l y t o fi nanci al i ndependence.
Some who are short -si ght ed, pseudo-phi l osophers,
are fond of poi nt i ng t o t he fact t hat no one can
become ri ch merel y by savi ng a few dol l ars a week.
Thi s may be t rue enough, as far as t he reasoni ng goes
(whi ch i s not very far) but t he ot her si de of t he st ory
i s t hat t he savi ng of even a smal l sum of money pl aces
one i n posi t i on where, oft ent i mes, t hi s smal l sum may
enabl e one t o t ake advant age of busi ness opport uni t i es
whi ch l ead di rect l y and qui t e rapi dl y t o fi nanci al
i ndependence.
The foregoi ng t abl e, showi ng what a savi ng of
$5. 00 a mont h wi l l amount t o at t he end of t en years,
shoul d be copi ed and past ed on your mi rror, where i t
wi l l st are you i n t he face every morni ng when you get
up and every ni ght as you ret i re, provi di ng you have
not al ready acqui red t he habi t of syst emat i c savi ng of
money. Thi s t abl e shoul d be reproduced, i n l et t ers and
fi gures an i nch t al l , and pl aced on t he wal l s of every
- 24 -
publ i c school t hroughout t he l and, where i t mi ght
serve as a const ant remi nder t o al l school chi l dren of
t he val ue of t he savi ngs habi t .
Some years ago, before gi vi ng seri ous t hought t o
t he val ue of t he savi ngs habi t , t hi s aut hor made up an
account of t he money whi ch had sl i pped t hrough hi s
fi ngers. The amount was so al armi ng t hat i t resul t ed i n
t he wri t i ng of t hi s l esson, and addi ng t he Habi t of
Savi ng as one of t he Fi ft een Laws of Success.
Fol l owi ng i s an i t emi zed st at ement of t hi s
account :

$ 4, 000. 00 i nheri t ed, i nvest ed i n aut omobi l e
suppl y busi ness wi t h a fri end who l ost
t he ent i re amount i n one year.

3, 600. 00 ext ra money earned from sundry
wri t i ng for magazi nes and newspapers,
al l spent usel essl y.

30, 000. 00 earned from t rai ni ng 3, 000 sal esmen,
wi t h t he ai d of t he Law of Success
phi l osophy, i nvest ed i n a magazi ne
whi ch was not a success because t here
was no reserve capi t al back of i t .
3, 400. 00 ext ra money earned from publ i c
addresses, l ect ures, et c. , al l of whi ch
was spent as i t came i n.
6, 000. 00 est i mat ed amount t hat coul d have been
saved duri ng a peri od of t en years, out
of regul ar earni ngs, at t he rat e of onl y
$50 a mont h.


$47, 000. 00

- 25 -
Thi s amount , had i t been saved and i nvest ed as
recei ved, i n Bui l di ng and Loan Associ at i ons, or i n
some ot her manner t hat woul d have earned compound.
i nt erest , woul d have grown i nt o t he sum of $94, 000. 00
at t he t i me t hi s l esson i s bei ng wri t t en.
The aut hor i s not a vi ct i m of any of t he usual
habi t s of di ssi pat i on, such as gambl i ng, dri nki ng and
excessi ve ent ert ai ni ng. It i s al most unbel i evabl e t hat a
man whose habi t s of l i vi ng are reasonabl y moderat e
coul d spend $47, 000. 00 wi t hi n a l i t t l e over t en years
wi t hout havi ng anyt hi ng t o show for t he money, but i t
can be done!
A capi t al reserve of $94, 000. 00, worki ng at
compound i nt erest , i s suffi ci ent t o gi ve any man al l
t he fi nanci al freedom he needs.
I recal l one occasi on when t he presi dent of a
l arge corporat i on sent me a check for $500. 00 for an
address I del i vered at a banquet gi ven t o t he
empl oyees, and I di st i nct l y recal l what went t hrough
my mi nd when I opened t he l et t er and saw t he check. I
had want ed a new aut omobi l e and t hi s check was
exact l y t he amount requi red for t he fi rst payment . I
had i t spent before i t had been i n my hands t hi rt y
seconds.
Perhaps t hi s i s t he experi ence of t he maj ori t y of
peopl e. They t hi nk more of how t hey are goi ng t o
SPEND what t hey have t han t hey do about ways and
means of SAVING. The i dea of savi ng, and t he sel f-
cont rol and sel f-sacri fi ce whi ch must accompany i t , i s
al ways accompani ed by t hought s of an unpl easant
nat ure, but oh, how i t does t hri l l one t o t hi nk of
SPENDING.
There i s a reason for t hi s, and t hat reason i s t he
fact t hat most of us have devel oped t he habi t of spen-
- 26 -
di ng whi l e negl ect i ng t he Habi t of Savi ng, and any
i dea t hat frequent s t he human mi nd but sel dom i s not
as wel come as t hat whi ch frequent s i t oft en.
In t rut h, t he Habi t of Savi ng can be made as
fasci nat i ng as t he habi t of spendi ng, but not unt i l i t
has become a regul ar, wel l grounded, syst emat i c habi t .
We l i ke t o do t hat whi ch i s oft en repeat ed, whi ch i s
but anot her way of st at i ng what t he sci ent i st s have
di scovered, t hat we are vi ct i ms of our habi t s.
The habi t of savi ng money requi res more force of
charact er t han most peopl e have devel oped, for t he
reason t hat savi ng means sel f-deni al and sacri fi ce of
amusement s and pl easures i n scores of di fferent ways.
For t hi s very reason one who devel ops t he savi ngs
habi t acqui res, at t he same t i me, many of t he ot her
needed habi t s whi ch l ead t o success: especi al l y Sel f-
cont rol , Sel f-confi dence, Courage, Poi se and Freedom
from Fear.

HOW MUCH SHOULD ONE SAVE?

The fi rst quest i on t hat wi l l ari se i s, "How Much
Shoul d One Save?" The answer cannot be gi ven i n a
few words, for t he amount one shoul d save depends
upon many condi t i ons, some of whi ch may be wi t hi n
one' s cont rol and some of whi ch may not be.
General l y speaki ng, a man who works for a sal ary
shoul d apport i on hi s i ncome about as fol l ows:
Savi ngs Account . . 20%
Li vi ng - Cl ot hes, Food and Shel t er. . 50%
Educat i on. . 10%
Recreat i on. 10%
Li fe Insurance. . 10%
100%
- 27 -


CAREFUL analysis of
178 men who are
known to be successful
disclosed the fact that
all had failed many
times before arriving.


- 28 -
The fol l owi ng, however, i ndi cat es t he
approxi mat e di st ri but i on whi ch t he average man
act ual l y makes of hi s i ncome:
Savi ngs Account . . NOTHING
Li vi ng - Cl ot hes, Food and Shel t er. . 60%
Educat i on. . 0%
Recreat i on. 35%
Li fe Insurance. . 5%
100%
Under t he i t em of "recreat i on" i s i ncl uded, of
course, many expendi t ures t hat do not real l y
"recreat e, " such as money spent for al cohol i c dri nks,
di nner part i es and ot her si mi l ar i t ems whi ch may
act ual l y serve t o undermi ne one' s heal t h and dest roy
charact er.
An experi enced anal yst of men has st at ed t hat he
coul d t el l very accurat el y, by exami ni ng a man' s
mont hl y budget , what sort of a l i fe t he man i s l i vi ng;
moreover, t hat he wi l l get most of hi s i nformat i on
from t he one i t em of "recreat i on. " Thi s, t hen, i s an
i t em t o be wat ched as careful l y as t he greenhouse
keeper wat ches t he t hermomet er whi ch cont rol s t he
l i fe and deat h of hi s pl ant s.
Those who keep budget account s oft en i ncl ude an
i t em cal l ed "ent ert ai nment , " whi ch, i n a maj ori t y of
cases, t urns out t o be an evi l because i t depl et es t he
i ncome heavi l y and when carri ed t o excess depl et es,
al so, t he heal t h.
We are l i vi ng, ri ght now, i n an age when t he i t em
of "ent ert ai nment " i s al t oget her t oo hi gh i n most
budget al l owances. Tens of t housands of peopl e who
earn not more t han $50. 00 a week are spendi ng as
- 29 -
much as one t hi rd of t hei r i ncomes for what t hey cal l
"ent ert ai nment , " whi ch comes i n a bot t l e, wi t h a
quest i onabl e l abel on i t , at anywhere from $6. 00 t o
$12. 00 a quart . Not onl y are t hese unwi se peopl e
wast i ng t he money t hat shoul d go i nt o a savi ngs fund,
but , of far great er danger, t hey are dest royi ng bot h
charact er and heal t h.
Not hi ng i n t hi s l esson i s i nt ended as a preachment
on moral i t y, or on any ot her subj ect . We are here
deal i ng wi t h col d fact s whi ch, t o a l arge ext ent ,
const i t ut e t he bui l di ng mat eri al s out of whi ch
SUCCESS may be creat ed.
However, t hi s i s an appropri at e pl ace t o st at e
some FACTS whi ch have such a di rect beari ng on t he
subj ect of achi evi ng success t hat t hey cannot be
omi t t ed wi t hout weakeni ng t hi s ent i re course i n
general and t hi s l esson i n part i cul ar.
The aut hor of t hi s course i s NOT a reformer!
Nei t her i s he a preacher on moral s, as t hi s fi el d of
useful endeavor i s qui t e wel l covered by ot hers who,
are abl e workers. What i s here st at ed, t herefore, i s
i nt ended as a necessary part of a course of phi l osophy
whose purpose i s t o mark a safe road over whi ch one
may t ravel t o honorabl e achi evement .
Duri ng t he year 1926 t he aut hor was i n
part nershi p wi t h t he l at e Don R. Mel l et t , who was, at
t hat t i me, t he publ i sher of t he Cant on (Ohi o) Dai l y
News. Mr. Mel l et t became i nt erest ed i n t he Law of
Success phi l osophy because i t offered, as he bel i eved,
sound counsel t o young men and young women who
real l y wi sh t o get ahead i n l i fe. Through t he pages of
t he Dai l y' News Mr. Mel l et t was conduct i ng a fi erce
bat t l e agai nst t he underworl d forces of Cant on. Wi t h
- 30 -
t he ai d of det ect i ves and i nvest i gat ors, some of whom
were suppl i ed by t he Governor of Ohi o, Mr. Mel l et t
and t he aut hor gat hered accurat e dat a concerni ng t he
way most of t he peopl e i n Cant on were l i vi ng.
In Jul y, 1926, Mr. Mel l et t was assassi nat ed from
ambush, and four men, one of t hem a former member
of t he Cant on pol i ce force, are now servi ng l i fe
sent ences i n t he Ohi o St at e Peni t ent i ary for t he cri me.
Duri ng t he i nvest i gat i on i nt o cri me condi t i ons i n
Cant on al l report s came t o t he aut hor' s offi ce, and t he
dat a here descri bed are, t herefore, known t o be
absol ut el y accurat e.
One of t he offi ci al s of a l arge i ndust ri al pl ant
whose sal ary was $6, 000. 00 a year pai d a Cant on
boot l egger an average of $300. 00 a mont h for t he
l i quor (i f "st uff" can be cal l ed l i quor) whi ch he used
for "ent ert ai ni ng. " Hi s wi fe part i ci pat ed i n t hese
"ent ert ai nment s" whi ch t ook pl ace i n hi s own home.
A payi ng t el l er i n a bank, whose sal ary was
$150. 00 a mont h, was spendi ng an average of $75. 00 a
mont h for l i quor, and i n addi t i on t o t hi s unpardonabl e
wast e of money, out of a sal ary whi ch was none t oo
great at most , he was t ravel i ng at a pace and wi t h a
crowd whi ch meant rui n for hi m l at er on.
The superi nt endent of a l arge manufact uri ng
pl ant , whose sal ary was $5, 000. 00 a year, and who
shoul d have been savi ng at l east $125. 00 a mont h, was
act ual l y savi ng not hi ng. Hi s boot l egger' s bi l l averaged
$150. 00 a mont h.
A pol i ceman whose i ncome was $160. 00 a mont h
was spendi ng over $400. 00 a mont h on di nner part i es,
at a near-by roadhouse. Where he got t he di fference
bet ween hi s l egi t i mat e i ncome and hi s act ual expendi -
- 31 -
t ures i s a quest i on t hat refl ect s no part i cul ar credi t on
t he pol i ceman.
A bank offi ci al whose i ncome, as near as i t coul d
be est i mat ed from hi s previ ous years' i ncome t ax
report s, was about $8, 000. 00 a year, had a mont hl y
boot l egger' s bi l l of more t han $500. 00 duri ng t he
t hree mont hs t hat hi s act i vi t i es were checked by t he
Mel l et t i nvest i gat ors.
A young man who worked i n a depart ment st ore,
at a sal ary of $20. 00 a week, was spendi ng an average
of $35. 00 a week wi t h one boot l egger. The assumpt i on
was t hat he was st eal i ng t he di fference from hi s
empl oyer. Ol d Man Troubl e awai t ed t hi s young man,
j ust around t he corner, al t hough i t i s not known by t he
aut hor whet her or not t he t wo have come t oget her as
yet .
A sal esman for a l i fe i nsurance company, whose
i ncome was not known because he worked on a
commi ssi on basi s, was spendi ng an average of $200. 00
a mont h wi t h one boot l egger. No record of any
savi ngs account was found, and t he assumpt i on i s t hat
he had none. Thi s assumpt i on was l at er confi rmed
when t he company for whi ch t he young man worked
had hi m arrest ed for embezzl ement of i t s funds. No
doubt he was spendi ng t he money whi ch he shoul d
have t urned i n t o t he company. He i s now servi ng a
l ong sent ence i n t he Ohi o St at e Peni t ent i ary.
A young l ad who was at t endi ng hi gh school was
spendi ng l arge sums for l i quor. The act ual amount was
not obt ai nabl e for t he reason t hat he pai d cash as he
got t he l i quor, and t he boot l egger' s records di d' not ,
t herefore, di scl ose t he act ual amount . Lat er t hi s boy' s
parent s had hi m l ocked up "t o save hi m from hi msel f.
- 32 -
It was found t hat he was st eal i ng money from a
savi ngs fund kept by hi s mot her, somewhere about t he
house. He had st ol en and spent more t han $300. 00 of
t hi s money when di scovered.
Thi s aut hor conduct ed a Lect ure Bureau i n fort y-
one hi gh school s, where he l ect ured once a mont h
duri ng t he ent i re school season. The pri nci pal s of
t hese hi gh school s st at ed t hat l ess t han t wo per cent of
t he st udent s showed any t endency t oward savi ng
money, and an exami nat i on t hrough t he ai d of a
quest i onnai re prepared for t hat purpose di scl osed t he
fact t hat onl y fi ve per cent of t he st udent s, out of a
t ot al of 11, 000, of t he hi gh-school age, bel i eved t hat
t he savi ngs habi t was one of t he essent i al s for
success.
It i s no wonder t he ri ch are becomi ng ri cher and
t he poor are becomi ng poorer!
Cal l t hi s a soci al i st i c st at ement , i f you pl ease, but
t he fact s bear out i t s accuracy. It i s not di ffi cul t for
any man t o become ri ch, i n a count ry of spendt hri ft s
such as t hi s, where mi l l i ons of peopl e spend every
cent t hat comes i nt o t hei r possessi on.
Many years ago, before t he present wave of mani a
for spendi ng spread over t he count ry, F. W.
Wool wort h devi sed a very si mpl e met hod of cat chi ng
t he ni ckel s and di mes t hat mi l l i ons of peopl e t hrow
away for t rash, and hi s syst em net t ed hi m over ONE
HUNDRED MILLION DOLLLARS i n a few years'
t i me. Wool wort h has di ed, but hi s syst em of savi ng
ni ckel s and di mes cont i nues, and hi s est at e i s growi ng
bi gger and bi gger.
Fi ve and Ten Cent St ores are usual l y pai nt ed wi t h
a bri ght red front . That i s an appropri at e col or, for red
denot es danger. Every Fi ve and Ten Cent St ore i s a
- 33 -



ALL salesmen will do
well to remember that
no one wants any-
thing that someone
else is trying to "get
rid of."

- 34 -
st ri ki ng monument t hat proves, t o a ni cet y, t hat one of
t he cardi nal faul t s of t hi s generat i on i s t he
SPENDING HABIT.
We are al l vi ct i ms of HABIT!
Unfort unat el y for most of us, we are reared by
parent s who have no concept i on what soever of t he
psychol ogy of habi t , and, wi t hout bei ng aware of t hei r
faul t , most parent s ai d and abet t hei r offspri ng i n t he
devel opment of t he spendi ng habi t by overi ndul gence
wi t h spendi ng money, and by l ack of t rai ni ng i n t he
Habi t of Savi ng.
The habi t s of earl y chi l dhood cl i ng t o us al l
t hrough l i fe.
Fort unat e, i ndeed, i s t he chi l d whose parent s have
t he foresi ght and t he underst andi ng of t he val ue, as a
charact er bui l der, of t he Habi t of Savi ng, t o i ncul cat e
t hi s habi t i n t he mi nds of t hei r chi l dren.
It i s a t rai ni ng t hat yi el ds ri ch rewards.
Gi ve t he average man $100. 00 t hat he di d not
cont empl at e recei vi ng, and what wi l l he do wi t h i t ?
Why, he wi l l begi n t o cogi t at e i n hi s own mi nd on
how he can SPEND t he money. Dozens of t hi ngs t hat
he needs, or THINKS he needs, wi l l fl ash i nt o hi s
mi nd, but i t i s a rat her safe bet t hat i t wi l l never occur
t o hi m (unl ess he has acqui red t he savi ngs habi t ) t o
make t hi s $100. 00 t he begi nni ng of a savi ngs account .
Before ni ght comes he wi l l have t he $100. 00 spent , or
at l east he wi l l have deci ded i n hi s mi nd how he i s
goi ng t o SPEND IT, t hus addi ng more fuel t o t he
al ready t oo bri ght fl ame of Habi t of Spendi ng.
We are rul ed by our habi t s!
It requi res force of charact er, det ermi nat i on and
power of fi rm DECISION t o open a savi ngs account
- 35 -
and t hen add t o i t a regul ar, i f smal l , port i on of al l
subsequent i ncome.
There i s one rul e by whi ch any man may
det ermi ne, wel l i n advance, whet her or not he wi l l
ever enj oy t he fi nanci al freedom and i ndependence
whi ch i s so uni versal l y desi red by al l men, and t hi s
rul e has absol ut el y not hi ng t o do wi t h t he amount of
one' s i ncome.
The rul e i s t hat i f a man fol l ows t he syst emat i c
habi t of savi ng a defi ni t e proport i on of al l money he
earns or recei ves i n ot her ways, he i s pract i cal l y sure
t o pl ace hi msel f i n a posi t i on of fi nanci al
i ndependence. If he saves not hi ng, he IS
ABSOLUTELY SURE NEVER TO BE FINANCIALLY
INDEPENDENT, no mat t er how much hi s i ncome may
be.
The one and onl y except i on t o t hi s rul e i s t hat a
man who does not save mi ght possi bl y i nheri t such a
l arge sum of money t hat he coul d not spend i t , or he
mi ght i nheri t i t under a t rust whi ch woul d prot ect i t
for hi m, but t hese event ual i t i es are rat her remot e; so
much so, i n fact , t hat YOU cannot rel y upon such a
mi racl e happeni ng t o you.
Thi s aut hor enj oys a rat her cl ose acquai nt ance
wi t h many hundreds of peopl e t hroughout t he Uni t ed
St at es and i n some forei gn count ri es. For nearl y
t went y-fi ve years he has been wat chi ng many of t hese
acquai nt ances, and knows, t herefore, from act ual
experi ence, how t hey l i ve, why some of t hem have
fai l ed whi l e ot hers have succeeded, and t he REASONS
FOR BOTH FAILURE AND SUCCESS.
Thi s l i st of acquai nt ances covers men who cont rol
hundreds of mi l l i ons of dol l ars, and act ual l y own
many mi l l i ons whi ch t hey have acqui red. Al so men
- 36 -
who have had mi l l i ons of dol l ars, al l of whi ch passed
t hrough t hei r fi ngers and t hey are now penni l ess.
For t he purpose of showi ng t he st udent of t hi s
phi l osophy j ust how t he l aw of habi t becomes a sort of
pi vot al poi nt on whi ch success or fai l ure t urns, and
exact l y why no man can become fi nanci al l y
i ndependent wi t hout devel opi ng t he habi t of
SYSTEMATIC SAVING, t he l i vi ng habi t s of some of
t hese many acquai nt ances wi l l be descri bed.
We wi l l begi n wi t h a compl et e hi st ory, i n hi s own
words, of a man who has made a mi l l i on dol l ars i n t he
fi el d of advert i si ng, but who now has not hi ng t o show
for hi s effort s. Thi s st ory fi rst appeared i n t he
Ameri can Magazi ne, and i t i s here repri nt ed t hrough
t he court esy of t he publ i shers of t hat publ i cat i on.
The st ory i s t rue, i n every respect , and i t has been
i ncl uded as a part of t hi s l esson because t he aut hor of
t he st ory, Mr. W. C. Freeman, i s wi l l i ng t o have hi s
mi st akes made publ i c wi t h t he hope t hat ot hers may
avoi d t hem.

"I HAVE MADE A MILLION DOLLLARS BUT I
HAVEN' T GOT A CENT"

Whi l e i t i s embarrassi ng, yes, humi l i at i ng,
publ i cl y t o confess t o an out st andi ng faul t t hat has
made a good deal of a mess of my l i fe t oday,
nevert hel ess I have deci ded t o make t hi s confessi on
for t he good i t may do.
I am goi ng t o make a cl ean breast of how I l et
sl i p t hrough my fi ngers al l t he money I have earned
t hus far i n my l i fe-t i me, whi ch approxi mat es one
mi l l i on dol l ars. Thi s amount I made t hrough my work
- 37 -
i n t he fi el d of advert i si ng, except a few t housand
dol l ars I earned up t o t went y-fi ve years of age by
t eachi ng i n count ry school s and by wri t i ng news
l et t ers t o some count ry weekl i es and dai l y
newspapers.
Maybe one l one mi l l i on does not seem a l ot of
money i n t hese days of many mi l l i ons and even
bi l l i ons; but i t i s a bi g sum of money, j ust t he same. If
t here are any who t hi nk t o t he cont rary, l et t hem count
a mi l l i on. I t ri ed t o fi gure out t he ot her ni ght how
l ong i t woul d t ake t o do so. I found I coul d count an
average of one hundred a mi nut e. On t hi s basi s i t
woul d t ake me t went y days of ei ght hours each, pl us
si x hours and fort y mi nut es on t he t went y-fi rst day t o
do t he st unt . I doubt very much i f you or I were gi ven
an assi gnment t o count one mi l l i on one-dol l ar bi l l s,
upon t he promi se t hat al l of t hem woul d be ours at t he
end of t hat t i me, t hat we coul d compl et e i t . It woul d
probabl y dri ve us mad - and a l ot of use t he money
woul d be t o us t hen, woul dn' t i t ?
Let me say at t he out set of my st ory t hat I do not
regret , not for one mi nut e, t hat I spent ni net y per cent
of t he money I made. To wi sh any of t hi s ni net y' per
cent back at t hi s t i me woul d make me feel t hat I
woul d have deni ed much happi ness t o my fami l y and
t o many ot hers.
My onl y regret i s t hat I spent al l of my money,
and more besi des. If I had t oday t he t en per cent I
coul d have saved easi l y, I woul d have one hundred
t housand dol l ars safel y i nvest ed, and no debt s. If I
had t hi s money I woul d feel real l y and t rul y t hat l was
ri ch; and I mean j ust t hi s, for I have never had a
desi re t o accumul at e money for money' s sake.
Those school -t eachi ng and newspaper-correspond-
- 38 -
ence days of mi ne brought some cares and
responsi bi l i t i es, but t hey were met opt i mi st i cal l y.
I marri ed at t he age of t went y-one, wi t h t he ful l
approval of parent s on bot h si des, who bel i eved
t horoughl y i n t he doct ri ne preached by Henry Ward
Beecher, t hat "earl y marri ages are vi rt uous
marri ages. "
Just one mont h and one day aft er I was marri ed
my fat her met a t ragi c deat h. He was suffocat ed by
coal gas. Havi ng been an educat or al l hi s l i fe - and
one of t he best - he had not accumul at ed any money.
When he passed out of our fami l y ci rcl e i t was up
t o al l of us t o pul l t oget her and get al ong somehow,
whi ch we di d.
Apart from t he voi d l eft i n our home by my
fat her' s deat h (my wi fe and I and my mot her and onl y
si st er l i ved t oget her), we had a j oyful l i fe, despi t e t he
fact t hat i t was a t i ght squeeze t o make ends meet .
My mot her, who was except i onal l y t al ent ed and
resourceful (she had t aught school wi t h my fat her
unt i l I was born), deci ded t o open our home t o a
marri ed coupl e, ol d fri ends of t he fami l y. They came
t o l i ve wi t h us and t hei r board hel ped t o pay expenses.
My mot her was known far and wi de for t he wonderful
meal s she served. Lat er on, t wo wel l -t o-do women
fri ends of t he fami l y were t aken i nt o our home; t hus
i ncreasi ng our revenue.
My si st er hel ped very subst ant i al l y by t eachi ng a
ki ndergart en cl ass, whi ch met i n t he bi g l i vi ng-room
of our home; my wi fe cont ri but ed her share t o t he
househol d by t aki ng charge of t he sewi ng and
mendi ng.
- 39 -




THINK well before you
speak because your
words may plant the
seed of either success or
failure in the mind of
some other person.


- 40 -
Those were very happy days. Nobody i n t he
househol d was ext ravagant or had any ext ravagant
t endenci es except perhaps mysel f, for I was al ways
i ncl i ned t o be free wi t h money. I l i ked t o make gi ft s
t o t he fami l y and t o ent ert ai n fri ends.
When t he fi rst baby came i nt o our home - a boy -
we al l t hought heaven had opened i t s doors t o us. My
wi fe' s parent s, who t ook t he keenest and deepest
i nt erest i n our affai rs, and who were al ways ready t o
l end a hel pi ng hand, were equal l y happy over t he
comi ng of t hei r fi rst grandchi l d. My brot her-i n-l aw,
much ol der t han my wi fe, and a bachel or, coul d not
underst and at fi rst t he j oy we al l fel t ; but even he
began t o st rut around l i ke a proud peacock aft er a
whi l e. What a di fference a baby makes i n a home!
I am i nj ect i ng t hese det ai l s i nt o my st ory merel y
t o emphasi ze how t he earl y days of my l i fe were l i ved.
I had no opport uni t y t o spend much money, and yet I
had as much happi ness i n t hose days as I have ever
had si nce.
The st range t hi ng about i t al l i s t hat t he
experi ence of t hose days di d not t each me t he val ue of
money. If anybody ever had a pract i cal l esson t o gui de
hi m i n hi s fut ure, I cert ai nl y had i t .
But l et me t el l you how t hi s earl y experi ence
affect ed me. The bi rt h of my son i nspi red me t o do
somet hi ng t hat woul d make more money t han I was
get t i ng at t eachi ng school and i n wri t i ng for
newspapers. I di d not want my wi fe, mot her and si st er
t o feel t hat t hey woul d have t o cont i nue i ndefi ni t el y t o
do t hei r part i n sust ai ni ng t he househol d. Why shoul d
a fel l ow, bi g and st rong and heal t hy as I have al ways
been, and wi t h a reasonabl e amount of abi l i t y, be
cont ent t o remai n a spoke i n t he wheel ? Why
- 41 -
shoul dn' t I be t he whol e wheel , as far as provi di ng for
t he fami l y was concerned?
Fol l owi ng my desi re t o make more money, I t ook
on t he sel l i ng of books i n addi t i on t o t eachi ng and
wri t i ng for newspapers. Thi s earned for me qui t e a
l i t t l e ext ra money. Fi nal l y, I gave up t eachi ng and
concent rat ed on sel l i ng books, and wri t i ng for
newspapers.
My book-sel l i ng t ook me t o Bri dget on, New
Jersey. It was here t hat I got my fi rst real st art i n ma
money. I had t o be away from home a great deal t o do
t hi s work, but t he sacri fi ce was wort h whi l e. I earned
enough money i n a few weeks t o send more money
home t han I had cont ri but ed t o t he househol d i n any
year from my school -t eachi ng and newspaper
correspondence. Aft er combi ng t he t erri t ory i n t he
Bri dget on zone, I became i nt erest ed i n a newspaper i n
t hat ci t y, t he Morni ng St ar. It seemed t o me t hat t he
edi t or and publ i sher of t hi s paper needed a hel per I
cal l ed on hi m and t ol d hi m so. He sai d, "Heavens
young man, how can I hi re you? I am not earni ng
enough money t o pay for my own l i vi ng!"
"That ' s j ust i t , " sai d I. "I bel i eve t oget her we cal
make t he St ar a success. I' l l t el l you what I' l l do: I' l l
work for you for one week for one dol l ar a day. At t he
end of t he week, i f I have made good, I' l l expect you
t o pay me t hree dol l ars a day for t he second week; and
t hen, i f I cont i nue t o do wel l , I' l l expect you t o pay
me si x dol l ars a day for t he t hi rd week and wi l l
cont i nue from t hen on unt i l t he paper makes enough
money t o pay me fi ft y dol l ars a week. "
The owner agreed t o my proposi t i on. At t he end
of t wo mont hs, I was bei ng pai d fi ft y dol l ars a week
- 42 -
whi ch i n t hose days was consi dered a bi g sal ary. I
began t o feel t hat I was wel l on my way t oward
maki ng money -but al l I want ed i t for was t o make
my fami l y more comfort abl e. Fi ft y dol l ars a week was
j ust four t i mes as much as I had made t eachi ng school .
My j ob on t he St ar embraced edi t ori al wri t i ng
(not very bri l l i ant ), report i ng (j ust ordi nary), t he
wri t i ng and sel l i ng of advert i sement s (fai rl y
successful ), proof readi ng, bi l l col l ect i ng, and so
fort h. It kept me humpi ng si x days a week; but I coul d
st and i t , for I was st rong and heal t hy, and, besi des,
t he work was very i nt erest i ng. I al so cont ri but ed
correspondence t o t he New York Sun, Phi l adel phi a
Record, and t he Trent on (N. J. ) Ti mes, whi ch brought
me i n an average of one hundred and fi ft y dol l ars a
mont h, for t hi s was a good news t erri t ory.
I l earned a l esson on t he St ar whi ch event ual l y
shaped t he course of my l i fe. I found out t hat t here i s
a great deal more money t o be earned by sel l i ng
advert i si ng for newspapers t han i n wri t i ng for t hem.
Advert i si ng bri ngs gri st t o t he mi l l .
I put over one advert i si ng st unt on t he St ar - a
wri t e-up of t he sout h Jersey oyst er i ndust ry, pai d for
by t he oyst er men - t hat brought i n t hree t housand
dol l ars cash, whi ch t he publ i sher di vi ded wi t h me
fi ft y-fi ft y. I had never seen so much money at one
t i me i n al l my l i fe. Thi nk of i t ! Fi ft een hundred
dol l ars - t went y-fi ve per cent more t han I had made i n
t wo years of school -t eachi ng and odd t asks.
Di d I save t hi s money or any part of i t ? I di d not .
What was t he use? I coul d do so much wi t h i t t o make
my wi fe, boy, mot her and si st er happy t hat I l et i t go
far easi er t han I had made i t .
- 43 -
But woul d i t not have been a fi ne t hi ng i f I had
put t hi s money away for a rai ny day?
My work i n Bri degt on at t ract ed t he at t ent i on of
Sam Hudson, New Jersey correspondent of t he
Phi l adel phi a Record, who was a shi ni ng exampl e of
t hat t ype of newspaper men whose great est pl easure i n
l i fe i s doi ng t hi ngs for ot hers.
Sam t ol d me t hat i t was t i me for me t o get l ocat ed
i n a bi g ci t y. He t hought I had i t i n me t o make good.
He sai d he woul d get me a j ob i n Phi l adel phi a. He di d,
and I moved wi t h my wi fe and baby t o Germant own. I
was gi ven charge of t he advert i si ng depart ment of t he
Germant own (Phi l adel phi a) Gazet t e, a weekl y
newspaper.
At t he st art I di d not make as much money as I
had earned i n Bri degt on, because I had t o gi ve up my
newspaper correspondence. The news for t hi s sect i on
was covered by ot her correspondent s. But very soon I
was maki ng t went y-fi ve per cent more money. The
Gazet t e i ncreased i t s si ze t hree t i mes t o accommodat e
i t s advert i si ng, and each t i me I recei ved a very
subst ant i al i ncrease i n sal ary.
In addi t i on t o t hi s, I was gi ven a j ob t o gat her
soci al news for t he Sunday edi t i on of t he Phi l adel phi a
Press. Bradford Merri l l , managi ng edi t or of t hat
newspaper, now a very i mport ant New York newspaper
execut i ve, assi gned me a bi g t erri t ory t o cover. Thi s
kept me busy every ni ght i n t he week except
Sat urdays. I was pai d fi ve dol l ars a col umn; but I
averaged seven col umns every Sunday; whi ch made
me t hi rt y-fi ve dol l ars a week ext ra.
It was more money for me t o spend, and I spent
i t . I di d not know anyt hi ng about budget i ng my ex-
- 44 -
penses. I j ust l et i t go as i t came. I di d not have t i me,
or t hought I hadn' t , t o wat ch my st ep i n spendi ng.
A year l at er I was i nvi t ed t o j oi n t he advert i si ng
st aff of t he Phi l adel phi a Press, a bi g opport uni t y for a
young man, for I got wonderful t rai ni ng under t he
management of Wi l l i am L. McLean, now t he owner of
t he Phi l adel phi a Eveni ng Bul l et i n. I st i l l ret ai ned my
j ob as gat herer of soci al news - so my i ncome was j ust
about t he same as I had been maki ng i n Germant own.
But before l ong my work at t ract ed t he at t ent i on
of James El verson, Sr. , publ i sher of t he ol d Sat urday
Ni ght and Gol den Days, who had j ust purchased t he
Phi l adel phi a Inqui rer. I was offered and accept ed t he
advert i si ng management of t hi s newspaper.
Thi s meant a bi g i ncrease i n my i ncome. And
soon aft erward t here came a happy i ncrease i n my
fami l y, t he bi rt h of a daught er. Then I was abl e t o do
what I had l onged t o do si nce t he bi rt h of my son. I
got t he fami l y t oget her agai n under one roof - my wi fe
and t wo babi es, my mot her and si st er. At l ast I was
abl e t o rel i eve my mot her of any cares or
responsi bi l i t i es, and never agai n di d she have ei t her as
l ong as she l i ved. She di ed i n her ei ght y-fi rst year,
t went y-fi ve years aft er my fat her' s deat h. I shal l never
forget her l ast words t o me: "Wi l l , you have never
caused me a moment ' s worry si nce you were born, and
I coul d not have had more t han you have gi ven me had
I been t he Queen of Engl and. "
I was maki ng at t hi s t i me four t i mes more money
t han my fat her had made as superi nt endent of publ i c
school s i n my home t own of Phi l l i psburg, New Jersey.
- 45 -




I AM thankful that I was
born poor - that I did not
come into this world
burdened by the whims
of wealthy parents, with
a bag of gold around my
neck.

- 46 -
Al l t he money, however, passed out of my
pocket s as easi l y as wat er fl ows t hrough a si eve.
Expenses i ncreased wi t h every i ncrease i n my i ncome,
whi ch i s t he habi t , I suppose, wi t h most peopl e. There
was no sane reason, t hough, for l et t i ng my expenses
go beyond my i ncome, whi ch I di d. I found mysel f
pi l i ng up debt s, and from t hi s t i me on I was never out
of debt . I di d not worry about my debt s, t hough, for I
t hought I coul d pay t hem off at any t i me. It never
occurred t o me - not unt i l ful l y t went y-fi ve years l at er
- t hat debt event ual l y would bri ng upon me not onl y
great anxi et y and unhappi ness, but t hat I woul d l ose
fri ends and credi t as wel l .
But I must pat mysel f on t he back for one t hi ng: I
was gi vi ng ful l rei n t o my bi g faul t - spendi ng money
as fast as I made i t , oft en fast er; but I never shi rked
my work. I was al ways t ryi ng t o fi nd more t hi ngs t o
do, and I al ways found t hem. I spent very l i t t l e t i me
wi t h my fami l y. I woul d go home t o di nner every
ni ght and romp wi t h t he babi es unt i l t hei r bedt i me,
t hen I woul d ret urn t o t he offi ce and oft en work.
So t he years went by. Anot her daught er arri ved.
Present l y I want ed my daught ers t o have a pony and
cart , and I want ed my son t o have a ri di ng horse. Then
I t hought I needed a t eam t o t ake me around wi t h t he
fami l y, dri vi ng t hem t o a cl osed coupe or an open
t rap. I got t hem al l . Inst ead of one horse and a carry-
al l , or perhaps a t eam, whi ch woul d have been
suffi ci ent for our needs and somet hi ng we coul d have
afforded, I had t o have a st abl e, wi t h al l t hat goes
wi t h i t . Thi s out fi t cost me nearl y one fourt h of my
annual i ncome.
- 47 -
Then I t ook up gol f. Thi s was i n my fort y-fi rst
year. I went at my pl ay t he same as I went at my work
- put my whol e heart i n i t . I l earned t o pl ay pret t y
wel l . My son and el der daught er pl ayed wi t h me, and
t hey l earned t o pl ay wel l , t oo.
It was necessary t hat my younger daught er
shoul d: spend t he wi nt er i n t he Sout h and summers i n
t he Adi rondacks; but i nst ead of her mot her goi ng wi t h
her al one, I fel t i t woul d be fi ne i f t he son and ot her
daught er went al ong wi t h t hem. Thi s arrangement was
carri ed out . They went t o Pi nehurst , Nort h Carol i na,
every wi nt er and t o expensi ve resort s i n t he
Adi rondacks or i n New Hampshi re i n t he summer.
Al l t hi s t ook a great deal of money. My son and
el der daught er were keen about gol f and spent a l ot of
money on i t . I al so di sbursed qui t e a l i t t l e on gol f
courses around New York. Bet ween t he t hree of us we
won 80 pri zes, most of whi ch are now i n st orage. I sat
down one day and cal cul at ed what t hese pri zes had
cost me. I di scovered t hat each t rophy had cost
$250. 00 or a t ot al of $45, 000. 00 over a peri od of
fi ft een years, an average of $3, 000. 00 a year.
Ri di cul ous, wasn' t i t ?
I ent ert ai ned l avi shl y at my home. Mont cl ai r
fol ks' t hought I was a mi l l i onai re. I frequent l y i nvi t ed
groups of busi ness men t o have a day of gol f at t he
cl ub, and t hen t o have di nner wi t h me i n t he eve They
woul d have been sat i sfi ed wi t h a pl ai n home' di nner,
but , no, I must serve t hem an el aborat e affai r st aged
by a famous cat erer. These di nners never cost l ess
t han t en dol l ars a pl at e, whi ch di d not i ncl ude t o
money spent for musi c whi l e t hey were di ni ng. I had a
negro quart et come t o t he house. Our di ni ng-room
- 48 -
comfort abl y seat ed t went y peopl e, and i t was fi l l ed t o
capaci t y many t i mes.
It was al l very l ovel y, and I was gl ad t o be t hei r
host . In fact , I was very happy over i t . I never st opped
t o t hi nk how rapi dl y I was pi l i ng up debt s. The day
came when t hey began t o bot her me a l ot . I had
ent ert ai ned so many guest s at t he gol f cl ub one mont h,
payi ng for l uncheons, ci gars, and greens fees, t hat my
bi l l was four hundred and fi ft y dol l ars. Thi s at t ract ed
t he at t ent i on of t he di rect ors of t he cl ub, who were al l
good fri ends of mi ne and very much i nt erest ed i n my
wel fare. They made i t t hei r busi ness t o t el l me t hat I
was spendi ng ent i rel y t oo much money, and t hey
wi shed for my sake t hat I coul d check my expenses.
Thi s gave me a bi t of a j ol t . It made me t hi nk
seri ousl y l ong enough t o get ri d of my horses and
t raps - at a bi g sacri fi ce, of course. I gave up our
home and moved back t o t he ci t y; but I di d not l eave
any unpai d bi l l s i n Mont cl ai r. I borrowed t he money
t o pay t hem. It was al ways easy for me t o get al l t he
money I want ed, despi t e my wel l known fi nanci al
short -comi ngs.
Here are t wo si del i ght s on my experi ence duri ng
my "fl ari ng fort i es. "
Besi des spendi ng money fool i shl y and perhaps
reckl essl y, I l oaned i t wi t h equal abandon. In cl eani ng
out my desk at home before movi ng t o t he ci t y I
l ooked over a package of due bi l l s, t he t ot al of whi ch
was over fort y t housand dol l ars. That was money
handed out t o j ust anybody who came al ong. I t ore
t hem al l up; but I real i zed t hat i f I had t hat money i n
hand I woul dn' t owe a dol l ar.
- 49 -
One of t he prosperous busi ness men I had
ent ert ai ned many t i mes and who i n t urn had
ent ert ai ned me, sai d t o me: "Bi l l y, I' ve got t o st op
goi ng on out i ngs wi t h you. You spend ent i rel y t oo
much money for me. I can' t keep up wi t h you. "
Thi nk of t hat comi ng from a man who was
maki ng` more money t han I was! It shoul d have st ruck
home, but i t di dn' t . I went on spendi ng j ust t he same,
and fool i shl y t hi nki ng t hat I was havi ng a good t i me,
and wi t h no t hought of t he fut ure. Thi s man i s now
one of t he vi ce presi dent s of one of New York' s
great est fi nanci al i nst i t ut i ons, and i s report ed t o be
wort h many mi l l i ons of dol l ars.
I shoul d have t aken hi s advi ce.
In t he fal l of 1908, aft er my di sast rous experi ence
of si x mont hs i n anot her l i ne of busi ness fol l owi ng my
resi gnat i on from t he Hearst organi zat i on, I resume:
newspaper work as advert i si ng manager of t he New
York Eveni ng Mai l . I had known Henry L. St oddard,
edi t or and owner, back i n t he Phi l adel phi a days, when
he was pol i t i cal correspondent for t he Press.
Despi t e t he fact t hat I was bot hered by debt s, r
di d t he best work of my l i fe on t he Eveni ng Mai l , and
made more money duri ng t he fi ve years I was
associ at ed wi t h i t t han I had ever made before.
Moreover, Mr. St oddard gave me t he pri vi l ege of
syndi cat i ng advert i si ng t al ks, whi ch ran i n hi s paper
for one t housand consecut i ve publ i cat i on days, and
earned for me more t han fi ft y-fi ve t housand dol l ars
Mr. St oddard was very generous i n many ot her
ways, and frequent l y pai d me speci al sums of money
for doi ng what he consi dered unusual t hi ngs i n t he
way of devel opi ng busi ness. Duri ng t hi s peri od, I was
- 50 -
so deepl y i n debt t hat , i n order t o keep t hi ngs movi ng
as smoot hl y as possi bl e, but wi t hout ret renchi ng i n t he
sl i ght est way i n my expenses, I borrowed money from
Pet er t o pay Paul and from Paul t o pay Pet er. That
i t em of fi ft y-fi ve t housand dol l ars earned from
syndi cat i ng advert i si ng t al ks woul d have more t han
pai d al l my debt s and l eft a ni ce nest egg besi des. But
al l of i t was spent as easi l y as t hough I hadn' t a care
i n t he worl d.
In 1915 I went on my own i n t he advert i si ng
busi ness. From t hat t i me unt i l t he spri ng of 1922 my
fees ran i nt o very bi g fi gures. I was st i l l maki ng more
money t han I ever di d, and was spendi ng i t j ust as fast
as I made i t , unt i l fi nal l y my fri ends got t i red of
maki ng me l oans.
If I had shown t he sl i ght est i ncl i nat i on t o curb my
expenses t o t he ext ent of onl y t en per cent , t hese
wonderful men woul d have been wi l l i ng t o di vi de
fi ft y-fi ft y wi t h me, l et t i ng me pay t hem fi ve per cent
of i t and savi ng fi ve per cent . They di d not care so
much about t he ret urn of t he money t hey had l oaned
me, as t hat t hey want ed t o see me pul l mysel f
t oget her.
The crash i n my affai rs came fi ve years ago. Two
fri ends who had st ood by me l oyal l y became
i mpat i ent , and t ol d me frankl y t hat I needed a drast i c
l esson. They gave i t t o me al l ri ght . I was forced i nt o
bankrupt cy, whi ch nearl y broke my heart . I fel t t hat
every person I knew was poi nt i ng t he fi nger of scorn
at me. Thi s was very fool i sh. Whi l e t here was
comment , i t was not at al l unfri endl y. It was
expressi ve of keen regret t hat a man who had at t ai ned
so much prest i ge i n hi s professi on, and had earned so
- 51 -


FORTUNATE is the
person who has
learned that the most
certain way to "get" is
to first "give" through
some sort of useful
service.

- 52 -
much money, shoul d have al l owed hi msel f t o get i nt o
fi nanci al di ffi cul t i es.
Proud and sensi t i ve t o t he core I fel t t he di sgrace
of bankrupt cy so keenl y t hat I deci ded t o go t o
Fl ori da, where I had once done a speci al pi ece of work
for a cl i ent . It seemed t o me t o be t he comi ng El
Dorado. I fi gured t hat maybe I coul d make suffi ci ent
money i n a few years so t hat I coul d ret urn t o New
York, not onl y wi t h a compet ency but wi t h enough t o
pay al l my debt s i n ful l . For a t i me i t l ooked as t hough
I woul d real i ze t hi s ambi t i on; but I was caught i n t he
bi g real est at e col l apse. So here I am back i n t he ol d
t own where I once had bi g earni ng power and
hundreds of fri ends and wel l -wi shers.
It has been a st range experi ence.
One t hi ng i s cert ai n: I have l earned my l esson at
l ast . I feel sure t hat opport uni t i es wi l l come my way
t o redeem mysel f, and t hat my earni ng power wi l l be
rest ored t o me. And when t hat t i me comes I know t hat
I shal l be abl e t o l i ve as wel l as I ever di d, on fort y
per cent of my i ncome. Then I shal l di vi de t he
remai ni ng si xt y per cent i nt o t wo part s, set t i ng asi de
t hi rt y per cent t o pay my credi t ors and t hi rt y per cent
for i nsurance and savi ngs.
If I al l owed mysel f t o feel depressed over my
past , or fi l l ed my mi nd wi t h worri es, I woul d not be
capabl e of carryi ng on t he fi ght t o redeem mysel f.
Besi des, I woul d be ungrat eful t o my Maker for
havi ng endowed me wi t h wonderful heal t h al l my l i fe.
Is t here any great er bl essi ng?
I woul d be ungrat eful t o t he memory of my
parent s, whose spl endi d t rai ni ng has kept me anchored
pret t y safel y t o moral st andards. Sl i ppi ng from moral
- 53 -
moori ngs i s i nfi ni t el y more seri ous, i n t he end, t han
sl i ppi ng from t he t hri ft st andard.
I woul d l ack appreci at i on of t he encouragement
and support I have had i n generous measure from
hundreds of busi ness men and t o many good fri ends
who hel ped me bui l d a fi ne reput at i on i n my
professi on.
These memori es are t he sunshi ne of my l i fe. And
I shal l use t hem t o pave t he way t o my fut ure
achi evement .
Wi t h abundance of heal t h, unfal t eri ng fai t h,
unfl aggi ng energy, unceasi ng opt i mi sm, and
unbounded confi dence t hat a man can wi n hi s fi ght ,
even t hough he commences l at e i n l i fe t o real i ze t he
ki nd of fi ght he must make-i s t here anyt hi ng but deat h
t o st op hi m?*

Mr. Freeman' s st ory i s t he same as t hat whi ch
mi ght be t ol d by t housands of ot her men who save
not hi ng, wi t h t he except i on t hat t he amount s of t hei r
i ncomes woul d vary. The manner of l i vi ng, t he way
t he money was spent , and why, as t ol d i n Mr.
Freeman' s narrat i ve, show t he way t he spender' s mi nd
works.

Compi l at i on of st at i st i cs coveri ng fami l y i ncomes
and expendi t ures of over 16, 000 fami l i es of men who
have been anal yzed by t he aut hor di scl osed some fact s
t hat wi l l be of hel p t o t he person who wi shes t o

*Repr i nt ed by cour t es y of The Amer i can Magazi ne. Copy-
r i ght , The Cr owel l Publ i s hi ng Company, 1927.
- 54 -
budget hi s i ncome and di sbursement s on a pract i cal
worki ng basi s t hat i s sound and economi cal .
The average i ncome runs al l t he way from
$100. 00 t o $300. 00 per mont h. The budget al l owance
coveri ng i ncomes wi t hi n t hese t wo amount s shoul d be
about as fol l ows:
A fami l y consi st i ng of t wo persons, whose
i ncome i s $100. 00 a mont h, shoul d manage t o set
asi de at l east $10 or $12 a mont h for t he savi ngs
account . The cost of shel t er, or rent , shoul d not
exceed $25 or $30 a mont h. Food cost s shoul d average
about $25 t o $30. Cl ot hi ng shoul d be kept wi t hi n an
expendi t ure of $15 t o $20 a mont h. Recreat i on and
i nci dent al s shoul d be kept down t o about $8 t o $10 a
mont h.
A fami l y whose i ncome i s $100. 00 a mont h,
shoul d t hat i ncome be i ncreased t o $125. 00, ought t o
save at l east $20 of t he amount .
A fami l y of t wo persons, whose i ncome i s
$150. 00 a mont h, shoul d budget t hei r funds about as
fol l ows: Savi ngs $25. Shel t er or rent $35 t o $40. Food
$35 t o $40. Cl ot hes, $20 t o $30. Recreat i on $10 t o
$15.
On a sal ary of $200 a mont h t he budget shoul d
be: Savi ngs $50. Shel t er or rent $40 t o $50. Food $35
t o $45. Cl ot hes $30 t o $35. Recreat i on $15 t o $20.
A fami l y of t wo, on a sal ary or i ncome of $300. 00
a mont h, shoul d apport i on t he i ncome about t hus:
Savi ngs $55 t o $65. Shel t er or rent $45 t o $60. Food
$45 t o $60. Cl ot hes $35 t o $45. Recreat i on and
educat i on $50 t o $75.
Some mi ght argue t hat a fami l y of t wo, maki ng a
wry of $300. 00 a mont h, mi ght l i ve j ust as cheapl y as
one maki ng but $100 or $125. However, t hi s i s not
qui t e correct , because one who has t he abi l i t y t o earn
- 55 -
$300. 00 a mont h must as a rul e associ at e wi t h peopl e
who make bet t er appearances and more ent ert ai nment
necessary.
A si ngl e man, earni ng $100. 00, $150. 00 or
$300. 00 a mont h, shoul d save consi derabl y more t han
a man wi t h a fami l y coul d save on t he same amount s.
As a rul e, a si ngl e man, who has no dependent s, and
who i s not i n debt , shoul d l i ve on a budget of $50 a
mont h for room and food, and not t o exceed $30 a
mont h for cl ot hes and perhaps $10 for recreat i on.
These amount s mi ght be sl i ght l y i ncreased by one who
earned from $150. 00 t o $300. 00 a mont h.
A boy who l i ves away from home, and whose
weekl y i ncome i s onl y $20. 00 shoul d save $5 of t he
amount . The remai nder should cover cost of food,
room and cl ot hes.
A gi rl , l i vi ng away from home, on t he same
i ncome, woul d requi re a sl i ght l y l arger al l owance for
cl ot hes, as women' s weari ng apparel i s more cost l y
t han men' s, and i t i s general l y i mperat i ve t hat women
wat ch, more cl osel y t han men, t hei r personal
appearance.
A fami l y of t hree wi l l be abl e t o save
consi derabl y l ess t han t he amount s whi ch can be saved
by a fami l y of t wo. Wi t h rare except i ons, however,
such as cases where t he fami l y i s i nvol ved i n debt
whi ch must be absorbed out of t he mont hl y i ncome,
any fami l y can save at l east fi ve per cent of t he gross
i ncome.
It i s a common pract i ce t oday for fami l i es t o
purchase aut omobi l es on mont hl y payment s whi ch
i nvol ve t oo great an expendi t ure compared t o t hei r
i ncome. A man wi t h a Ford i ncome has no busi ness
purchasi ng a St udebaker car. He shoul d curb hi s
desi res and cont ent hi msel f wi t h a Ford. Many si ngl e
- 56 -
men spend t hei r ent i re i ncomes, and oft en go i nt o debt
besi des, because t hey mai nt ai n aut omobi l es out of
keepi ng wi t h t hei r i ncomes. Thi s common pract i ce i s
fat al t o success as far as fi nanci al i ndependence may
be consi dered a part of success, i n t housands of
i nst ances.
The i nst al ment pl an of buyi ng has become so
common, and i t i s so easy t o purchase pract i cal l y
anyt hi ng one desi res, t hat t he t endency t o spend out of
proport i on t o one' s i ncome i s rapi dl y i ncreasi ng. Thi s
t endency must be curbed by t he person who has made
up hi s mi nd t o gai n fi nanci al i ndependence.
It can be done by anyone who i s wi l l i ng t o t ry.
Anot her evi l , whi ch i s bot h an evi l and a
bl essi ng, i s t he fact t hat t hi s count ry i s so very
prosperous t hat money comes easi l y, and i f not
wat ched i t goes st i l l more easi l y. Si nce t he begi nni ng
of t he Worl d War t here has been a st eady demand for
pract i cal l y everyt hi ng manufact ured i n t he Uni t ed
St at es, and t hi s condi t i on of prosperi t y has caused
peopl e t o l apse i nt o a st ate of carel ess, unj ust i fi ed
spendi ng.
There i s no vi rt ue i n "keepi ng up wi t h t he pace
set by nei ghbors" when t hi s means sacri fi ce of t he
habi t of savi ng a regul ar part of one' s i ncome. It i s far
bet t er, i n t he l ong run, t o be consi dered a bi t behi nd
t he t i mes t han i t i s t o go al ong t hrough yout h, i nt o t he
days of mat uri t y, and fi nal l y i nt o ol d age, wi t hout
havi ng formed t he habi t of syst emat i c savi ng.
It i s bet t er t o sacri fi ce duri ng t he age of
yout hful ness, t han i t i s t o be compel l ed t o do so
duri ng t he age of mat uri t y, as al l who have not
devel oped t he habi t of savi ng general l y have t o do.
There i s not hi ng qui t e so humi l i at i ng, t hat carri es
- 57 -


I AM thankful for the
adversities which have
crossed my pathway, for
they have taught me
tolerance, sympathy, self-
control, perseverance and
some other virtues I
might never have known.


- 58 -
such great agony and sufferi ng, as povert y i n ol d age,
when personal servi ces are no l onger market abl e, and
one mut t t urn t o rel at i ves or t o chari t abl e i nst i t ut i ons
for exi st ence.
A budget syst em shoul d be mai nt ai ned by every
person, bot h t he marri ed and t he si ngl e, but no budget
syst em wi l l work out i f t he person t ryi ng t o keep i t
l acks t he courage t o cut expenses on such i t ems as
t hose of ent ert ai nment and recreat i on. If you feel so
weak i n wi l l -power t hat you t hi nk i t necessary t o
"keep up wi t h t he Smi t hs" wi t h whom you associ at e
soci al l y, and whose i ncome i s great er t han your own,
or who spend al l of t hei r i ncome fool i shl y, t hen no
budget syst em can be of servi ce t o you.
Formi ng t he savi ngs habi t means t hat , t o some
ext ent at l east , you must secl ude yoursel f from al l
except a wel l sel ect ed group of fri ends who enj oy you
wi t hout el aborat e ent ert ai ni ng on your part .
To admi t t hat you l ack t he courage t o t ri m down
your expendi t ures so t hat you can save money, even i f
onl y a smal l amount , i s t he equi val ent of admi t t i ng at
t he same t i me a l ack of t he sort of charact er whi ch
l eads t o success.
It has been proved t i mes t oo numerous t o be
ment i oned, t hat peopl e who have formed t he habi t of
savi ng money are al ways gi ven preference i n posi t i ons
of responsi bi l i t y; t herefore, t he savi ng of money not
onl y adds advant ages i n t he nat ure of preferred
empl oyment and a l arger bank account , but i t al so
i ncreases t he act ual earni ng capaci t y. Any busi ness
man wi l l prefer t o empl oy a person who saves money
regul arl y, not because of t he mere fact t hat such
person saves money, but because of t he charact eri st i cs
- 59 -
possessed by such a person whi ch make hi m or her
more effi ci ent .
Many fi rms wi l l not empl oy a man or a woman
who does not save money.
It shoul d be a common pract i ce for al l busi ness
houses t o requi re al l empl oyees t o save money. Thi s
woul d be a bl essi ng t o t housands of peopl e who woul d
not ot herwi se have t he wi l l -power t o form t he savi ngs
habi t .
Henry Ford has gone a very l ong way, perhaps as
far as i s expedi ent , t o i nduce hi s empl oyees not onl y
t o save t hei r money, but t o spend what t hey do spend
wi sel y, and t o l i ve sanel y and economi cal l y. The man
who i nduces hi s empl oyees t o form t he habi t of savi ng
i s a pract i cal phi l ant hropi st .

OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME TO THOSE
WHO HAVE SAVED MONEY

A few years ago a young man came t o
Phi l adel phi a, from t he farmi ng di st ri ct of
Pennsyl vani a, and went t o work i n a pri nt i ng pl ant .
One of hi s fel l ow workmen owned some shares i n a
Bui l di ng and Loan Company, and had formed t he habi t
of savi ng $5. 00 a week, t hrough t hi s Associ at i on. Thi s
young man was i nfl uenced by hi s associ at e t o open an
account wi t h t he Bui l di ng and Loan Company. At t he
end of t hree years he had saved $900. 00. The pri nt i ng
pl ant for whi ch he worked got i nt o fi nanci al di ffi cul t y
and was about t o fai l . He came t o t he rescue wi t h hi s
$900. 00 whi ch he had saved i n smal l amount s, and i n
ret urn was gi ven a hal f i nt erest i n t he busi ness.
By i naugurat i ng a syst em of cl ose economy he
- 60 -
hel ped t he busi ness t o pay off i t s i ndebt edness, and
t oday he i s drawi ng out of i t , as hi s hal f of t he profi t s,
a l i t t l e bet t er t han $25, 000. 00 a year.
Thi s opport uni t y never woul d have come, or, i f i t
had, he woul d not have been prepared t o embrace i t ,
had he not formed t he habi t of savi ng money.
When t he Ford aut omobi l e was perfect ed, duri ng
t he earl y days of i t s exi st ence, Henry Ford needed
capi t al t o promot e t he manufact ure and sal e of hi s
product . He t urned t o a few fri ends who had saved up
a few t housand dol l ars, one of whom was Senat or
Couzens. These fri ends came t o hi s rescue, put i n a
few t housand dol l ars wi t h hi m, and l at er drew out
mi l l i ons of dol l ars i n profi t s.
When Wool wort h fi rst st art ed hi s Fi ve and Ten
Cent St ore Pl an he had no capi t al , but he t urned t o a
few fri ends who had saved, by t he cl osest sort of
economy and great sacri fi ce, a few t housand dol l ars.
These fri ends st aked hi m and l at er t hey were pai d
back hundreds of t housands of dol l ars i n profi t s.
Van Heusen (of soft -col l ar fame) concei ved t he
i dea of produci ng a semi -soft col l ar for men. Hi s i dea
was sound, but he had not a cent t o promot e i t . He
t urned t o a few fri ends who had onl y a few hundred
dol l ars, who gave hi m a st art , and t he col l ar made
each of t hem weal t hy.
The men who st art ed t he El Product o Ci gar
busi ness had but l i t t l e capi t al , and what t hey di d have
was money t hey had saved from t hei r smal l earni ngs
as ci gar makers. They had a good i dea, and knew how
t o make a good ci gar, but t he i dea woul d have di ed "a-
borni n' " had t hey not saved a l i t t l e money. Wi t h t hei r
meager savi ngs t hey l aunched t he ci gar, and a few
- 61 -
and a few years l at er t hey sol d out t hei r busi ness t o
t he Ameri can Tobacco Company for $8, 000, 000. 00.
Back of pract i cal l y every great fort une one may
fi nd, as i t s begi nni ng, a wel l devel oped habi t of
savi ng money.
John D. Rockefel l er was an ordi nary bookkeeper.
He concei ved t he i dea of devel opi ng t he oi l busi ness,
whi ch was t hen not even consi dered a busi ness. He
needed capi t al , and because he had devel oped t he
habi t of savi ng, and had t hereby proved t hat he coul d
conserve t he funds of ot her peopl e, he had no
di ffi cul t y i n borrowi ng what money he needed.
It may be t rut hful l y st at ed t hat t he real basi s of
t he Rockefel l er fort une i s t he habi t of savi ng money
whi ch Mr. Rockefel l er devel oped, whi l e worki ng as a
bookkeeper at a sal ary of $40. 00 a mont h.
James J. Hi l l was a poor young man, worki ng as a
t el egrapher, at a sal ary of $30. 00 a mont h. He
concei ved t he i dea of t he Great Nort hern Rai l way
Syst em, but hi s i dea was out of proport i on t o hi s
abi l i t y t o fi nance. However, he had formed t he habi t
of savi ng money, and on t he meager sal ary of $30. 00 a
mont h had saved enough t o enabl e hi m t o pay hi s
expenses on a t ri p t o Chi cago, where he i nt erest ed
capi t al i st s i n fi nanci ng hi s pl an. The fact t hat he,
hi msel f, had saved money on a smal l sal ary was
consi dered good evi dence t hat he woul d be a safe man
t o t rust wi t h ot her peopl e' s money.
Most busi ness men wi l l not t rust anot her man
wi t h t hei r money unl ess he has demonst rat ed hi s
abi l i t y t o t ake care of hi s own and use i t wi sel y. The
t est , whi l e i t i s oft en embarrassi ng t o t hose who have
not formed t he Habi t of Savi ng, i s a very pract i cal
one.
- 62 -
A young man who worked i n a pri nt i ng pl ant i n
t he ci t y of Chi cago want ed t o open a smal l pri nt shop
and go i nt o busi ness for hi msel f. He went t o a pri nt i ng
suppl y house manager and made known hi s want s,
sayi ng he desi red credi t for a pri nt i ng press and some
t ype and ot her smal l equi pment .
The fi rst quest i on asked by t he manager was
"Have you saved any money of your own?"
He had! Out of hi s sal ary of $30. 00 a week he had
saved $15. 00 a week regul arl y for nearl y four years.
He got t he credi t he want ed. Lat er on he got more
credi t , unt i l t oday he has bui l t up one of t he most
successful pri nt i ng pl ant s i n t he ci t y of Chi cago. Hi s
name i s George B. Wi l l i ams, and he i s wel l known, as
are al so t he fact s here st at ed, t o t he aut hor of t hi s
course.
Many years aft er t hi s i nci dent , t he aut hor of t hi s
course became acquai nt ed wi t h Mr. Wi l l i ams, and at
t he end of t he war, i n 1918, t he aut hor went t o Mr.
Wi l l i ams and asked for credi t amount i ng t o many
t housands of dol l ars, for t he purpose of publ i shi ng t he
Gol den Rul e Magazi ne. The fi rst quest i on asked was:
"Have you formed t he habi t of savi ng money. " Despi t e
t he fact t hat al l t he money I had saved was l ost i n t he
war, t he mere fact t hat I had act ual l y formed t he
savi ngs habi t was t he real basi s on whi ch I got credi t
for upward of $30, 000. 00.
There are opport uni t i es on every corner, but t hey
exi st onl y for t hose who have ready money, or who
can command money because t hey have formed t he
Habi t of Savi ng, and devel oped t he ot her
charact eri st i cs whi ch go wi t h t he format i on of t he
savi ngs habi t known by t he general t erm of
"charact er. "
- 63 -


LOVE and Justice are
the real arbiters of all
disputes. Give them a
chance and you will no
longer want to defeat a
brother sojourner by the
wayside of life.


- 64 -
The l at e J. P. Morgan once sai d he woul d rat her
l oan a mi l l i on dol l ars t o a man of sound charact er,
who had formed t he habi t of savi ng money, t han he
woul d a t housand dol l ars t o a man wi t hout charact er,
who was a spendt hri ft .
General l y speaki ng, t hi s i s t he at t i t ude whi ch t he
worl d t akes t oward al l men who save money.
It oft en happens t hat a smal l savi ngs account of
no more t han t wo or t hree hundred dol l ars i s suffi ci ent
t o st art one on t he hi ghway t o fi nanci al i ndependence.
A few years ago a young i nvent or i nvent ed a
househol d art i cl e whi ch was uni que and pract i cal . He
was handi capped, as i nvent ors so oft en are, because he
di d not have t he money t o market hi s i nvent i on.
Moreover, not havi ng formed t he savi ngs habi t he
found i t i mpossi bl e t o borrow money t hrough banki ng
sources.
Hi s room-mat e was a young machi ni st who had
saved $200. 00. He came t o t he i nvent or' s ai d wi t h t hi s
smal l sum of money, and had enough of t he art i cl es
manufact ured t o gi ve t hem a st art . They went out and
sol d, from house t o house, t he fi rst suppl y, t hen came
back and had anot her suppl y made up, and so on, unt i l
t hey had accumul at ed (t hanks t o t he t hri ft and savi ngs
abi l i t y of t he room-mat e) a capi t al of $1, 000. 00. Wi t h
t hi s, pl us some credi t t hey secured, t hey bought t he
t ool s for manufact uri ng t hei r own product .
The young machi ni st sol d hi s hal f i nt erest i n t he
busi ness, si x years l at er, for $250, 000. 00. He never
woul d have handl ed t hi s much money, duri ng hi s
ent i re l i fe, had he not formed t he habi t of savi ng,
whi ch enabl ed hi m t o come t o t he rescue of hi s
i nvent or fri end.
- 65 -
Thi s case mi ght be mul t i pl i ed a t housand t i mes,
wi t h but sl i ght vari at i on as t o det ai l s, as i t i s fai rl y
descri pt i ve of t he begi nni ng of many great fort unes
t hat have been made and are now i n t he maki ng, i n t he
Uni t ed St at es.
It may seem l i ke a sad, cruel fact , but i t i s a
FACT none t he l ess, t hat i f you have no money, and
have not devel oped t he habi t of savi ng, you are "out
of l uck" as far as avai l i ng yoursel f of t he opport uni t y
t o make money i s concerned.
It can do no harm t o repeat -i n fact i t shoul d be
repeat ed over and over agai n-t hat t he real st art of
nearl y al l fort unes, whet her great or smal l , i s t he
format i on of t he habi t of savi ng money!
Get t hi s basi c pri nci pl e fi rml y founded i n your
mi nd and you wi l l be wel l on t he road t oward
fi nanci al i n dependence)
It i s a sad si ght t o see a man, wel l al ong i n years,
who has sent enced hi msel f t o t he weari some t readmi l l
of hard l abor al l t he days of hi s l i fe because he has
negl ect ed formi ng t he habi t of savi ng money, yet t here
are mi l l i ons of such men l i vi ng, i n t he Uni t ed St at es
al one, t oday.
The great est t hi ng i n l i fe i s FREEDOM!
There can be no real freedom wi t hout a
reasonabl e degree of fi nanci al i ndependence. It i s a
t erri bl e t hi ng t o be compel l ed t o be at a cert ai n pl ace,
at a cert ai n t ask (perhaps a t ask whi ch one does not
l i ke) for a cert ai n number of hours every worki ng day
of t he week, for a whol e l i fe-t i me. In some ways t hi s
i s t he same as bei ng i n pri son, si nce one' s choi ce of
act i on i s al ways l i mi t ed. It i s real l y no bet t er t han
bei ng i n pri son wi t h t he pri vi l ege of a "t rust y, " and i n
- 66 -
some ways i t i s even worse because t he man who i s
i mpri soned has escaped t he responsi bi l i t y of provi di ng
a pl ace t o sl eep, somet hi ng t o eat and cl ot hes t o wear.
The onl y hope of escape from t hi s l i fe-l ong t oi l
whi ch curt ai l s freedom i s t o form t he habi t of savi ng
money, and t hen l i ve up t o t hat habi t , no mat t er how
much sacri fi ce i t may requi re. There i s no ot her way
out for mi l l i ons of peopl e, and unl ess you are one of
t he rare except i ons t hi s l esson and al l t hese st at ement s
of fact are meant for YOU, and appl y t o you!

Nei t her a borrower, nor a
l ender be:
For l oan oft l oses bot h i t sel f
and fri end,
And borrowi ng dul l s t he edge
of husbandry.
Thi s above al l : t o t hi ne own
sel f be t rue,
And i t must fol l ow, as t he
ni ght t he day,
Thou canst not t hen be fal se
t o any man.
-SHAKESPEARE
- 67 -
- 68 -


EVERYTHING
PASSES AT PAR,
TEMPORARILY;
TRUTH ALONE
REMAINS
PERMANENTLY.



T
T
H
H
E
E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
U
U
C
C
C
C
E
E
S
S
S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL
______
All Rights Reserved










Pri nted i n the U. S. A.


- 2 -







Lesson Five
INITIATIVE AND
LEADERSHIP



- 3 -




WHEN you do not
know what to do or
which way to turn,
smile. This will relax
your mind and let the
sunshine of happiness
into your soul.


- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Five
INITIATIVE AND LEADERSHIP



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

BEFORE you proceed t o t he mast ery of t hi s
l esson your at t ent i on i s di rect ed t o t he fact t hat t here
i s perfect co-ordi nat i on of t hought runni ng t hroughout
t hi s course.
You wi l l observe t hat t he ent i re si xt een l essons
harmoni ze and bl end wi t h each ot her so t hat t hey
const i t ut e a perfect chai n t hat has been bui l t , l i nk by
l i nk, out of t he fact ors t hat ent er i nt o t he devel opment
of power t hrough organi zed ef f ort .
You wi l l observe, al so, t hat t he same fundament al
pri nci pl es of Appl i ed Psychol ogy form t he foundat i on
of each of t hese si xt een l essons, al t hough di fferent
appl i cat i on i s made of t hese pri nci pl es i n each of t he
l essons.
Thi s l esson, on Ini t i at i ve and Leadershi p, fol l ows
t he l esson on Sel f-confi dence for t he reason t hat no
one coul d become an effi ci ent l eader or t ake t he
i ni t i at i ve i n any great undert aki ng wi t hout bel i ef i n
hi msel f.
Ini t i at i ve and Leadershi p are associ at ed t erms i n
- 5 -
t hi s l esson for t he reason t hat Leadershi p i s essent i al
for t he at t ai nment of Success, and Ini t i at i ve i s t he
very foundat i on upon whi ch t hi s necessary qual i t y of
Leadershi p i s bui l t . Ini t i at i ve i s as essent i al t o success
as a hub i s essent i al t o a wagon wheel .
And what i s Ini t i at i ve?
It i s t hat exceedi ngl y rare qual i t y t hat prompt s -
nay, i mpel s - a person t o do t hat whi ch ought t o be
done wi t hout bei ng t ol d t o do i t . El bert Hubbard
expressed hi msel f on t he subj ect of Ini t i at i ve i n t he
words:
"The worl d best ows i t s bi g pri zes, bot h i n money
and honors, for one t hi ng, and t hat i s Ini t i at i ve.
"What i s i ni t i at i ve? I' l l t el l you: It i s doi ng t he
ri ght t hi ng wi t hout bei ng t ol d.
"But next t o doi ng t he ri ght t hi ng wi t hout bei ng
t ol d i s t o do i t when you are t ol d once. That i s say,
`Carry t he message t o Garci a. ' Those who can carry a
message get hi gh honors, but t hei r pay i s not al ways
i n proport i on.
"Next , t here are t hose who do t he ri ght t hi ng
when necessi t y ki cks t hem from behi nd, and t hese ' get
i ndi fference i nst ead of honors, and a pi t t ance for pay.
"Thi s ki nd spend most of t he t i me pol i shi ng a
bench wi t h a hard l uck st ory.
"Then, st i l l l ower down i n t he scal e t han t hi s we
have t he fel l ow who wi l l not do t he ri ght t hi ng even
when someone goes al ong t o show hi m how and st ays
t o see t hat he does i t ; he i s al ways out of a j ob, a
recei ves t he cont empt he deserves, unl ess he has a
ri ch pa, i n whi ch case dest i ny pat i ent l y wai t s around
t 116 comer wi t h a st uffed cl ub.
"To whi ch cl ass do you bel ong?"
- 6 -
Inasmuch as you wi l l be expect ed t o t ake
i nvent ory of yoursel f and det ermi ne whi ch of t he
fi ft een fact ors of t hi s course you need most , aft er you
have compl et ed t he si xt eent h l esson, i t may be wel l i f
you begi n t o get ready for t hi s anal ysi s by answeri ng
t he quest i on t hat El bert Hubbard has asked
To whi ch cl ass do you bel ong?
One of t he pecul i ari t i es of Leadershi p i s t he fact
t hat i t i s never found i n t hose who have not acqui red
t he habi t of t aki ng t he i ni t i at i ve. Leadershi p i s
somet hi ng t hat you must i nvi t e yoursel f i nt o; i t wi l l
never t hrust i t sel f upon you. If you wi l l careful l y
anal yze al l l eaders whom you know you wi l l see t hat
t hey not onl y exerci sed Ini t i at i ve, but t hey went about
t hei r work wi t h a def i ni t e purpose i n mi nd. You wi l l
al so see t hat t hey possessed t hat qual i t y descri bed i n
t he t hi rd l esson of t hi s course, Sel f -conf i dence.
These fact s are ment i oned i n t hi s l esson for t he
reason t hat i t wi l l profi t you t o observe t hat
successful peopl e make use of al l t he fact ors covered
by t he si xt een l essons of t he course; and, for t he more
i mport ant reason t hat i t wi l l profi t you t o underst and
t horoughl y t he pri nci pl e of organi zed ef f ort whi ch t hi s
Readi ng Course i s i nt ended t o est abl i sh i n your mi nd.
Thi s seems an appropri at e pl ace t o st at e t hat t hi s
course i s not i nt ended as a short -cut t o success, nor i s
i t i nt ended as a mechani cal formul a t hat you may use
i n not ewort hy achi evement wi t hout effort on your
part . The real val ue of t he course l i es i n t he use t hat
you wi l l make of i t , and not i n t he course i t sel f. The
chi ef purpose of t he course i s t o hel p you devel op i n
yoursel f t he fi ft een qual i t i es covered by t he si xt een
- 7 -
l essons of t he course, and one of t he most i mport ant
of t hese qual i t i es i s Ini t i at i ve, t he subj ect of t hi s
l esson.
We wi l l now proceed t o appl y t he pri nci pl e upon
whi ch t hi s l esson i s founded by descri bi ng, i n det ai l ,
j ust how i t served successful l y t o compl et e a busi ness
t ransact i on whi ch most peopl e woul d cal l di ffi cul t .
In 1916 I needed $25, 000. 00 wi t h whi ch t o creat e
an educat i onal i nst i t ut i on, but I had nei t her t hi s sum
nor suffi ci ent col l at eral wi t h whi ch t o borrow i t
t hrough t he usual banki ng sources. Di d I bemoan my
fat e or t hi nk of what I mi ght accompl i sh i f some ri ch
rel at i ve or Good Samari t an woul d come t o my rescue
by l oani ng me t he necessary capi t al ?
I di d not hi ng of t he sort !
I di d j ust what you wi l l be advi sed, t hroughout
t hi s course, t o do. Fi rst of al l , I made t he securi ng of
t hi s capi t al my def i ni t e chi ef ai m. Second, I l ai d out a
compl et e pl an t hrough whi ch t o t ransform t hi s ai m
i nt o real i t y. Backed by suffi ci ent Sel f-confi dence and
spurred on by Ini t i at i ve, I proceeded t o put my pl an
i nt o act i on. But , before t he "act i on" st age of t he pl an
had been reached, more t han si x weeks of const ant ,
persi st ent st udy and effort and t hought were embodi ed
i n i t . If a pl an i s t o be sound i t must be bui l t of
careful l y chosen mat eri al .
You wi l l here observe t he appl i cat i on of t he
pri nci pl e of organi zed ef f ort , t hrough t he operat i on of
whi ch i t i s possi bl e for one t o al l y or associ at e several
i nt erest s i n such a way t hat each of t hese i nt erest s i s
great l y st rengt hened and each support s al l t he ot hers,
j ust as one l i nk i n a chai n support s al l t he ot her l i nks.
I want ed t hi s $25, 000. 00 i n capi t al for t he pur-
- 8 -
pose of creat i ng a school of Advert i si ng and
Sal esmanshi p. Two t hi ngs were necessary for t he
organi zat i on of such a school . One was t he $25, 000. 00
capi t al , whi ch I di d not have, and t he ot her was t he
proper course of i nst ruct i on, whi ch I di d have. My
probl em was t o al l y mysel f wi t h some group of men
who needed t hat whi ch I had, and who woul d suppl y
t he $25, 000. 00. Thi s al l i ance had t o be made t hrough
a pl an t hat woul d benefi t al l concerned.
Aft er my pl an had been compl et ed, and I was
sat i sfi ed t hat i t was equi t abl e and sound, I l ai d i t
before t he owner of a wel l known and reput abl e
busi ness col l ege whi ch j ust t hen was fi ndi ng
compet i t i on qui t e keen and was badl y i n need of a
pl an for meet i ng t hi s compet i t i on.
My pl an was present ed i n about t hese words:
Whereas, you have one of t he most reput abl e
busi ness col l eges i n t he ci t y; and,
Whereas, you need some pl an wi t h whi ch t o meet
t he st i ff compet i t i on i n your fi el d; and,
Whereas, your good reput at i on has provi ded you
wi t h al l t he credi t you need; and,
Whereas, I have t he pl an t hat wi l l hel p you meet
t hi s compet i t i on successful l y.
Be i t resol ved, t hat we al l y oursel ves t hrough a
pl an t hat wi l l gi ve you t hat whi ch you need and at t he
same t i me suppl y me wi t h somet hi ng whi ch I need.
Then I proceeded t o unfol d my pl an, furt her, i n
t hese words:
I have wri t t en a very pract i cal course on
Advert i si ng and Sal esmanshi p. Havi ng bui l t t hi s
course out of my act ual experi ence i n t rai ni ng and
di rect i ng sal esmen and my experi ence i n pl anni ng and
- 9 -




THE space you occupy
and the authority you
exercise may be meas-
ured with mathematical
exactness by the service
you render.



- 10 -
Di rect i ng many successful advert i si ng campai gns, I
have back of i t pl ent y of evi dence of i t s soundness.
If you wi l l use your credi t i n hel pi ng market t hi s
course I wi l l pl ace i t i n your busi ness col l ege, as one
of t he regul ar depart ment s of your curri cul um and t ake
ent i re charge of t hi s newl y creat ed depart ment . No
ot her busi ness col l ege i n t he ci t y wi l l be abl e t o meet
your compet i t i on, for t he reason t hat no ot her col l ege
has such a course as t hi s. The advert i si ng t hat you do
i n market i ng t hi s course wi l l serve, al so, t o st i mul at e
t he demand for your regul ar busi ness course. You may
charge t he ent i re amount t hat you spend for t hi s
advert i si ng, t o my depart ment , and t he advert i si ng bi l l
wi l l be pai d out of t hat depart ment , l eavi ng you t he
accumul at i ve advant age t hat wi l l accrue t o your ot her
depart ment s wi t hout cost t o you.
Now, I suppose you wi l l want t o know where I
profi t by t hi s t ransact i on, and I wi l l t el l you. I want
you t o ent er i nt o a cont ract wi t h me i n whi ch i t wi l l
be agreed t hat when t he cash recei pt s from my
depart ment equal t he amount t hat you have pai d out or
cont ract ed t o pay out for advert i si ng, my depart ment
and my course i n Advert i si ng and Sal esmanshi p
become my own and I may have t he pri vi l ege of
separat i ng t hi s depart ment from your school and
runni ng i t under my own name.
The pl an was agreeabl e and t he cont ract was
cl osed.
(Pl ease keep i n mi nd t hat my def i ni t e purpose was
t o secure t he use of $25, 000. 00 for whi ch I had no
securi t y t o offer. )
In a l i t t l e l ess t han a year t he Busi ness Col l ege
had pai d out sl i ght l y more t han $25, 000. 00 for
advert i si ng and market i ng my course and t he ot her ex-
- 11 -
penses i nci dent al t o t he operat i on of t hi s newl y
organi zed depart ment , whi l e t he depart ment had
col l ect ed and, t urned back t o t he Col l ege, i n t ui t i on
fees, a sum equal i ng t he amount t he Col l ege had
spent , and I t ook t he depart ment over, as a goi ng and
sel f-sust ai ni ng busi ness, accordi ng t o t he t erms of my
cont ract .
As a mat t er of fact t hi s newl y creat ed depart ment
not onl y served t o at t ract st udent s for t he ot her
depart ment s of t he Col l ege, but at t he same t i me t he
t ui t i on fees col l ect ed t hrough t hi s new depart ment
were suffi ci ent t o pl ace i t on a sel f-sust ai ni ng basi s
before t he end of t he fi rst year.
Now you can see t hat whi l e t he Col l ege di d not '
l oan me one penny of act ual capi t al , i t nevert hel ess
suppl i ed me wi t h credi t whi ch served exact l y t he same
purpose.
I sai d t hat my pl an was founded upon equi t y; t hat
i t cont empl at ed a benefi t t o al l part i es concerned. The
benefi t accrui ng t o me was t he use of t he $25, 000. 00,
whi ch resul t ed i n an est abl i shed and sel f-sust ai ni ng
busi ness by t he end of t he fi rst year. The
enefi t accrui ng t o t he col l ege was t he st udent s
secured cured for i t s regul ar commerci al and busi ness
course as a resul t of t he money spent i n advert i si ng
my depart ment , al l advert i si ng havi ng been done under
t he name of t he Col l ege.
Today t hat busi ness col l ege i s one of t he most
successful school s of i t s ki nd, and i t st ands as a
monument of sound evi dence wi t h whi ch t o
demonst rat e t he val ue of al l i ed ef f ort .
Thi s i nci dent has been rel at ed, not al one because
i t shows t he val ue of i ni t i at i ve and l eadershi p, but for
t he reason t hat i t l eads up t o t he subj ect covered by
- 12 -
t he next l esson of t hi s Readi ng Course on t he Law of
Success, whi ch i s i magi nat i on.
There are general l y many pl ans t hrough t he
operat i on of whi ch a desi red obj ect may be achi eved,
and i t oft en happens t o be t rue t hat t he obvi ous and
usual met hods empl oyed are not t he best . The usual
met hod of procedure, i n t he case rel at ed, woul d have
been t hat of borrowi ng from a bank. You can see t hat
t hi s met hod was i mpract i cal , i n t hi s case, for t he
reason t hat no col l at eral was avai l abl e.
A great phi l osopher once sai d: "Ini t i at i ve i s t he
pass-key t hat opens t he door t o opport uni t y. "
I do not recal l who t hi s phi l osopher was, but I
know t hat he was great because of t he soundness of
hi s st at ement .
We wi l l now proceed t o out l i ne t he exact
procedure t hat you must fol l ow i f you are t o become a
person of i ni t i at i ve and l eadershi p.
Fi rst : You must mast er t he habi t of
procrast i nat i on and el i mi nat e i t from your make-up.
Thi s habi t of put t i ng off unt i l t omorrow t hat whi ch
you shoul d have done l ast week or l ast year or a score
of years ago i s gnawi ng at t he very vi t al s of your
bei ng, and you can accompl i sh not hi ng unt i l you
t hrow i t off.
The met hod t hrough whi ch you el i mi nat e
procrast i nat i on i s based upon a wel l known and
sci ent i fi cal l y t est ed pri nci pl e of psychol ogy whi ch has
been referred t o i n t he t wo precedi ng l essons of t hi s
course as Aut osuggest i on.
Copy t he fol l owi ng formul a and pl ace i t
conspi cuousl y i n your room where you wi l l see i t as
you ret i re at ni ght and as you ari se i n t he morni ng:
- 13 -
INITIATIVE AND LEADERSHIP

Havi ng chosen a def i ni t e chi ef ai m as my l i fe-
work I now underst and i t t o be my dut y t o t ransform
t hi s purpose i nt o real i t y.
Theref ore, I wi l l form t he habi t of t aki ng some
def i ni t e act i on each day t hat wi l l carry me one st ep
nearer t he at t ai nment of my def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
I know t hat procrast i nat i on i s a deadl y enemy of
al l who woul d become l eaders i n any undert aki ng, and
I wi l l el i mi nat e t hi s habi t from my make-up by:
(a) Doi ng some one defi ni t e t hi ng each day, t hat
ought t o be done, wi t hout anyone t el l i ng me t o do i t .
(b) Looki ng around unt i l I fi nd at l east one t hi ng
t hat I can do each day, t hat I have not been i n t he
habi t of doi ng, and t hat wi l l be of val ue t o ot hers,
wi t hout expect at i on of pay.
(c) Tel l i ng at l east one ot her person, each day, of
t he val ue of pract i ci ng t hi s habi t of doi ng somet hi ng
t hat ought t o be done wi t hout bei ng t ol d t o do i t .
I can see t hat t he muscl es of t he body become
st rong i n proport i on t o t he ext ent t o whi ch t hey are
used, t herefore I underst and t hat t he habi t of i ni t i at i ve
al so becomes fi xed i n proport i on t o t he ext ent t hat i t
i s pract i ced.
I real i ze t hat t he pl ace t o begi n devel opi ng t he
habi t of i ni t i at i ve i s i n t he smal l , commonpl ace t hi ngs
connect ed wi t h my dai l y work, t herefore I wi l l go at
my work each day as i f I were doi ng i t sol el y for t he
purpose of devel opi ng t hi s necessary habi t of
i ni t i at i ve.
I underst and t hat by pract i ci ng t hi s habi t of
- 14 -
t aki ng t he i ni t i at i ve i n connect i on wi t h my dai l y work
I wi l l be not onl y devel opi ng t hat habi t , but I wi l l al so
be at t ract i ng t he at t ent i on of t hose who wi l l pl ace
great er val ue on my servi ces as a resul t of t hi s
pract i ce.
Si gned.

Regardl ess of what you are now doi ng, every day
bri ngs you face t o face wi t h a chance t o render some
servi ce, out si de of t he course of your regul ar dut i es,
t hat wi l l be of val ue t o ot hers. In renderi ng t hi s
addi t i onal servi ce, of your own accord, you of course
underst and t hat you are not doi ng so wi t h t he obj ect of
recei vi ng monet ary pay. You are renderi ng t hi s
servi ce because i t provi des you wi t h ways and means
of exerci si ng, devel opi ng and maki ng st ronger t he
aggressi ve spi ri t of i ni t i at i ve whi ch you must possess
before you can ever become an out st andi ng fi gure i n
t he affai rs of your chosen fi el d of l i fe-work.
Those who work for money al one, and who
recei ve for t hei r pay not hi ng but money, are al ways
underpai d, no mat t er how much t hey recei ve. Money i s
necessary, but t he bi g pri zes of l i fe cannot be
measured i n dol l ars and cent s.
No amount of money coul d possi bl y be made t o
t ake t he pl ace of t he happi ness and j oy and pri de t hat
bel ong t o t he person who di gs a bet t er di t ch, or bui l ds
a bet t er chi cken coop, or sweeps a cl eaner fl oor, or
cooks a bet t er meal . Every normal person l oves t o
creat e somet hi ng t hat i s bet t er t han t he average. The
j oy of creat i ng a work of art i s a j oy t hat cannot be
repl aced by money or any ot her form of mat eri al
possessi on.
I have i n my empl oy a young l ady who opens,
- 15 -


WHAT helped you
over the great
obstacles of life?" was
asked of a highly succ-
essful man. "The other
obstacles," he replied.



- 16 -
assort s and answers much of my personal mai l . She
began i n my empl oy more t han t hree years ago. Then
her dut i es were t o t ake di ct at i on when she was asked
t o do so. Her sal ary was about t he same as t hat whi ch
ot hers recei ve for si mi l ar servi ce. One day I di ct at ed
t he fol l owi ng mot t o whi ch I asked her t o t ypewri t e for
me:
Remember t hat your onl y l i mi t at i on i s t he one
t hat you set up i n your own mi nd.
As she handed t he t ypewri t t en page back t o me
she sai d, "Your mot t o has gi ven me an i dea t hat i s
goi ng t o be of val ue t o bot h you and me. "
I t ol d her I was gl ad t o have been of servi ce t o
her. The i nci dent made no part i cul ar i mpressi on on my
mi nd, but from t hat day on I coul d see t hat i t had
made a t remendous i mpressi on on her mi nd. She began
t o come back t o t he offi ce aft er supper and performed
servi ce t hat she was nei t her pai d for nor expect ed t o
perform. Wi t hout anyone t el l i ng her t o do i t she began
t o bri ng t o my desk l et t ers t hat she had answered for
me. She had st udi ed my st yl e and t hese l et t ers were
at t ended t o as wel l as I coul d have done i t ; i n some
i nst ances much bet t er. She kept up t hi s habi t unt i l my
personal secret ary resi gned. When I began t o l ook for
someone t o t ake hi s pl ace, what was more nat ural t han
t o t urn t o t hi s young woman t o fi l l t he pl ace. Before I
had t i me t o gi ve her t he posi t i on she t ook i t on her
i ni t i at i ve. My personal mai l began t o come t o my desk
wi t h a new secret ary' s name at t ached, and she was t hat
secret ary. On her own t i me, aft er hours, wi t hout
addi t i onal pay, she had prepared hersel f for t he best
posi t i on on my st aff.
But t hat i s not al l . Thi s young l ady became so
- 17 -
not i ceabl y effi ci ent t hat she began t o at t ract t he
at t ent i on of ot hers who offered her at t ract i ve
posi t i ons. I have i ncreased her sal ary many t i mes and
she now recei ves a sal ary more t han four t i mes as
l arge as t he amount she recei ved when she fi rst went
t o work for me as an ordi nary st enographer, and, t o
t el l you t he t rut h, I am hel pl ess i n t he mat t er, because
she has made hersel f so val uabl e t o me t hat I cannot
get al ong wi t hout her.
That i s i ni t i at i ve t ransformed i nt o pract i cal ,
underst andabl e t erms. I woul d be remi ss i n my dut i es
i f I fai l ed t o di rect your at t ent i on t o an advant age,
ot her t han a great l y i ncreased sal ary, t hat t hi s young
l ady' s i ni t i at i ve has brought her. It has devel oped i n
her a spi ri t of cheerful ness t hat bri ngs her happi ness
whi ch most st enographers never know. Her work i s not
work-i t i s a great i nt erest i ng game at whi ch she i s
pl ayi ng. Even t hough she arri ves at t he offi ce ahead of
t he regul ar st enographers and remai ns t here l ong aft er
t hey have wat ched t he cl ock t i ck off f i ve o' cl ock and
qui t t i ng t i me, her hours are short er by far t han are
t hose of t he ot her workers. Hours of l abor do not drag
on t he hands of t hose who are happy at t hei r work.
Thi s bri ngs us t o t he next st ep i n our descri pt i on
of t he exact procedure t hat you must fol l ow i n
devel opi ng i ni t i at i ve and l eadershi p.
Second: You of course underst and t hat t he onl y
way t o get happi ness i s by gi vi ng i t away, t o ot hers.
The same appl i es t o t he devel opment of i ni t i at i ve.
You can best devel op t hi s essent i al qual i t y i n yoursel f
by maki ng i t your busi ness t o i nt erest t hose around
you i n doi ng t he same. It i s a wel l known fact t hat a
- 18 -
man l earns best t hat whi ch he endeavors t o t each
ot hers. If a man embraces a cert ai n creed or rel i gi ous
fai t h, t he fi rst t hi ng he does i s t o go out and t ry t o
"sel l " i t t o ot hers. And i n exact proport i on t o t he
ext ent t o whi ch he i mpresses ot hers does he i mpress
hi msel f .
In t he fi el d of sal esmanshi p i t i s a wel l known
fact t hat no sal esman i s successful i n sel l i ng ot hers
unt i l he has fi rst made a good j ob of sel l i ng hi msel f .
St at ed conversel y, no sal esman can do hi s best t o sel l
ot hers wi t hout sooner or l at er sel l i ng hi msel f t hat
whi ch he i s t ryi ng t o sel l t o ot hers.
Any st at ement t hat a person repeat s over and over
agai n for t he purpose of i nduci ng ot hers t o bel i eve i t ,
he, al so, wi l l come t o bel i eve, and t hi s hol ds good
whet her t he st at ement i s fal se or t rue.
You can now see t he advant age of maki ng i t your
busi ness t o t al k i ni t i at i ve, t hi nk i ni t i at i ve, eat
i ni t i at i ve, sl eep i ni t i at i ve and pract i ce i ni t i at i ve. By
so doi ng you are becomi ng a person of i ni t i at i ve and
l eadershi p, for i t i s a wel l known fact t hat peopl e wi l l
readi l y, wi l l i ngl y and vol unt ari l y fol l ow t he person
who shows by hi s act i ons t hat he i s a person of
i ni t i at i ve.
In t he pl ace where you work or t he communi t y i n
whi ch you l i ve you come i n cont act wi t h ot her peopl e.
Make i t your busi ness t o i nt erest every one of t hem
who wi l l l i st en t o you, i n t he devel opment of
i ni t i at i ve. It wi l l not be necessary for you t o gi ve your
reasons for doi ng t hi s, nor wi l l i t be necessary for you
t o announce t he fact t hat you are doi ng i t . Just go
ahead and do i t . In your own mi nd you wi l l
underst and, of course, t hat you are doi ng i t because
- 19 -
t hi s pract i ce wi l l hel p you and wi l l , at l east , do t hose
whom you i nfl uence i n t he same pract i ce no harm.
If you wi sh t o t ry an experi ment t hat wi l l prove
bot h i nt erest i ng and profi t able t o you, pi ck out some
person of your acquai nt ance whom you know t o be a
person who never does anyt hi ng t hat he i s not
expect ed t o do, and begi n sel l i ng hi m your i dea of
i ni t i at i ve. Do not st op by merel y di scussi ng t he
subj ect once; keep i t up every t i me you have a
conveni ent opport uni t y. Approach t he subj ect from a
di fferent angl e each t i me. If you go at t hi s experi ment
i n a t act ful and forceful manner you wi l l soon observe
a change i n t he person on whom you are t ryi ng t he
experi ment .
And, you wi l l observe somet hi ng el se of more
i mport ance st i l l : You wi l l observe a change i n
yoursel f !
Do not fai l t o t ry t hi s experi ment .
You cannot t al k i ni t i at i ve t o ot hers wi t hout
devel opi ng a desi re t o pract i ce i t yoursel f. Through
t he operat i on of t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on
every st at ement t hat you make t o ot hers l eaves i t s
i mpri nt on your own subconsci ous mi nd, and t hi s
hol ds good whet her your st at ement s are fal se or t rue.
You have oft en heard t he sayi ng: "He who l i ves
by t he sword wi l l di e by t he sword. "
Properl y i nt erpret ed, t hi s si mpl y means t hat we
are const ant l y at t ract i ng t o oursel ves and weavi ng i nt o
our own charact ers and personal i t i es t hose qual i t i es
whi ch our i nfl uence i s hel pi ng t o creat e i n ot hers. If
we hel p ot hers devel op t he habi t of i ni t i at i ve, we, i n
t urn, devel op t hi s same habi t . If we sow t he seeds of
hat red and envy and di scouragement i n ot hers, we, i n
t urn, devel op t hese qual i t i es i n oursel ves. Thi s
pri nci pl e t hrough whi ch a man comes t o resembl e i n
- 20 -
hi s own nat ure t hose whom he most admi res i s ful l y
brought out i n Hawt horne' s st ory, The Great St one
Face, a st ory t hat every parent shoul d have hi s
offspri ng read.
We come, now, t o t he next st ep i n our descri pt i on
of t he exact procedure t hat you must fol l ow i n
devel opi ng i ni t i at i ve and l eadershi p.
Thi rd: Before we go furt her l et i t be underst ood
what i s meant by t he t erm "Leadershi p, " as i t i s used
i n connect i on wi t h t hi s Readi ng Course on t he Law of
Success. There are t wo brands of l eadershi p, and one
of t hem i s as deadl y and dest ruct i ve as t he ot her i s
hel pful and const ruct i ve. The deadl y brand, whi ch
l eads not t o success, but t o absol ut e f ai l ure, i s t he
brand adopt ed by pseudo-l eaders who f orce t hei r
l eadershi p on unwi l l i ng fol l owers. It wi l l not be
necessary here t o descri be t hi s brand or t o poi nt out
t he fi el ds of endeavor i n whi ch i t i s pract i ced, wi t h
t he except i on of t he fi el d of war, and i n t hi s fi el d we
wi l l ment i on but one not abl e exampl e, t hat of
Napol eon.
Napol eon was a l eader; t here can be no doubt
about t hi s, but he l ed hi s fol l owers and hi msel f t o
dest ruct i on. The det ai l s are recorded i n t he hi st ory of
France and t he French peopl e, where you may st udy
t hem i f you choose.
It i s not Napol eon' s brand of l eadershi p t hat i s
recommended i n t hi s course, al t hough I wi l l admi t t hat
Napol eon possessed al l t he necessary fundament al s for
great l eadershi p, except i ng one-he l acked t he spi ri t of
hel pful ness t o ot hers as an obj ect i ve. Hi s desi re for
t he power t hat comes t hrough l eadershi p was based
sol el y upon sel f-aggrandi zement . Hi s desi re for
l eadershi p was bui l t upon personal ambi t i on and not
- 21 -




CHERISH your visions
and your dreams as they
are the children of your
soul; the blue-prints of
your ultimate achieve-
ments.

- 22 -
upon t he desi re t o l i ft t he French peopl e t o a hi gher
and nobl er st at i on i n t he affai rs of nat i ons.
The brand of l eadershi p t hat i s recommended
t hrough t hi s course of i nst ruct i on i s t he brand whi ch
l eads t o sel f-det ermi nat i on and freedom and sel f-
devel opment and enl i ght enment and j ust i ce. Thi s i s
t he brand t hat endures. For exampl e, and as a cont rast
wi t h t he brand of l eadershi p t hrough whi ch Napol eon
rai sed hi msel f i nt o promi nence, consi der our own
Ameri can commoner, Li ncoln. The obj ect of hi s
l eadershi p was t o bri ng t rut h and j ust i ce and
underst andi ng t o t he peopl e of t he Uni t ed St at es. Even
t hough he di ed a mart yr t o hi s bel i ef i n t hi s brand of
l eadershi p, hi s name has been engraved upon t he heart
of t he worl d i n t erms of l ovi ng ki ndl i ness t hat wi l l
never bri ng aught but good t o t he worl d.
Bot h Li ncol n and Napol eon l ed armi es i n warfare,
but t he obj ect s of t hei r l eadershi p were as di fferent as
ni ght i s di fferent from day. If i t woul d gi ve you a
bet t er underst andi ng of t he pri nci pl es upon whi ch t hi s
Readi ng Course i s based, you coul d easi l y be ci t ed t o
l eadershi p of t oday whi ch resembl es bot h t he brand
t hat Napol eon empl oyed and t hat whi ch Li ncol n made
t he foundat i on of hi s l i fe-work, but t hi s i s not
essent i al ; your own abi l i t y t o l ook around and anal yze
men who t ake t he l eadi ng part s i n al l l i nes of
endeavor i s suffi ci ent t o enabl e you t o pi ck out t he
Li ncol n as wel l as t he Napol eon t ypes. Your own
j udgment wi l l hel p you deci de whi ch t ype you prefer
t o emul at e.
There can be no doubt i n your mi nd as t o t he
brand of l eadershi p t hat i s recommended i n t hi s
Readi ng Course, and t here shoul d be no quest i on i n
- 23 -
your mi nd as t o whi ch of t he t wo brands descri bed you
wi l l adopt as your brand. We make no
recommendat i ons on t hi s subj ect , however, for t he
reason t hat t hi s Readi ng Course has been prepared as
a means of l ayi ng before i t s st udent s t he fundament al
pri nci pl es upon whi ch power i s devel oped, and not as
a preachment on et hi cal conduct . We present bot h t he
const ruct i ve and t he dest ruct i ve possi bi l i t i es of t he
pri nci pl es out l i ned i n t hi s course, t hat you may
become fami l i ar wi t h bot h, but we l eave ent i rel y t o
your own di scret i on t he choi ce and appl i cat i on of
t hese pri nci pl es, bel i evi ng t hat your own i nt el l i gence
wi l l gui de you t o make a wi se sel ect i on.

THE PENALTY OF LEADERSHIP*

In every fi el d of human endeavor, he t hat i s fi rst
must perpet ual l y l i ve i n t he whi t e l i ght of publ i ci t y.
Whet her t he l eadershi p be vest ed i n a man or i n a
manufact ured product , emul at i on and envy are ever at
work.
In art , i n l i t erat ure, i n musi c, i n i ndust ry, t he
reward and t he puni shment are al ways t he same. The
reward i s wi despread recogni t i on; t he puni shment s
fi erce deni al and det ract i on.
When a man' s work becomes a st andard for t he
whol e worl d, i t al so becomes a t arget for t he shaft s of
t he envi ous few. If hi s work be merel y medi ocre, he
wi l l be l eft severel y al one - i f he achi eve a
mast erpi ece, i t wi l l set a mi l l i on t ongues a-waggi ng.
Jeal ousy does not prot rude i t s forked t ongue at
t he art i st who produces a commonpl ace pai nt i ng.

*( Wi t h t he compl i ment s of t he Cadi l l ac Mot or Car Co. )
- 24 -
What soever you wri t e, or pai nt , or pl ay, or si ng
or bui l d, no one wi l l st ri ve t o surpass or sl ander you,
unl ess your work be st amped wi t h t he seal of a geni us.
Long, l ong aft er a great work or a good work has
been done, t hose who are di sappoi nt ed or envi ous
cont i nue t o cry out t hat i t cannot be done.
Mean voi ces were rai sed agai nst t he aut hor of t he
Law of Success before t he i nk was dry on t he fi rst
t ext books. Poi soned pens were rel eased agai nst bot h
t he aut hor and t he phi l osophy t he moment t he fi rst
edi t i on of t he course was pri nt ed.
Spi t eful l i t t l e voi ces i n t he domai n of art were
rai sed agai nst our own Whi st l er as a mount ebank, l ong
aft er t he bi g worl d accl ai med hi m i t s great est art i st i c
geni us.
Mul t i t udes fl ocked t o Beyreut h t o worshi p at t he
musi cal shri ne of Wagner, whi l e t he l i t t l e group of
t hose whom he had det hroned and di spl aced argued
angri l y t hat he was no musi ci an at al l .
The l i t t l e worl d cont i nued t o prot est t hat Ful t on
coul d never bui l d a st eamboat , whi l e t he bi g worl d
fl ocked t o t he ri ver banks t o see hi s boat st eam by.
Smal l , narrow voi ces cri ed out t hat Henry Ford
woul d not l ast anot her year, but above and beyond t he
di n of t hei r chi l di sh prat t l e Ford went si l ent l y about
hi s busi ness and made hi msel f t he ri chest and most
powerful man on eart h.
The l eader i s assai l ed because he i s a l eader, and
t he effort t o equal hi m i s merel y added proof of hi s
l eadershi p.
Fai l i ng t o equal or t o excel , t he fol l ower seeks t o
depreci at e and t o dest roy - but onl y confi rms t he
superi ori t y of t hat whi ch he st ri ves t o suppl ant .
There i s not hi ng new i n t hi s.
- 25 -
It i s as ol d as t he worl d and as ol d as t he human
passi ons - envy, fear, greed, ambi t i on and t he desi re
t o surpass.
And i t al l avai l s not hi ng.
If t he l eader t rul y l eads, he remai ns t he LEADER!
Mast er-poet , mast er-pai nt er, mast er-workman,
each i n hi s t urn i s assai l ed, and each hol ds hi s l aurel s
t hrough t he ages.
That whi ch i s good or great makes i t sel f known,
no mat t er how l oud t he cl amor of deni al .
A real l eader cannot be sl andered or damaged by
l i es of t he envi ous, because al l such at t empt s serve
onl y t o t urn t he spot -l i ght on hi s abi l i t y, and real
abi l i t y al ways fi nds a generous fol l owi ng.
At t empt s t o dest roy real Leadershi p i s l ove' s
l abor l ost , because t hat whi ch deserves t o l i ve, l i ves!

We come back, now, t o t he di scussi on of t he t hi rd
st ep of t he procedure t hat you must fol l ow i n
devel opi ng i ni t i at i ve and l eadershi p. Thi s t hi rd st ep
t akes us back for a revi ew of t he pri nci pl e of
organi zed ef f ort , as descri bed i n t he precedi ng l essons
of t hi s course.
You have al ready l earned t hat no man can
accompl i sh enduri ng resul t s of a far-reachi ng nat ure
wi t hout t he ai d and co-operat i on of ot hers. You have
al ready l earned t hat when t wo or more persons al l y
t hemsel ves i n any undert aki ng, i n a spi ri t of harmony
and underst andi ng, each person i n t he al l i ance t hereby
mul t i pl i es hi s own powers of achi evement . Nowhere i s
t hi s pri nci pl e more evi denced t han i t i s i n an i ndust ry
or busi ness i n whi ch t here i s perfect t eam-work be-
- 26 -
t ween t he empl oyer and t he empl oyees. Wherever you
fi nd t hi s t eam-work you fi nd prosperi t y and goodwi l l
on bot h si des.
Co-operat i on i s sai d t o be t he most i mport ant
word i n t he Engl i sh l anguage. It pl ays an i mport ant
part i n t he affai rs of t he home, i n t he rel at i onshi p of
man and wi fe, parent s and chi l dren. It pl ays an
i mport ant part i n t he affai rs of st at e. So i mport ant i s
t hi s pri nci pl e of co-operat i on t hat no l eader can
become powerful or l ast l ong who does not underst and
and appl y i t i n hi s l eadershi p.
Lack of Co-operat i on has dest royed more
busi ness ent erpri ses t han have al l ot her causes
combi ned. In my t went y-fi ve years of act i ve busi ness
experi ence and observat i on I have wi t nessed t he
dest ruct i on of al l manner of busi ness ent erpri ses
because of di ssensi on and l ack of appl i cat i on of t hi s
pri nci pl e of Co-operat i on. In t he pract i ce of l aw I
have observed t he dest ruct i on of homes and di vorce
cases wi t hout end as a resul t of t he l ack of Co-
operat i on bet ween man and wi fe. In t he st udy of t he
hi st ori es of nat i ons i t becomes al armi ngl y obvi ous
t hat l ack of Co-operat i ve effort has been a curse t o t he
human race al l back down t he ages. Turn back t he
pages of t hese hi st ori es and st udy t hem and you wi l l
l earn a l esson i n Co-operat i on, t hat wi l l i mpress i t sel f
i ndel i bl y upon your mi nd.
You are payi ng, and your chi l dren and your
chi l dren' s chi l dren wi l l cont i nue t o pay, for t he cost of
t he most expensi ve and dest ruct i ve war t he worl d has
ever known, because nat i ons have not yet l earned t hat
a part of t he worl d cannot suffer wi t hout damage and
sufferi ng t o t he whol e worl d.
- 27 -

SERVICE, Sacrifice
and Self-Control are
three words which
must be well under-
stood by the person
who succeeds in doing
something that is of
help to the world.

- 28 -
Thi s same rul e appl i es, wi t h t el l i ng effect , i n t he
conduct of modern busi ness and i ndust ry. When an
i ndust ry becomes di sorgani zed and t orn asunder by
st ri kes and ot her forms of di sagreement , bot h t he
empl oyers and empl oyees suffer i rreparabl e l oss. But ,
t he damage does not st op here; t hi s l oss becomes a
burden t o t he publ i c and t akes on t he form of hi gher
pri ces and scarci t y of t he necessi t i es of l i fe.
The peopl e of t he Uni t ed St at es who rent t hei r
homes are feel i ng t he burden, at t hi s very moment , of
l ack of co-operat i on bet ween cont ract ors and bui l ders
and t he workers. So uncert ai n has t he rel at i onshi p
bet ween t he cont ract ors and t hei r empl oyees become
t hat t he cont ract ors wi l l not undert ake a bui l di ng
wi t hout addi ng t o t he cost an arbi t rary sum suffi ci ent
t o prot ect t hem i n t he event of l abor t roubl es. Thi s
addi t i onal cost i ncreases rent s and pl aces unnecessary
burdens upon t he backs of mi l l i ons of peopl e. In t hi s
i nst ance t he l ack of co-operat i on bet ween a few men
pl aces heavy and al most unbearabl e burdens upon
mi l l i ons of peopl e.
The same evi l exi st s i n t he operat i on of our
rai l roads. Lack of harmony and co-operat i on bet ween
t he rai l road management and t he workers has made i t
necessary for t he rai l roads t o i ncrease t hei r frei ght
and passenger rat es, and t hi s, i n t urn, has i ncreased
t he cost of l i fe' s necessi t i es t o al most unbearabl e
proport i ons. Here, agai n, l ack of co-operat i on bet ween
a few l eads t o hardshi p for mi l l i ons of peopl e.
These fact s are ci t ed wi t hout effort or desi re t o
pl ace t he responsi bi l i t y for t hi s l ack of co-operat i on,
si nce t he obj ect of t hi s Readi ng Course i s t o hel p i t s
st udent s get at fact s.
- 29 -
It may be t rut hful l y st at ed t hat t he hi gh cost of
l i vi ng t hat everywhere mani fest s i t sel f t oday has
grown out of l ack of appl i cat i on of t he pri nci pl e of
co-operat i ve l eadershi p. Those who wi sh t o decry
present syst ems of government and i ndust ri al
management may do so, but i n t he fi nal anal ysi s i t
becomes obvi ous t o al l except t hose who are not
seeki ng t he t rut h t hat t he evi l s of government and of
i ndust ry have grown out of l ack of co-operat i on.
Nor can i t be t rut hful l y sai d t hat al l t he evi l s of
t he worl d are confi ned t o t he affai rs of st at e and
i ndust ry. Take a l ook at t he churches and you wi l l
observe t he damagi ng effect s of l ack of co-operat i on.
No part i cul ar church i s ci t ed, but anal yze any church
or group of churches where l ack of co-ordi nat i on of
effort prevai l s and you wi l l see evi dence of
di si nt egrat i on t hat l i mi t s t he servi ce t hose churches
coul d render. For exampl e, t ake t he average t own or
smal l ci t y where ri val ry has sprung up bet ween t he
churches and not i ce what has happened; especi al l y
t hose t owns i n whi ch t he number of churches i s far out
of proport i on t o t he popul at i on.
Through harmoni zed effort and t hrough co-
operat i on, t he churches of t he worl d coul d wi el d
suffi ci ent i nfl uence t o render war an i mpossi bi l i t y.
Through t hi s same pri nci pl e of co-operat i ve effort t he
churches and t he l eaders of busi ness and i ndust ry
coul d el i mi nat e rascal i t y and sharp pract i ces, and al l
t hi s coul d be brought about speedi l y.
These possi bi l i t i es are not ment i oned i n a spi ri t
of cri t i ci sm, but onl y as a means of i l l ust rat i ng t he
power of co-operat i on, and t o emphasi ze my bel i ef i n
t he pot ent i al power of t he churches of t he worl d. So
- 30 -
t here wi l l be no possi bi l i t y of mi si nt erpret at i on of my
meani ng i n t he reference t hat I have here made t o t he
churches I wi l l repeat t hat whi ch I have so oft en sai d
i n person; namel y, t hat had i t not been for t he
i nfl uence of t he churches no man woul d be safe i n
wal ki ng down t he st reet . Men woul d be at each ot her' s
t hroat l i ke wol ves and ci vi l i zat i on woul d st i l l be i n
t he pre-hi st ori c age. My compl ai nt i s not agai nst t he
work t hat t he churches have done, but t he work t hat
t hey coul d have done t hrough l eadershi p t hat was
based upon t he pri nci pl e of co-ordi nat ed, co-operat i ve
effort whi ch woul d have carri ed ci vi l i zat i on at l east a
t housand years ahead of where i t i s t oday. It i s not yet
t oo l at e for such l eadershi p.
That you may more ful l y grasp t he fundament al
pri nci pl e of co-operat i ve effort you are urged t o go t o
t he publ i c l i brary and read The Sci ence of Power, by
Benj ami n Ki dd. Out of scores of vol umes by some of
t he soundest t hi nkers of t he worl d t hat I have read
duri ng t he past fi ft een years, no si ngl e vol ume has
gi ven me such a ful l underst andi ng of t he possi bi l i t i es
of co-operat i ve effort as has t hi s book. In
recommendi ng t hat you read t hi s book i t i s not my
purpose t o endorse t he book i n i t s ent i ret y, for i t
offers some t heori es wi t h whi ch I am not i n accord. If
you read i t , do so wi t h an open mi nd and t ake from i t
onl y t hat whi ch you feel you can use t o advant age i n
achi evi ng t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m. The
book wi l l st i mul at e t hought , whi ch i s t he great est
servi ce t hat any book can render. As a mat t er of fact
t he chi ef obj ect of t hi s Readi ng Course on t he Law of
Success i s t o st i mul at e del i berat e t hought : part i cul arl y
t hat brand of t hought t hat i s free from bi as and
- 31 -
prej udi ce and i s seeki ng t rut h no mat t er where or how
or when i t may be found.
Duri ng t he Worl d War I was fort unat e enough t o
l i st en t o a great sol di er' s anal ysi s of how t o be a
l eader. Thi s anal ysi s was gi ven t o t he st udent -offi cers
of t he Second Trai ni ng Camp at Fort Sheri dan, by
Maj or C. A. Bach, a qui et , unassumi ng army offi cer
act i ng as an i nst ruct or. I have preserved a copy of t hi s
address because I bel i eve i t t o be one of t he fi nest
l essons on l eadershi p ever recorded.
The wi sdom of Maj or Bach' s address i s so vi t al t o
t he busi ness man aspi ri ng t o l eadershi p, or t o t he
sect i on boss, or t o t he st enographer, or t o t he foreman
of t he shop, or t o t he presi dent of t he works, t hat I
have preserved i t as a part of t hi s Readi ng Course. It
i s my earnest hope t hat t hrough t he agency of t hi s
course t hi s remarkabl e di ssert at i on on l eadershi p wi l l
fi nd i t s way i nt o t he hands of every empl oyer and
every worker and every ambit i ous person who aspi res
t o l eadershi p i n any wal k of l i fe. The pri nci pl es upon
whi ch t he address i s based are as appl i cabl e t o
l eadershi p i n busi ness and i ndust ry and fi nance as
t hey are i n t he successful conduct of warfare.
Maj or Bach spoke as fol l ows:
In a short t i me each of you men wi l l cont rol t he
l i ves of a cert ai n number of ot her men. You wi l l have
i n your charge l oyal but unt rai ned ci t i zens, who l ook
t o you for i nst ruct i on and gui dance. Your word wi l l be
t hei r l aw. Your most casual remark wi l l be
remembered. Your manneri sms wi l l be aped. Your
cl ot hi ng, your carri age, your vocabul ary, your manner
of command wi l l be i mi t at ed.
When you j oi n your organi zat i on you wi l l fi nd
- 32 -
t here a wi l l i ng body of men who ask from you not hi ng
more t han t he qual i t i es t hat wi l l command t hei r
respect , t hei r l oyal t y and t hei r obedi ence.

They are perf ect l y ready and eager t o f ol l ow you
so l ong as you can convi nce t hem t hat you have t hese
qual i t i es. When t he t i me comes t hat t hey are sat i sf i ed
you do not possess t hem you mi ght as wel l ki ss
yoursel f good-bye. Your usef ul ness i n t hat
organi zat i on i s at an end.

[How remarkabl y t rue t hi s i s i n al l manner of
l eadershi p. ]
From t he st andpoi nt of soci et y, t he worl d may be
di vi ded i nt o l eaders and fol l owers. The professi ons
have t hei r l eaders, t he fi nanci al worl d has i t s l eaders.
In al l t hi s l eadershi p i t i s di ffi cul t , i f not i mpossi bl e,
t o separat e from t he el ement of pure l eadershi p t hat
sel fi sh el ement of personal gai n or advant age t o t he
i ndi vi dual , wi t hout whi ch any l eadershi p woul d l ose
i t s val ue.
It i s i n mi l i t ary servi ce onl y, where men freel y
sacri fi ce t hei r l i ves for a fai t h, where men are wi l l i ng
t o suffer and di e for t he ri ght or t he prevent i on of a
wrong, t hat we can hope t o real i ze l eadershi p i n i t s
most exal t ed and di si nt erest ed sense. Therefore, when
I say l eadershi p, I mean mi l i t ary l eadershi p.
In a few days t he great mass of you men wi l l
recei ve commi ssi ons as offi cers. These commi ssi ons
wi l l not make you l eaders; t hey wi l l merel y make you
offi cers. They wi l l pl ace you i n a posi t i on where you
can become l eaders i f you possess t he proper
at t ri but es. But you must make good, not so much wi t h
t he men over you as wi t h t he men under you.
- 33 -

MAKE excuses for
the shortcomings of
others, if you wish,
but hold yourself to
a strict account-
ability if you would
attain leadership in
any undertaking.

- 34 -
Men must and wi l l fol l ow i nt o bat t l e offi cers who
are not l eaders, but t he dri vi ng power behi nd t hese
men i s not ent husi asm but di sci pl i ne. They go wi t h
doubt and t rembl i ng t hat prompt s t he unspoken
quest i on, "What wi l l he do next ?" Such men obey t he
l et t er of t hei r orders but no more. Of devot i on t o t hei r
commander, of exal t ed ent husi asm whi ch scorns
personal ri sk, of sel f -sacri f i ce t o i nsure hi s personal
safet y, t hey know not hi ng. Thei r l egs carry t hem
forward because t hei r brai n and t hei r t rai ni ng t el l
t hem t hey must go. Thei r spi ri t does not go wi t h t hem.

Great resul t s are not achi eved by col d, passi ve,
unresponsi ve sol di ers. They don' t go very f ar and t hey
st op as soon as t hey can. Leadershi p not onl y demands
but recei ves t he wi l l i ng, unhesi t at i ng, unf al t eri ng
obedi ence and l oyal t y of ot her men; and a devot i on
t hat wi l l cause t hem, when t he t i me comes, t o f ol l ow
t hei r uncrowned ki ng t o hel l and back agai n, i f
necessary.

You wi l l ask yoursel ves: "Of j ust what , t hen, does
l eadershi p consi st ? What must I do t o become a
l eader? What are t he at t ri but es of l eadershi p, and how
can I cul t i vat e t hem?"
Leadershi p i s a composi t e of a number of
qual i t i es. [Just as success i s a composi t e of t he fi ft een
fact ors out of whi ch t hi s Readi ng Course was bui l t . ]
Among t he most i mport ant I woul d l i st Sel f-
confi dence, Moral Ascendency, Sel f-Sacri fi ce,
Pat ernal i sm, Fai rness, Ini t i at i ve, Deci si on, Di gni t y,
Courage.
Sel f -conf i dence resul t s, fi rst , from exact know-
l edge; second, t he abi l i t y t o i mpart t hat knowl edge;
- 35 -
and t hi rd, t he feel i ng of superi ori t y over ot hers t hat
nat ural l y fol l ows. Al l t hese gi ve t he offi cer poi se. To
l ead, you must know! You may bl uff al l of your men
some of t he t i me, but you can' t do i t al l t he t i me. Men
wi l l not have confi dence i n an offi cer unl ess he knows
hi s busi ness, and he must know i t from t he ground up.
The offi cer shoul d know more about paper work
t han hi s fi rst sergeant and company cl erk put t oget her;
he shoul d know more about messi ng t han hi s mess
sergeant ; more about di seases of t he horse t han hi s
t roop farri er. He shoul d be at l east as good a shot as
any man i n hi s company.
If t he offi cer does not know, and demonst rat es t he
fact t hat he does not know, i t i s ent i rel y human for t he
sol di er t o say t o hi msel f, "To hel l wi t h hi m. He
doesn' t know as much about t hi s as I do, " and cal ml y
di sregard t he i nst ruct i ons recei ved.
There i s no subst i t ut e f or accurat e knowl edge!
Become so wel l i nformed t hat men wi l l hunt you
up t o ask quest i ons; t hat your brot her offi cers wi l l say
t o one anot her, "Ask Smi t h - he knows. "
And not onl y shoul d each offi cer know
t horoughl y t he dut i es of hi s own grade, but he shoul d
st udy t hose of t he t wo grades next above hi m. A t wo-
fol d benefi t at t aches t o t hi s. He prepares hi msel f for
dut i es whi ch may fal l t o hi s l ot any t i me duri ng bat t l e;
he furt her gai ns a broader vi ewpoi nt whi ch enabl es
hi m t o appreci at e t he necessi t y for t he i ssuance of
orders and j oi n more i nt el l i gent l y i n t hei r execut i on.
Not onl y must t he of f i cer know but he must be
abl e t o put what he knows i nt o grammat i cal ,
i nt erest i ng, f orcef ul Engl i sh. He must l earn t o st and
on hi s f eet and speak wi t hout embarrassment .
- 36 -
I am t ol d t hat i n Bri t i sh t rai ni ng camps st udent -
offi cers are requi red t o del i ver t en mi nut e t al ks on any
subj ect t hey choose. That i s excel l ent pract i ce. For t o
speak cl earl y one must t hi nk cl earl y, and cl ear,
l ogi cal t hi nki ng expresses i t sel f i n defi ni t e, posi t i ve
orders.
Whi l e sel f-confi dence i s t he resul t of knowi ng
more t han your men, Moral Ascendency over t hem i s
based upon your bel i ef t hat you are t he bet t er man. To
gai n and mai nt ai n t hi s ascendency you must have sel f-
cont rol , physi cal vi t al i t y and endurance and moral
force. You must have yoursel f so wel l i n hand t hat ,
even t hough i n bat t l e you be scared st i ff, you wi l l
never show fear. For i f by so much as a hurri ed
movement or a t rembl i ng of t he hands, or a change of
expressi on, or a hast y order hast i l y revoked, you
i ndi cat e your ment al condi t i on i t wi l l be refl ect ed i n
your men i n a far great er degree.
In garri son or camp many i nst ances wi l l ari se t o
t ry your t emper and wreck t he sweet ness of your
di sposi t i on. If at such t i mes you "fl y off t he handl e"
you have no busi ness t o be i n charge of men. For men
i n anger say and do t hi ngs t hat t hey al most i nvari abl y
regret aft erward.
An of f i cer shoul d never apol ogi ze t o hi s men;
al so an of f i cer shoul d never be gui l t y of an act f or
whi ch hi s sense of j ust i ce t el l s hi m he shoul d
apol ogi ze.
Anot her el ement i n gai ni ng Moral Ascendency
l i es i n t he possessi on of enough physi cal vi t al i t y and
endurance t o wi t hst and t he hardshi ps t o whi ch you and
your men are subj ect ed, and a daunt l ess spi ri t t hat
enabl es you not onl y t o accept t hem cheerful l y but t o
mi ni mi ze t hei r magni t ude.
- 37 -
Make l i ght of your t roubl es, bel i t t l e your t ri al s
and you wi l l hel p vi t al l y t o bui l d up wi t hi n your
organi zat i on an espri t whose val ue i n t i me of st ress
cannot be measured.
Moral f orce i s t he t hi rd el ement i n gai ni ng Moral
Ascendency. To exert moral force you must l i ve cl ean;
you must have suffi ci ent brai n power t o see t he ri ght
and t he wi l l t o do ri ght .

Be an exampl e t o your men!

An offi cer can be a power for good or a power for
evi l . Don' t preach t o t hem - t hat wi l l be worse t han
usel ess. Li ve t he ki nd of l i fe you woul d have t hem
l ead, and you wi l l be surpri sed t o see t he number t hat
wi l l i mi t at e you.
A l oud-mout hed, profane capt ai n who i s carel ess
of hi s personal appearance wi l l have a l oud-mout hed,
profane, di rt y company. Remember what I t el l you.
Your company wi l l be t he ref l ect i on of yoursel f ! If you
have a rot t en company i t wi l l be because you are a
rot t en capt ai n.
Sel f -sacri f i ce i s essent i al t o l eadershi p. You wi l l
gi ve, gi ve, al l t he t i me. You wi l l gi ve of yoursel f
physi cal l y, for t he l ongest hours, t he hardest work and
t he great est responsi bi l i t y are t he l ot of t he capt ai n.
He i s t he fi rst man up i n t he morni ng and t he l ast man
i n at ni ght . He works whi l e ot hers sl eep.
You wi l l gi ve of yoursel f ment al l y, i n sympat hy
and appreci at i on for t he t roubl es of men i n your
charge. Thi s one' s mot her has di ed, and t hat one has
l ost al l hi s savi ngs i n a bank fai l ure. They may desi re
hel p, but more t han anyt hi ng el se t hey desi re
sympat hy. Don' t make t he mi st ake of t urni ng such men
- 38 -
down wi t h t he st at ement t hat you have t roubl es of
your own, for every t i me you do t hat you knock a
st one out o f t he f oundat i on of your house.
Your men are your foundat i on, and your house of
l eadershi p wi l l t umbl e about your ears unl ess i t rest s
securel y upon t hem. Fi nal l y, you wi l l gi ve of your
own sl ender fi nanci al resources. You wi l l frequent l y
spend your own money t o conserve t he heal t h and
wel l -bei ng of your men or t o assi st t hem when i n
t roubl e. General l y you get your money back. Very
frequent l y you must charge i t off t o profi t and l oss.
Even so, i t i s wort h t he cost .
When I say t hat pat ernal i sm i s essent i al t o
l eadershi p I use t he t erm i n i t s bet t er sense. I do not
now refer t o t hat form of pat ernal i sm whi ch robs men
of i ni t i at i ve, sel f -rel i ance and sel f -respect . I refer t o
t he pat ernal i sm t hat mani fest s i t sel f i n a wat chful care
for t he comfort and wel fare of t hose i n your charge.
Sol di ers are much l i ke chi l dren. You must see
t hat t hey have shel t er, food and cl ot hi ng, t he best t hat
your ut most effort s can provi de. You must see t hat
t hey have food t o eat before you t hi nk of your own;
t hat t hey have each as good a bed as can be provi ded
before you consi der where you wi l l sl eep. You must
be far more sol i ci t ous of t hei r comfort t han of your
own. You must l ook aft er t hei r heal t h. You must
conserve t hei r st rengt h by not demandi ng needl ess
exert i on or usel ess l abor.
And by doi ng al l t hese t hi ngs you are breat hi ng
l i f e i nt o what woul d be ot herwi se a mere machi ne. You
are creat i ng a soul i n your organi zat i on t hat wi l l
make t he mass respond t o you as t hough i t were one
man. And t hat i s espri t .

- 39 -

NO accurate
thinker will judge
another person by
that which the
other person's
enemies say about
him.

- 40 -
And when your organi zat i on has t hi s espri t you
wi l l wake up some morni ng and di scover t hat t he
t abl es have been t urned; t hat i nst ead of your
const ant l y l ooki ng out for t hem t hey have, wi t hout
even a hi nt from you, t aken up t he t ask of l ooki ng out
for you. You wi l l fi nd t hat a det ai l i s al ways t here t o
see t hat your t ent , i f you have one, i s prompt l y
pi t ched; t hat t he most and t he cl eanest beddi ng i s
brought t o your t ent ; t hat from some myst eri ous
source t wo eggs have been added t o your supper when
no one el se has any; t hat an ext ra man i s hel pi ng your
men gi ve your horse a supergroomi ng; t hat your
wi shes are ant i ci pat ed; t hat every man i s "Johnny-on-
t he-spot . " And t hen you have arri ved!
You cannot t reat al l men al i ke! A puni shment t hat
woul d be di smi ssed by one man wi t h a shrug of t he
shoul ders i s ment al angui sh for anot her. A company
commander who, for a gi ven offense, has a st andard
puni shment t hat appl i es t o al l i s ei t her t oo i ndol ent or
t oo st upi d t o st udy t he personal i t y of hi s men. In hi s
case j ust i ce i s cert ai nl y bl i nd.
St udy your men as careful l y as a surgeon st udi es
a di ffi cul t case. And when you are sure of your
di agnosi s appl y t he remedy. And remember t hat you
appl y t he remedy t o effect a cure, not merel y t o see
t he vi ct i m squi rm. It may be necessary t o cut deep,
but when you are sat i sfi ed as t o your di agnosi s don' t
be di vert ed from your purpose by any fal se sympat hy
for t he pat i ent .
Hand i n hand wi t h fai rness i n awardi ng
puni shment wal ks fai rness i n gi vi ng credi t . Everybody
hat es a human hog. When one of your men has
accompl i shed an especi al l y credi t abl e pi ece of work
- 41 -
see t hat he get s t he proper reward. Turn heaven and
eart h upsi de down t o get i t f or hi m. Don' t t ry t o t ake i t
away from hi m and hog i t for yoursel f. You may do
t hi s and get away wi t h i t , but you have l ost t he respect
and l oyal t y of your men. Sooner or l at er your brot her
offi cers wi l l hear of i t and shun you l i ke a l eper. In
war t here i s gl ory enough for al l . Gi ve t he man under
you hi s due. The man who al ways t akes and never
gi ves i s not a l eader. He i s a parasi t e.
There i s anot her ki nd of fai rness - t hat whi ch wi l l
prevent an offi cer from abusi ng t he pri vi l eges of hi s
rank. When you exact respect from sol di ers be sure
you t reat t hem wi t h equal respect . Bui l d up t hei r
manhood and sel f-respect . Don' t t ry t o pul l i t down.
For an offi cer t o be overbeari ng and i nsul t i ng i n
t he t reat ment of enl i st ed men i s t he act of a coward.
He t i es t he man t o a t ree wi t h t he ropes of di sci pl i ne
and t hen st ri kes hi m i n t he face knowi ng ful l wel l t hat
t he man cannot st ri ke back.

Consi derat i on, court esy and respect f rom of f i cers
t oward enl i st ed men are not i ncompat i bl e wi t h
di sci pl i ne. They are part s of our di sci pl i ne. Wi t hout
i ni t i at i ve and deci si on no man can expect t o l ead.

In maneuvers you wi l l frequent l y see, when an
emergency ari ses, cert ai n men cal ml y gi ve i nst ant
orders whi ch l at er, on anal ysi s, prove t o be, i f not
exact l y t he ri ght t hi ng, very nearl y t he ri ght t hi ng t o
have done. You wi l l see ot her men i n emergency
become badl y rat t l ed; t hei r brai ns refuse t o work, or
t hey gi ve a hast y order, revoke i t ; gi ve anot her,
revoke t hat ; i n short , show every i ndi cat i on of bei ng
i n a bl ue funk.
Regardi ng t he fi rst man you may say: "That man
- 42 -
i s a geni us. He hasn' t had t i me t o reason t hi s t hi ng
out . He act s i nt ui t i vel y. " Forget i t ! Geni us i s merel y
t he capaci t y for t aki ng i nfi ni t e pai ns. The man who
was ready i s t he man who has prepared hi msel f. He
has st udi ed beforehand t he possi bl e si t uat i ons t hat
mi ght ari se; he has made t ent at i ve pl ans coveri ng such
si t uat i ons. When he i s confront ed by t he emergency he
i s ready t o meet i t . He must have suffi ci ent ment al
al ert ness t o appreci at e t he probl em t hat confront s hi m
and t he power of qui ck reasoni ng t o det ermi ne what
changes are necessary i n hi s al ready formul at ed pl an.
He must al so have t he deci si on t o order t he execut i on
and st i ck t o hi s orders.

Any reasonabl e order i n an emergency i s bet t er
t han no order. The si t uat i on i s t here. Meet i t . It i s
bet t er t o do somet hi ng and do t he wrong t hi ng t han t o
hesi t at e, hunt around f or t he ri ght t hi ng t o do and
wi nd up by doi ng not hi ng at al l . And, havi ng deci ded
on a l i ne of act i on, st i ck t o i t . Don' t vaci l l at e. Men
have no conf i dence i n an of f i cer who doesn' t know hi s
own mi nd.

Occasi onal l y you wi l l be cal l ed upon t o meet a
si t uat i on whi ch no reasonabl e human bei ng coul d
ant i ci pat e. If you have prepared yoursel f t o meet ot her
emergenci es whi ch you coul d ant i ci pat e, t he ment al
t rai ni ng you have t hereby gai ned wi l l enabl e you t o
act prompt l y and wi t h cal mness.
You must frequent l y act wi t hout orders from
hi gher aut hori t y. Ti me wi l l not permi t you t o wai t for
t hem. Here agai n ent ers t he i mport ance of st udyi ng
t he work of offi cers above you. If you have a
comprehensi ve grasp of t he ent i re si t uat i on and can
- 43 -
form an i dea of t he general pl an of your superi ors,
t hat and your previ ous emergency t rai ni ng wi l l enabl e
you t o det ermi ne t hat t he responsi bi l i t y i s yours and
t o i ssue t he necessary orders wi t hout del ay.
The el ement of personal di gni t y i s i mport ant i n
mi l i t ary l eadershi p. Be t he fri end of your men, but do
not become t hei r i nt i mat e. Your men shoul d st and i n
awe of you - not f ear! If your men presume t o become
fami l i ar i t i s your faul t , and not t hei rs. Your act i ons
have encouraged t hem t o do so. And, above al l t hi ngs,
don' t cheapen yoursel f by court i ng t hei r fri endshi p or
curryi ng t hei r favor. They wi l l despi se: you for i t . If
you are wort hy of t hei r l oyal t y and respect and
devot i on t hey wi l l surel y gi ve al l t hese wi t hout
aski ng. If you are not , not hi ng t hat you can do wi l l
wi n t hem.
It i s exceedi ngl y di ffi cul t for an offi cer t o be
di gni fi ed whi l e weari ng a di rt y, spot t ed uni form and a
t hree days' st ubbl e of whi skers on hi s face. Such a
man l acks sel f-respect , and sel f-respect i s an essent i al
of di gni t y.
There may be occasi ons when your work ent ai l s
di rt y cl ot hes and an unshaved face. Your men al l l ook
t hat way. At such t i mes t here i s ampl e reason for your
appearance. In fact , i t woul d be a mi st ake t o l ook t oo
cl ean - t hey woul d t hi nk t hat you were, not doi ng your
share. But as soon as t hi s unusual occasi on has passed
set an exampl e for personal neat ness.
And t hen I woul d ment i on courage. Moral courage
you need as wel l as ment al courage - t hat ki nd of
moral courage whi ch enabl es you t o adhere wi t hout
fal t eri ng t o a det ermi ned course of act i on, whi ch your
- 44 -
j udgment has i ndi cat ed i s t he one best sui t ed t o secure
t he desi red resul t s.
You wi l l fi nd many t i mes, especi al l y i n act i on,
t hat , aft er havi ng i ssued your orders t o do a cert ai n
t hi ng, you wi l l be beset by mi sgi vi ngs and doubt s; you
wi l l see, or t hi nk you see, ot her and bet t er means for
accompl i shi ng t he obj ect sought . You wi l l be st rongl y
t empt ed t o change your orders. Don' t do i t unt i l i t i s
cl earl y mani fest ed t hat your fi rst orders were radi cal l y
wrong. For, i f you do, you wi l l be agai n worri ed by
doubt s as t o t he effi cacy of your second orders.

Every t i me you change your orders wi t hout
obvi ous reason you weaken your aut hori t y and i mpai r
t he conf i dence of your men. Have t he moral courage
t o st and by your order and see i t t hrough.

Moral courage furt her demands t hat you assume
t he responsi bi l i t y for your own act s. If your
subordi nat es have l oyal l y carri ed out your orders and
t he movement you di rect ed i s a fai l ure t he fai l ure i s
yours, not t hei rs. Yours woul d have been t he honor
had i t been successful . Take t he bl ame i f i t resul t s i n
di sast er. Don' t t ry t o shi ft i t t o a subordi nat e and
make hi m t he goat . That i s a cowardl y act .
Furt hermore, you wi l l need moral courage t o
det ermi ne t he fat e of t hose under you. You wi l l
frequent l y be cal l ed upon for recommendat i ons for
promot i on or demot i on of offi cers and non-
commi ssi oned offi cers i n your i mmedi at e command.
Keep cl earl y i n mi nd your personal i nt egri t y and
t he dut y you owe your count ry. Do not l et yoursel f be
defl ect ed from a st ri ct sense of j ust i ce by feel i ngs of
personal fri endshi p. If your own brot her i s your sec-
- 45 -


THERE is something
wrong about the man
whose wife and
children do not greet
him affectionately on
his homecoming.



- 46 -
and l i eut enant , and you fi nd hi m unfi t t o hol d hi s
commi ssi on, el i mi nat e hi m. If you don' t your l ack of
moral courage may resul t i n t he l oss of val uabl e l i ves.
If, on t he ot her hand, you are cal l ed upon for a
recommendat i on concerni ng a man whom, for personal
reasons, you t horoughl y di sl i ke, do not fai l t o do hi m
ful l j ust i ce. Remember t hat your ai m i s t he general
good, not t he sat i sfact i on of an i ndi vi dual grudge.

I am t aki ng i t f or grant ed t hat you have physi cal
courage. I need not t el l you how necessary t hat i s.
Courage i s more t han bravery. Bravery i s f earl essness
- t he absence of f ear. The merest dol t may be brave,
because he l acks t he ment al i t y t o appreci at e hi s
danger; he doesn' t know enough t o be af rai d.

Courage, however, i s t hat fi rmness of spi ri t , t hat
moral backbone whi ch, whi l e ful l y appreci at i ng t he
danger i nvol ved, nevert hel ess goes on wi t h t he
undert aki ng. Bravery i s physi cal ; courage i s ment al
and moral . You may be col d al l over; your hands may
t rembl e; your l egs may quake; your knees be ready t o
gi ve way-t hat i s fear. If, nevert hel ess, you go forward;
i f, i n spi t e of t hi s physi cal defect i on you cont i nue t o
l ead your men agai nst t he enemy, you have courage.
The physi cal mani fest at i ons of fear wi l l pass away.
You may never experi ence t hem but once. They are
t he "buck fever" of t he hunt er who t ri es t o shoot hi s
fi rst deer. You must not gi ve way t o t hem.
A number of years ago, whi l e t aki ng a course i n
demol i t i ons, t he cl ass of whi ch I was a member was
handl i ng dynami t e. The i nst ruct or sai d, regardi ng i t s
mani pul at i on: "I must caut i on you gent l emen t o be
careful i n t he use of t hese expl osi ves. One man has
- 47 -
but one acci dent . " And so I woul d caut i on you. If you
gi ve way t o fear t hat wi l l doubt l ess beset you i n your
fi rst act i on; i f you show t he whi t e feat her; i f you l et
your men go forward whi l e you hunt a shel l crat er,
you wi l l never agai n have t he opport uni t y of l eadi ng
t hose men.
Use j udgment i n cal l i ng on your men for di spl ays
of physi cal courage or bravery. Don' t ask any man t o
go where you woul d not go yoursel f . If your common
sense t el l s you t hat t he pl ace i s t oo dangerous for you
t o vent ure i nt o, t hen i t i s t oo dangerous for hi m. You
know hi s l i fe i s as val uabl e t o hi m as yours i s t o you.

Occasi onal l y some o f your men must be exposed
t o danger whi ch you cannot share. A message must be
t aken across a f i re-swept zone. You cal l f or
vol unt eers. If your men know you and know t hat you
are "ri ght " you wi l l never l ack vol unt eers, f or t hey
wi l l know your heart i s i n your work, t hat you are
gi vi ng your count ry t he best you have, t hat you woul d
wi l l i ngl y carry t he message yoursel f i f you coul d.
Your exampl e and ent husi asm wi l l have i nspi red t hem.

And, l ast l y, i f you aspi re t o l eadershi p, I woul d
urge you t o st udy men.
Get under t hei r ski ns and fi nd out what i s i nsi de.
Some men are qui t e di fferent from what t hey appear t o
be on t he surface. Det ermi ne t he worki ngs of t hei r
mi nd.
Much of General Robert E. Lee' s success as a
l eader may be ascri bed t o hi s abi l i t y as a
psychol ogi st . He knew most of hi s opponent s from
West Poi nt days; knew t he worki ngs of t hei r mi nds;
and he bel i eved t hat t hey woul d do cert ai n t hi ngs
- 48 -
under cert ai n ci rcumst ances. In nearl y every case he
was abl e t o ant i ci pat e t hei r movement s and bl ock t he
execut i on.
You cannot know your opponent i n t hi s war i n t he
same way. But you can know your own men. You can
st udy each t o det ermi ne wherei n l i es hi s st rengt h and
hi s weakness; whi ch man can be rel i ed upon t o t he l ast
gasp and whi ch cannot .
Know your men, know your busi ness, know
yoursel f !

In al l l i t erat ure you wi l l not fi nd a bet t er
descri pt i on of l eadershi p t han t hi s. Appl y i t t o
yoursel f, or t o your busi ness, or t o your professi on, or
t o t he pl ace where you are empl oyed, and you wi l l
observe how wel l i t serves as your gui de.
Maj or Bach' s address i s one t hat mi ght wel l be
del i vered t o every boy and gi rl who graduat es i n hi gh
school . It mi ght wel l be del i vered t o every col l ege
graduat e. It mi ght wel l become t he book of rul es for
every man who i s pl aced i n a posi t i on of l eadershi p
over ot her men, no mat t er i n what cal l i ng, busi ness or
professi on.
In Lesson Two you l earned t he val ue of a def i ni t e
chi ef ai m. Let i t be here emphasi zed t hat your ai m
must be act i ve and not passi ve. A def i ni t e ai m wi l l
never be anyt hi ng el se but a mere wi sh unl ess you
become a person of i ni t i at i ve and aggressi vel y and
persi st ent l y pursue t hat ai m unt i l i t has been ful fi l l ed.
You can get nowhere wi t hout persi st ence, a fact
whi ch cannot be t oo oft en repeat ed.
The di fference bet ween persi st ence and l ack of i t
i s t he same as t he di fference bet ween wi shi ng for a
t hi ng and posi t i vel y det ermi ni ng t o get i t .
- 49 -
To become a person of i ni t i at i ve you must form
t he habi t of aggressi vel y and persi st ent l y fol l owi ng
t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m unt i l you acqui re
i t , whet her t hi s requi res one year or t went y years. You
mi ght as wel l have no def i ni t e chi ef ai m as t o have
such an ai m wi t hout cont i nuous effort t o achi eve i t .
You are not maki ng t he most of t hi s course i f you
do not t ake some st ep each day t hat bri ngs you nearer
real i zat i on of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m. Do not fool
yoursel f, or permi t yoursel f t o be mi sl ed t o bel i eve
t hat t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m wi l l mat t er -
al i ve i f you onl y wai t . The mat eri al i zat i on wi l l come
t hrough your own det ermi nat i on, backed by your own
careful l y l ai d pl ans and your own i ni t i at i ve i n put t i ng
t hose pl ans i nt o act i on, or i t wi l l not come at al l .
One of t he maj or requi si t es for Leadershi p i s t he
power of qui ck and fi rm DECISION!
Anal ysi s of more t han 16, 000 peopl e di scl osed
t he fact t hat Leaders are al ways men of ready
deci si on, even i n mat t ers of smal l i mport ance, whi l e
t he fol l ower i s NEVER a person of qui ck deci si on.
Thi s i s wort h rememberi ng!
The fol l ower, i n what ever wal k of l i fe you fi nd
hi m, i s a man who sel dom knows what he want s. He
vaci l l at es, procrast i nat es, and act ual l y refuses t o
reach a deci si on, even i n mat t ers of t he smal l est
i mport ance, unl ess a Leader i nduces hi m t o do so.
To know t hat t he maj ori t y of peopl e cannot and
wi l l not reach deci si ons qui ckl y, i f at al l , i s of great
hel p t o t he Leader who knows what he want s and has a
pl an for get t i ng i t .
Here i t wi l l be observed how cl osel y al l i ed are
t he t wo l aws covered by Lesson Two and t hi s l esson.
- 50 -
The Leader not onl y works wi t h A DEFINITE CHIEF
AIM, but he has a very defi ni t e pl an for at t ai ni ng t he
obj ect of t hat ai m. It wi l l be seen, al so, t hat t he Law
of Sel f-confi dence becomes an i mport ant part of t he
worki ng equi pment of t he Leader.
The chi ef reason why t he fol l ower does not reach
deci si ons i s t hat he l acks t he Sel f-confi dence t o do so.
Every Leader makes use of t he Law of a Defi ni t e
Purpose, t he Law of Sel f-confi dence and t he Law of
Ini t i at i ve and Leadershi p. And i f he i s an out st andi ng,
successful Leader he makes use, al so, of t he Laws of
Imagi nat i on, Ent husi asm, Sel f-Cont rol , Pl easi ng
Personal i t y, Accurat e Thi nki ng, Concent rat i on and
Tol erance. Wi t hout t he combi ned use of al l t hese
Laws no one may become a real l y great Leader.
Omi ssi on of a si ngl e one of t hese Laws l essens t he
power of t he Leader proport i onat el y.
A sal esman for t he LaSal l e Ext ensi on Uni versi t y
cal l ed on a real est at e deal er, i n a smal l west ern t own,
for t he purpose of t ryi ng t o sel l t he real est at e man a
course i n Sal esmanshi p and Busi ness Management .
When t he sal esman arri ved at t he prospect i ve
st udent ' s offi ce he found t he gent l eman pecki ng out a
l et t er by t he t wo-fi nger met hod, on an ant i quat ed
t ypewri t er. The sal esman i nt roduced hi msel f, t hen
proceeded t o st at e hi s busi ness and descri be t he
course he had come t o sel l .
The real est at e man l i st ened wi t h apparent
i nt erest .
Aft er t he sal es t al k had been compl et ed t he
sal esman hesi t at ed, wai t i ng for some si gns of "yes" or
"no" from hi s prospect i ve cl i ent . Thi nki ng t hat
perhaps he had not made t he sal es t al k qui t e st rong
enough, he bri efl y went over t he meri t s of t he course
- 51 -


NO man may become
an accurate thinker
until he learns how to
separate mere gossip
and information from
facts.


- 52 -
he was sel l i ng, a second t i me. St i l l t here was no
response from t he prospect i ve st udent .
The sal esman t hen asked t he di rect quest i on,
"You want t hi s course, do you not ?"
In a sl ow, drawl i ng t one of voi ce, t he real est at e
man repl i ed:
"Wel l , I hardl y know whet her I do or not . "
No doubt he was t el l i ng t he t rut h, because he was
one of t he mi l l i ons of men who fi nd i t hard t o reach
deci si ons.
Bei ng an abl e j udge of human nat ure t he sal esman
t hen arose, put on hi s hat , pl aced hi s l i t erat ure back i n
hi s bri ef case and made ready t o l eave. Then he
resort ed t o t act i cs whi ch were somewhat drast i c, and
t ook t he real est at e man by surpri se wi t h t hi s st art l i ng
st at ement :
"I am goi ng t o t ake i t upon mysel f t o say
somet hi ng t o you t hat you wi l l not l i ke, but i t may be
of hel p t o you.
"Take a l ook at t hi s offi ce i n whi ch you work 1
The fl oor i s di rt y; t he wal l s are dust y; t he t ypewri t er
you are usi ng l ooks as i f i t mi ght be t he one Mr. Noah
used i n t he Ark duri ng t he bi g fl ood; your pant s are
bagged at t he knees; your col l ar i s di rt y; your face i s
unshaved, and you have a l ook i n your eyes t hat t el l s
me you are defeat ed.
"Pl ease go ahead and get mad - t hat ' s j ust what I
want you t o do, because i t may shock you i nt o doi ng
some t hi nki ng t hat wi l l be hel pful t o you and t o t hose
who are dependent upon you.
"I can see, i n my i magi nat i on, t he home i n whi ch
you l i ve. Several l i t t l e chi l dren, none t oo wel l
dressed, and perhaps none t oo wel l fed; a mot her
- 53 -
whose dress i s t hree seasons out of st yl e, whose eyes
carry t he same l ook of defeat t hat yours do. Thi s l i t t l e
woman whom you marri ed has st uck by you but you
have not made good i n l i fe as she had hoped, when
you were fi rst marri ed, t hat you woul d.
"Pl ease remember t hat I am not now t al ki ng t o a
prospect i ve st udent , because I woul d not sel l you t hi s
course at THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT i f you
offered t o pay cash i n advance, because i f I di d you
woul d not have t he i ni t i at i ve t o compl et e i t , and we
want no fai l ures on our st udent l i st .
"The t al k I am now gi vi ng you wi l l make i t
i mpossi bl e, perhaps, for me ever t o sel l you anyt hi ng,
but i t i s goi ng t o do somet hi ng for you t hat has never
been done before, provi di ng i t makes you t hi nk.
"Now, I wi l l t el l you i n a very few words exact l y
why you are defeat ed; why you are pecki ng out l et t ers
on an ol d t ypewri t er, i n an ol d di rt y offi ce, i n a l i t t l e
t own: IT IS BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE THE
POWER TO REACH A DECISION!
"Al l your l i fe you have been formi ng t he habi t of
dodgi ng t he responsi bi l i t y of reachi ng deci si ons, unt i l
you have come, now, t o where i t i s wel l -ni gh
i mpossi bl e for you t o do so.
"If you had t ol d me t hat you want ed t he course,
or t hat you di d not want i t , I coul d have sympat hi zed
wi t h you, because I woul d have known t hat l ack of
funds was what caused you t o hesi t at e, but what di d
you say? Why, you admi t t ed you di d not know whet her
you want ed i t or not .
"If you wi l l t hi nk over what I have sai d I am sure
you wi l l acknowl edge t hat i t has become a habi t wi t h
you t o dodge t he responsi bi l i t y of reachi ng cl ear-cut
- 54 -
deci si ons on pract i cal l y al l mat t ers t hat affect you. "
The real est at e man sat gl ued i n hi s chai r, wi t h
hi s under j aw dropped, hi s eyes bul ged i n
ast oni shment , but he made no at t empt t o answer t he
bi t i ng i ndi ct ment .
The sal esman sai d good-bye and st art ed for t he
door.
Aft er he had cl osed t he door behi nd hi m he agai n
opened i t , wal ked back i n, wi t h a smi l e on hi s face,
t ook hi s seat i n front of t he ast oni shed real est at e
man, and expl ai ned hi s conduct i n t hi s way:
"I do not bl ame you at al l i f you feel hurt at my
remarks. In fact I sort of hope t hat you have been
offended, but now l et me say t hi s, man t o man, t hat I
t hi nk you have i nt el l i gence and I am sure you have
abi l i t y, but you have fal l en i nt o a habi t t hat has
whi pped you. No man i s ever down and out unt i l he i s
under t he sod. You may be t emporari l y down, but you
can get up agai n, and I am j ust sport sman enough t o
gi ve you my hand and offer you a l i ft , i f you wi l l
accept my apol ogi es for what I have sai d.
"You do not bel ong i n t hi s t own. You woul d
st arve t o deat h i n t he real est at e busi ness i n t hi s pl ace,
even i f you were a Leader i n your fi el d. Get yoursel f a
new sui t of cl ot hes, even i f you have t o borrow t he
money wi t h whi ch t o do i t , t hen go over t o St . Loui s
wi t h me and I wi l l i nt roduce you t o a real est at e man
who wi l l gi ve you a chance t o earn some money and at
t he same t i me t each you some of t he i mport ant t hi ngs
about t hi s l i ne of work t hat you can capi t al i ze l at er
on.
"If you haven' t enough credi t t o get t he cl ot hes
you need I wi l l st and good for you at a st ore i n St .
Loui s where I have a charge account . I am i n earnest
- 55 -
and my offer t o hel p you i s based upon t he hi ghest
mot i ve t hat can act uat e a human bei ng. I am
successful i n my own fi el d, but I have not al ways been
so. I went ' t hrough j ust what you are now goi ng
t hrough, but , t he i mport ant t hi ng i s t hat I WENT
THROUGH IT, and got i t over wi t h, JUST AS YOU
ARE GOING TO DO IF YOU WILL FOLLOW MY
ADVICE.
"Wi l l you come wi t h me?"
The real est at e man st art ed t o ari se, but hi s l egs
wobbl ed and he sank back i nt o hi s chai r. Despi t e t he
fact t hat he was a great bi g fel l ow, wi t h rat her
pronounced manl y qual i t i es, known as t he "he-man"
t ype, hi s emot i ons got t he bet t er of hi m and he
act ual l y wept .
He made a second at t empt and got on hi s feet ,
shook hands wi t h t he sal esman, t hanked hi m for hi s
ki ndness, and sai d he was goi ng t o fol l ow t he advi ce,
but he woul d do so i n hi s own way.
Cal l i ng for an appl i cat i on bl ank he si gned for t he
course on Sal esmanshi p and Busi ness Management ,
made t he fi rst payment i n ni ckel s and di mes, and t ol d
t he sal esman he woul d hear from hi m agai n.
Three years l at er t hi s real est at e man had an
organi zat i on of si xt y sal esmen, and one of t he most
successful real est at e busi nesses i n t he ci t y of St .
Loui s. The aut hor of t hi s course (who was advert i si ng
manager of t he LaSal l e Ext ensi on Uni versi t y at t he
t i me t hi s i nci dent happened) has been i n t hi s real
est at e man' s offi ce many t i mes and has observed hi m
over a peri od of more t han fi ft een years. He i s an
ent i rel y di fferent man from t he person i nt ervi ewed by
t he LaSal l e sal esman over fi ft een years ago, and t he
t hi ng t hat made hi m di fferent i s t he same t hat wi l l
- 56 -
make YOU di fferent : i t i s t he power of DECISION
whi ch i s so essent i al t o Leadershi p.
Thi s real est at e man i s now a Leader i n t he real
est at e fi el d. He i s di rect i ng t he effort s of ot her
sal esmen and hel pi ng t hem t o become more effi ci ent .
Thi s one change i n hi s phi l osophy has t urned
t emporary defeat i nt o success. Every new sal esman
who goes t o work for t hi s man i s cal l ed i nt o hi s
pri vat e offi ce, before he i s empl oyed, and t ol d t he
st ory of hi s own t ransformat i on, word for word j ust as
i t occurred when t he LaSal l e sal esman fi rst met hi m i n
hi s shabby l i t t l e real est at e offi ce.

Some ei ght een years ago t he aut hor of t hi s course
made hi s fi rst t ri p t o t he l i t t l e t own of Lumberport , W.
Va. At t hat t i me t he onl y means of t ransport at i on
l eadi ng from Cl arksburg, t he l argest near-by cent er, t o
Lumberport , was t he Bal t i more & Ohi o Rai l road and
an i nt erurban el ect ri c l i ne whi ch ran wi t hi n t hree
mi l es of t he t own; one coul d wal k t he t hree mi l es i f he
chose.
Upon arri val at Cl arksburg I found t hat t he onl y
t rai n goi ng t o Lumberport i n t he forenoon had al ready
gone, and not wi shi ng t o wai t for t he l at er aft ernoon
t rai n I made t he t ri p by t rol l ey, wi t h t he i nt ent i on of
wal ki ng t he t hree mi l es. On t he way down t he rai n
began t o pour, and t hose t hree mi l es had t o be
navi gat ed on foot , t hrough deep yel l ow mud. When I
arri ved at Lumberport my shoes and pant s were
muddy, and my di sposi t i on was none t he bet t er for t he
experi ence.
The fi rst person I met was V. L. Hornor, who was
- 57 -


MASTERY of the
Fifteen Laws of
Success is the
equivalent of an
insurance policy
against failure.
-Samuel Gompers.


- 58 -
t hen cashi er of t he Lumberport Bank. In a rat her l oud
t one of voi ce I asked of hi m, "Why do you not get t hat
t rol l ey l i ne ext ended from t he j unct i on over t o
Lumberport so your fri ends can get i n and out of t own
wi t hout drowni ng i n mud?"
"Di d you see a ri ver wi t h hi gh banks, at t he edge
of t he t own, as you came i n?" he asked. I repl i ed t hat
I had seen i t . "Wel l , " he cont i nued, "t hat ' s t he reason
we have no st reet cars runni ng i nt o t own. The cost of
a bri dge woul d be about $100, 000. 00, and t hat i s more
t han t he company owni ng t he t rol l ey l i ne i s wi l l i ng t o
i nvest . We have been t ryi ng for t en years t o get t hem
t o bui l d a l i ne i nt o t own. "
"Tryi ng!" I expl oded. "How hard have you t ri ed?"
"We have offered t hem every i nducement we
coul d afford, such as free ri ght of way from t he
j unct i on i nt o t he t own, and free use of t he st reet s, but
t hat bri dge i s t he st umbl i ng bl ock. They si mpl y wi l l
not st and t he expense. Cl ai m t hey cannot afford such
an expense for t he smal l amount of revenue t hey
woul d recei ve from t he t hree mi l e ext ensi on. "
Then t he Law of Success phi l osophy began t o
come t o my rescue!
I asked Mr. Hornor i f he woul d t ake a wal k over
t o t he ri ver wi t h me, t hat we mi ght l ook at t he spot
t hat was causi ng so much i nconveni ence. He sai d he
woul d be gl ad t o do so.
When we got t o t he ri ver I began t o t ake
i nvent ory of everyt hi ng i n si ght . I observed t hat t he
Bal t i more & Ohi o Rai l road t racks ran up and down t he
ri ver banks, on bot h si des of t he ri ver; t hat t he count y
road crossed t he ri ver on a ri cket y wooden bri dge,
bot h approaches t o whi ch were over several st rands of
- 59 -
rai l road t rack, as t he rai l road company had i t s
swi t chi ng yards at t hat poi nt .
Whi l e we were st andi ng t here a frei ght t rai n
bl ocked t he crossi ng and several t eams st opped on
bot h si des of t he t rai n, wai t i ng for an opport uni t y t o
get t hrough. The t rai n kept t he road bl ocked for about
t went y-fi ve mi nut es.
Wi t h t hi s combi nat i on of ci rcumst ances i n mi nd i t
requi red but l i t t l e i magi nat i on t o see t hat THREE
DIFFERENT PARTIES were or coul d be i nt erest ed i n
t he bui l di ng of t he bri dge such as woul d be needed t o
carry t he wei ght of a st reet car.
It was obvi ous t hat t he Bal t i more & Ohi o
Rai l road Company woul d be i nt erest ed i n such a
bri dge, because t hat woul d remove t he count y road
from t hei r swi t chi ng t racks, and save t hem a possi bl e
acci dent on t he crossi ng, t o say not hi ng of much l oss
of t i me and expense i n cut t i ng t rai ns t o al l ow t eams t o
pass.
It was al so obvi ous t hat t he Count y
Commi ssi oners woul d be i nt erest ed i n t he bri dge,
because i t woul d rai se t he count y road t o a bet t er
l evel and make i t more servi ceabl e t o t he publ i c. And,
of course t he st reet rai l way company was i nt erest ed i n
t he bri dge, but IT DID NOT WISH TO PAY THE
ENTIRE COST.
Al l t hese fact s passed t hrough my mi nd as I st ood
t here and wat ched t he frei ght t rai n bei ng cut for t he
t raffi c t o pass t hrough.
A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM t ook pl ace i n my mi nd.
Al so, a defi ni t e pl an for i t s at t ai nment . The next day I
got t oget her a commi t t ee of t ownspeopl e, consi st i ng
of t he mayor, counci l men and some l eadi ng ci t i zens,
and cal l ed on t he Di vi si on Superi nt endent of t he Bal -
- 60 -
t i more & Ohi o Rai l road Company, at Graft on. We
convi nced hi m t hat i t was wort h one t hi rd of t he cost
of t he bri dge t o get t he count y road off hi s company' s
t racks. Next we went t o t he Count y Commi ssi oners
and found t hem t o be qui t e ent husi ast i c over t he
possi bi l i t y of get t i ng a new bri dge by payi ng for onl y
one t hi rd of i t . They promi sed t o pay t hei r one t hi rd
provi di ng we coul d arrange for t he ot her t wo t hi rds.
We t hen went t o t he presi dent of t he Tract i on
Company t hat owned t he t rol l ey l i ne, at Fai rmont , and
l ai d before hi m an offer t o donat e al l t he ri ght s of way
and pay for t wo t hi rds of t he cost of t he bri dge
provi di ng he woul d begi n bui l di ng t he l i ne i nt o t own
prompt l y. We found hi m recept i ve, al so.
Three weeks l at er a cont ract had been si gned
bet ween t he Bal t i more & Ohi o Rai l road Company, t he
Monongahel a Val l ey Tract i on Company and t he
Count y Commi ssi oners of Harri son Count y, provi di ng
for t he const ruct i on of t he bri dge, one t hi rd of i t s cost
t o be pai d by each.
Two mont hs l at er t he ri ght of way was bei ng
graded and t he bri dge was under way, and t hree
mont hs aft er t hat st reet cars were runni ng i nt o
Lumberport on regul ar schedul e.
Thi s i nci dent meant much t o t he t own of
Lumberport , because i t provi ded t ransport at i on t hat
enabl ed peopl e t o get i n and out of t he t own wi t hout
undue effort .
It al so meant a great deal t o me, because i t served
t o i nt roduce me as one who "got t hi ngs done. " Two
very defi ni t e advant ages resul t ed from t hi s
t ransact i on. The Chi ef Counsel for t he Tract i on
Company gave me a posi t i on as hi s assi st ant , and l at er
- 61 -
on i t was t he means of an i nt roduct i on whi ch l ed t o
my appoi nt ment as t he advert i si ng manager of t he
LaSal l e Ext ensi on Uni versi t y.
Lumberport , W. Va. , was t hen, and st i l l i s a smal l
t own, and Chi cago was a l arge ci t y and l ocat ed a
consi derabl e di st ance away, but news of Ini t i at i ve and
Leadershi p has a way of t aki ng on wi ngs and
t ravel i ng.
Four of t he Fi ft een Laws of Success were
combi ned i n t he t ransact i on descri bed, namel y: A
DEFINITE CHIEF AIM, SELF-CONFIDENCE,
IMAGINATION and INITIATIVE and LEADERSHIP.
The Law of DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR al so
ent ered, somewhat , i nt o t he t ransact i on, because I was
not offered anyt hi ng and i n fact di d not expect pay for
what I di d.
To be perfect l y frank I appoi nt ed mysel f t o t he
j ob of get t i ng t he bri dge bui l t more as a sort of
chal l enge t o t hose who sai d i t coul d not be done t han I
di d wi t h t he expect at i on of get t i ng pai d for i t . By my
at t i t ude I rat her i nt i mat ed t o Mr. Hornor t hat I coul d
get t he j ob done, and he was not sl ow t o snap me up
and put me t o t he t est .
It may be hel pful t o cal l at t ent i on here t o t he part
whi ch IMAGINATION pl ayed i n t hi s t ransact i on. For
t en years t he t ownspeopl e of Lumberport had been
t ryi ng t o get a st reet car l i ne bui l t i nt o t own. It must
not be concl uded t hat t he t own was wi t hout men of
abi l i t y, because t hat woul d be i naccurat e. In fact t here
were many men of abi l i t y i n t he t own, but t hey had
been maki ng t he mi st ake whi ch i s so commonl y made
by us al l , of t ryi ng t o sol ve t hei r probl em t hrough one
si ngl e source, whereas t here were act ual l y THREE
SOURCES of sol ut i on avai l abl e t o t hem.
- 62 -
$100, 000. 00 was t oo much for one company t o
assume, for t he const ruct i on of a bri dge, but when t he
cost was di st ri but ed bet ween t hree i nt erest ed part i es
t he amount t o be borne by each was more reasonabl e.
The quest i on mi ght be asked: "Why di d not some
of t he l ocal t ownsmen t hi nk of t hi s t hree-way
sol ut i on?"
In t he fi rst pl ace t hey were so cl ose t o t hei r
probl em t hat t hey fai l ed t o t ake a perspect i ve, bi rd' s-
eye vi ew of i t , whi ch woul d have suggest ed t he
sol ut i on. Thi s, al so, i s a common mi st ake, and one
t hat i s al ways avoi ded by great Leaders. In t he second
pl ace t hese t ownspeopl e had never before co-ordi nat ed
t hei r effort s or worked as an organi zed group wi t h t he
sol e purpose i n mi nd of fi ndi ng a way t o get a st reet
car l i ne bui l t i nt o t own. Thi s, al so, i s anot her common
error made by men i n al l wal ks of l i fe-t hat of fai l ure
t o work i n uni son, i n a t horough spi ri t of cooperat i on.
I, bei ng an out si der, had l ess di ffi cul t y i n get t i ng
co-operat i ve act i on t han one of t hei r own group mi ght
have had. Too oft en t here i s a spi ri t of sel fi shness i n
smal l communi t i es whi ch prompt s each i ndi vi dual t o
t hi nk t hat hi s i deas shoul d prevai l . It i s an i mport ant
part of t he Leader' s responsi bi l i t y t o i nduce peopl e t o
subordi nat e t hei r own i deas and i nt erest s for t he good
of t he whol e, and t hi s appl i es t o mat t ers of a ci vi c,
busi ness, soci al , pol i t i cal , fi nanci al or i ndust ri al
nat ure.
Success, no mat t er what may be one' s concept i on
of t hat t erm, i s nearl y al ways a quest i on of one' s
abi l i t y t o get ot hers t o subordi nat e t hei r own
i ndi vi dual i t i es and fol l ow a Leader. The Leader who
has t he Personal i t y and t he Imagi nat i on t o i nduce hi s
- 63 -

TIME is the mighty
hand that rocks the
eternal cradle of
progress and nurses
struggling humanity
through that period
when man needs
protection against his
own ignorance.
- 64 -
fol l owers t o accept hi s pl ans and carry t hem out
fai t hful l y i s al ways an abl e Leader.
The next l esson, on IMAGINATION, wi l l t ake
you st i l l furt her i nt o t he art of t act ful Leadershi p. In
fact Leadershi p and Imagi nat i on are so cl osel y al l i ed
and so essent i al for success t hat one cannot be
successful l y appl i ed wi t hout t he ot her. Ini t i at i ve i s t he
movi ng force t hat pushes t he Leader ahead, but
Imagi nat i on i s t he gui di ng spi ri t t hat t el l s hi m whi ch
way t o go.
Imagi nat i on enabl ed t he aut hor of t hi s course t o
anal yze t he Lumberport bri dge probl em, break i t up
i nt o i t s t hree component part s, and assembl e t hese
part s i n a pract i cal worki ng pl an. Nearl y every
probl em may be so broken up i nt o part s whi ch are
more easi l y managed, as part s, t han t hey are when
assembl ed as a whol e. Perhaps one of t he most
i mport ant advant ages of Imagi nat i on i s t hat i t enabl es
one t o separat e al l probl ems i nt o t hei r component
part s and t o reassembl e t hem i n more favorabl e
combi nat i ons.
It has been sai d t hat al l bat t l es i n warfare are won
or l ost , not on t he fi ri ng l i ne, aft er t he bat t l e begi ns,
but back of t he l i nes, t hrough t he sound st rat egy, or
t he l ack of i t , used by t he general s who pl an t he
bat t l es.
What i s t rue of warfare i s equal l y t rue i n
busi ness, and i n most ot her probl ems whi ch confront
us t hroughout l i fe. We wi n or l ose accordi ng t o t he
nat ure of t he pl ans we bui l d and carry out , a fact
whi ch serves t o emphasi ze t he val ue of t he Laws of
Ini t i at i ve and Leadershi p, Imagi nat i on, Sel f-
confi dence and a Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m. Wi t h t he
i nt el l i gent use of t hese f our l aws one may bui l d pl ans,
f or any purpose what soever, whi ch cannot be def eat ed
- 65 -
by any person or group of persons who do not empl oy
or underst and t hese l aws.
There i s no escape from t he t rut h here st at ed!
ORGANIZED EFFORT i s effort whi ch i s di rect ed
accordi ng t o a pl an t hat was concei ved wi t h t he ai d of
Imagi nat i on, gui ded by a Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m, and
gi ven moment um wi t h Ini t i at i ve and Sel f-confi dence.
These four l aws bl end i nt o one and become a power i n
t he hands of a Leader. Wi t hout t hei r ai d effect i ve
l eadershi p i s i mpossi bl e.

You are now ready for t he l esson on Imagi nat i on.
Read t hat l esson wi t h t he t hought i n mi nd of al l t hat
has been here st at ed and i t wi l l t ake on a deeper
meani ng.
- 66 -



LIFE IS NOT A
GOBLET TO BE
DRAINED; IT IS A
MEASURE TO BE
FILLED.
-Hadley.

- 67 -
INTOLERANCE

An Af t er- t he- Lesson Vi si t Wi t h t he Aut hor



If you must gi ve expressi on t o prej udi ce and
hat red and i nt ol erance, do not speak i t , but
wri t e i t ; wri t e i t i n t he sands, near t he wat er' s
edge.

When t he dawn of Int el l i gence shal l spread over
t he east ern hori zon of human progress, and
Ignorance and Superst i t i on shal l have l ef t t hei r
l ast f oot pri nt s on t he sands of t i me, i t wi l l be
recorded i n t he l ast chapt er of t he book of man' s
cri mes t hat hi s most gri evous si n was t hat of
Int ol erance.
The bi t t erest i nt ol erance grows out of rel i gi ous,
raci al and economi c prej udi ces and di f f erences of
opi ni on. How l ong, O God, unt i l we poor mort al s
wi l l underst and t he f ol l y of t ryi ng t o dest roy one
anot her because we are of di f f erent rel i gi ous
bel i ef s and raci al t endenci es?
Our al l ot t ed t i me on t hi s eart h i s but a f l eet i ng
moment . Li ke a candl e, we are l i ght ed, shi ne f or a
moment , and f l i cker out . Why can we not l earn t o
so l i ve duri ng t hi s bri ef eart hl y vi si t t hat when
t he great Caravan cal l ed Deat h draws up and
- 68 -
announces t hi s vi si t compl et ed we wi l l be ready t o
f ol d our t ent s and si l ent l y f ol l ow out i nt o t he
great unknown wi t hout f ear and t rembl i ng?
I am hopi ng t hat I wi l l f i nd no Jews or Gent i l es,
Cat hol i cs or Prot est ant s, Germans, Engl i shmen or
Frenchmen when I shal l have crossed t he bar t o
t he ot her si de. I am hopi ng t hat I wi l l f i nd t here
onl y human Soul s, Brot hers and Si st ers al l ,
unmarked by race, creed or col or, f or I shal l want
t o be done wi t h i nt ol erance so I may rest i n peace
t hroughout et erni t y.

YOU wi l l see at t he t op of t he previ ous page a
pi ct ure whi ch descri bes t he fut i l i t y of combat .
The t wo mal e deer have engaged i n a fi ght t o t he
fi ni sh, each bel i evi ng t hat he wi l l be t he wi nner. Off
at t he si de t he femal e awai t s t he vi ct or, l i t t l e
dreami ng t hat t omorrow t he bones of bot h combat ant s
wi l l be bl eachi ng i n t he sun.
"Poor fool i sh ani mal s, " someone wi l l say.
Perhaps, but not very di fferent from t he man fami l y.
Man engages hi s brot hers i n mort al combat because of
compet i t i on. The t hree maj or forms of compet i t i on are
sex, economi c and rel i gi ous i n nat ure.

Twent y years ago a great educat i onal i nst i t ut i on
was doi ng a t hri vi ng busi ness and renderi ng a wort hy
servi ce t o t housands of st udent s. The t wo owners of
t he school marri ed t wo beaut i ful and t al ent ed young
women, who were especi al l y accompl i shed i n t he art
of pi ano pl ayi ng. The t wo wi ves became i nvol ved i n
an argument as t o whi ch one was t he more
accompl i shed i n t hi s art . The di sagreement was t aken
- 69 -
up by each of t he husbands. They became bi t t er
enemi es. Now t he bones of t hat once prosperous
school "l i e bl eachi ng i n t he sun. "
The t wo bucks shown i n t he pi ct ure above l ocked
horns over t he at t ent i on of t he doe. The t wo "man
bucks" l ocked horns over t he sel fsame i mpul se.

In one of t he great i ndust ri al pl ant s t wo young
foremen "l ocked horns" because one recei ved a
promot i on whi ch t he ot her bel i eved he shoul d have
had. For more t han fi ve years t he si l ent undert ow of
hat red and i nt ol erance showed i t sel f. The men under
each of t he foremen became i nocul at ed wi t h t he spi ri t
of di sl i ke whi ch t hey saw croppi ng out i n t hei r
superi ors. Sl owl y t he spi ri t of ret al i at i on began t o
spread over t he ent i re pl ant . The men became di vi ded
i nt o l i t t l e cl i ques. Product i on began t o fal l off. Then
came fi nanci al di ffi cul t y and fi nal l y bankrupt cy for
t he company.
Now t he bones of a once prosperous busi ness "l i e
bl eachi ng i n t he sun, " and t he t wo foremen and
several t housand ot hers were compel l ed t o st art al l
over agai n, i n anot her fi el d.

Down i n t he mount ai ns of West Vi rgi ni a l i ved
t wo peaceful fami l i es of mount ai n-fol k - t he Hat fi el ds
and t he McCoys. They had been fri endl y nei ghbors for
t hree generat i ons. A razor-back pi g bel ongi ng t o t he
McCoy fami l y crawl ed t hrough t he fence i nt o t he
Hat fi el d fami l y' s corn fi el d. The Hat fi el ds t urned t hei r
hound l oose on t he pi g. The McCoys ret al i at ed by
ki l l i ng t he dog. Then began a feud t hat has l ast ed for
- 70 -
t hree generat i ons and cost many l i ves of t he Hat fi el ds
and McCoys.
In a fashi onabl e suburb of Phi l adel phi a cert ai n
gent l emen of weal t h have bui l t t hei r homes. In front
of each house t he word "INTOLERANCE" i s wri t t en.
One man bui l ds a hi gh st eel fence i n front of hi s
house. The nei ghbor next t o hi m, not t o be out done,
bui l ds a fence t wi ce as hi gh. Anot her buys a new
mot or car and t he man next door goes hi m one bet t er
by purchasi ng t wo new cars. One remodel s hi s house
addi ng a col oni al st yl e porch. The man next door adds
a new porch and a Spani sh st yl e garage for good
measure. The bi g mansi on on t op of t he hi l l gi ves a
recept i on whi ch bri ngs a l ong l i ne of mot or cars fi l l ed
wi t h peopl e who have not hi ng i n part i cul ar i n common
wi t h t he host . Then fol l ows a seri es of "recept i ons" al l
down t he "gol d-coast " l i ne, each t ryi ng t o out shi ne al l
t he ot hers.
The "Mi st er" (but t hey don' t cal l hi m t hat i n
fashi onabl e nei ghborhoods) goes t o busi ness i n t he
back seat of a Rol l s Royce t hat i s managed by a
chauffeur and a foot man. Why does he go t o busi ness?
To make money, of course! Why does he want more
money when he al ready has mi l l i ons of dol l ars? So he
can keep on out -doi ng hi s weal t hy nei ghbors.
Povert y has some advant ages - i t never dri ves
t hose who are povert y-st ri cken t o "l ock horns" i n t he
at t empt t o out -povert y t hei r nei ghbors.
Wherever you see men wi t h t hei r "horns l ocked"
i n confl i ct you may t race t he cause of t he combat t o
one of t he t hree causes of i nt ol erance - rel i gi ous
di fference of opi ni on, economi c compet i t i on or sex
compet i t i on.
- 71 -
The next t i me you observe t wo men engaged i n
any sort of host i l i t y t oward each ot her, j ust cl ose your
eyes and THINK for a moment and you may see t hem,
i n t hei r t ransformed nat ure, very much resembl i ng t he
mal e deer shown i n t he pi ct ure above. Off at one si de
you may see t he obj ect of t he combat - a pi l e of gol d,
a rel i gi ous embl em or a femal e (or femal es).
Remember, t he purpose of t hi s essay i s t o t el l
some of t he TRUTH about human nat ure, wi t h t he
obj ect of causi ng i t s readers t o THINK. It s wri t er
seeks no gl ory or prai se, and l i kel y he wi l l recei ve
nei t her i n connect i on wi t h t hi s part i cul ar subj ect .
Andrew Carnegi e and Henry C. Fri ck di d more
t han any ot her t wo men t o est abl i sh t he st eel i ndust ry.
Bot h made mi l l i ons of dol l ars for t hemsel ves. Came
t he day when economi c i nt ol erance sprang up bet ween
t hem. To show hi s cont empt for Fri ck, Carnegi e bui l t
a t al l sky-scraper and named i t t he "Carnegi e
Bui l di ng. " Fri ck ret al i at ed by erect i ng a much t al l er
bui l di ng, al ongsi de of t he Carnegi e Bui l di ng, nami ng
i t t he "Fri ck Bui l di ng. "
These t wo gent l emen "l ocked horns" i n a fi ght t o
t he fi ni sh, Carnegi e l ost hi s mi nd, and perhaps more,
for al l we of t hi s worl d know. What Fri ck l ost i s
known onl y t o hi msel f and t he keeper of t he Great
Records. In memory t hei r "bones l i e bl eachi ng i n t he
sun" of post eri t y.
The st eel men of t oday are managi ng t hi ngs
di fferent l y. Inst ead of l ocki ng horns t hey now
"i nt erl ock di rect orat es, " wi t h t he resul t t hat each i s
Pract i cal l y a sol i di fi ed, st rong uni t of t he whol e
i ndust ry. The st eel men of t oday underst and t he di f-
- 72 -
ference bet ween t he meani ng of t he words
COMPETITION and CO-OPERATION; a di fference
whi ch t he remai nder of us woul d do wel l t o
underst and, al so.

In Engl and t he men who own t he mi nes and t hose
who run t he l abor uni ons "l ocked horns. " Had not t he
cool er heads unl ocked t hose horns t he bones of t he
Bri t i sh empi re (i ncl udi ng bot h t he owners of i ndust ry
and t he l abor uni ons) shoul d soon have l ai n
"bl eachi ng i n t he sun. " One year of open combat
bet ween t he uni ons and t he owners of i ndust ry, i n
Great Bri t ai n, woul d have meant anni hi l at i on of t he
Bri t i sh empi re. The ot her nat i ons of t he worl d woul d
have grabbed al l t he economi c machi nery now
cont rol l ed by Bri t ai n.
Let t he l eaders of Ameri can i ndust ry and
uni oni sm not forget !

Fi ft een fact ors ent er i nt o t he at t ai nment of
SUCCESS. One of t hese i s TOLERANCE. The ot her
fourt een are ment i oned many t i mes i n t hi s seri es of
l essons.
Int ol erance bi nds man' s l egs wi t h t he shackl es of
IGNORANCE and covers hi s eyes wi t h t he scal es of
FEAR AND SUPERSTITION. Int ol erance cl oses t he
book of knowl edge and wri t es on t he cover "Open not
t hi s book agai n. The l ast word has been herei n
wri t t en. "
It i s not your DUTY t o be t ol erant ; i t i s your
PRIVILEGE!
Remember, as you read t hi s art i cl e, t hat sowi ng
- 73 -
t he seed of INTOLERANCE i s t he sol e and excl usi ve
busi ness of some men. Al l wars and al l st ri kes and al l
ot her forms of human sufferi ng bri ng profi t t o SOME.
If t hi s were not t rue t here woul d be no wars or st ri kes
or ot her si mi l ar forms of host i l i t y.
In t he Uni t ed St at es t oday t here i s a wel l
organi zed syst em of propaganda, t he obj ect of whi ch
i s t o st i r up st ri fe and host i l i t y bet ween t he owners of
i ndust ri es and t hose who work i n t hose i ndust ri es.
Take anot her l ook at t he pi ct ure at t he begi nni ng of
t hi s art i cl e and you may see what wi l l happen t o al l
who l ock horns i n l abor di sagreement s, and remember
t hat i t i s al ways t he bones of t he workers (and not
t hose of t he l eaders of ei t her t he uni ons or t he
i ndust ri es) t hat "l i e bl eachi ng i n t he sun" aft er t he
fi ght i s over.

When you feel yoursel f prepari ng t o "l ock horns"
wi t h someone remember t hat i t wi l l be more profi t abl e
i f you LOCK HANDS i nst ead! A warm, heart y hand-
shake l eaves no bones bl eachi ng i n t he sun.
"LOVE i s t he onl y bow on l i fe' s dark cl oud. It i s
t he Morni ng and t he Eveni ng St ar. It shi nes upon t he
cradl e of t he babe, and sheds i t s radi ance upon t he
qui et t omb. It i s t he mot her of Art , i nspi rer of poet ,
pat ri ot and phi l osopher. It i s t he ai r and l i ght of every
heart , bui l der of every home, ki ndl er of every fi re on
every heart h. It was t he fi rst t o dream of i mmort al i t y.
It fi l l s t he worl d wi t h mel ody, for Musi c i s t he voi ce
of Love. Love i s t he magi ci an, t he enchant er, t hat
changes wort hl ess t hi ngs t o j oy, and makes ri ght royal
ki ngs and queens of common cl ay. It i s t he perfume of
- 74 -
t he wondrous fl ower - t he heart - and wi t hout t hat
sacred passi on, t hat di vi ne swoon, we are l ess t han
beast s; but wi t h i t , eart h i s heaven and we are gods
- INGERSOLL.

Cul t i vat e LOVE for your fel l ow man and you wi l l
no l onger want t o l ock horns wi t h hi m i n fut i l e
combat . Love makes every man hi s brot her' s keeper.

Love, i ndeed, i s l i ght from heaven;
A spark of t hat i mmort al fi re
Wi t h angel s shared, by Al l ah gi ven,
To l i ft from eart h our l ow desi re.
Devot i on waft s t he mi nd above,
But heaven i t sel f descends i n l ove;
A feel i ng from t he Godhead caught ,
To wean from sel f each sordi d t hought ;
A ray of Hi m who form' d t he whol e;
A gl ory ci rcl i ng round t he soul :
- BYRON.


- 75 -
- 76 -



NO ONE HAS
GIVEN YOU AN
OPPORTUNITY?
HAS IT EVER
OCCURRED TO
YOU TO CREATE
OPPORTUNITY FOR
YOURSELF?



T
T
H
H
E
E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
U
U
C
C
C
C
E
E
S
S
S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL
______
All Rights Reserved











Pri nted i n the U. S. A.


- 2 -







Lesson Six
IMAGINATION



- 3 -




I CALL THAT
MAN IDLE WHO
MIGHT BE BET-
TER EMPLOYED.
- Socrates


- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Six
IMAGINATION



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

IMAGINATION i s t he workshop of t he human
mi nd wherei n ol d i deas and est abl i shed fact s may be
reassembl ed i nt o new combi nat i ons and put t o new
uses. The modern di ct i onary defi nes i magi nat i on as
fol l ows:
"The act of const ruct i ve i nt el l ect i n groupi ng t he
mat eri al s of knowl edge or t hought i nt o new, ori gi nal
and rat i onal syst ems; t he const ruct i ve or creat i ve
facul t y; embraci ng poet i c, art i st i c, phi l osophi c,
sci ent i fi c and et hi cal i magi nat i on.
"The pi ct uri ng power of t he mi nd; t he format i on
of ment al i mages, pi ct ures, or ment al represent at i on of
obj ect s or i deas, part i cul arl y of obj ect s of sense
percept i on and of mat hemati cal reasoni ng! al so t he
reproduct i on and combi nat i on, usual l y wi t h more or
l ess i rrat i onal or abnormal modi fi cat i on, of t he i mages
or i deas of memory or recal l ed fact s of experi ence. "
Imagi nat i on has been cal l ed t he creat i ve power of
t he soul , but t hi s i s somewhat abst ract and goes more
deepl y i nt o t he meani ng t han i s necessary from t he
- 5 -
vi ewpoi nt of a st udent of t hi s course who wi shes t o
use t he course onl y as a means of at t ai ni ng mat eri al or
monet ary advant ages i n l i fe.
If you have mast ered and t horoughl y underst ood
t he precedi ng l essons of t hi s Readi ng Course you
know t hat t he mat eri al s out of whi ch you bui l t your
def i ni t e chi ef ai m were assembl ed and combi ned i n
your i magi nat i on. You al so know t hat sel f -conf i dence
and i ni t i at i ve and l eadershi p must be creat ed i n your
i magi nat i on before t hey can become a real i t y, for i t i s
i n t he workshop of your i magi nat i on t hat you wi l l put
t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on i nt o operat i on i n
creat i ng t hese necessary qual i t i es.
Thi s l esson on i magi nat i on mi ght be cal l ed t he
"hub" of t hi s Readi ng Course, because every l esson of
t he course l eads t o t hi s l esson and makes use of t he
pri nci pl e upon whi ch i t i s based, j ust as al l t he
t el ephone wi res l ead t o t he exchange offi ce for t hei r
source of power. You wi l l never have a def i ni t e
purpose i n l i fe, you wi l l never have sel f -conf i dence,
you wi l l never have i ni t i at i ve and l eadershi p unl ess
you fi rst creat e t hese qual i t i es i n your i magi nat i on
and see yoursel f i n possessi on of t hem.
Just as t he oak t ree devel ops from t he germ t hat
l i es i n t he acorn, and t he bi rd devel ops from t he germ
t hat l i es asl eep i n t he egg, so wi l l your mat eri al
achi evement s grow out of t he organi zed pl ans t hat you
creat e i n your i magi nat i on. Fi rst comes t he t hought ;
t hen, organi zat i on of t hat t hought i nt o i deas and
pl ans; t hen t ransformat i on of t hose pl ans i nt o real i t y.
The begi nni ng, as you wi l l observe, i s i n your
i magi nat i on.
The i magi nat i on i s bot h i nt erpret at i ve and
creat i ve i n nat ure. It can exami ne fact s, concept s and
- 6 -
i deas, and i t can creat e new combi nat i ons and pl ans
out of t hese.
Through i t s i nt erpret at i ve capaci t y t he
i magi nat i on has one power not general l y at t ri but ed t o
i t ; namel y, t he power t o regi st er vi brat i ons and
t hought waves t hat are put i nt o mot i on from out si de
sources, j ust as t he radi o-recei vi ng apparat us pi cks up
t he vi brat i ons of sound. The pri nci pl e t hrough whi ch
t hi s i nt erpret at i ve capaci t y of t he i magi nat i on
funct i ons i s cal l ed t el epat hy; t he communi cat i on of
t hought from one mi nd t o anot her, at l ong or short
di st ances, wi t hout t he ai d of physi cal or mechani cal
appl i ances, i n t he manner expl ai ned i n t he
Int roduct ory Lesson of t hi s course.
Tel epat hy i s an i mport ant fact or t o a st udent who
i s prepari ng t o make effect i ve use of i magi nat i on, for
t he reason t hat t hi s t el epat hi c capaci t y of t he
i magi nat i on i s const ant l y pi cki ng up t hought waves
and vi brat i ons of every descri pt i on. So-cal l ed "snap-
j udgment " and "hunches, " whi ch prompt one t o form
an opi ni on or deci de upon a course of act i on t hat i s
not i n harmony wi t h l ogi c and reason, are usual l y t he
resul t of st ray t hought waves t hat have regi st ered i n
t he i magi nat i on.
The recent l y devel oped radi o apparat us has
enabl ed us t o underst and t hat t he el ement s of t he et her
are so sensi t i ve and al i ve t hat al l manner of sound
waves are const ant l y fl yi ng here and t here wi t h
l i ght ni ng-l i ke speed. You have onl y t o underst and t he
modern radi o out fi t t o underst and, al so, t he pri nci pl e
of t el epat hy. So wel l has t hi s pri nci pl e been
est abl i shed, t hrough psychol ogi cal research, t hat we
have abundance of proof t hat t wo mi nds whi ch are
- 7 -
properl y at t uned and i n harmony wi t h each ot her may
send and recei ve t hought at l ong di st ances wi t hout t he
ai d of mechani cal apparat us of any sort . Rarel y have
t wo mi nds become so wel l at t uned t hat unbroken
chai ns of t hought coul d be regi st ered i n t hi s manner,
but t here i s evi dence suffi ci ent t o est abl i sh t he fact
t hat part s of organi zed t hought have been pi cked up.
That you may underst and how cl osel y i nt erwoven
are t he fi ft een fact ors upon whi ch t hi s Readi ng Course
i s based, consi der, for exampl e, what happens when a
sal esman who l acks confi dence i n hi msel f, and i n hi s
goods, wal ks i n t o see a prospect i ve buyer. Whet her
t he prospect i ve buyer i s consci ous of i t or not , hi s
i magi nat i on i mmedi at el y "senses" t hat l ack of
confi dence i n t he sal esman' s mi nd. The sal esman' s
own t hought s are act ual l y undermi ni ng hi s effort s.
Thi s wi l l expl ai n, from anot her angl e, why sel f -
conf i dence i s one of t he most i mport ant fact ors
ent eri ng i nt o t he great st ruggl e for success.
The pri nci pl e of t el epat hy and t he l aw of
at t ract i on, t hrough whi ch l i ke at t ract s l i ke, expl ai n
many a fai l ure. If t he mi nd has a t endency t o at t ract
from t he et her t hose t hought vi brat i ons whi ch
harmoni ze wi t h t he domi nat i ng t hought s of a gi ven
mi nd, you can easi l y underst and why a negat i ve mi nd
t hat dwel l s upon fai l ure and l acks t he vi t al i zi ng force
of sel f-confi dence woul d not at t ract a posi t i ve mi nd
t hat i s domi nat ed by t hought s of success.
Perhaps t hese expl anat i ons are somewhat abst ract
t o t he st udent who has not made any part i cul ar st udy
of t he funct i oni ng processes of t he mi nd, but i t seems
necessary t o i nj ect t hem i nt o t hi s l esson as a means of
enabl i ng t he st udent t o underst and and make pract i cal
- 8 -
use of t he subj ect of t hi s l esson. The i magi nat i on i s
t oo oft en regarded merel y as an i ndefi ni t e,
unt raceabl e, i ndescri babl e somet hi ng t hat does
not hi ng but creat e fi ct i on. It i s t hi s popul ar di sregard
of t he powers of t he i magi nat i on t hat has made
necessary t hese more or l ess abst ract references t o one
of t he most i mport ant subj ect s of t hi s course. Not onl y
i s t he subj ect of i magi nat i on an i mport ant fact or i n
t hi s course; but , i t i s one of t he most i nt erest i ng
subj ect s, as you wi l l observe when you begi n t o see
how i t affect s al l t hat you do t oward t he achi evement
of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
You wi l l see how i mport ant i s t he subj ect of
i magi nat i on when you st op t o real i ze t hat i t i s t he
onl y t hi ng i n t he worl d over whi ch you have absol ut e
cont rol . Ot hers may depri ve you of your mat eri al
weal t h and cheat you i n a t housand ways, but no man
can depri ve you of t he cont rol and use of your
i magi nat i on. Men may deal wi t h you unfai rl y, as men
oft en do; t hey may depri ve you of your l i bert y, but
t hey cannot t ake from you t he pri vi l ege of usi ng your
i magi nat i on as you wi sh.
The most i nspi ri ng poem i n al l l i t erat ure was
wri t t en by Lei gh Hunt , whi l e he was a povert y-
st ri cken pri soner i n an Engl i sh pri son, where he had
been unj ust l y confi ned because of hi s advanced vi ews
on pol i t i cs. Thi s poem i s ent i t l ed Abou Ben Adhem,
and i t i s here re-pri nt ed as a remi nder t hat one of t he
great t hi ngs a man may do, i n hi s own i magi nat i on, i s
t o forgi ve t hose who have deal t unj ust l y wi t h hi m:
Abou Ben Adhem (may hi s t ri be i ncrease)
Awoke one ni ght from a deep dream of peace,
- 9 -


THE MAN WHO
SLANDERS HIS
FELLOWMAN UN-
WITTINGLY UNCOV-
ERS THE REAL
NATURE OF HIS
INNER SELF.
- 10 -
And saw wi t hi n t he moonl i ght of hi s room,
Maki ng i t ri ch and l i ke a l i l y i n bl oom,
An angel wri t i ng i n a book of gol d,
Exceedi ng peace had made Ben Adhem bol d,
And t o t he presence i n t he room he sai d:
"What wri t est t hou?" - t he vi si on rai sed i t s head,
And, wi t h a l ook made of al l sweet accord,
Answered, "The names of t hose who l ove t he Lord. "
"And i s mi ne one?" sai d Abou. "Nay, not so, "
Repl i ed t he angel , - Abou spoke more l ow,
But cheeri l y st i l l ; and sai d, "I pray t hee, t hen,
Wri t e me as one t hat l oves hi s fel l ow men. "
The angel wrot e, and vani shed. The next ni ght
It came agai n, wi t h a great wakeni ng l i ght ,
And showed t he names whom l ove of God had bl essed,
And, l o! Ben Adhem' s name l ed al l t he rest !

Ci vi l i zat i on, i t sel f, owes i t s exi st ence t o such
men as Lei gh Hunt , i n whose fert i l e i magi nat i ons have
been pi ct ured t he hi gher and nobl er st andards of
human rel at i onshi p. Abou Ben Adhem i s a poem t hat
wi l l never di e, t hanks t o t hi s man who pi ct ured i n hi s
i magi nat i on t he hope of an i deal t hat i s const ruct i ve.
The maj or t roubl e wi t h t hi s worl d t oday l i es i n
our l ack of underst andi ng of t he power of
i magi nat i on, for i f we underst ood t hi s great power we
coul d use i t as a weapon wi t h whi ch t o wi pe out
povert y and mi sery and i nj ust i ce and persecut i on, and
t hi s coul d be done i n a si ngl e generat i on. Thi s i s a
rat her broad st at ement , and no one underst ands bet t er
t han t he aut hor of t hi s course how usel ess such a
st at ement woul d be i f t he pri nci pl e upon whi ch i t i s
founded were not expl ai ned i n t erms of t he most
- 11 -
pract i cal , workaday nat ure; t herefore, l et us proceed
t o descri be what i s meant .
To make t hi s descri pt i on underst andabl e we must
accept as a real i t y t he pri nci pl e of t el epat hy, t hrough
t he operat i on of whi ch every t hought we rel ease i s
regi st eri ng i t sel f i n t he minds of ot her peopl e. We
need devot e no t i me t o provi ng t hat t el epat hy i s a
real i t y, for t he reason t hat t hi s l esson on i magi nat i on
cannot be of t he sl i ght est val ue t o t he st udent who has
not suffi ci ent l y i nformed hi msel f t o underst and and
accept t el epat hy as an est abl i shed pri nci pl e. We wi l l
t ake i t for grant ed t hat you are one who accept s and
underst ands t hi s pri nci pl e.
You have oft en heard of "mob psychol ogy, "
whi ch i s not hi ng more nor l ess t han some st rong,
domi nat i ng i dea t hat has been creat ed i n t he mi nd of
one or more persons and regi st ers i t sel f i n t he mi nds
of ot her persons, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of t el epat hy.
So st rong i s t he power of mob psychol ogy t hat t wo
men fi ght i ng i n t he st reet wi l l oft en st art a "free-for-
al l " fi ght i n whi ch by-st anders wi l l engage each ot her
i n bat t l e wi t hout even knowi ng what t hey are fi ght i ng
about , or wi t h whom t hey are fi ght i ng.
On armi st i ce day, 1918, we had evi dence i n
abundance t o prove t he real i t y of t he pri nci pl e of
t el epat hy, on a scal e such as t he worl d had never
before wi t nessed. I remember, di st i nct l y, t he
i mpressi on made on my mi nd on t hat event ful day. So
st rong was t hi s i mpressi on t hat i t awakened me at
about 3: 00 o' cl ock i n t he morni ng, j ust as effect i vel y
as i f someone had aroused me by physi cal force. As I
sat up i n bed I knew t hat somet hi ng out of t he
ordi nary had happened, and so st range and i mpel l i ng
- 12 -
was t he effect of t hi s experi ence t hat I got up, dressed
mysel f and went out i n t he st reet s of Chi cago, where I
was met by t housands of ot hers who had fel t t he t ouch
of t he same i nfl uence. Everyone was aski ng: "What
has happened?"
What had happened was t hi s:
Mi l l i ons of men had recei ved i nst ruct i ons t o
cease fi ght i ng, and t hei r combi ned j oy set i nt o mot i on
a t hought wave t hat swept t he ent i re worl d and made
i t sel f fel t i n every normal mi nd t hat was capabl e of
regi st eri ng t hi s t hought wave. Perhaps never i n t he
hi st ory of t he worl d had so many mi l l i ons of peopl e
t hought of t he same t hi ng, i n t he same manner, at t he
same t i me. For once i n t he hi st ory of t he worl d
everybody fel t somet hi ng i n common, and t he effect of
t hi s harmoni zed t hought was t he worl d-wi de "mob
psychol ogy" t hat we wi t nessed on armi st i ce day. In
connect i on wi t h t hi s st at ement i t wi l l be hel pful i f you
recal l what was sai d about t he met hod of creat i ng a
"Mast er Mi nd, " t hrough t he harmony of t hought of t wo
or more persons, i n t he Int roduct ory Lesson of t hi s
course.
We wi l l bri ng t he appl i cat i on of t hi s pri nci pl e a
l i t t l e nearer home by showi ng how i t may be made t o
make or break t he harmoni ous worki ng rel at i onshi p of
a busi ness or i ndust ry. You may not have sat i sfi ed
yoursel f t hat i t was t he harmony of t hought of
mi l l i ons of sol di ers t hat regi st ered i n t he mi nds of t he,
peopl e of t he worl d and caused t he "mob"
psychol ogi cal condi t i on t hat was everywhere i n
evi dence on armi st i ce day, but you wi l l need no proof
t hat a di sgrunt l ed person al ways di st urbs everyone
wi t h whom he comes i n cont act . It i s a wel l
- 13 -
est abl i shed fact t hat one such person i n a pl ace of
empl oyment wi l l di srupt t he ent i re organi zat i on. The
t i me i s al most at hand when nei t her t he workers nor
t he empl oyers wi l l t ol erat e t he t ypi cal "grouch" i nsi de
of a pl ace of empl oyment , for t he reason t hat hi s st at e
of mi nd regi st ers i t sel f i n t he mi nds of t hose about
hi m, resul t i ng i n di st rust , suspi ci on and l ack of
harmony. The t i me i s near at hand when t he workers
i n a pl ace of empl oyment wi l l no more t ol erat e one of
t hei r own rank and fi l e who i s a t ypi cal "grouch" t han
t hey woul d a poi sonous snake.
Appl y t he pri nci pl e i n anot her way: Pl ace among
a group of workers one person whose personal i t y i s of
t he posi t i ve, opt i mi st i c t ype, and who makes i t hi s
busi ness t o sow t he seeds of harmony around t he pl ace
where he works, and hi s i nfl uence wi l l refl ect i t sel f i n
every person who works wi t h hi m.
If every busi ness i s "t he ext ended shadow of one
man" as Emerson st at ed, t hen i t behooves t hat one
man t o refl ect a shadow of confi dence and good cheer
and opt i mi sm and harmony, t hat t hese qual i t i es may,
i n t urn, refl ect t hemsel ves i n al l who are connect ed
wi t h t he busi ness.
In passi ng t o t he next st ep i n our appl i cat i on of
t he power of i magi nat i on i n t he at t ai nment of success
we wi l l ci t e some of t he most recent and modern
exampl es of i t s use i n t he accumul at i on of mat eri al
weal t h and t he perfect i on of some of t he l eadi ng
i nvent i ons of t he worl d.
In approachi ng t hi s next st ep i t shoul d be borne
i l l mi nd t hat "t here i s not hi ng new under t he sun. "
Li ft , on t hi s eart h may be l i kened t o a great
kal ei doscope before whi ch t he scenes and fact s and
- 14 -
mat eri al subst ances are ever shi ft i ng and changi ng,
and al l any man can do i s t o t ake t hese fact s and
subst ances and re-arrange t hem i n new combi nat i ons.
The process t hrough whi ch t hi s i s done i s cal l ed
i magi nat i on.
We have st at ed t hat t he i magi nat i on i s bot h
i nt erpret at i ve and creat i ve i n i t s nat ure. It can recei ve
i mpressi ons or i deas and out of t hese i t can form new
combi nat i ons.
As our fi rst i l l ust rat i on of t he power of
i magi nat i on i n modern busi ness achi evement , we wi l l
t ake t he case of Cl arence Saunders, who organi zed t he
Pi ggl y-Wi ggl y syst em of sel f-hel p grocery st ores.
Saunders was a grocery cl erk i n a smal l sout hern
ret ai l st ore. One day he was st andi ng i n a l i ne, wi t h a
t i n t ray i n hi s hands, wai t i ng hi s t urn t o secure food i n
a cafet eri a. He had never earned more t han $20. 00 a
week before t hat t i me, and no one had ever not i ced
anyt hi ng about hi m t hat i ndi cat ed unusual abi l i t y, but
somet hi ng t ook pl ace i n hi s mi nd, as he st ood i n t hat
l i ne of wai t i ng peopl e, t hat put hi s i magi nat i on t o
work. Wi t h t he ai d of hi s i magi nat i on he l i ft ed t hat
"sel f-hel p" i dea out of t he cafet eri a i n whi ch he found
i t (not creat i ng anyt hi ng new, merel y shi ft i ng an ol d
i dea i nt o a new use) and set i t down i n a grocery
st ore. In an i nst ant t he Pi ggl y-Wi ggl y chai n-st ore
grocery pl an had been creat ed and Cl arence Saunders
t he t went y-dol l ar-a-week grocery cl erk rapi dl y became
t he mi l l i on-dol l ar chai n-st ore groceryman of Ameri ca.
Where, i n t hat t ransact i on, do you see t he
sl i ght est i ndi cat i on of a performance t hat you coul d
not dupl i cat e?
- 15 -


IT will make a big
difference to you
whether you are a
person with a
message or a person
with a grievance.



- 16 -
Anal yze t hi s t ransact i on and measure i t by t he
previ ous l essons of t hi s course and you wi l l see t hat
Cl arence Saunders creat ed a very def i ni t e purpose. He
support ed t hi s purpose wi t h suffi ci ent sel f -conf i dence
t o cause hi m t o t ake t he i ni t i at i ve t o t ransform i t i nt o
real i t y. Hi s i magi nat i on was t he workshop i n whi ch
t hese t hree fact ors, def i ni t e purpose, sel f -conf i dence
and i ni t i at i ve were brought t oget her and made t o
suppl y t he moment um for t he fi rst st ep i n t he
organi zat i on of t he Pi ggl y-Wi ggl y pl an.
Thus are great i deas changed i nt o real i t i es.
When Thomas A. Edi son i nvent ed t he
i ncandescent el ect ri c l i ght bul b he merel y brought
t oget her t wo ol d, wel l known pri nci pl es and
associ at ed t hem i n a new combi nat i on. Mr. Edi son and
pract i cal l y al l ot hers who were i nformed on t he
subj ect of el ect ri ci t y, knew t hat a l i ght coul d be
produced by heat i ng a smal l wi re wi t h el ect ri ci t y, but
t he di ffi cul t probl em was t o do t hi s wi t hout burni ng
t he wi re i n t wo. In hi s experi ment al research Mr.
Edi son t ri ed out every concei vabl e sort of wi re,
hopi ng t o fi nd some subst ance t hat woul d wi t hst and
t he t remendous heat t o whi ch i t had t o be subj ect ed
before a l i ght coul d be produced.
Hi s i nvent i on was hal f compl et ed, but i t was of
no pract i cal val ue unt i l he coul d fi nd t he mi ssi ng l i nk
t hat woul d suppl y t he ot her hal f. Aft er t housands of
t est s and much combi ni ng of ol d i deas i n hi s
i magi nat i on, Edi son fi nal l y found t hi s mi ssi ng l i nk. In
hi s st udy of physi cs he had l earned, as al l ot her
st udent s of t hi s subj ect l earn, t hat t here can be no
combust i on wi t hout t he presence of oxygen. He of
course knew t hat t he di ffi cul t y wi t h hi s el ect ri c l i ght
apparat us was t he l ack of a met hod t hrough whi ch t o
- 17 -
cont rol t he heat . When i t occurred t o hi m t hat t here
coul d be no combust i on where t here was no oxygen he
pl aced t he l i t t l e wi re of hi s el ect ri c l i ght apparat us
i nsi de of a gl ass gl obe, shut out al l t he oxygen, and
l o! t he mi ght y i ncandescent l i ght was a real i t y.
When t he sun goes down t oni ght you st ep t o t he
wal l , press a but t on and bri ng i t back agai n, a
performance t hat woul d have myst i fi ed t he peopl e of a
few generat i ons ago, and yet t here i s no myst ery back
of your act . Thanks t o t he use of Edi son' s
i magi nat i on, you have si mpl y brought t oget her t wo
pri nci pl es bot h of whi ch were i n exi st ence si nce t he
begi nni ng of t i me.
No one who knew hi m i nt i mat el y ever accredi t ed
Andrew Carnegi e wi t h unusual abi l i t y, or t he power of
geni us, except i n one respect , and t hat was hi s abi l i t y
t o sel ect men who coul d and woul d co-operat e i n a
spi ri t of harmony, i n carryi ng out hi s wi shes. But what
addi t i onal abi l i t y di d he need i n t he accumul at i on of
hi s mi l l i ons of dol l ars?
Any man who underst ands t he pri nci pl e of
organi zed ef f ort , as Carnegi e underst ood i t , and knows
enough about men t o be abl e t o sel ect j ust t hose t ypes
t hat are needed i n t he performance of a gi ven t ask,
coul d dupl i cat e al l t hat Carnegi e accompl i shed.
Carnegi e was a man of i magi nat i on. He fi rst
creat ed a def i ni t e purpose and t hen surrounded
hi msel f wi t h men who had ' t he t rai ni ng and t he vi si on
and t he capaci t y necessary for t he t ransformat i on of
t hat purpose i nt o real i t y. Carnegi e di d not al ways
creat e hi s own pl ans for t he at t ai nment of hi s def i ni t e
purpose. He made i t hi s busi ness t o know what he
want ed, t hen found t he men who coul d creat e pl ans
- 18 -
t hrough whi ch t o procure i t . And t hat was not onl y
i magi nat i on, i t was geni us of t he hi ghest order.
But i t shoul d be made cl ear t hat men of Mr.
Carnegi e' s t ype are not t he onl y ones who can make
profi t abl e use of i magi nat i on. Thi s great power i s as
avai l abl e t o t he begi nner i n busi ness as i t i s t o t he
man who has "arri ved. "
One morni ng Charl es M. Schwab' s pri vat e car was
backed on t he si de-t rack at hi s Bet hl ehem St eel pl ant .
As he al i ght ed from hi s car he was met by a young
man st enographer who announced t hat he had come t o
make sure t hat any l et t ers or t el egrams Mr. Schwab
mi ght wi sh t o wri t e woul d be t aken care of prompt l y.
No one t ol d t hi s young man t o be on hand, but he had
enough i magi nat i on t o see t hat hi s bei ng t here woul d
not hurt hi s chances of advancement . From t hat day
on, t hi s young man was "marked" for promot i on. Mr.
Schwab si ngl ed hi m out for promot i on because he had
done t hat whi ch any of t he dozen or so ot her
st enographers i n t he empl oy of t he Bet hl ehem St eel
Company mi ght have done, but di dn' t . Today t hi s same
man i s t he presi dent of one of t he l argest drug
concerns i n t he worl d and has al l of t hi s worl d' s goods
and wares t hat he want s and much more t han he needs.
A few years ago I recei ved a l et t er from a young
man who had j ust fi ni shed Busi ness Col l ege, and who
want ed t o secure empl oyment i n my offi ce. Wi t h hi s
l et t er he sent a cri sp t en-dol l ar bi l l t hat had never
been fol ded. The l et t er read as fol l ows

"I have j ust fi ni shed a commerci al course i n a
fi rst -cl ass busi ness col l ege and I want a posi t i on i n
your offi ce because I real i ze how much i t woul d be
- 19 -
wort h t o a young man, j ust st art i ng out on hi s busi ness
career, t o have t he pri vi l ege of worki ng under t he
di rect i on of a man l i ke you.
"If t he encl osed t en-dol l ar bi l l i s suffi ci ent t o pay
for t he t i me you woul d spend i n gi vi ng me my fi rst
week' s i nst ruct i ons I want you t o accept i t . I wi l l work
t he fi rst mont h wi t hout pay and you may set my wages
aft er t hat at what ever I prove t o be wort h.
"I want t hi s j ob more t han I ever want ed anyt hi ng
i n my l i fe and I am wi l l i ng t o make any reasonabl e
sacri fi ce t o get i t . Very cordi al l y, "

Thi s young man got hi s chance i n my offi ce. Hi s
i magi nat i on gai ned for hi m t he opport uni t y t hat he
want ed, and before hi s fi rst mont h had expi red t he
presi dent of a l i fe i nsurance company who heard of
t hi s i nci dent offered t he young man a pri vat e
secret ary-shi p at a subst ant i al sal ary. He i s t oday an
offi ci al of one of t he l argest l i fe i nsurance compani es
i n t he worl d.
Some years ago a young man wrot e t o Thomas A.
Edi son for a posi t i on. For some reason Mr. Edi son di d
not repl y. By no means di scouraged on t hi s account
t he young man made up hi s mi nd t hat he woul d not
onl y get a repl y from Mr. Edi son, but what was more
i mport ant st i l l , he woul d actual l y secure t he posi t i on
he sought . He l i ved a l ong di st ance from West Orange,
New Jersey, where t he Edi son i ndust ri es are l ocat ed,
and he di d not have t he money wi t h whi ch t o pay hi s
rai l road fare. But he di d have i magi nat i on. He went t o
West Orange i n a frei ght car, got hi s i nt ervi ew, t ol d
hi s st ory i n person and got t he j ob he sought .
Today t hi s same man l i ves i n Bradent own,
- 20 -
Fl ori da. He has ret i red from act i ve busi ness, havi ng
made al l t he money he needs. Hi s name, i n case you
wi sh t o confi rm my st at ement s, i s Edwi n C. Barnes.
By usi ng hi s i magi nat i on, Mr. Barnes saw t he
advant age of cl ose associ at i on wi t h a man l i ke Thomas
A. Edi son. He saw t hat such an associ at i on woul d gi ve
hi m t he opport uni t y t o st udy Mr. Edi son, and at t he
same t i me i t woul d bri ng hi m i n cont act wi t h Mr.
Edi son' s fri ends, who are among t he most i nfl uent i al
peopl e of t he worl d.
These are but a few cases i n connect i on wi t h
whi ch I have personal l y observed how men have
cl i mbed t o hi gh pl aces i n t he worl d and accumul at ed
weal t h i n abundance by maki ng pract i cal use of t hei r
i magi nat i on.
Theodore Roosevel t engraved hi s name on t he
t abl et s of t i me by one si ngl e act duri ng hi s t enure of
offi ce as Presi dent of t he Uni t ed St at es, and aft er al l
el se t hat he di d whi l e i n t hat offi ce wi l l have been
forgot t en t hi s one t ransact i on wi l l record hi m i n
hi st ory as a man of i magi nat i on.
He st art ed t he st eam shovel s t o work on t he
Panama Canal .
Every Presi dent , from Washi ngt on on up t o
Roosevel t , coul d have st art ed t he canal and i t woul d
have been compl et ed, but i t seemed such a col ossal
undert aki ng t hat i t requi red not onl y i magi nat i on but
dari ng courage as wel l . Roosevel t had bot h, and t he
peopl e of t he Uni t ed St at es have t he canal .
At t he age of fort y - t he age at whi ch t he average
man begi ns t o t hi nk he i s t oo ol d t o st art anyt hi ng new
- James J. Hi l l was st i l l si t t i ng at t he t el egraph key, at
a sal ary of $30. 00 per month. He had no capi t al . He
- 21 -


THE reason most
people do not like to
hear the story of your
troubles is that they
have a big flock of
their own.



- 22 -
He had no i nfl uent i al fri ends wi t h capi t al , but he
di d have t hat whi ch i s more powerful t han ei t her -
i magi nat i on.
In hi s mi nd' s eye he saw a great rai l way syst em
t hat woul d penet rat e t he undevel oped nort hwest and
uni t e t he At l ant i c and Paci fi c oceans. So vi vi d was hi s
i magi nat i on t hat he made ot hers see t he advant ages of
such a rai l way syst em, and from t here on t he st ory i s
fami l i ar enough t o every school -boy. I woul d
emphasi ze t he part of t he st ory t hat most peopl e never
ment i on - t hat Hi l l ' s Great Nort hern Rai l way syst em
became a real i t y i n hi s own i magi nat i on fi rst . The
rai l road was bui l t wi t h st eel rai l s and wooden cross
t i es, j ust as ot her rai l roads are bui l t , and t hese t hi ngs
were pai d for wi t h capi t al t hat was secured i n very
much t he same manner t hat capi t al for al l rai l roads i s
secured, but i f you want t he real st ory of James J.
Hi l l ' s success you must go back t o t hat l i t t l e count ry
rai l way st at i on where he worked at $30. 00 a mont h
and t here pi ck up t he l i t t l e t hreads t hat he wove i nt o a
mi ght y rai l road, wi t h mat eri al s no more vi si bl e t han
t he t hought s whi ch he organi zed i n hi s i magi nat i on.
What a mi ght y power i s i magi nat i on, t he
workshop of t he soul , i n whi ch t hought s are woven
i nt o rai l roads and skyscrapers and mi l l s and fact ori es
and al l manner of mat eri al weal t h.

"I hol d i t t rue t hat t hought s are t hi ngs;
They' re endowed wi t h bodi es and breat h and wi ngs;
And t hat we send t hem fort h t o fi l l
The worl d wi t h good resul t s or i l l .
That whi ch we cal l our secret t hought
- 23 -
Speeds fort h t o eart h' s remot est spot ,
Leavi ng i t s bl essi ngs or i t s woes,
Li ke t racks behi nd i t as i t goes.
We bui l d our fut ure, t hought by t hought ,
For good or i l l , yet know i t not ,
Yet so t he uni verse was wrought .
Thought i s anot her name for fat e;
Choose, t hen, t hy dest i ny and wai t ,
For l ove bri ngs l ove and hat e bri ngs hat e. "

If your i magi nat i on i s t he mi rror of your soul ,
t hen you have a perfect ri ght t o st and before t hat
mi rror and see yoursel f as you wi sh t o be. You have
t he ri ght t o see refl ect ed i n t hat magi c mi rror t he
mansi on you i nt end t o own, t he fact ory you i nt end t o
manage, t he bank of whi ch you i nt end t o be presi dent ,
t he st at i on i n l i fe you i nt end t o occupy. Your
i magi nat i on bel ongs t o you! Use i t ! The more you use
i t t he more effi ci ent l y i t wi l l serve you.
At t he east end of t he great Brookl yn Bri dge, i n
New York Ci t y, an ol d man conduct s a cobbl er shop.
When t he engi neers began dri vi ng st akes and marki ng
t he foundat i on pl ace for t hat great st eel st ruct ure t hi s
man shook hi s head and sai d "It can' t be done!"
Now he l ooks out from his di ngy l i t t l e shoe-repai r
shop, shakes hi s head and asks hi msel f: "How di d t hey
do i t ?"
He saw t he bri dge grow before hi s very eyes and
st i l l he l acks t he i magi nat i on t o anal yze t hat whi ch he
saw. The engi neer who pl anned t he bri dge saw i t a
real i t y l ong before a si ngl e shovel of di rt had been
removed for t he foundat i on st ones. The bri dge became
a real i t y i n hi s i magi nat i on because he had t rai ned
- 24 -
t hat i magi nat i on t o weave new combi nat i ons out of
ol d i deas.
Through recent experi ment s i n t he depart ment of
el ect ri ci t y one of our great educat i onal i nst i t ut i ons of
Ameri ca has di scovered how t o put fl owers t o sl eep
and wake t hem up agai n, wi t h el ect ri c "sunl i ght . " Thi s
di scovery makes possi bl e t he growt h of veget abl es and
fl owers wi t hout t he ai d of sunshi ne. In a few more
years t he ci t y dwel l er wi l l be rai si ng a crop of
veget abl es on hi s back porch, wi t h t he ai d of a few
boxes of di rt and a few el ect ri c l i ght s, wi t h some new
veget abl e mat uri ng every mont h of t he year.
Thi s new di scovery, pl us a l i t t l e i magi nat i on,
pl us Lut her Burbank' s di scoveri es i n t he fi el d of
hort i cul t ure, and l o! t he ci t y dwel l er wi l l not onl y
grow veget abl es al l t he year around, wi t hi n t he
confi nes of hi s back porch, but he wi l l grow bi gger
veget abl es t han any whi ch t he modern gardener grows
i n t he open sunl i ght .
In one of t he ci t i es on t he coast of Cal i forni a al l
of t he l and t hat was sui t able for bui l di ng l ot s had been
devel oped and put i nt o use. On one si de of t he ci t y
t here were some st eep hi l l s t hat coul d not be used for
bui l di ng purposes, and on t he ot her si de t he l and was
unsui t abl e for bui l di ngs because i t was so l ow t hat t he
back-wat er covered i t once a day.
A man of i magi nat i on came t o t hi s ci t y. Men of
i magi nat i on usual l y have keen mi nds, and t hi s man
was no except i on. The fi rst day of hi s arri val he saw
t he possi bi l i t i es for maki ng money out of real est at e.
He secured an opt i on on t hose hi l l s t hat were
unsui t abl e for use because of t hei r st eepness. He al so
secured an opt i on on t he ground t hat was unsui t abl e
- 25 -
for use because of t he back-wat er t hat covered i t
dai l y. He secured t hese opt i ons at a very l ow pri ce
because t he ground was supposed t o be wi t hout
subst ant i al val ue.
Wi t h t he use of a few t ons of expl osi ves he t urned
t hose st eep hi l l s i nt o l oose di rt . Wi t h t he ai d of a few
t ract ors and some road scrapers he l evel ed t he ground
down and t urned i t i nt o beaut i ful bui l di ng l ot s, and
wi t h t he ai d of a few mul es and cart s he dumped t he
surpl us di rt on t he l ow ground and rai sed i t above t he
wat er l evel , t hereby t urni ng i t i nt o beaut i ful bui l di ng
l ot s.
He made a subst ant i al fort une, f or what ?
For removi ng some di rt from where i t was not
needed t o where i t was needed! For mi xi ng some
usel ess di rt wi t h i magi nat i on!
The peopl e of t hat l i t t l e ci t y gave t hi s man credi t
for bei ng a geni us; and he was-t he same sort of geni us
t hat any one of t hem coul d have been had he used hi s
i magi nat i on as t hi s man used hi s.
In t he fi el d of chemi st ry i t i s possi bl e t o mi x t wo
or more chemi cal i ngredi ent s i n such proport i ons t hat
t he mere act of mi xi ng gi ves each of t he i ngredi ent s a
t remendous amount of energy t hat i t di d not possess.
It i s al so possi bl e t o mi x cert ai n chemi cal i ngredi ent s
i n such proport i ons t hat al l t he i ngredi ent s of t he
combi nat i on t ake on an ent i rel y di f f erent nat ure, as i n
t he case of H
2
O, whi ch i s a mi xt ure of t wo part s
hydrogen and one part oxygen, creat i ng wat er.
Chemi st ry i s not t he onl y fi el d i n whi ch a
combi nat i on of vari ous physi cal mat eri al s can be so
assembl ed t hat each t akes on a great er val ue, or t he
resul t i s a product ent i rel y forei gn i n nat ure t o t hat of
i t s component part s. The man who bl ew up t hose
- 26 -
usel ess hi l l s of di rt and st one and removed t he surpl us
from where i t was not needed over t o t he l ow-l and,
where i t was needed, gave t hat di rt and st one a val ue
t hat i t di d not have before.
A t on of pi g-i ron i s wort h but l i t t l e. Add t o t hat
pi g-i ron carbon, si l i con, manganese, sul phur and
phosphorus, i n t he ri ght proport i ons, and you have
t ransformed i t i nt o st eel , whi ch i s of much great er
val ue. Add st i l l ot her subst ances, i n t he ri ght
proport i on, i ncl udi ng some ski l l ed l abor, and t hat
same t on of st eel i s t ransformed i nt o wat ch-spri ngs
wort h a smal l fort une. But , i n al l t hese t ransformat i on
processes t he one i ngredi ent t hat i s wort h most i s t he
one t hat has no mat eri al form - i magi nat i on!
Here l i e great pi l es of l oose bri ck, l umber, nai l s
and gl ass. In i t s present form i t i s worse t han usel ess
for i t i s a nui sance and an eye-sore. But mi x i t wi t h
t he archi t ect ' s i magi nat i on and add some ski l l ed l abor
and l o! i t becomes a beaut i ful mansi on wort h a ki ng' s
ransom.
On one of t he great hi ghways bet ween New York
and Phi l adel phi a st ood an ol d ramshackl e, t i me-worn
barn, wort h l ess t han fi ft y dol l ars. Wi t h t he ai d of a
l i t t l e l umber and some cement , pl us i magi nat i on, t hi s
ol d barn has been t urned i nt o a beaut i ful aut omobi l e
suppl y st at i on t hat earns a smal l fort une for t he man
who suppl i ed t he i magi nat i on.
Across t he st reet from my offi ce i s a l i t t l e pri nt -
shop t hat earns coffee and rol l s for i t s owner and hi s
hel per, but no more. Less t han a dozen bl ocks away
st ands one of t he most modern pri nt i ng pl ant s i n t he
worl d, whose owner spends most of hi s t i me t ravel i ng
and has far more weal t h t han he wi l l ever use.
- 27 -


I KNOW I am here. I
know I had nothing to
do with my coming, and
I shall have but little, if
anything, to do with my
going, therefore I will
not worry because
worries are of no avail.

- 28 -
Twent y-t wo years ago t hose t wo pri nt ers were i n
busi ness t oget her.
The one who owns t he bi g pri nt -shop had t he
good j udgment t o al l y hi msel f wi t h a man who mi xed
i magi nat i on wi t h pri nt i ng. Thi s man of i magi nat i on i s
a wri t er of advert i sement s and he keeps t he pri nt i ng
pl ant wi t h whi ch he i s associ at ed suppl i ed wi t h more
busi ness t han i t can handl e by anal yzi ng i t s cl i ent s'
busi ness, creat i ng at t ract i ve advert i si ng feat ures and
suppl yi ng t he necessary pri nt ed mat eri al wi t h whi ch t o
make t hese feat ures of servi ce. Thi s pl ant recei ves
t op-not ch pri ces for i t s pri nt i ng because t he
i magi nat i on mi xed wi t h t hat pri nt i ng produces a
product t hat most pri nt ers cannot suppl y.
In t he ci t y of Chi cago t he l evel of a cert ai n
boul evard was rai sed, whi ch spoi l ed a row of beaut i ful
resi dences because t he si de-wal k was rai sed t o t he
l evel of t he second st ory wi ndows. Whi l e t he propert y
owners were bemoani ng t hei r i l l -fort une a man of
i magi nat i on came al ong, purchased t he propert y for a
"song, " convert ed t he second st ori es i nt o busi ness
propert y, and now enj oys a handsome i ncome from hi s
rent al s.
As you read t hese l i nes pl ease keep i n mi nd al l
t hat was st at ed i n t he begi nni ng of t hi s l esson;
especi al l y t he fact t hat t he great est and most
profi t abl e t hi ng you can do wi t h your i magi nat i on i s
t he act of rearrangi ng ol d i deas i n new combi nat i ons.
If you properl y use your i magi nat i on i t wi l l hel p
you convert your fai l ures and mi st akes i nt o asset s of
pri cel ess val ue; i t wi l l l ead you t o di scovery of a t rut h
known onl y t o t hose who use t hei r i magi nat i on;
namel y, t hat t he great est reverses and mi sfort unes of
l i fe oft en open t he door t o gol den opport uni t i es.
- 29 -
One of t he fi nest and most hi ghl y pai d engravers
i n t he Uni t ed St at es was formerl y a mai l -carri er. One
day he was fort unat e enough t o be on a st reet car t hat
met wi t h an acci dent and had one of hi s l egs cut off.
The st reet rai l way company pai d hi m $5, 000. 00 for hi s
l eg. Wi t h t hi s money he pai d hi s way t hrough school
and became an engraver. The product of hi s hands,
pl us hi s i magi nat i on, i s wort h much more t han he
coul d earn wi t h hi s l egs, as a mai l -carri er. He
di scovered t hat he had i magi nat i on when i t became
necessary t o re-di rect hi s effort s, as a resul t of t he
st reet car acci dent .
You wi l l never know what i s your capaci t y for
achi evement unt i l you l earn how t o mi x your effort s
wi t h i magi nat i on. The product s of your hands, mi nus
i magi nat i on, wi l l yi el d you but a smal l ret urn, but
t hose sel fsame hands, when properl y gui ded by
i magi nat i on, can be made t o earn you al l t he mat eri al
weal t h you can use.
There are t wo ways i n whi ch you can profi t by
i magi nat i on. You can devel op t hi s facul t y i n your own
mi nd, or you can al l y yoursel f wi t h t hose who have
al ready devel oped i t . Andrew Carnegi e di d bot h. He
not onl y made use of hi s own fert i l e i magi nat i on, but
he gat hered around hi m a group of ot her men who al so
possessed t hi s essent i al qual i t y, for hi s def i ni t e
purpose i n l i fe cal l ed for speci al i st s whose
i magi nat i on ran i n numerous di rect i ons. In t hat group
of men t hat const i t ut ed Mr. Carnegi e' s "mast er mi nd"
were men whose i magi nat i ons were confi ned t o t he
fi el d of chemi st ry. He had ot her men i n t he group
whose i magi nat i ons were confi ned t o fi nances. He had
st i l l ot hers whose i magi nat i ons were confi ned t o
- 30 -
sal esmanshi p, one of whom was Charl es M. Schwab,
who i s sai d t o have been t he most abl e sal esman on
Mr. Carnegi e' s st aff.
If you feel t hat your own i magi nat i on i s
i nadequat e you shoul d form an al l i ance wi t h someone
whose i magi nat i on i s suffi ci ent l y devel oped t o suppl y
your defi ci ency. There are vari ous forms of al l i ance.
For exampl e, t here i s t he al l i ance of marri age and t he
al l i ance of a busi ness part nershi p and t he al l i ance of
fri endshi p and t he al l i ance of empl oyer and empl oyee.
Not al l men have t he capaci t y t o serve t hei r own best
i nt erest s as empl oyers, and t hose who haven' t t hi s
capaci t y may profi t by al l yi ng t hemsel ves wi t h men of
i magi nat i on who have such capaci t y.
It i s sai d t hat Mr. Carnegi e made more
mi l l i onai res of hi s empl oyees t han any ot her empl oyer
i n t he st eel busi ness. Among t hese was Charl es M.
Schwab, who di spl ayed evi dence of t he soundest sort
of i magi nat i on by hi s good j udgment i n al l yi ng
hi msel f wi t h Mr. Carnegi e. It i s no di sgrace t o serve
i n t he capaci t y of empl oyee. To t he cont rary, i t oft en
proves t o be t he most profi t abl e si de of an al l i ance
si nce not al l men are fi t t ed t o assume t he
responsi bi l i t y of di rect i ng ot her men.
Perhaps t here i s no fi el d of endeavor i n whi ch
i magi nat i on pl ays such an i mport ant part as i t does i n
sal esmanshi p. The mast er sal esman sees t he meri t s of
t he goods he sel l s or t he servi ce he i s renderi ng, i n hi s
own i magi nat i on, and i f he fai l s t o do so he wi l l not
make t he sal e.
A few years ago a sal e was made whi ch i s sai d t o
have been t he most far-reachi ng and i mport ant sal e of
i t s ki nd ever made. The obj ect of t he sal e was not
- 31 -
merchandi se, but t he freedom of a man who was
confi ned i n t he Ohi o peni t ent i ary and t he devel opment
of a pri son reform syst em t hat promi ses a sweepi ng
change i n t he met hod of deal i ng wi t h unfort unat e men
and women who have become ent angl ed i n t he meshes
of t he l aw.
That you may observe j ust how i magi nat i on pl ays
t he l eadi ng part i n sal esmanshi p I wi l l anal yze t hi s
sal e for you, wi t h due apol ogi es for personal
references, whi ch cannot be avoi ded wi t hout
dest royi ng much of t he val ue of t he i l l ust rat i on.
A few years ago I was i nvi t ed t o speak before t he
i nmat es of t he Ohi o peni t ent i ary. When I st epped upon
t he pl at form I saw i n t he audi ence before me a man
whom I had known as a successful busi ness man, more
t han t en years previ ousl y. That man was B_, whose
pardon I l at er secured, and t he st ory of whose rel ease
has been spread upon t he front page of pract i cal l y
every newspaper i n t he Uni t ed St at es. Perhaps you
wi l l recal l i t .
Aft er I had compl et ed my address I i nt ervi ewed
Mr. B_ and found out t hat he had been sent enced for
forgery, for a peri od of t went y years. Aft er he had
t ol d me hi s st ory I sai d:
"I wi l l have you out of here i n l ess t han si xt y
days!"
Wi t h a forced smi l e he repl i ed: "I admi re your
spi ri t but quest i on your j udgment . Why, do you know
t hat at l east t went y i nfl uent i al men have t ri ed every
means at t hei r command t o get me rel eased, wi t hout
success? It can' t be done!"
I suppose i t was t hat l ast remark - It can' t be done
- t hat chal l enged me t o show hi m t hat i t coul d be
- 32 -
done. I ret urned t o New York Ci t y and request ed my
wi fe t o pack her t runks and get ready for an i ndefi ni t e
st ay i n t he ci t y of Col umbus, where t he Ohi o
peni t ent i ary i s l ocat ed.
I had a def i ni t e purpose i n mi nd! That purpose
was t o get B_ out of t he Ohi o peni t ent i ary. Not onl y
di d I have i n mi nd securi ng hi s rel ease, but I i nt ended
t o do i t i n such a way t hat hi s rel ease woul d erase
from hi s breast t he scarl et l et t er of "convi ct " and at
t he same t i me refl ect credi t upon al l who hel ped t o
bri ng about hi s rel ease.
Not once di d I doubt t hat I woul d bri ng about hi s
rel ease, for no sal esman can make a sal e i f he doubt s
t hat he can do i t . My wi fe and I ret urned t o Col umbus
and t ook up permanent headquart ers.
The next day I cal l ed on t he governor of Ohi o and
st at ed t he obj ect of my vi si t i n about t hese words:
"Governor: I have come t o ask you t o rel ease B_
from t he Ohi o peni t ent i ary. I have sound reason for
aski ng hi s rel ease and I hope you wi l l gi ve hi m hi s
freedom at once, but I have come prepared t o st ay
unt i l he i s rel eased, no mat t er how l ong t hat may be.
"Duri ng hi s i mpri sonment B__ has i naugurat ed a
syst em of correspondence i nst ruct i on i n t he Ohi o
peni t ent i ary, as you of course know. He has
i nfl uenced 1729 of t he 2518 pri soners of t he Ohi o
peni t ent i ary t o t ake up courses of i nst ruct i on. He has
managed t o beg suffi ci ent t ext books and l esson
mat eri al s wi t h whi ch t o keep t hese men at work on
t hei r l essons, and has done t hi s wi t hout a penny of
expense t o t he st at e of Ohi o. The warden and t he
chapl ai n of t he peni t ent i ary t el l me t hat he has
careful l y observed t he pri son rul es. Surel y a man who
can i nfl uence 1729 men t o t urn t hei r effort s t owards
- 33 -



IF you have been wise
and successful I con-
gratulate you; unless
you are unable to forget
how successful you
have been, then I pity
you.

- 34 -
t hei r effort s t oward sel f-bet t erment cannot be a very
bad sort of fel l ow.
"I have come t o ask you t o rel ease B_ because I
wi sh t o pl ace hi m at t he head of a pri son school t hat
wi l l gi ve t he 160, 000 i nmat es of t he ot her
peni t ent i ari es of t he Uni t ed St at es a chance t o profi t
by hi s i nfl uence. I am prepared t o assume ful l
responsi bi l i t y for hi s conduct aft er hi s rel ease.
"That i s my case, but , before you gi ve me your
answer, I want you t o know t hat I am not unmi ndful of
t he fact t hat your enemi es wi l l probabl y cri t i ci ze you
i f you rel ease hi m; i n fact i f you rel ease hi m i t may
cost you many vot es i f you run for offi ce agai n. "
Wi t h hi s fi st cl i nched and hi s broad j aw set
fi rml y Governor Vi c Donahey of Ohi o sai d:
"If t hat i s what you want wi t h B_ I wi l l rel ease
hi m i f i t cost s me fi ve t housand vot es. However,
before I si gn t he pardon I want you t o see t he
Cl emency Board and secure i t s favorabl e
recommendat i on. I want you al so t o secure t he
favorabl e recommendat i on of t he warden and t he
chapl ai n of t he Ohi o peni t ent i ary. You know a
governor i s amenabl e t o t he Court of Publ i c Opi ni on,
and t hese gent l emen are t he represent at i ves of t hat
Court . "
The sal e had been made! and t he whol e
t ransact i on had requi red l ess t han fi ve mi nut es.
The next day I ret urned t o t he governor' s offi ce,
accompani ed by t he chapl ai n of t he Ohi o peni t ent i ary,
and not i fi ed t he governor t hat t he Cl emency Board,
t he Warden and t he Chapl ai n al l j oi ned i n
recommendi ng t he rel ease. Three days l at er t he pardon
was si gned and B wal ked t hrough t he bi g i ron gat es, a
free man.
- 35 -
I have ci t ed t he det ai l s t o show you t hat t here was
not hi ng di ffi cul t about t he t ransact i on. The
groundwork for t he rel ease had al l been prepared
before I came upon t he scene. B_ had done t hat , by hi s
good conduct and t he servi ce he had rendered t hose
1729 pri soners. When he creat ed t he worl d' s fi rst
pri son correspondence school syst em he creat ed t he
key t hat unl ocked t he pri son doors for hi msel f.
Why, t hen, had t he ot hers who asked for hi s
rel ease fai l ed t o secure i t ?
They fai l ed because t hey used no i magi nat i on!
Perhaps t hey asked t he governor for B_' s rel ease
on t he ground t hat hi s parent s were promi nent peopl e,
or on t he ground t hat he was a col l ege graduat e and
not a bad sort of fel l ow. They f ai l ed t o suppl y t he
governor of Ohi o wi t h a suf f i ci ent mot i ve t o j ust i f y
hi m i n grant i ng a pardon, for had t hi s not been so he
woul d undoubt edl y have rel eased B_ l ong before I
came upon t he scene and asked for hi s rel ease.
Before I went t o see t he governor I went over al l
t he fact s and i n my own i magi nat i on I saw mysel f i n
t he governor' s pl ace and made up my mi nd what sort
of a present at i on woul d appeal most st rongl y t o me i f
I were i n real i t y i n hi s pl ace.
When I asked for B_' s rel ease I di d so i n t he
name of t he 160, 000 unfort unat e men and women
i nmat es of t he pri sons of t he Uni t ed St at es who woul d
enj oy t he benefi t s of t he correspondence school
syst em t hat he had creat ed. I sai d not hi ng about hi s
promi nent parent s. I sai d not hi ng about my fri endshi p
wi t h hi m duri ng former years. I sai d not hi ng about hi s
bei ng a deservi ng fel l ow. Al l t hese mat t ers mi ght have
been used as sound reasons for hi s rel ease, but t hey
- 36 -
seemed i nsi gni fi cant when compared wi t h t he bi gger
and sounder reason t hat hi s rel ease woul d be of hel p
t o 160, 000 ot her peopl e who woul d feel t he i nfl uence
of hi s correspondence school syst em aft er hi s rel ease.
When t he governor of Ohi o came t o a deci si on I
doubt not t hat B_ was of secondary i mport ance as far
as hi s deci si on was concerned. The governor no doubt
saw a possi bl e benefi t , not t o B_ al one, but t o 160, 000
ot her men and women who needed t he i nfl uence t hat
B_ coul d suppl y, i f rel eased.
And t hat was i magi nat i on!
It was al so sal esmanshi p! In speaki ng of t he
i nci dent aft er i t was over, one of t he men who had
worked di l i gent l y for more t han a year i n t ryi ng t o
secure B_' s freedom, asked:
"How di d you do i t ?"
And I repl i ed: "It was t he easi est t ask I ever
performed, because most of t he work had been done
before I t ook hol d of i t . In fact I di dn' t do i t B_ di d i t
hi msel f. "
Thi s man l ooked at me i n bewi l derment . He di d
not see t hat whi ch I am here t ryi ng t o make cl ear;
namel y, t hat pract i cal l y al l di ffi cul t t asks are easi l y
performed i f one approaches t hem from t he ri ght
angl e. There were t wo i mport ant fact ors ent eri ng B_' s
rel ease. The fi rst was t he fact t hat he had suppl i ed t he
mat eri al for a good case before I t ook i t i n charge; and
t he second was t he fact t hat before I cal l ed on t he
governor of Ohi o I so compl et el y convi nced mysel f
t hat I had a ri ght t o ask for B_' s rel ease t hat I had no
di ffi cul t y i n present i ng my case effect i vel y.
- 37 -
Go back t o what was st at ed i n t he begi nni ng of
t hi s l esson, on t he subj ect of t el epat hy, and appl y i t t o
t hi s case. The governor coul d t el l , l ong before I had
st at ed my mi ssi on, t hat I knew I had a good case. If
my brai n di d not t el egraph t hi s t hought t o hi s brai n,
t hen t he l ook of sel f-confi dence i n my eyes and t he
posi t i ve t one of my voi ce made obvi ous my bel i ef i n
t he meri t s of my case.
Agai n I apol ogi ze for t hese personal references
wi t h t he expl anat i on t hat I have used t hem onl y
because t he whol e of Ameri ca was fami l i ar wi t h t he
B_ case t hat I have descri bed. I di scl ai m al l credi t for
t he smal l part I pl ayed i n t he case, for I di d not hi ng
except use my i magi nat i on as an assembl y room i n
whi ch t o pi ece t oget her t he fact ors out of whi ch t he
sal e was made. I di d not hi ng except t hat whi ch any
sal esman of i magi nat i on coul d have done.
It requi res consi derabl e courage t o prompt one t o
use t he personal pronoun as freel y as i t has been used
i n rel at i ng t he fact s connect ed wi t h t hi s case, but
j ust i fi cat i on l i es i n t he val ue of appl i cat i on of t he
pri nci pl e of i magi nat i on t o a case wi t h whi ch nearl y
everybody i s fami l i ar.
I cannot recal l an i nci dent i n my ent i re l i fe i n
connect i on wi t h whi ch t he soundness of t he fi ft een
fact ors t hat ent er i nt o t hi s Readi ng Course was more
cl earl y mani fest ed t han i t was i n securi ng t he rel ease
of B_.
It i s but anot her l i nk i n a l ong chai n of evi dence
t hat proves t o my ent i re sat i sfact i on t he power of
i magi nat i on as a fact or i n sal esmanshi p. There are
endl ess mi l l i ons of approaches t o every probl em, but
t here i s onl y one best approach. Fi nd t hi s one best
- 38 -
approach and your probl em i s easi l y sol ved. No mat t er
how much meri t your goods may have, t here are
mi l l i ons of wrong ways i n whi ch t o offer t hem. Your
i magi nat i on wi l l assi st you i n fi ndi ng t he ri ght way.
In your search for t he ri ght way i n whi ch t o offer
your merchandi se or your servi ces, remember t hi s
pecul i ar t rai t of manki nd:
Men wi l l grant f avors t hat you request f or t he
benef i t of a t hi rd person when t hey woul d not grant
t hem i f request ed f or your benef i t .
Compare t hi s st at ement wi t h t he fact t hat I asked
t he governor of Ohi o t o rel ease B_, not as a favor t o
me, and not as a favor t o B_, but , for t he benefi t of
160, 000 unfort unat e i nmat es of t he pri sons of
Ameri ca.
Sal esmen of i magi nat i on al ways offer t hei r wares
i n such t ermi nol ogy t hat t he advant ages of t hose wares
t o t he prospect i ve purchaser are obvi ous. It i s sel dom
t hat any man makes a purchase of merchandi se or
renders anot her a favor j ust t o accommodat e t he
sal esman. It i s a promi nent t rai t of human nat ure t hat
prompt s us al l t o do t hat whi ch advances our own
i nt erest s. Thi s i s a col d, i ndi sput abl e fact , cl ai ms of
t he i deal i st t o t he cont rary not wi t hst andi ng.
To be perfect l y pl ai n, men are sel f i sh!
To underst and t he t rut h i s t o underst and how t o
present your case, whet her you are aski ng for t he
rel ease of a man from pri son or offeri ng for sal e some
commodi t y. In your own i magi nat i on so pl an your
present at i on of your case t hat t he st rongest and most
i mpel l i ng advant ages t o t he buyer are made pl ai n.
Thi s i s i magi nat i on!
- 39 -

I NEVER see a person
trying to disclose the
scarlet letter on another' s
breast that I do not
wonder if he doesn' t carry
some mark of disgrace
which would have ruined
him had he been
overtaken by justice.

- 40 -
A farmer moved t o t he ci t y, t aki ng wi t h hi m hi s
wel l t rai ned shepherd dog. He soon found t hat t he dog
was out of pl ace i n t he ci t y, so he deci ded t o "get ri d
of hi m. " (Not e t he words i n quot at i on. ) Taki ng t he dog
wi t h hi m he went out i nt o t he count ry and rapped on
t he door of a farm-house. A man came hobbl i ng t o t he
door, on crut ches. The man wi t h t he dog greet ed t he
man i n t he house i n t hese words
"You woul dn' t care t o buy a fi ne shepherd dog,
t hat I wi sh t o get ri d of, woul d you?"
The man on crut ches repl i ed, "No!" and cl osed t he
door.
The man wi t h t he dog cal l ed at hal f a dozen ot her
farm-houses, aski ng t he same quest i on, and recei ved
t he same answer. He made up hi s mi nd t hat no one
want ed t he dog and ret urned t o t he ci t y. That eveni ng
he was t el l i ng of hi s mi sfort une, t o a man of
i magi nat i on. The man heard how t he owner of t he dog
had t ri ed i n vai n t o "get ri d of hi m. "
"Let me di spose of t he dog for you, " sai d t he man
of i magi nat i on. The owner was wi l l i ng. The next
morni ng t he man of i magi nat i on t ook t he dog out i nt o
t he count ry and st opped at t he fi rst farm-house at
whi ch t he owner of t he dog had cal l ed t he day before.
The same ol d man hobbl ed out on crut ches and
answered t he knock at t he door.
The man of i magi nat i on greet ed hi m i n t hi s
fashi on:
"I see you are al l cri ppl ed wi t h rheumat i sm. What
you need i s a fi ne dog t o run errands for you. I have a
dog here t hat has been t rai ned t o bri ng home t he cows,
dri ve away wi l d ani mal s, herd t he sheep and perform
ot her useful servi ces. You may have t hi s dog for a
hundred dol l ars. "
- 41 -
"Al l ri ght , " sai d t he cri ppl ed man, "I' l l t ake hi m!"
That , t oo, was i magi nat i on!
No one want s a dog t hat someone el se want s t o
"get ri d of, " but most anyone woul d l i ke t o own a dog
t hat woul d herd sheep and bri ng home t he cows and
perform ot her useful servi ces.
The dog was t he same one t hat t he cri ppl ed buyer
had refused t he day before, but t he man who sol d t he
dog was not t he man who had t ri ed t o "get ri d of hi m. "
If you use your i magi nat i on you wi l l know t hat no one
want s anyt hi ng t hat someone el se i s t ryi ng t o "get ri d
of. "
Remember t hat whi ch was sai d about t he Law of
At t ract i on t hrough t he operat i on of whi ch "l i ke
at t ract s l i ke. " If you l ook and act t he part of a fai l ure
you wi l l at t ract not hi ng but fai l ures.
What ever your l i fe-work may be, i t cal l s for t he
use of i magi nat i on.
Ni agara Fal l s was not hi ng but a great mass of
roari ng wat er unt i l a man of i magi nat i on harnessed i t
and convert ed t he wast ed energy i nt o el ect ri c current
t hat now t urns t he wheel s of i ndust ry. Before t hi s man
of i magi nat i on came al ong mi l l i ons of peopl e had seen
and heard t hose roari ng fal l s, but l acked t he
i magi nat i on t o harness t hem.
The fi rst Rot ary Cl ub of t he worl d was born i n
t he fert i l e i magi nat i on of Paul Harri s, of Chi cago,
who saw i n t hi s chi l d of hi s brai n an effect i ve means
of cul t i vat i ng prospect i ve cl i ent s and t he ext ensi on of
hi s l aw pract i ce. The et hi cs of t he l egal professi on
forbi d advert i si ng i n t he usual way, but Paul Harri s'
i magi nat i on found a way t o ext end hi s l aw pract i ce
wi t hout advert i si ng i n t he usual way.
- 42 -
If t he wi nds of Fort une are t emporari l y bl owi ng
agai nst you, remember t hat you can harness t hem and
make t hem carry you t oward your def i ni t e purpose,
t hrough t he use of your i magi nat i on. A ki t e ri ses
agai nst t he wi nd - not wi t h i t !
Dr. Frank Crane was a st ruggl i ng "t hi rd-rat e"
preacher unt i l t he st arvat i on wages of t he cl ergy
forced hi m t o use hi s i magi nat i on. Now he earns
upward of a hundred t housand dol l ars a year for an
hour' s work a day, wri t i ng essays.
Bud Fi sher once worked for a mere pi t t ance, but
he now earns sevent y-fi ve t housand dol l ars a year by
maki ng fol ks gri n, wi t h hi s Mut t and Jeff comi c st ri p.
No art goes i nt o hi s drawi ngs, t herefore he must be
sel l i ng hi s i magi nat i on.
Wool wort h was a poorl y pai d cl erk i n a ret ai l
st ore - poorl y pai d, perhaps, because he had not yet
found out t hat he had i magi nat i on. Before he di ed he
bui l t t he t al l est offi ce bui l di ng i n t he worl d and
gi rdl ed t he Uni t ed St at es wi t h Fi ve and Ten Cent
St ores, t hrough t he use of hi s i magi nat i on.
You wi l l observe, by anal yzi ng t hese
i l l ust rat i ons, t hat a cl ose st udy of human nat ure
pl ayed an i mport ant part i n t he achi evement s
ment i oned. To make profi t abl e use of your
i magi nat i on you must make i t gi ve you a keen i nsi ght
i nt o t he mot i ves t hat cause men t o do or refrai n from
doi ng a gi ven act . If your i magi nat i on l eads you t o
underst and how qui ckl y peopl e grant your request s
when t hose request s appeal t o t hei r sel f-i nt erest , you
can have pract i cal l y anyt hi ng you go aft er.
I saw my wi fe make a very cl ever sal e t o our baby
not l ong ago. The baby was poundi ng t he t op of our
- 43 -
mahogany l i brary t abl e wi t h a spoon. When my wi fe
reached for t he spoon t he baby refused t o gi ve i t up,
but bei ng a woman of i magi nat i on she offered t he
baby a ni ce st i ck of red candy; he dropped t he spoon
i mmedi at el y and cent ered hi s at t ent i on on t he more
desi rabl e obj ect .
That was i magi nat i on! It was al so sal esmanshi p.
She won her poi nt wi t hout usi ng force.
I was ri di ng i n an aut omobi l e wi t h a fri end who
was dri vi ng beyond t he speed l i mi t . An offi cer rode up
on a mot orcycl e and t ol d my fri end he was under
arrest for speedi ng. The fri end smi l ed pl easant l y at
t he offi cer and sai d: "I' m sorry t o have brought you
out i n al l t hi s rai n, but I want ed t o make t he t en
o' cl ock t rai n wi t h my fri end here, and I was hi t t i ng i t
up around t hi rt y-fi ve mi l es an hour. "
"No, you were onl y goi ng t went y-ei ght mi l es an
hour, " repl i ed t he offi cer, "and as l ong as you are so
ni ce about i t I wi l l l et you off t hi s t i me i f you wi l l
wat ch yoursel f hereaft er. "
And t hat , t oo, was i magi nat i on! Even a t raffi c
cop wi l l l i st en t o reason when approached i n t he ri ght
manner, but woe unt o t he mot ori st who t ri es t o bul l y
t he cop i nt o bel i evi ng hi s speedomet er was not
regi st eri ng properl y.
There i s one form of i magi nat i on agai nst whi ch I
woul d caut i on you. It i s t he brand whi ch prompt s
some peopl e t o i magi ne t hat t hey can get somet hi ng
for not hi ng, or t hat t hey can force t hemsel ves ahead i n
t he worl d wi t hout observi ng t he ri ght s of ot hers.
There are more t han 160, 000 pri soners i n t he penal
i nst i t ut i ons of t he Uni t ed St at es, pract i cal l y every one
of whom i s i n pri son because he i magi ned he coul d
- 44 -
pl ay t he game of l i fe wi t hout observi ng t he ri ght s of
hi s fel l ow men.
There i s a man i n t he Ohi o peni t ent i ary who has
served more t han t hi rt y-fi ve years of t i me for forgery,
and t he l argest amount he ever got from hi s
mi sappl i cat i on of i magi nat i on was t wel ve dol l ars.
There are a few peopl e who di rect t hei r
i magi nat i ons i n t he vai n at t empt t o work out a way t o
show what happens when "an i mmovabl e body comes
i n cont act wi t h an i rresi st i bl e force, " but t hese t ypes
bel ong i n t he psychopat hi c hospi t al s.
There i s al so anot her form of mi sappl i ed
i magi nat i on; namel y, t hat of t he young boy or gi rl
who knows more about l i fe t han hi s or her "Dad. " But
t hi s form i s subj ect t o modi fi cat i on wi t h t i me. My own
boys have t aught me many t hi ngs t hat my "Dad" t ri ed,
i n vai n, t o t each me when I was t hei r age.
Ti me and i magi nat i on (whi ch i s oft en but t he
product of t i me) t each us many t hi ngs, but not hi ng of
more i mport ance t han t hi s:
That al l men are much al i ke i n many ways.
If you woul d know what your cust omer i s
t hi nki ng, Mr. Sal esman, st udy yoursel f and fi nd out
what you woul d be t hi nki ng i f you were i n your
cust omer' s pl ace.
St udy yoursel f, fi nd out what are t he mot i ves
whi ch act uat e you i n t he performance of cert ai n deeds
and cause you t o refrai n from performi ng ot her deeds,
and you wi l l have gone far t oward perfect i ng yoursel f
i n t he accurat e use of i magi nat i on.
The det ect i ve' s bi ggest asset i s i magi nat i on. The
fi rst quest i on he asks, when cal l ed i n t o sol ve a cri me
i s: "What was t he mot i ve?" If he can fi nd out t he
- 45 -


WE all like commendation
and many of us like
flattery, but it is a
debatable question as to
whether the indulgence of
these tendencies builds
character and strength
and individuality.


- 46 -
mot i ve he can usual l y fi nd t he perpet rat or of t he
cri me.
A man who had l ost a horse post ed a reward of
fi ve dol l ars for i t s ret urn. Several days l at er a boy
who was supposed t o have been "weak-mi nded" came
l eadi ng t he horse home and cl ai med t he reward. The
owner was curi ous t o know how t he boy found t he
horse. "How di d you ever t hi nk where t o l ook for t he
horse?" he asked, and t he boy repl i ed, "Wel l , I j ust
t hought where I woul d have gone i f I had been a horse
and went t here, and he had. " Not so bad for a "weak-
mi nded" fel l ow. Some who are not accused of bei ng
weak-mi nded go al l t he way t hrough l i fe wi t hout
di spl ayi ng as much evi dence of i magi nat i on as di d
t hi s boy.
If you want t o know what t he ot her fel l ow wi l l
do, use your i magi nat i on, put yoursel f i n hi s pl ace and
fi nd out what you woul d have done. That ' s
i magi nat i on.
Every person shoul d be somewhat of a dreamer.
Every busi ness needs t he dreamer. Every i ndust ry and
every professi on needs hi m. But , t he dreamer must be,
al so, a doer; or el se he must form an al l i ance wi t h
someone who can and does t ransl at e dreams i nt o
real i t y.
The great est nat i on upon t he face of t hi s eart h
was concei ved, born and nurt ured t hrough t he earl y
days of i t s chi l dhood, as t he resul t of i magi nat i on i n
t he mi nds of men who combi ned dreams wi t h act i on!
Your mi nd i s capabl e of creat i ng many new and
useful combi nat i ons of ol d i deas, but t he most
i mport ant t hi ng i t can creat e i s a def i ni t e chi ef ai m
t hat wi l l gi ve you t hat whi ch you most desi re.
Your def i ni t e chi ef ai m can be speedi l y t ransl at ed
- 47 -
i nt o real i t y aft er you have fashi oned i t i n t he cradl e of
your i magi nat i on. If you have fai t hful l y fol l owed t he
i nst ruct i ons set down for your gui dance i n Lesson
Two you are now wel l on t he road t oward success,
because you know what i t i s t hat you want , and you
have a pl an for get t i ng t hat whi ch you want .
The bat t l e for t he achi evement of success i s hal f
won when one knows defi ni t el y what i s want ed. The
bat t l e i s al l over except t he "shout i ng" when one
knows what i s want ed and has made up hi s mi nd t o get
i t , what ever t he pri ce may be.
The sel ect i on of a def i ni t e chi ef ai m cal l s for t he
use of bot h i magi nat i on and deci si on! The power of
deci si on grows wi t h use. Prompt deci si on i n forci ng
t he i magi nat i on t o creat e a def i ni t e chi ef ai m renders
more powerful t he capaci t y t o reach deci si ons i n ot her
mat t ers.
Adversi t i es and t emporary defeat are general l y
bl essi ngs i n di sgui se, for t he reason t hat t hey force
one t o use bot h i magi nat i on and deci si on. Thi s i s why
a man usual l y makes a bet t er fi ght when hi s back i s t o
t he wal l and he knows t here i s no ret reat . He t hen
reaches t he deci si on t o fi ght i nst ead of runni ng.
The i magi nat i on i s never qui t e so act i ve as i t i s
when one faces some emergency cal l i ng for qui ck and
defi ni t e deci si on and act i on.
In t hese moment s of emergency men have reached
deci si ons, bui l t pl ans, used t hei r i magi nat i on i n such a
manner t hat t hey became known as geni uses. Many a
geni us has been born out of t he necessi t y for unusual
st i mul at i on of t he i magi nat i on, as t he resul t of some
t ryi ng experi ence whi ch forced qui ck t hought and
prompt deci si on.
- 48 -
It i s a wel l known fact t hat t he onl y manner i n
whi ch an overpampered boy or gi rl may be made t o
become useful i s by forci ng hi m or her t o become sel f-
sust ai ni ng. Thi s cal l s for t he exerci se of bot h
i magi nat i on and deci si on, nei t her of whi ch woul d be
used except out of necessi t y.
The Reverend P. W. Wel shi mer i s t he past or of a
church i n Cant on, Ohi o, where he has been l ocat ed for
nearl y a quart er of a cent ury. Ordi nari l y past ors do
not remai n at t he head of one church for so great a
l engt h of t i me, and Reverend Wel shi mer woul d have
been no except i on t o t hi s rul e i f he had not mi xed
i magi nat i on wi t h hi s past oral dut i es.
Three years const i t ut e t he usual t i me t hat one
past or may remai n i n a gi ven past orat e wi t hout
weari ng out hi s wel come.
The church of whi ch Reverend Wel shi mer i s t he
l eader has a Sunday School of over 5, 000 members -
t he l argest membershi p enj oyed by any church i n t he
Uni t ed St at es.
No past or coul d have remai ned at t he head of one
church for a quart er of a cent ury, wi t h t he ful l consent
of hi s fol l owers, and have bui l t up a Sunday School of
t hi s si ze, wi t hout empl oyi ng t he Laws of Ini t i at i ve and
Leadershi p, a Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m, Sel f-confi dence and
Imagi nat i on.
The aut hor of t hi s course made i t hi s busi ness t o
st udy t he met hods empl oyed by Reverend Wel shi mer,
and t hey are here descri bed for t he benefi t of t he
st udent s of t hi s phi l osophy.
It i s a wel l known fact t hat church fact i ons,
j eal ousy, et c. , oft en l ead t o di sagreement s whi ch make
a change i n l eaders essent i al . Reverend Wel shi mer has
- 49 -
st eered around t hi s common obst acl e by a uni que
appl i cat i on of t he Law of Imagi nat i on. When a new
member comes i nt o hi s church he i mmedi at el y assi gns
a DEFINITE t ask t o t hat member - one t hat sui t s t he
t emperament , t rai ni ng and busi ness qual i fi cat i ons of
t he i ndi vi dual , as nearl y as possi bl e - and, t o use t he
mi ni st er' s own words, he "keeps each member so busy
pul l i ng for t he church t hat t here i s no t i me l eft for
ki cki ng or di sagreei ng wi t h ot her members. "
Not a bad pol i cy for appl i cat i on i n t he fi el d of
busi ness, or i n any ot her fi el d. The ol d sayi ng t hat
"i dl e hands are t he devi l ' s best t ool s" i s more t han a
mere pl ay upon words, for i t i s t rue.
Gi ve any man somet hi ng t o do t hat he l i kes t o do,
and keep hi m busy doi ng i t , and he wi l l not be apt t o
degenerat e i nt o a di sorgani zi ng force. If any member
of t he Sunday School mi sses at t endance t wi ce i n
successi on a commi t t ee from t he church cal l s t o fi nd
out t he reason for t he fai l ure t o at t end. There i s a
"commi t t ee" j ob for pract i cal l y every member of t he
church. In t hi s way Reverend Wel shi mer del egat es t o
t he members, t hemsel ves, t he responsi bi l i t y of
roundi ng up t he del i nquent s and keepi ng t hem
i nt erest ed i n church affai rs. He i s an organi zer of t he
hi ghest t ype. Hi s effort s have at t ract ed t he at t ent i on
of busi ness men t hroughout t he count ry, and t i mes t oo
numerous t o be ment i oned he has been offered
posi t i ons, at fancy sal ari es, by banks, st eel pl ant s,
busi ness houses, et c. , t hat recogni zed i n hi m a real
Leader.
In t he basement of t he church Reverend
Wel shi mer operat es a fi rst -cl ass pri nt i ng pl ant where
he publ i shes, weekl y, a very credi t abl e church paper
t hat goes t o al l t he members. The product i on and
- 50 -
di st ri but i on of t hi s paper i s anot her source of
empl oyment whi ch keeps t he church members out of
mi schi ef, as pract i cal l y al l of t hem t ake some sort of
an act i ve i nt erest i n i t . The paper i s devot ed
excl usi vel y t o t he affai rs of t he church as a whol e,
and t hose of t he i ndi vi dual members. It i s read by
each member, l i ne by l i ne, because t here i s al ways a
chance t hat each member' s name may be ment i oned i n
t he news l ocal s.
The church has a wel l t rai ned choi r and an
orchest ra t hat woul d be a credi t t o some of t he l argest
t heat ers. Here Reverend Wel shi mer serves t he doubl e
purpose of suppl yi ng ent ert ai nment and at t he same
t i me keepi ng t he more "t emperament al " members who
are art i st s empl oyed so t hey, al so, remai n out of
mi schi ef, i nci dent al l y gi vi ng t hem a chance t o do t hat
whi ch t hey l i ke best .
The l at e Dr. Harper, who was formerl y presi dent
of t he Uni versi t y of Chi cago, was one of t he most
effi ci ent col l ege presi dent s of hi s t i me. He had a
penchant for rai si ng funds i n l arge amount s. It was he
who i nduced John D. Rockefel l er t o cont ri but e
mi l l i ons of dol l ars t o t he support of t he Uni versi t y of
Chi cago.
It may be hel pful t o t he st udent of t hi s phi l osophy
t o st udy Dr. Harper' s t echni que, because he was a
Leader of t he hi ghest order. Moreover, I have hi s own
word for i t t hat hi s l eadershi p was never a mat t er of
chance or acci dent , but al ways t he resul t of careful l y
pl anned procedure.
The fol l owi ng i nci dent wi l l serve t o show j ust
how Dr. Harper made use of i magi nat i on i n rai si ng
money i n l arge sums:
He needed an ext ra mi l l i on dol l ars for t he
- 51 -



WE cannot sow
thistles and reap
clover. Nature simply
does not run things
that way. She goes by
cause and effect.


- 52 -
const ruct i on of a new bui l di ng. Taki ng i nvent ory of
t he weal t hy men of Chi cago t o whom he mi ght t urn for
t hi s l arge sum, he deci ded upon t wo men, each of
whom was a mi l l i onai re, and bot h were bi t t er enemi es.
One of t hese men was, at t hat t i me, t he head of
t he Chi cago St reet Rai l way syst em. Choosi ng t he noon
hour, when t he offi ce force and t hi s man' s secret ary,
i n part i cul ar, woul d be apt t o be out at l unch, Dr.
Harper nonchal ant l y st rol l ed i nt o t he offi ce, and,
fi ndi ng no one on guard at t he out er door, wal ked i nt o
t he offi ce of hi s i nt ended "vi ct i m, " whom he surpri sed
by hi s appearance unannounced.
"My name i s Harper, " sai d t he doct or, "and I am
presi dent of t he Uni versi t y of Chi cago. Pardon my
i nt rusi on, but I found no one i n t he out er offi ce
(whi ch was no mere acci dent ) so I t ook t he l i bert y of
wal ki ng on i n.
"I have t hought of you and your st reet rai l way
syst em many many t i mes. You have bui l t up a
wonderful syst em, and I underst and t hat you have
made l ot s of money for your effort s. I never t hi nk of
you, however, wi t hout i t s occurri ng t o me t hat one of
t hese days you wi l l be passi ng out i nt o t he Great
Unknown, and aft er you are gone t here wi l l be not hi ng
l eft as a monument t o your name, because ot hers wi l l
t ake over your money, and money has a way of l osi ng
i t s i dent i t y very qui ckl y, as soon as i t changes hands.
"I have oft en t hought of offeri ng you t he
opport uni t y t o perpet uat e your name by permi t t i ng you
t o bui l d a new Hal l out on t he Uni versi t y grounds, and
nami ng i t aft er you. I woul d have offered you t hi s
opport uni t y l ong ago had i t not been for t he fact t hat
one of t he members of our Board wi shes t he honor t o
- 53 -
go t o Mr. X_ (t he st reet car head' s enemy). Personal l y,
however, I have al ways favored you and I st i l l favor
you, and i f I have your permi ssi on t o do so I am goi ng
t o t ry t o swi ng t he opposi t i on over t o you.
"I have not come t o ask for any deci si on t oday,
however, as I was j ust passi ng and t hought i t a good
t i me t o drop i n and meet you. Thi nk t he mat t er over
and i f you wi sh t o t al k t o me about i t agai n, t el ephone
me at your l ei sure.
"Good day, si r! I am happy t o have had t hi s
opport uni t y of meet i ng you. "
Wi t h t hi s he bowed hi msel f out wi t hout gi vi ng t he
head of t he st reet car company a chance t o say ei t her
yes or no. In fact t he st reet car man had very l i t t l e
chance t o do any t al ki ng. Dr. Harper di d t he t al ki ng.
That was as he pl anned i t t o be. He went i nt o t he
offi ce merel y t o pl ant t he seed, bel i evi ng t hat i t woul d
germi nat e and spri ng i nt o l i fe i n due t i me.
Hi s bel i ef was not wi t hout foundat i on. He had
hardl y ret urned t o hi s offi ce at t he Uni versi t y when
t he t el ephone rang. The st reet car man was on t he
ot her end of t he wi re. He asked for an appoi nt ment
wi t h Dr. Harper, whi ch was grant ed, and t he t wo met
i n Dr. Harper' s offi ce t he next morni ng, and t he check
for a mi l l i on dol l ars was i n Dr. Harper' s hands an hour
l at er.
Despi t e t he fact t hat Dr. Harper was a smal l ,
rat her i nsi gni fi cant -l ooki ng man i t was sai d of hi m
t hat "he had a way about hi m t hat enabl ed hi m t o get
everyt hi ng he went aft er. "
And as t o t hi s "way" t hat he was reput ed t o have
had - what was i t ?
It was not hi ng more nor l ess t han hi s underst and-
- 54 -
i ng of t he power of Imagi nat i on. Suppose he had gone
t o t he offi ce of t he st reet car head and asked for an
appoi nt ment . Suffi ci ent t i me woul d have el apsed
bet ween t he t i me he cal l ed and t he t i me when he
woul d have act ual l y seen hi s man, t o have enabl ed t he
l at t er t o ant i ci pat e t he reason for hi s cal l , and al so t o
formul at e a good, l ogi cal excuse for sayi ng, "No!"
Suppose, agai n, he had opened hi s i nt ervi ew wi t h
t he st reet car man somet hi ng l i ke t hi s:
"The Uni versi t y i s badl y i n need of funds and I
have come t o you t o ask your hel p. You have made
l ot s of money and you owe somet hi ng t o t he
communi t y i n whi ch you have made i t . (Whi ch,
perhaps, was t rue. ) If you wi l l gi ve us a mi l l i on
dol l ars we wi l l pl ace your name on a new Hal l t hat we
wi sh t o bui l d. "
What mi ght have been t he resul t ?
In t he fi rst pl ace, t here woul d have been no
mot i ve suggest ed t hat was suffi ci ent l y appeal i ng t o
sway t he mi nd of t he st reet car man. Whi l e i t may
have been t rue t hat he "owed somet hi ng t o t he
communi t y from whi ch he had made a fort une, " he
probabl y woul d not have admi t t ed t hat fact . In t he
second pl ace, he woul d have enj oyed t he posi t i on of
bei ng on t he offensi ve i nst ead of t he defensi ve si de of
t he proposal .
But Dr. Harper, shrewd i n t he use of Imagi nat i on
as he was, provi ded for j ust such cont i ngenci es by t he
way he st at ed hi s case. Fi rst , he pl aced t he st reet car
man on t he defensi ve by i nformi ng hi m t hat i t was not
cert ai n t hat he (Dr. Harper) coul d get t he permi ssi on
of hi s Board t o accept t he money and name t he Hal l
aft er t he st reet car man. In t he second pl ace, he
- 55 -
i nt ensi fi ed t he desi re of t he st reet car man t o have hi s
name on t hat bui l di ng because of t he t hought t hat hi s
enemy and compet i t or mi ght get t he honor i f i t got
away from hi m. Moreover (and t hi s was no acci dent ,
ei t her), Dr. Harper had made a powerful appeal t o one
of t he most common of al l human weaknesses by
showi ng t hi s st reet car man how t o perpet uat e hi s own
name.
Al l of whi ch requi red a pract i cal appl i cat i on of
t he Law of Imagi nat i on.
Dr. Harper was a Mast er Sal esman. When he
asked men for money he always paved t he way for
success by pl ant i ng i n t he mi nd of t he man of whom
he asked i t a good sound reason why t he money shoul d
be gi ven; a reason whi ch emphasi zed some advant age
accrui ng t o t he man as t he resul t of t he gi ft . Oft en t hi s
woul d t ake on t he form of a busi ness advant age. Agai n
i t woul d t ake on t he nat ure of an appeal t o t hat part of
man' s nat ure whi ch prompt s hi m t o wi sh t o perpet uat e
hi s name so i t wi l l l i ve aft er hi m. But , al ways, t he
request for money was carri ed out accordi ng t o a pl an
t hat had been careful l y t hought out , embel l i shed and
smoot hed down wi t h t he use of Imagi nat i on.

Whi l e t he Law of Success phi l osophy was i n t he
embryoni c st age, l ong before i t had been organi zed
i nt o a syst emat i c course of i nst ruct i on and reduced t o
t ext books, t he aut hor was l ect uri ng on t hi s phi l osophy
i n a smal l t own i n Il l i noi s.
One of t he members of t he audi ence was a young
l i fe i nsurance sal esman who had but recent l y t aken up
- 56 -
t hat l i ne of work. Aft er heari ng what was sai d on t he
subj ect of Imagi nat i on he began t o appl y what he had
heard t o hi s own probl em of sel l i ng l i fe i nsurance.
Somet hi ng was sai d, duri ng t he l ect ure, about t he
val ue of al l i ed effort , t hrough whi ch men may enj oy
great er success by co-operat i ve effort , t hrough a
worki ng arrangement under whi ch each "boost s" t he
i nt erest s of t he ot her.
Taki ng t hi s suggest i on as hi s cue, t he young man
i n quest i on i mmedi at el y formul at ed a pl an whereby he
gai ned t he co-operat i on of a group of busi ness men
who were i n no way connect ed wi t h t he i nsurance
busi ness.
Goi ng t o t he l eadi ng grocer i n hi s t own he made
arrangement s wi t h t hat grocer t o gi ve a t housand
dol l ar i nsurance pol i cy t o every cust omer purchasi ng
no l ess t han fi ft y dol l ars' wort h of groceri es each
mont h. He t hen made i t a part of hi s busi ness t o
i nform peopl e of t hi s arrangement and brought i n
many new cust omers. The groceryman had a l arge
neat l y l et t ered card pl aced i n hi s st ore, i nformi ng hi s
cust omers of t hi s offer of free i nsurance, t hus hel pi ng
hi msel f by offeri ng al l hi s cust omers an i nducement t o
do ALL t hei r t radi ng i n t he grocery l i ne wi t h hi m.
Thi s young l i fe i nsurance man t hen went t o t he
l eadi ng gasol i ne fi l l i ng st at i on owner i n t he t own and
made arrangement s wi t h hi m t o i nsure al l cust omers
who purchased al l t hei r gasol i ne, oi l and ot her mot or
suppl i es from hi m.
Next he went t o t he l eadi ng rest aurant i n t he t own
and made a si mi l ar arrangement wi t h t he owner.
Inci dent al l y, t hi s al l i ance proved t o be qui t e
profi t abl e t o t he rest aurant man, who prompt l y began
- 57 -


CHARLES CHAPLIN makes
a million dollars a year out
of a funny, shuffling walk
and a pair of baggy
trousers, because he does
"something different." Take
the hint and "invidualize"
yourself with some
distinctive idea.

- 58 -
an advert i si ng campai gn i n whi ch he st at ed t hat hi s
food was so pure, whol esome and good t hat al l who
at e at hi s pl ace regul arl y woul d be apt t o l i ve much
l onger, t herefore he woul d i nsure t he l i fe of each
regul ar cust omer for $1, 000. 00.
The l i fe i nsurance sal esman t hen made
arrangement s wi t h a l ocal bui l der and real est at e man
t o i nsure t he l i fe of each person buyi ng propert y from
hi m, for an amount suffi ci ent t o pay off t he bal ance
due on t he propert y i n case t he purchaser di ed before
payment s were compl et ed.
The young man i n quest i on i s now t he General
Agent for one of t he l argest l i fe i nsurance compani es
i n t he Uni t ed St at es, wi t h headquart ers i n one of t he
l argest ci t i es i n Ohi o, and hi s i ncome now averages
wel l above $25, 000. 00 a year.
The t urni ng-poi nt i n hi s l i fe came when he
di scovered how he mi ght make pract i cal use of t he
Law of Imagi nat i on.
There i s no pat ent on hi s pl an. It may be
dupl i cat ed over and over agai n by ot her l i fe i nsurance
men who know t he val ue of i magi nat i on. Just now, i f I
were engaged i n sel l i ng l i fe i nsurance, I t hi nk I
shoul d make use of t hi s pl an by al l yi ng mysel f wi t h a
group of aut omobi l e di st ribut ors i n each of several
ci t i es, t hus enabl i ng t hem t o sel l more aut omobi l es
and at t he same t i me provi ding for t he sal e of a l arge
amount of l i fe i nsurance, t hrough t hei r effort s.

Fi nanci al success i s not di ffi cul t t o achi eve aft er
one l earns how t o make pract i cal use of creat i ve
i magi nat i on. Someone wi t h suffi ci ent i ni t i at i ve and
- 59 -
l eadershi p, and t he necessary i magi nat i on, wi l l
dupl i cat e t he fort unes bei ng made each year by t he
owners of Fi ve and Ten Cent St ores, by devel opi ng a
syst em of market i ng t he same sort of goods now sol d
i n t hese st ores, wi t h t he ai d of vendi ng machi nes. Thi s
wi l l save a fort une i n cl erk hi re, i nsure agai nst t heft ,
and cut down t he overhead of st ore operat i on i n many
ot her ways. Such a syst em can be conduct ed j ust as
successful l y as food can be di spensed wi t h t he ai d of
aut omat i c vendi ng machi nes.
The seed of t he i dea has been here sown. It i s
yours for t he t aki ng!
Someone wi t h an i nvent i ve t urn of t he mi nd i s
goi ng t o make a fort une and at t he same t i me save
t housands of l i ves each year, by perfect i ng an
aut omat i c rai l road crossi ng "cont rol " t hat wi l l reduce
t he number of aut omobi l e acci dent s on crossi ngs.
The syst em, when perfect ed, wi l l work somewhat
aft er t hi s fashi on: A hundred yards or so before
reachi ng t he rai l road crossi ng t he aut omobi l e wi l l
cross a pl at form somewhat on t he order of a l arge
scal e pl at form used for wei ghi ng heavy obj ect s, and
t he wei ght of t he aut omobi l e wi l l l ower a gat e and
ri ng a gong. Thi s wi l l force t he aut omobi l e t o sl ow
down. Aft er t he l apse of one mi nut e t he gat e wi l l
agai n ri se and t he car may cont i nue on i t s way.
Meanwhi l e, t here wi l l have been pl ent y of t i me for
observat i on of t he t rack i n bot h di rect i ons, t o make
sure t hat no t rai ns are approachi ng.
Imagi nat i on, pl us some mechani cal ski l l , wi l l
gi ve t he mot ori st t hi s much needed safe-guard, and
make t he man who perfect s t he syst em al l t he money
he needs and much more besi des.
- 60 -
Some i nvent or who underst ands t he val ue of
i magi nat i on and has a worki ng knowl edge of t he radi o
pri nci pl e, may make a fort une by perfect i ng a burgl ar
al arm syst em t hat wi l l si gnal pol i ce headquart ers and
at t he same t i me swi t ch on l i ght s and ri ng a gong i n
t he pl ace about t o be burgl ari zed, wi t h t he ai d of
apparat us si mi l ar t o t hat now used for broadcast i ng.
Any farmer wi t h enough i magi nat i on t o creat e a
pl an, pl us t he use of a l i st of al l aut omobi l e l i censes
i ssued i n hi s st at e, may easi l y work up a cl i ent el e of
mot ori st s who wi l l come t o hi s farm and purchase al l
t he veget abl es he can produce and al l t he chi ckens he
can rai se, t hus savi ng hi m t he expense of haul i ng hi s
product s t o t he ci t y. By cont ract i ng wi t h each mot ori st
for t he season t he farmer may accurat el y est i mat e t he
amount of produce he shoul d provi de. The advant age
t o t he mot ori st , accrui ng under t he arrangement , i s
t hat he wi l l be sure of di rect -from-t he-farm produce,
at l ess cost t han he coul d purchase i t from l ocal
deal ers.
The roadsi de gasol i ne fi l l i ng st at i on owner can
make effect i ve use of i magi nat i on by pl aci ng a l unch
st and near hi s fi l l i ng st at i on, and t hen doi ng some
at t ract i ve advert i si ng al ong t he road i n each di rect i on,
cal l i ng at t ent i on t o hi s "barbecue, " "home-made
sandwi ches" or what ever el se he may wi sh t o
speci al i ze on. The l unch st and wi l l cause t he mot ori st s
t o st op, and many of t hem wi l l purchase gasol i ne
before st art i ng on t hei r way agai n.
These are si mpl e suggest i ons, i nvol vi ng no
part i cul ar amount of compl i cat i on i n connect i on wi t h
t hei r use, yet i t i s j ust such uses of i magi nat i on t hat
bri ng fi nanci al success.
- 61 -
The Pi ggl y-Wi ggl y sel f-hel p st ore pl an, whi ch
made mi l l i ons of dol l ars for i t s ori gi nat or, was a very
si mpl e i dea whi ch anyone coul d have adopt ed, yet
consi der abl e i magi nat i on was requi red t o put t he i dea
t o work i n a pract i cal sort of way.
The more si mpl e and easi l y adapt ed t o a need an
i dea i s, t he great er i s i t s val ue, as no one i s l ooki ng
for i deas whi ch are i nvol ved wi t h great det ai l or i n
any manner compl i cat ed.

Imagi nat i on i s t he most i mport ant fact or ent eri ng
i nt o t he art of sel l i ng. The Mast er Sal esman i s al ways
one who makes syst emat i c use of i magi nat i on. The
out st andi ng merchant rel i es upon i magi nat i on for t he
i deas whi ch make hi s busi ness excel .
Imagi nat i on may be used effect i vel y i n t he sal e of
even t he smal l est art i cl es of merchandi se, such as t i es,
shi rt s, hosi ery, et c. Let us proceed t o exami ne j ust
how t hi s may be done.
I wal ked i nt o one of t he best known
haberdasheri es i n t he ci t y of Phi l adel phi a, for t he
purpose of put chasi ng some shi rt s and t i es.
As I approached t he t i e count er a young man
st epped forward and i nqui red:
"Is t here somet hi ng you want ?"
Now i f I had been t he man behi nd t he count er I
woul d not have asked t hat quest i on. He ought t o have
known, by t he fact t hat I had approached t he t i e
count er, t hat I want ed t o l ook at t i es.
I pi cked up t wo or t hree t i es from t he count er,
exami ned t hem bri efl y, t hen l ai d down al l but one
l i ght bl ue whi ch somewhat appeal ed t o me. Fi nal l y I
- 62 -
l ai d t hi s one down, al so, and began t o l ook t hrough
t he remai nder of t he assort ment .
The young man behi nd t he count er t hen had a
happy i dea. Pi cki ng up a gaudy-l ooki ng yel l ow t i e he
wound i t around hi s fi ngers t o show how i t woul d l ook
when t i ed, and asked:
"Isn' t t hi s a beaut y?"
Now I hat e yel l ow t i es, and t he sal esman made no
part i cul ar hi t wi t h me by suggest i ng t hat a gaudy
yel l ow t i e i s pret t y. If I had been i n t hat sal esman' s
pl ace I woul d have pi cked up t he bl ue t i e for whi ch I
had shown a deci ded preference, and I woul d have
wound i t around my fi ngers so as t o bri ng out i t s
appearance aft er bei ng t i ed. I woul d have known what
my cust omer want ed by wat chi ng t he ki nds of t i es t hat
he pi cked up and exami ned. Moreover, I woul d have
known t he part i cul ar t i e t hat he l i ked best by t he t i me
he hel d i t i n hi s hands. A man wi l l not st and by a
count er and fondl e a pi ece of merchandi se whi ch he
does not l i ke. If gi ven t he opport uni t y, any cust omer
wi l l gi ve t he al ert sal esman a cl ue as t o t he part i cul ar
merchandi se whi ch shoul d be st ressed i n an effort t o
make a sal e.
I t hen moved over t o t he shi rt count er. Here I was
met by an el derl y gent l eman who asked:
"Is t here somet hi ng I can do for you t oday?"
Wel l , I t hought t o mysel f t hat i f he ever di d
anyt hi ng for me i t woul d have t o be t oday, as I mi ght
never come back t o t hat part i cul ar st ore agai n. I t ol d
hi m I want ed t o l ook at shi rt s, and descri bed t he st yl e
and col or of shi rt t hat I want ed.
The ol d gent l eman made qui t e a hi t wi t h me when
he repl i ed by sayi ng:
- 63 -



THE man who is afraid to
give credit to those who
help him do a piece of
creditable work is so
small that Opportunity
will pass by without
seeing him some day.


- 64 -
"I am sorry, si r, but t hey are not weari ng t hat st yl e
t hi s season, so we are not showi ng i t . "
I sai d I knew "t hey" were not weari ng t he st yl e
for whi ch I had asked, and for t hat very reason, among
ot hers, I was goi ng t o wear i t provi di ng I coul d fi nd i t
i n st ock.
If t here i s anyt hi ng whi ch net t l es a man -
especi al l y t hat t ype of man who knows exact l y what
he want s and descri bes i t t he moment he wal ks i nt o
t he st ore - i t i s t o be t ol d t hat "t hey are not weari ng i t
t hi s season. "
Such a st at ement i s an i nsul t t o a man' s
i nt el l i gence, or t o what he t hi nks i s hi s i nt el l i gence,
and i n most cases i t i s fat al t o a sal e. If I were sel l i ng
goods I mi ght t hi nk what I pl eased about a cust omer' s
t ast e, but I surel y woul d not be so l acki ng i n t act and
di pl omacy as t o t el l t he cust omer t hat I t hought he
di dn' t know hi s busi ness. Rat her I woul d prefer t o
manage t act ful l y t o show hi m what I bel i eved t o be
more appropri at e merchandi se t han t hat for whi ch he
had cal l ed, i f what he want ed was not i n st ock.
One of t he most famous and hi ghl y pai d wri t ers i n
t he worl d has bui l t hi s fame and fort une on t he sol e
di scovery t hat i t i s profi t abl e t o wri t e about t hat
whi ch peopl e al ready know and wi t h whi ch t hey are
al ready i n accord. The same rul e mi ght as wel l appl y
t o t he sal e of merchandi se.
The ol d gent l eman fi nal l y pul l ed down some shi rt
boxes and began l ayi ng out shi rt s whi ch were not even
si mi l ar t o t he shi rt for whi ch I had asked. I t ol d hi m
t hat none of t hese sui t ed, and as I st art ed t o wal k out
he asked i f I woul d l i ke t o l ook at some ni ce
suspenders.
- 65 -
Imagi ne i t ! To begi n wi t h I do not wear
suspenders, and, furt hermore, t here was not hi ng about
my manner or beari ng t o i ndi cat e t hat I mi ght l i ke t o
l ook at suspenders.
It i s proper for a sal esman t o t ry t o i nt erest a
cust omer i n wares for whi ch he makes no i nqui ry, but
j udgment shoul d be used and care t aken t o offer
somet hi ng whi ch t he sal esman has reason t o bel i eve
t he cust omer may want .
I wal ked out of t he st ore wi t hout havi ng bought
ei t her shi rt s or t i es, and feel i ng somewhat resent ful
because I had been so grossl y mi sj udged as t o my
t ast es for col ors and st yl es.
A l i t t l e furt her down t he st reet I went i nt o a
smal l , one-man shop whi ch had shi rt s and t i es on
di spl ay i n t he wi ndow.
Here I was handl ed di fferent l y!
The man behi nd t he count er asked no unnecessary
or st ereot yped quest i ons. He t ook one gl ance at me as
I ent ered t he door, si zed me up qui t e accurat el y and
greet ed me wi t h a very pl easant "Good morni ng, si r!"
He t hen i nqui red, "Whi ch shal l I show you fi rst ,
shi rt s or t i es?" I sai d I woul d l ook at t he shi rt s fi rst .
He t hen gl anced at t he st yl e of shi rt I was weari ng
asked my si ze, and began l ayi ng out shi rt s of t he very
t ype and col or for whi ch I was searchi ng, wi t hout my
sayi ng anot her word. He l ai d out si x di fferent st yl es
and wat ched t o see whi ch I woul d pi ck up fi rst . I
l ooked at each shi rt , i n t urn, and l ai d t hem al l back on
t he count er, but t he sal esman observed t hat I
exami ned one of t he shi rt s a l i t t l e more cl osel y t han
t he ot hers, and t hat I hel d i t a l i t t l e l onger. No sooner
- 66 -
had I l ai d t hi s shi rt down t han t he sal esman pi cked i t
up and began t o expl ai n how i t was made. He t hen
went t o t he t i e count er and came back wi t h t hree very
beaut i ful bl ue t i es, of t he very t ype for whi ch I had
been l ooki ng, t i ed each and hel d i t i n front of t he
shi rt , cal l i ng at t ent i on t o t he perfect harmony bet ween
t he col ors of t he t i es and t he shi rt .
Before I had been i n t he st ore fi ve mi nut es I had
purchased t hree shi rt s and t hree t i es, and was on my
way wi t h t he package under my arm, feel i ng t hat here
was a st ore t o whi ch I woul d ret urn when I needed
more shi rt s and t i es.
I l earned, aft erwards, t hat t he merchant who owns
t he l i t t l e shop where I made t hese purchases pays a
mont hl y rent al of $500. 00 for t he smal l st ore, and
makes a handsome i ncome from t he sal e of not hi ng but
shi rt s, t i es and col l ars. He woul d have t o go out of
busi ness, wi t h a fi xed charge of $500. 00 a mont h for
rent , i f i t were not for hi s knowl edge of human nat ure
whi ch enabl es hi m t o make a very hi gh percent age of
sal es t o al l who come i nt o hi s st ore.

I have oft en observed women when t hey were
t ryi ng on hat s, and have wondered why sal espeopl e
di d not read t he prospect i ve buyer' s mi nd by wat chi ng
her manner of handl i ng t he hat s.
A woman goes i nt o a st ore and asks t o be shown
some hat s. The sal esperson st art s bri ngi ng out hat s
and t he prospect i ve buyer st art s t ryi ng t hem on. If a
hat sui t s her, even i n t he sl i ght est sort of way, she
wi l l keep i t on a few seconds, or a few mi nut es, but i f
she does not l i ke i t she wi l l pul l i t ri ght off her head
- 67 -
t he moment t he sal esperson t akes her hands off t he
hat .
Fi nal l y, when t he cust omer i s shown a hat t hat
she l i kes she wi l l begi n t o announce t hat fact , i n t erms
whi ch no wel l i nformed sal esperson wi l l fai l t o
underst and, by arrangi ng her hai r under t he hat , or
pul l i ng i t down on her head t o j ust t he angl e whi ch
she l i kes best , and by l ooki ng at t he hat from t he rear,
wi t h t he ai d of a hand-mi rror. The si gns of admi rat i on
are unmi st akabl e. Fi nal l y, t he cust omer wi l l remove
t he hat from her head, and begi n t o l ook at i t cl osel y;
t hen she may l ay i t asi de and permi t anot her hat t o be
t ri ed on her, i n whi ch event t he cl ever sal esperson
wi l l l ay asi de t he hat j ust removed, and at t he
opport une t i me she wi l l bri ng i t back and ask t he
cust omer t o t ry i t on agai n.
By careful observat i on of t he cust omer' s l i kes and
di sl i kes a cl ever sal eswoman may oft en sel l as many
as t hree or four hat s t o t he same cust omer, at one
si t t i ng, by merel y wat chi ng what appeal s t o t he
cust omer and t hen concent rat i ng upon t he sal e of t hat .
The same rul e appl i es i n t he sal e of ot her
merchandi se. The cust omer wi l l , i f cl osel y observed,
cl earl y i ndi cat e what i s want ed, and, i f t he cl ue i s
fol l owed, very rarel y wi l l a cust omer wal k out wi t hout
buyi ng.
I bel i eve i t a conservat i ve est i mat e when I say
t hat ful l y sevent y-fi ve per cent of t he "wal k-out s, " as
t he non-purchasi ng cust omers are cal l ed, are due t o
l ack of t act ful showi ng of merchandi se.

Last Fal l I went i nt o a hat st ore t o purchase a fel t
hat . It was a busy Sat urday aft ernoon and I was ap-
- 68 -
proached by a young "ext ra" rush-hour sal esman who
had not yet l earned how t o si ze peopl e up at a gl ance.
For no good reason what soever t he young man pul l ed
down a brown derby and handed i t t o me, or rat her
t ri ed t o hand i t t o me. I t hought he was t ryi ng t o be
funny, and refused t o t ake t he hat i nt o my hands,
sayi ng t o hi m, i n an at t empt t o ret urn hi s compl i ment
and be funny i n t urn, "Do you t el l bed-t i me st ori es
al so?" He l ooked at me i n surpri se, but di dn' t t ake t he
cue whi ch I had offered hi m.
If I had not observed t he young man more cl osel y
t han he had observed me, and si zed hi m up as an
earnest but i nexperi enced "ext ra, " I woul d have been
hi ghl y i nsul t ed, for i f t here i s anyt hi ng I hat e i t i s a
derby of any sort , much l ess a brown derby.
One of t he regul ar sal esmen happened t o see what
was goi ng on, wal ked over and snat ched t he brown
derby out of t he young man' s hands, and, wi t h a smi l e
on hi s face i nt ended as a sort of sop t o me, sai d,
"What t he hel l are you t ryi ng t o show t hi s gent l eman,
anyway?"
That spoi l ed my fun, and t he sal esman who had
i mmedi at el y recogni zed me as a gent l eman sol d me
t he fi rst hat he brought out .
The cust omer general l y feel s compl i ment ed when
a sal esman t akes t he t i me t o st udy t he cust omer' s
personal i t y and l ay out merchandi se sui t ed t o t hat
personal i t y.

I went i nt o one of t he l argest men' s cl ot hi ng
st ores i n New York Ci t y, a few years ago, and asked
for a sui t , descri bi ng exact l y what was want ed, but not
- 69 -


HOT HEADS" go
with "cold feet." He
who loses his
temper is usually a
bluffer and when
"called" is a quitter.


- 70 -
ment i oni ng pri ce. The young man, who purport ed t o
be a sal esman, sai d he di d not bel i eve t hey carri ed
such a sui t , but I happened t o see exact l y what I
want ed hangi ng on a model , and cal l ed hi s at t ent i on t o
t he sui t . He t hen made a hi t wi t h me by sayi ng, "Oh,
t hat one over t here? That ' s a hi gh-pri ced sui t !"
Hi s repl y amused me; i t al so angered me, so I
i nqui red of t he young man what he saw about me
whi ch i ndi cat ed t hat I di d not come i n t o purchase a
hi gh-pri ced sui t ? Wi t h embarrassment he t ri ed t o
expl ai n, but hi s expl anat i ons were as bad as t he
ori gi nal offense, and I st art ed t oward t he door,
mut t eri ng somet hi ng t o mysel f about "dumb-bel l s. "
Before I reached t he door I was met by anot her
sal esman who had sensed by t he way I wal ked and t he
expressi on on my face t hat I was none t oo wel l
pl eased.
Wi t h t act wel l wort h rememberi ng, t hi s sal esman
engaged me i n conversat i on whi l e I unburdened my
woes and t hen managed t o get me t o go back wi t h hi m
and l ook at t he sui t . Before I l eft t he st ore I purchased
t he sui t I came i n t o l ook at , and t wo ot hers whi ch I
had not i nt ended purchasi ng.
That was t he di fference bet ween a sal esman and
one who drove cust omers away. Moreover, I l at er
i nt roduced t wo of my fri ends t o t hi s same sal esman
and he made si zabl e sal es t o each of t hem.

I was once wal ki ng down Mi chi gan Boul evard, i n
Chi cago, when my eye was at t ract ed t o a beaut i ful
gray sui t i n t he wi ndow of a men' s st ore. I had no
not i on of buyi ng t he sui t , but I was curi ous t o know
t he pri ce, so I opened t he door, and, wi t hout ent eri ng,
- 71 -
merel y pushed my head i nsi de and asked t he fi rst man
I saw how much t he sui t i n t he wi ndow was.
Then fol l owed one of t he cl everest bi t s of sal es
maneuveri ng I have ever observed. The sal esman knew
he coul d not sel l me t he sui t unl ess I came i nt o t he
st ore, so he sai d, "Wi l l you not st ep i nsi de, si r, whi l e
I fi nd out t he pri ce of t he sui t ?"
Of course he knew t he pri ce, al l t he t i me, but t hat
was hi s way of di sarmi ng me of t he t hought t hat he
i nt ended t ryi ng t o sel l me t he sui t . Of course I had t o
be as pol i t e as t he sal esman, so I sai d, "Cert ai nl y, "
and wal ked i nsi de.
The sal esman sai d, "St ep ri ght t hi s way, si r, and I
wi l l get t he i nformat i on for you. "
In l ess t han t wo mi nut es I found mysel f st andi ng
i n front of a case, wi t h my coat off, get t i ng ready t o
t ry on a coat l i ke t he one I had observed i n t he
wi ndow.
Aft er I was i n t he coat , whi ch happened t o fi t
al most perfect l y (whi ch was no acci dent , t hanks t o t he
accurat e eyes of an observi ng sal esman) my at t ent i on
was cal l ed t o t he ni ce, smoot h t ouch of t he mat eri al . I
rubbed my hand up and down t he arm of t he coat , as I
had seen t he sal esman do whi l e descri bi ng t he
mat eri al , and, sure enough, i t was a very fi ne pi ece of
mat eri al . By t hi s t i me I had agai n asked t he pri ce, and
when I was t ol d t hat t he sui t was onl y fi ft y dol l ars I
was agreeabl y surpri sed, because I had been l ed t o
bel i eve t hat i t mi ght have been pri ced much hi gher.
However, when I fi rst saw t he sui t i n t he wi ndow my
guess was t hat i t was pri ced at about t hi rt y-fi ve
dol l ars, and I doubt t hat I woul d have pai d t hat much
for i t had I not fal l en i nt o t he hands of a man who
- 72 -
knew how t o show t he sui t t o best advant age. If t he
fi rst coat t ri ed on me had been about t wo si zes t oo
l arge, or a si ze t oo smal l , I doubt t hat any sal e woul d
have been made, despi t e t he fact t hat al l ready-t o-wear
sui t s sol d i n t he bet t er st ores are al t ered t o fi t t he
cust omer.
I bought t hat sui t "on t he i mpul se of t he
moment , " as t he psychol ogi st woul d say, and I am not
t he onl y man who buys goods on t hat same sort of
i mpul se. A si ngl e sl i p on t he part of t he sal esman
woul d have l ost hi m t he sal e of t hat sui t . If he had
repl i ed, "Fi ft y dol l ars, " when I asked t he pri ce I
woul d have sai d, "Thank you, " and have gone my way
wi t hout l ooki ng at t he sui t .
Lat er i n t he season I purchased t wo more sui t s
from t hi s same sal esman, and i f I now l i ved i n
Chi cago t he chances are t hat I woul d buy st i l l ot her
sui t s from hi m, because he al ways showed me sui t s
t hat were i n keepi ng wi t h my personal i t y.

The Marshal l Fi el d st ore, i n Chi cago, get s more
for merchandi se t han does any ot her st ore of i t s ki nd
i n t he count ry. Moreover, peopl e knowi ngl y pay more
at t hi s st ore, and feel bet t er sat i sfi ed t han i f t hey
bought t he merchandi se at anot her st ore for l ess
money.
Why i s t hi s?
Wel l , t here are many reasons, among t hem t he
fact t hat anyt hi ng purchased at t he Fi el d st ore whi ch
i s not ent i rel y sat i sfact ory may be ret urned and
exchanged for ot her merchandi se, or t he purchase
pri ce may be refunded, j ust as t he cust omer wi shes.
- 73 -
An i mpl i ed guarant ee goes wi t h every art i cl e sol d i n
t he Fi el d st ore.
Anot her reason why peopl e wi l l pay more at t he
Fi el d st ore i s t he fact t hat t he merchandi se i s
di spl ayed and shown t o bet t er advant age t han i t i s at
most ot her st ores. The Fi el d wi ndow-di spl ays are t rul y
works of art , no l ess t han i f t hey were creat ed for t he
sake of art al one, and not merel y t o sel l merchandi se.
The same i s t rue of t he goods di spl ayed i n t he st ore.
There i s harmony and proper groupi ng of merchandi se
t hroughout t he Fi el d est abl i shment , and t hi s creat es an
"at mosphere" t hat i s more - much more - t han merel y
an i magi nary one.
St i l l anot her reason why t he Fi el d st ore can get
more for merchandi se t han most ot her merchant s i s
due t o t he careful sel ect i on and supervi si on of
sal espeopl e. One woul d sel dom fi nd a person
empl oyed i n t he Fi el d st ore whom one woul d not be
wi l l i ng t o accept as a soci al equal , or as a nei ghbor.
Not a few men have made t he acquai nt ance of gi rl s i n
t he Fi el d st ore who l at er became t hei r wi ves.
Merchandi se purchased i n t he Fi el d st ore i s
packed or wrapped more art i st i cal l y t han i s common i n
ot her st ores, whi ch i s st i l l anot her reason why peopl e
go out of t hei r way and pay hi gher pri ces t o t rade
t here.

Whi l e we are on t he subj ect of art i st i c wrappi ng
of merchandi se I wi sh t o rel at e t he experi ence of a
fri end of mi ne whi ch wi l l not fai l t o convey a very
defi ni t e meani ng t o t hose engaged i n t he busi ness of
sel l i ng, as i t shows how i magi nat i on may be used even
i n wrappi ng merchandi se.
- 74 -
Thi s fri end had a very fi ne si l ver ci garet t e case
whi ch he had carri ed for years, and of whi ch he was
very proud because i t was a gi ft from hi s wi fe.
Const ant usage had banged t he case up rat her
badl y. It had been bent , dent ed, t he hi nges warped,
et c. , unt i l he deci ded t o t ake i t t o Cal dwel l t he
j ewel er, i n Phi l adel phi a, t o be repai red. He l eft t he
case and asked t hem t o send i t t o hi s offi ce when i t
was ready.
About t wo weeks l at er a spl endi d-l ooki ng new
del i very wagon wi t h t he Cal dwel l name on i t drew up
i n front of hi s offi ce, and a ni ce-l ooki ng young man i n
a neat uni form st epped out wi t h a package t hat was
art i st i cal l y wrapped and t i ed wi t h a ri bbon t ape st ri ng.
The package happened t o be del i vered t o my
fri end on hi s bi rt hday, and, havi ng forgot t en about
l eavi ng t he ci garet t e case t o be repai red, and
observi ng t he beaut y and si ze of t he package t hat was
handed t o hi m, he nat ural l y i magi ned t hat someone
had sent hi m a bi rt hday present .
Hi s secret ary and ot her workers i n hi s offi ce
gat hered around hi s desk t o wat ch hi m open up hi s
"present . " He cut t he ri bbon and removed t he out er
coveri ng. Under t hi s was a coveri ng of t i ssue paper,
fast ened wi t h beaut i ful gol d seal s beari ng t he
Cal dwel l i ni t i al s and t rade-mark. Thi s paper was
removed and behol d! a most beaut i ful pl ush-l i ned box
met hi s eyes. The box was opened, and, aft er removi ng
t he t i ssue paper packi ng, t here was a ci garet t e case
whi ch he recogni zed, aft er careful exami nat i on, as t he
one he had l eft t o be repai red, but i t di d not l ook l i ke
t he same case, t hanks t o t he i magi nat i on of t he
Cal dwel l manager.
- 75 -

E. M. STATLER
BECAME THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL HOTEL
MAN IN THE WORLD
BY RENDERING MORE
SERVICE and BETTER
SERVICE THAN HIS
GUESTS WERE ASKED
TO PAY FOR.
- 76 -
Every dent had been careful l y st rai ght ened out .
The hi nges had been t rued and t he case had been
pol i shed and cl eaned so i t shone as i t di d when i t was
fi rst purchased.
Si mul t aneousl y a prol onged "Oo-o-o-o-o-o-Oh!"
of admi rat i on came from t he onl ookers, i ncl udi ng t he
owner of t he ci garet t e case.
And t he bi l l ! Oh, i t was a pl ent y, and yet t he
pri ce charged for t he repai r di d not seem t oo hi gh. As
a mat t er of fact everyt hi ng t hat ent ered i nt o t he
t ransact i on from t he packi ng of t he case, wi t h t he fi ne
t i ssue paper cover, t he gol d seal s, t he ri bbon t ape
st ri ng, t he del i very of t he package by a neat l y
uni formed boy, from a wel l appoi nt ed new del i very
wagon, was based upon careful l y cal cul at ed
psychol ogy whi ch l ai d t he foundat i on for a hi gh pri ce
for t he repai r.
Peopl e, general l y, do not compl ai n of hi gh pri ces,
provi di ng t he "servi ce" or embel l i shment of t he
merchandi se i s such as t o pave t he way for hi gh
pri ces. What peopl e do compl ai n of, and ri ght l y so, i s
hi gh pri ces and "sl oppy" servi ce.
To me t here was a great l esson i n t hi s ci garet t e
case i nci dent , and I t hi nk t here i s a l esson i n i t for any
person who makes a busi ness of sel l i ng any sort of
merchandi se.
The goods you are sel l i ng may act ual l y be wort h
al l you are aski ng for t hem, but i f you do not careful l y
st udy t he subj ect s of advant ageous di spl ay and art i st i c
packi ng you may be accused of overchargi ng your
cust omers.

On Broad St reet , i n t he ci t y of Phi l adel phi a, t here
i s a frui t shop where t hose who pat roni ze t he st ore are
- 77 -
met at t he door by a man i n uni form who opens t he
door for t hem. He does not hi ng el se but merel y open
t he door, but he does i t wi t h a smi l e (even t hough i t
be a careful l y st udi ed and rehearsed smi l e) whi ch
makes t he cust omer feel wel come even before he get s
i nsi de of t he st ore. Thi s frui t merchant speci al i zes on
speci al l y prepared basket s of frui t . Just out si de t he
st ore i s a bi g bl ackboard on whi ch are l i st ed t he
sai l i ng dat es of t he vari ous ocean l i ners l eavi ng New
York Ci t y. Thi s merchant cat ers t o peopl e who wi sh
basket s of frui t del i vered on board depart i ng boat s on
whi ch fri ends are sai l i ng. If a man' s sweet heart , or
perhaps hi s wi fe or a very dear fri end, happens t o be
sai l i ng on a cert ai n dat e he nat ural l y want s t he basket
of frui t he purchases for her t o be embel l i shed wi t h
fri l l s and "t ri mmi ngs. " Moreover, he i s not necessari l y
l ooki ng for somet hi ng "cheap" or even i nexpensi ve.
Al l of whi ch t he frui t merchant capi t al i zes! He
get s from $10. 00 t o $25. 00 for a basket of frui t whi ch
one coul d purchase j ust around t he corner, not more
t han a bl ock away, for from $3. 00 t o $7. 50, wi t h t he
except i on t hat t he l at t er woul d not be embel l i shed
wi t h t he sevent y-fi ve cent s' wort h of fri l l s whi ch t he
former cont ai ns.
Thi s merchant ' s st ore i s a smal l affai r, no l arger
t han t he average smal l frui t -st and st ore, but he pays, a
rent of at l east $15, 000. 00 a year for t he pl ace and
makes more money t han hal f a hundred ordi nary frui t
st ands combi ned, merel y because he knows how t o
di spl ay and del i ver hi s wares so t hey appeal t o t he
vani t y of t he buyers. Thi s i s but anot her proof of t he
val ue of i magi nat i on.
- 78 -
The Ameri can peopl e - and t hi s means al l of
t hem, not merel y t he so-cal l ed ri ch - are t he most
ext ravagant spenders on eart h, but t hey i nsi st on
"cl ass" when i t comes t o appearances such as
wrappi ng and del i very and ot her embel l i shment s
whi ch add no real val ue t o t he merchandi se t hey buy.
The merchant who underst ands t hi s, and has l earned
how t o mi x IMAGINATION wi t h hi s merchandi se,
may reap a ri ch harvest i n ret urn for hi s knowl edge.
And a great many are doi ng i t , t oo.
The sal esman who underst ands t he psychol ogy of
proper di spl ay, wrappi ng and del i very of merchandi se,
and who knows how t o show hi s wares t o fi t t he
whi ms and charact eri st i cs of hi s cust omers, can make
ordi nary merchandi se bri ng fancy pri ces, and what i s
more i mport ant st i l l , he can do so and st i l l ret ai n t he
pat ronage of hi s cust omers more readi l y t han i f he
sol d t he same merchandi se wi t hout t he "st udi ed"
appeal and t he art i st i c wrappi ng and del i very servi ce.
In a "cheap" rest aurant , where coffee i s served i n
heavy, t hi ck cups and t he si l verware i s t arni shed or
di rt y, a ham sandwi ch i s onl y a ham sandwi ch, and i f
t he rest aurant keeper get s fi ft een cent s for i t he i s
doi ng wel l ; but j ust across t he st reet , where t he coffee
i s served i n dai nt y t hi n cups, on neat l y covered t abl es,
by neat l y dressed young women, a much smal l er ham
sandwi ch wi l l bri ng a quart er, t o say not hi ng of t he
cost of t he t i p t o t he wai t ress. The onl y di fference i n
t he sandwi ches i s merel y i n appearances; t he ham
comes from t he same but cher and t he bread from t he
same baker, whet her purchased from t he former or t he
l at t er rest aurant . The di fference i n pri ce i s very
consi derabl e, but t he di fference i n t he merchandi se i s
- 79 -
not a di fference of ei t her qual i t y or quant i t y so much
as i t i s of "at mosphere, " or appearances.
Peopl e l ove t o buy "appearance" or at mosphere!
whi ch i s merel y a more refi ned way of sayi ng t hat
whi ch P. T. Barnum sai d about "one bei ng born every
mi nut e. "
It i s no overst at ement of fact t o say t hat a mast er
of sal es psychol ogy coul d go i nt o t he average
merchant ' s st ore, where t he st ock of goods was wort h,
l et us say, $50, 000. 00, and at very sl i ght addi t i onal
expense make t he st ock bri ng $60, 000. 00 t o
$75, 000. 00. He woul d do not hi ng except coach t he
sal espeopl e on t he proper showi ng of t he merchandi se,
aft er havi ng purchased a smal l amount of more
sui t abl e fi xt ures, perhaps, and re-packed t he
merchandi se i n more sui t abl e coveri ngs and boxes.
A man' s shi rt , packed one t o t he box, i n t he ri ght
sort of a box, wi t h a pi ece of ri bbon and a sheet of,
t i ssue paper added for embel l i shment , can be made t o
bri ng a dol l ar or a dol l ar and a hal f more t han t he
same shi rt woul d bri ng wi t hout t he more art i st i c
packi ng. I know t hi s i s t rue, and I have proved i t more
t i mes t han I can recal l , t o convi nce some skept i cal
merchant who had not st udi ed t he effect of "proper
di spl ays. "
Conversel y st at ed, I have proved, many t i mes,
t hat , t he fi nest shi rt made cannot be sol d for hal f i t s
val ue i f i t i s removed from i t s box and pl aced on a
bargai n count er, wi t h i nferi or l ooki ng shi rt s, bot h of
whi ch exampl es prove t hat peopl e do not know what
t hey are buyi ng - t hat t hey go more by appearances
t han t hey do by act ual anal ysi s of t he merchandi se
t hey purchase.
- 80 -
Thi s i s not i ceabl y t rue i n t he purchase of
aut omobi l es. The Ameri can peopl e want , and
DEMAND, st yl e i n t he appearance of aut omobi l es.
What i s under t he hood or i n t he rear axl e t hey do not
know and real l y do not care, as l ong as t he car l ooks
t he part .
Henry Ford requi red nearl y t went y years of
experi ence t o l earn t he t rut h of t he st at ement j ust
made, and even t hen, despi t e al l of hi s anal yt i cal
abi l i t y, he onl y acknowl edged t he t rut h when forced t o
do so by hi s compet i t ors. If i t were not t rue t hat
peopl e buy "appearances" more t han t hey buy "real i t y"
Ford never woul d have creat ed hi s new aut omobi l e.
That car i s t he fi nest sort of exampl e of a psychol ogi st
who appeal s t o t he t endency whi ch peopl e have t o
purchase "appearance, " al t hough, of course, i t must be
admi t t ed t hat i n t hi s part i cul ar exampl e t he real val ue
of t he car act ual l y exi st s.
- 81 -
- 82 -


GREAT ACHIEVE-
MENT IS USUALLY
BORN OF GREAT
SACRIFICE, AND IS
NEVER THE RESULT
OF SELFISHNESS.


T
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L
A
A
W
W
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O
F
F

S
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U
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C
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S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.







Lesson Seven
ENTHUSIASM



- 3 -



I GAVE a beggar a
dime with the
suggestion that he
invest it in a copy of
Elbert Hubbards
Message to Garcia.



- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Seven
ENTHUSIASM



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

ENTHUSIASM i s a st at e of mi nd t hat i nspi res and
arouses one t o put act i on i nt o t he t ask at hand. It does
more t han t hi s - i t i s cont agi ous, and vi t al l y affect s
not onl y t he ent husi ast , but al l wi t h whom he comes i n
cont act .
Ent husi asm bears t he same rel at i onshi p t o a
human bei ng t hat st eam does t o t he l ocomot i ve-i t i s
t he vi t al movi ng force t hat i mpel s act i on. The great est
l eaders of men are t hose who know how t o i nspi re
ent husi asm i n t hei r fol l owers. Ent husi asm i s t he most
i mport ant fact or ent eri ng i nt o sal esmanshi p. It i s, by
far, t he most vi t al fact or t hat ent ers i nt o publ i c
speaki ng.
If you wi sh t o underst and t he di fference bet ween
a man who i s ent husi ast i c and one who i s not , compare
Bi l l y Sunday wi t h t he average man of hi s professi on.
The fi nest sermon ever del i vered woul d fal l upon deaf
ears i f i t were not backed wi t h ent husi asm by t he
speaker.
- 5 -
HOW ENTHUSIASM WILL AFFECT YOU

Mi x ent husi asm wi t h your work and i t wi l l not
seem hard or monot onous. Ent husi asm wi l l so energi ze
your ent i re body t hat you can get al ong wi t h l ess t han
hal f t he usual amount of sl eep and at t he same t i me i t
wi l l enabl e you t o perform from t wo t o t hree t i mes as
much work as you usual l y perform i n a gi ven peri od,
wi t hout fat i gue.
For many years I have done most of my wri t i ng at
ni ght . One ni ght , whi l e I was ent husi ast i cal l y at work
over my t ypewri t er, I l ooked out of t he wi ndow of my
st udy, j ust across t he square from t he Met ropol i t an
t ower, i n New York Ci t y, and saw what seemed t o be
t he most pecul i ar refl ect i on of t he moon on t he t ower.
It was of a si l very gray shade, such as I had never
seen before. Upon cl oser i nspect i on I found t hat t he
refl ect i on was t hat of t he earl y morni ng sun and not
t hat of t he moon. It was dayl i ght ! I had been at work
al l ni ght , but I was so engrossed i n my work t hat t he
ni ght had passed as t hough i t were but an hour. I
worked at my t ask al l t hat day and al l t he fol l owi ng
ni ght wi t hout st oppi ng, except for a smal l amount of
l i ght food.
Two ni ght s and one day wi t hout sl eep, and wi t h
but l i t t l e food, wi t hout t he sl i ght est evi dence of
fat i gue, woul d not have been possi bl e had I not kept
my body energi zed wi t h ent husi asm over t he work at
hand.
Ent husi asm i s not merel y a fi gure of speech; i t i s
a vi t al force t hat you can harness and use wi t h profi t .
Wi t hout i t you woul d resembl e an el ect ri c bat t ery
wi t hout el ect ri ci t y.
- 6 -
Ent husi asm i s t he vi t al force wi t h whi ch you
recharge your body and devel op a dynami c
personal i t y. Some peopl e are bl essed wi t h nat ural
ent husi asm, whi l e ot hers must acqui re i t . The
procedure t hrough whi ch i t may be devel oped i s
si mpl e. It begi ns by t he doi ng of t he work or
renderi ng of t he servi ce whi ch one l i kes best . If you
shoul d be so si t uat ed t hat you cannot conveni ent l y
engage i n t he work whi ch you l i ke best , for t he t i me
bei ng, t hen you can proceed al ong anot her l i ne very
effect i vel y by adopt i ng a def i ni t e chi ef ai m t hat
cont empl at es your engagi ng i n t hat part i cul ar work at
some fut ure t i me.
Lack of capi t al and many ot her ci rcumst ances
over whi ch you have no i mmedi at e cont rol may force
you t o engage i n work whi ch you do not l i ke, but no
one can st op you from det ermi ni ng i n your own mi nd
what your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe shal l be, nor can
anyone st op you from pl anni ng ways and means for
t ransl at i ng t hi s ai m i nt o real i t y, nor can anyone st op
you from mi xi ng ent husi asm wi t h your pl ans.
Happi ness, t he fi nal obj ect of al l human effort , i s
a st at e of mi nd t hat can be mai nt ai ned onl y t hrough
t he hope of fut ure achi evement . Happi ness l i es al ways
i n t he fut ure and never i n t he past . The happy person
i s t he one who dreams of hei ght s of achi evement t hat
are yet unat t ai ned. The home you i nt end t o own, t he
money you i nt end t o earn and pl ace i n t he bank, t he
t ri p you i nt end t o t ake when you can afford i t , t he'
Posi t i on i n l i fe you i nt end t o fi l l when you have
prepared yoursel f, and t he preparat i on, i t sel f-t hese are
t he t hi ngs t hat produce happi ness. Li kewi se, t hese are
t he mat eri al s out of whi ch your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i s
formed; t hese are t he t hi ngs over whi ch you may
- 7 -
become ent husi ast i c, no mat t er what your present
st at i on i n l i fe may be.
More t han t went y years ago I became ent husi ast i c
over an i dea. When t he i dea fi rst t ook form i n my
mi nd I was unprepared t o t ake even t he fi rst st ep
t oward i t s t ransformat i on i nt o real i t y. But I nursed i t
i n my mi nd - I became ent husi ast i c over i t as I l ooked
ahead, i n my i magi nat i on, and saw t he t i me when I
woul d be prepared t o make i t a real i t y.
The i dea was t hi s: I want ed t o become t he edi t or
of a magazi ne, based upon t he Gol den Rul e, t hrough
whi ch I coul d i nspi re peopl e t o keep up courage and
deal wi t h one anot her squarel y.
Fi nal l y my chance came! and, on armi st i ce day,
1918, I wrot e t he fi rst edi t ori al for what was t o
become t he mat eri al real i zat i on of a hope t hat had l ai n
dormant i n my mi nd for nearl y a score of years.
Wi t h ent husi asm I poured i nt o t hat edi t ori al t he
emot i ons whi ch I had been devel opi ng i n my heart
over a peri od of more t han t went y years. My dream
had come t rue. My edi t orshi p of a nat i onal magazi ne
had become a real i t y.
As I have st at ed, t hi s edi t ori al was wri t t en wi t h
ent husi asm. I t ook i t t o a man of my acquai nt ance and
wi t h ent husi asm I read i t t o hi m. The edi t ori al ended
i n t hese words: "At l ast my t went y-year-ol d dream i s
about t o come t rue. It t akes money, and a l ot of i t , t o
publ i sh a nat i onal magazi ne, and I haven' t t he
sl i ght est i dea where I am goi ng t o get t hi s essent i al
fact or, but t hi s i s worryi ng me not at al l because I
know I am goi ng t o get i t somewhere!" As I wrot e
t hose l i nes, I mi xed ent husi asm and fai t h wi t h t hem.
I had hardl y fi ni shed readi ng t hi s edi t ori al when
- 8 -
t he man t o whom I read i t - t he fi rst and onl y person
t o whom I had shown i t - sai d:
"I can t el l you where you are goi ng t o get t he
money, for I am goi ng t o suppl y i t . "
And he di d!
Yes, ent husi asm i s a vi t al force; so vi t al , i n fact ,
t hat no man who has i t hi ghl y devel oped can begi n
even t o approxi mat e hi s power of achi evement .
Before passi ng t o t he next st ep i n t hi s l esson, I
wi sh t o repeat and t o emphasi ze t he fact t hat you may
devel op ent husi asm over your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n
l i fe, no mat t er whet her you are i n posi t i on t o achi eve
t hat purpose at t hi s t i me or not . You may be a l ong
way from real i zat i on of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m, but i f
you wi l l ki ndl e t he fi re of ent husi asm i n your heart ,
and keep i t burni ng, before very l ong t he obst acl es
t hat now st and i n t he way of your at t ai nment of t hat
purpose wi l l mel t away as i f by t he force of magi c,
and you wi l l fi nd yoursel f i n possessi on of power t hat
you di d not know you possessed.

HOW YOUR ENTHUSIASM WILL AFFECT
OTHERS

We come, now, t o t he di scussi on of one of t he
most i mport ant subj ect s of t hi s Readi ng Course,
namel y, suggest i on.
In t he precedi ng l essons we have di scussed t he
subj ect of Aut o-suggest i on, whi ch i s sel f-suggest i on.
You saw, i n Lesson Three, what an i mport ant part
Aut o-suggest i on pl ayed.
Suggest i on i s t he pri nci pl e t hrough whi ch your
words and your act s and even your st at e of mi nd
- 9 -



ONE of the most
valuable things any
man can learn is the
art of using the know-
ledge and experience
of others.

- 10 -
i nfl uence ot hers. That you may comprehend t he far-
reachi ng power of suggest i on, l et me refer t o t he
Int roduct ory Lesson, i n whi ch t he pri nci pl e of
t el epat hy i s descri bed. If you now underst and and
accept t he pri nci pl e of t el epat hy (t he communi cat i on
of t hought from one mi nd t o anot her wi t hout t he ai d of
si gns, symbol s or sounds) as a real i t y, you of course
underst and why ent husi asm i s cont agi ous, and why i t
i nfl uences al l wi t hi n i t s radi us.
When your own mi nd i s vi brat i ng at a hi gh rat e,
because i t has been st i mul at ed wi t h ent husi asm, t hat
vi brat i on regi st ers i n t he mi nds of al l wi t hi n i t s
radi us, and especi al l y i n t he mi nds of t hose wi t h
whom you come i n cl ose cont act . When a publ i c
speaker "senses" t he feel i ng t hat hi s audi ence i s "en
rapport " wi t h hi m he merel y recogni zes t he fact t hat
hi s own ent husi asm has i nfl uenced t he mi nds of hi s
l i st eners unt i l t hei r mi nds are vi brat i ng i n harmony
wi t h hi s own.
When t he sal esman "senses" t he fact t hat t he
"psychol ogi cal " moment for cl osi ng a sal e has arri ved,
he merel y feel s t he effect of hi s own ent husi asm as i t
i nfl uences t he mi nd of hi s prospect i ve buyer and
pl aces t hat mi nd "en rapport " (i n harmony) wi t h hi s
own.
The subj ect of suggest i on const i t ut es so vi t al l y an
i mport ant part of t hi s l esson, and of t hi s ent i re course,
t hat I wi l l now proceed t o descri be t he t hree medi ums
t hrough whi ch i t usual l y operat es; namel y, what you
say, what you do and what you t hi nk!
When you are ent husi ast i c over t he goods you are
sel l i ng or t he servi ces you are offeri ng, or t he speech
you are del i veri ng, your st at e of mi nd becomes
obvi ous t o al l who hear you, by t he t one of your voi ce.
Whet her you have ever t hought of i t i n t hi s way or
- 11 -
not , i t i s t he t one i n whi ch you make a st at ement ,
more t han i t i s t he st at ement i t sel f, t hat carri es
convi ct i on or fai l s t o convi nce. No mere combi nat i on
of words can ever t ake t he pl ace of a deep bel i ef i n a
st at ement t hat i s expressed wi t h burni ng ent husi asm.
Words are but devi t al i zed sounds unl ess col ored wi t h
feel i ng t hat i s born of ent husi asm.
Here t he pri nt ed word fai l s me, for I can never
express wi t h mere t ype and paper t he di fference
bet ween words t hat fal l from unemot i onal l i ps,
wi t hout t he fi re of ent husi asm back of t hem, and t hose
whi ch seem t o pour fort h from a heart t hat i s burst i ng
wi t h eagerness for expressi on. The di fference i s t here,
however.
Thus, what you say, and t he way i n whi ch you say
i t , conveys a meani ng t hat may be j ust t he opposi t e t o
what i s i nt ended. Thi s account s for many a fai l ure by
t he sal esman who present s hi s argument s i n words
whi ch seem l ogi cal enough, but l ack t he col ori ng t hat
can come onl y from ent husi asm t hat i s born of
si nceri t y and bel i ef i n t he goods he i s t ryi ng t o sel l .
Hi s, words sai d one t hi ng, but t he t one of hi s voi ce
suggest ed somet hi ng ent i rel y di fferent ; t herefore, no
sal e was made.
That whi ch you say i s an i mport ant fact or i n t he
operat i on of t he pri nci pl e of suggest i on, but not
nearl y so i mport ant as t hat whi ch you do. Your act s
wi l l count f or more t han your words, and woe unt o
you i f t he t wo fai l t o harmoni ze.
If a man preach t he Gol den Rul e as a sound rul e
of conduct hi s words wi l l fal l upon deaf ears i f he
does not pract i ce t hat whi ch he preaches. The most
effect i ve sermon t hat any man can preach on t he
soundness of t he Gol den Rul e i s t hat whi ch he
- 12 -
preaches, by suggest i on, when he appl i es t hi s rul e i n
hi s rel at i onshi ps wi t h hi s fel l ow men.
If a sal esman of Ford aut omobi l es dri ves up t o hi s
prospect i ve purchaser i n a Bui ck, or some ot her make
of car, al l t he argument s he can present i n behal f of
t he Ford wi l l be wi t hout effect . Once I went i nt o one
of t he offi ces of t he Di ct aphone Company t o l ook at a
di ct aphone (di ct at i ng machi ne). The sal esman i n
charge present ed a l ogi cal argument as t o t he
machi ne' s meri t s, whi l e t he st enographer at hi s si de
was t ranscri bi ng l et t ers from a short hand not e-book.
Hi s argument s i n favor of a di ct at i ng machi ne, as
compared wi t h t he ol d met hod of di ct at i ng t o a
st enographer, di d not i mpress me, because hi s act i ons
were not i n harmony wi t h hi s words.
Your t hought s const i t ut e t he most i mport ant of
t he t hree ways i n whi ch you appl y t he pri nci pl e of
suggest i on, for t he reason t hat t hey cont rol t he t one of
your words and, t o some ext ent at l east , your act i ons.
If your t hought s and your act i ons and your words
harmoni ze, you are bound t o i nfl uence t hose wi t h
whom you come i n cont act , more or l ess t oward your
way of t hi nki ng.
We wi l l now proceed t o anal yze t he subj ect of
suggest i on and t o show you exact l y how t o appl y t he
pri nci pl e upon whi ch i t operat es. As we have al ready
seen, suggest i on di ffers from Aut o-suggest i on onl y i n
one way - we use i t , consci ousl y or unconsci ousl y,
when we i nfl uence ot hers, whi l e we use Aut o-
suggest i on as a means of i nfl uenci ng oursel ves.
Before you can i nfl uence anot her person t hrough
suggest i on, t hat person' s mi nd must be i n a st at e of
neut ral i t y; t hat i s, i t must be open and recept i ve t o
- 13 -
your met hod of suggest i on. Ri ght here i s where most
sal esmen fai l - t hey t ry t o make a sal e before t he mi nd
of t he prospect i ve buyer has been rendered recept i ve
or neut ral i zed. Thi s i s such a vi t al poi nt i n t hi s l esson
t hat I feel i mpel l ed t o dwel l upon i t unt i l t here can be
no doubt t hat you underst and t he pri nci pl e t hat I am
descri bi ng.
When I say t hat t he sal esman must neut ral i ze t he
mi nd of hi s prospect i ve purchaser before a sal e can be
made I mean t hat t he prospect i ve purchaser' s mi nd
must be credul ous. A st at e of confi dence must have
been est abl i shed and i t i s obvi ous t hat t here can be no
set rul e for ei t her est abl i shi ng confi dence or
neut ral i zi ng t he mi nd t o a st at e of openness. Here t he
i ngenui t y of t he sal esman must suppl y t hat whi ch
cannot be set down as a hard and fast rul e.
I know a l i fe i nsurance sal esman who sel l s
not hi ng but l arge pol i ci es, amount i ng t o $100, 000. 00
and upward. Before t hi s man even approaches t he
subj ect of i nsurance wi t h a prospect i ve cl i ent he
fami l i ari zes hi msel f wi t h t he prospect i ve cl i ent ' s
compl et e hi st ory, i ncl udi ng hi s educat i on, hi s
fi nanci al st at us, hi s eccent ri ci t i es i f he has any, hi s
rel i gi ous preferences and ot her dat a t oo numerous t o
be l i st ed. Armed wi t h t hi s i nformat i on, he manages t o
secure an i nt roduct i on under condi t i ons whi ch permi t
hi m t o know t he Prospect i ve cl i ent i n a soci al as wel l
as a busi ness way. Not hi ng i s sai d about t he sal e of
l i fe i nsurance duri ng hi s fi rst vi si t , nor hi s second,
and somet i mes he does not approach t he subj ect of
i nsurance unt i l he has become very wel l acquai nt ed
wi t h t he prospect i ve cl i ent .
Al l t hi s t i me, however, he i s not di ssi pat i ng hi s
effort s. He i s t aki ng advant age of t hese fri endl y vi si t s
- 14 -
for t he purpose of neut ral i zi ng hi s prospect i ve cl i ent ' s
mi nd; t hat i s, he i s bui l di ng up a rel at i onshi p of
confi dence so t hat when t he t i me comes for hi m t o
t al k l i fe i nsurance t hat whi ch he says wi l l fal l upon
ears t hat wi l l i ngl y l i st en.
Some years ago I wrot e a book ent i t l ed How t o
Sel l Your Servi ces. Just before t he manuscri pt went t o
t he publ i sher, i t occurred t o me t o request some of t he
wel l known men of t he Uni t ed St at es t o wri t e l et t ers
of endorsement t o be publ i shed i n t he book. The
pri nt er was t hen wai t i ng for t he manuscri pt ; t herefore,
I hurri edl y wrot e a l et t er t o some ei ght or t en men, i n
whi ch I bri efl y out l i ned exact l y what I want ed, but t he
l et t er brought back no repl i es. I had fai l ed t o observe
t wo i mport ant prerequi si t es for success - I had wri t t en
t he l et t er so hurri edl y t hat I had fai l ed t o i nj ect t he
spi ri t of ent husi asm i nt o i t , and, I had negl ect ed so t o
word t he l et t er t hat i t had t he effect of neut ral i zi ng
t he mi nds of t hose t o whom i t was sent ; t herefore, I
had not paved t he way for t he appl i cat i on of t he
pri nci pl e of suggest i on.
Aft er I di scovered my mi st ake, I t hen wrot e a
l et t er t hat was based upon st ri ct appl i cat i on of t he
pri nci pl e of suggest i on, and t hi s l et t er not onl y
brought back repl i es from al l t o whom i t was sent , but
many of t he repl i es were mast erpi eces and served, far
beyond my fondest hopes, as val uabl e suppl ement s t o
t he book. For t he purpose of compari son, t o show you
how t he pri nci pl e of suggest i on may be used i n
wri t i ng a l et t er, and what an i mport ant part
ent husi asm pl ays i n gi vi ng t he wri t t en word "fl esh, "
t he t wo l et t ers are here reproduced. It wi l l not be
necessary t o i ndi cat e whi ch l et t er fai l ed, as t hat wi l l
be qui t e obvi ous:
- 15 -



A CAREFUL inventory
of all your past
experiences may dis-
close the startling fact
that everything has
happened for the best.



- 16 -
My dear Mr. Ford:
I am j ust compl et i ng a manuscri pt for a new book
ent i t l ed How t o Sel l Your Servi ces. I ant i ci pat e t he
sal e of several hundred t housand of t hese books and I
bel i eve t hose who purchase t he book woul d wel come
t he opport uni t y of recei vi ng a message from you as t o
t he best met hod of market i ng personal servi ces.
Woul d you, t herefore, be good enough t o gi ve me
a few mi nut es of your t i me by wri t i ng a bri ef message
t o be publ i shed i n my book? Thi s wi l l be a bi g favor
t o me personal l y and I know i t woul d be appreci at ed
by t he readers of t he book.
Thanki ng you i n advance for any consi derat i on
you may care t o show me, I am,
Yours very t rul y,



Hon. Thomas R. Marshal l ,
Vi ce-Presi dent of t he Uni t ed St at es,
Washi ngt on, D. C.
My dear Mr. Marshal l :
Woul d you care for t he opport uni t y t o send a
message of encouragement , and possi bl y a word of
advi ce, t o a few hundred t housand of your fel l ow men
who have fai l ed t o make t hei r mark i n t he worl d as
successful l y as you have done?
I have about compl et ed a manuscri pt for a book t o
be ent i t l ed How t o Sel l Your Servi ces. The mai n poi nt
made i n t he book i s t hat servi ce rendered i s cause and
t he pay envel ope i s ef f ect ; and t hat t he l at t er vari es i n
proport i on t o t he effi ci ency of t he former.
The book woul d be i ncompl et e wi t hout a few
- 17 -
words of advi ce from a few men who, l i ke yoursel f,
have come up from t he bot t om t o envi abl e posi t i ons i n
t he worl d. Therefore, i f you wi l l wri t e me of your
vi ews as t o t he most essent i al poi nt s t o be borne i n
mi nd by t hose who are offeri ng personal servi ces for
sal e I wi l l pass your message on t hrough my book,
whi ch wi l l i nsure i t s get t i ng i nt o hands where i t wi l l
do a worl d of good for a cl ass of earnest peopl e who
are st ruggl i ng t o fi nd t hei r pl aces i n t he worl d' s work.
I know you are a busy man, Mr. Marshal l , but
pl ease bear i n mi nd t hat by si mpl y cal l i ng i n your
secret ary and di ct at i ng a bri ef l et t er you wi l l be
sendi ng fort h an i mport ant message t o possi bl y hal f a
mi l l i on peopl e. In money t hi s wi l l not be wort h t o you
t he t wo cent st amp t hat you wi l l pl ace on t he l et t er,
but , i f est i mat ed from t he vi ewpoi nt of t he good i t
may do ot hers who are l ess fort unat e t han yoursel f, i t
may be wort h t he di fference bet ween success and
fai l ure t o many a wort hy person who wi l l read your
message bel i eve i n i t , and be gui ded by i t .
Very cordi al l y yours,

Now, l et us anal yze t he t wo l et t ers and fi nd out
why one fai l ed i n i t s mi ssi on whi l e t he ot her
succeeded. Thi s anal ysi s shoul d st art wi t h one of t he
most i mport ant fundament al s of sal esmanshi p, namel y
mot i ve. In t he fi rst l et t er i t i s obvi ous t hat t he mot i ve
i s ent i rel y one of sel f-i nt erest . The l et t er st at es
exact l y what i s want ed, but t he wordi ng of i t l eaves a
doubt as t o why t he request i s made or whom i t i s
i nt ended, t o benefi t . St udy t he sent ence i n t he second
paragraph, "Thi s wi l l be a bi g favor t o me personal l y,
et c. " Now i t may seem t o be a pecul i ar t rai t , but t he
- 18 -
t rut h i s t hat most peopl e wi l l not grant favors j ust t o
pl ease ot hers. If I ask you t o render a servi ce t hat wi l l
benefi t me, wi t hout bri ngi ng you some correspondi ng
advant age, you wi l l not show much ent husi asm i n
grant i ng t hat favor; you may refuse al t oget her i f you
have a pl ausi bl e excuse for refusi ng. But i f I ask you
t o render a servi ce t hat wi l l benefi t a t hi rd person,
even t hough t he servi ce must be rendered t hrough me;
and i f t hat servi ce i s of such a nat ure t hat i t i s l i kel y
t o refl ect credi t on you, t he chances are t hat you wi l l
render t he servi ce wi l l i ngl y.
We see t hi s psychol ogy demonst rat ed by t he man
who pi t ches a di me t o t he beggar on t he st reet , or
perhaps refuses even t he di me, but wi l l i ngl y hands
over a hundred or a t housand dol l ars t o t he chari t y
worker who i s beggi ng i n t he name of ot hers.
But t he most damagi ng suggest i on of al l i s
cont ai ned i n t he l ast and most i mport ant paragraph of
t he l et t er, "Thanki ng you i n advance for any
consi derat i on you may care t o show me. " Thi s
sent ence st rongl y suggest s t hat t he wri t er of t he l et t er
ant i ci pat es a refusal of hi s request . It cl earl y i ndi cat es
l ack of ent husi asm. It paves t he way for a refusal of
t he request . There i s not one si ngl e word i n t he ent i re
l et t er t hat pl aces i n t he mi nd of a man t o whom i t i s
sent a sat i sfact ory reason why he shoul d compl y wi t h
t he request . On t he ot her hand, he can cl earl y see t hat
t he obj ect of t he l et t er i s t o secure from hi m a l et t er
of endorsement t hat wi l l hel p sel l t he book. The most
i mport ant sel l i ng argument - i n fact , t he onl y sel l i ng
argument avai l abl e i n connect i on wi t h t hi s request ,
has been l ost because i t was not brought out and
est abl i shed as t he real mot i ve for maki ng t he request .
- 19 -
Thi s argument was but fai nt l y ment i oned i n t he
sent ence, "I bel i eve t hose who purchase t he book
woul d wel come t he opport uni t y of recei vi ng a message
from you as t o t he best met hod of market i ng personal
servi ces. "
The openi ng paragraph of t he l et t er vi ol at es an
i mport ant fundament al of sal esmanshi p because i t
cl earl y suggest s t hat t he obj ect of t he l et t er i s t o gai n
some advant age for i t s wri t er, and does not even hi nt
at any correspondi ng advant age t hat may accrue t o t he
person t o whom i t i s sent . Inst ead of neut ral i zi ng t he
mi nd of t he reci pi ent of t he l et t er, as i t shoul d do, i t
has j ust t he opposi t e effect ; i t causes hi m t o cl ose hi s
mi nd agai nst al l argument t hat fol l ows; i t put s hi m i n
a frame of mi nd t hat makes i t easy for hi m t o say no.
It remi nds me of a sal esman - or, perhaps I shoul d say,
a man who want ed t o be a sal esman - who once
approached me for t he purpose of sel l i ng me a
subscri pt i on t o t he Sat urday Eveni ng Post . As he hel d
a copy of t he magazi ne i n front of me he suggest ed t he
answer I shoul d make by t hi s quest i on:
"You woul dn' t subscri be f or t he Post t o hel p me
out , woul d you?"
Of course I sai d no! He had made i t easy for me
t o say no. There was no ent husi asm back of hi s words,
and gl oom and di scouragement were wri t t en al l over
hi s face. He needed t he commi ssi on he woul d have
made on my subscri pt i on had I purchased; no doubt
about t hat - but he suggest ed not hi ng t hat appeal ed t o
my sel f-i nt erest mot i ve, t herefore he l ost a sal e. But
t he l oss of t hi s one sal e was not t he sad part of hi s
mi sfort une; t he sad part was t hat t hi s same at t i t ude
was causi ng hi m t o l ose al l ot her sal es whi ch he mi ght
have made had he changed hi s approach.
- 20 -
A few weeks l at er anot her subscri pt i on agent
approached me. She was sel l i ng a combi nat i on of si x
magazi nes, one of whi ch was t he Sat urday Eveni ng
Post , but how di fferent was her approach. She gl anced
at my l i brary t abl e, on whi ch she saw several
magazi nes, t hen at my book shel ves, and excl ai med
wi t h ent husi asm:
"Oh! I see you are a l over of books and
magazi nes. "
I proudl y pl eaded gui l t y t o t he charge. Observe
t he word "proudl y, " for i t has an i mport ant beari ng on
t hi s i nci dent . I l ai d down t he manuscri pt t hat I was
readi ng when t hi s sal eswoman came i n, for I coul d see
t hat she was a woman of i nt el l i gence. Just how I came
t o see t hi s I wi l l l eave t o your i magi nat i on. The
i mport ant poi nt i s t hat I l ai d down t he manuscri pt and
act ual l y fel t mysel f want i ng t o hear what she had t o
say.
Wi t h t he ai d of el even words, pl us a pl easant
smi l e, pl us a t one of genui ne ent husi asm, she had
neut ral i zed my mi nd suffi ci ent l y t o make me want t o
hear her. She had performed her most di ffi cul t t ask,
wi t h t hose few words, because I had made up my mi nd
when she was announced t hat I woul d keep my
manuscri pt i n my hands and t hereby convey t o her
mi nd, as pol i t el y as I coul d, t he fact t hat I was busy
and di d not wi sh t o be det ai ned.
Bei ng a st udent of sal esmanshi p and of
suggest i on, I careful l y wat ched t o see what her next
move woul d be. She had a bundl e of magazi nes under
her arm and I expect ed she woul d unrol l i t and begi n
t o urge me t o purchase, but she di dn' t . You wi l l recal l
t hat I sai d she was sel l i ng a combi nat i on of si x
magazi nes; not merel y t ryi ng t o sel l t hem.
- 21 -


FIRST IMPRESSIONS
REALLY DO COUNT.
DRESS TO LOOK THE
PART YOU INTEND TO
PLAY IN LIFE, BUT
TAKE CARE NOT TO
OVERDO IT.


- 22 -
She wal ked over t o my book shel ves, pul l ed out a
copy of Emerson' s Essays, and for t he next t en
mi nut es she t al ked about Emerson' s essay on
Compensat i on so i nt erest i ngl y t hat I l ost si ght of t he
rol l of magazi nes t hat she carri ed. (She was
neut ral i zi ng my mi nd some more. )
Inci dent al l y, she gave me a suffi ci ent number of
new i deas about Emerson' s works t o provi de mat eri al
for an excel l ent edi t ori al .
Then she asked me whi ch magazi nes I recei ved
regul arl y, and aft er I t ol d her she smi l ed as she began
t o unrol l her bundl e of magazi nes and l ai d t hem on t he
t abl e i n front of me. She anal yzed her magazi nes one
by one, and expl ai ned j ust why I shoul d have each of
t hem. The Sat urday Eveni ng Post woul d bri ng me t he
cl eanest fi ct i on; Li t erary Di gest woul d bri ng me t he
news of t he worl d i n condensed form, such as a busy
man l i ke mysel f woul d demand; t he Ameri can
Magazi ne woul d bri ng me t he l at est bi ographi es of t he
men who were l eadi ng i n busi ness and i ndust ry, and
so on, unt i l she had covered t he ent i re l i st .
But I was not respondi ng t o her argument as
freel y as she t hought I shoul d have, so she sl i pped me
t hi s gent l e suggest i on:
"A man of your posi t i on i s bound t o be wel l
i nf ormed and, i f he i sn' t , i t wi l l show up i n hi s own
work!"
She spoke t he t rut h! Her remark was bot h a
compl i ment and a gent l e repri mand. She made me feel
somewhat sheepi sh because she had t aken i nvent ory of
my readi ng mat t er - and si x of t he l eadi ng magazi nes
were not on my l i st . (The si x t hat she was sel l i ng. )
- 23 -
Then I began t o "sl i p" by aski ng her how much
t he si x magazi nes woul d cost . She put on t he fi ni shi ng
t ouches of a wel l present ed sal es t al k by t hi s t act ful
repl y: "The cost ? Why, t he cost of t he ent i re number
i s l ess t han you recei ve for a si ngl e page of t he
t ypewri t t en manuscri pt t hat you had i n your hands
when I came i n. "
Agai n she spoke t he t rut h. And how di d she
happen t o guess so wel l what I was get t i ng for my
manuscri pt ? The answer i s, she di dn' t guess - she
knew! She made i t a part of her busi ness t o draw me
out t act ful l y as t o t he nat ure of my work (whi ch i n no
way made me angry). She became so deepl y i nt erest ed
i n t he manuscri pt whi ch I had l ai d down when she
came i n, t hat she act ual l y i nduced me t o t al k about i t .
(I am no sayi ng, of course, t hat t hi s requi red any great
amount of ski l l or coaxi ng, for have I not sai d t hat i t
was my manuscri pt ?) In my remarks about t hat
manuscri pt , I suspect I admi t t ed t hat I was recei vi ng
$250. 00 for t he fi ft een pages; yes, I am sure I was
carel ess enough t o admi t t hat I was bei ng wel l pai d
f or my work.
Perhaps she i nduced me t o make t he admi ssi on.
At any rat e, t he i nformat i on was val uabl e t o her and
she made effect i ve use of i t at t he psychol ogi cal
moment . For al l I know i t was a part of her pl an t o
observe careful l y al l t hat she saw and heard, wi t h t he
obj ect of fi ndi ng out j ust what my weaknesses were
and what I was most i nt erest ed i n di scussi ng. Some
sal esmen t ake t he t i me t o do t hi s; some do not . She
was one of t hose who di d.
Yes, she went away wi t h my order for t he si x
magazi nes; al so my t wel ve dol l ars. But t hat was not
al l t he benefi t she deri ved from t act ful suggest i on
- 24 -
pl us ent husi asm; she got my consent t o canvass my
offi ce, and before she l eft she had fi ve ot her orders
from my empl oyees.
At no t i me duri ng her st ay di d she l eave t he
i mpressi on t hat I was f avori ng her by purchasi ng her
magazi nes. Just t o t he cont rary, she di st i nct l y
i mpressed me wi t h t he f eel i ng t hat she was renderi ng
me a f avor. Thi s was t act f ul suggest i on.
Before we get away from t hi s i nci dent , I wi sh t o
make an admi ssi on - when she drew me i nt o
conversat i on she di d i t i n such a way t hat I t al ked
wi t h ent husi asm. There were t wo reasons for t hi s. She
was one of t hem; and t he ot her one was t he fact t hat
she managed t o get me t o t al k about my own work! Of
course I am not suggest i ng t hat you shoul d be
meddl esome enough t o smi l e at my carel essness as
you read t hi s; or t hat you shoul d gat her from t hi s
i nci dent t he i mpressi on t hat t hi s t act ful sal eswoman
act ual l y l ed me t o t al k of my own work for t he
purpose of neut ral i zi ng my mi nd so t hat I woul d l i st en
t o her, when she was ready t o t al k of her magazi nes,
as pat i ent l y as she had l i st ened t o me. However, i f you
shoul d be cl ever enough t o draw a l esson from her
met hod, t here i s no way for me t o st op you from doi ng
so.
As I have st at ed, when I t al ked I mi xed
ent husi asm wi t h my conversat i on. Perhaps I caught
t he spi ri t of ent husi asm from t hi s cl ever sal eswoman,
when she made t hat openi ng remark as she came i nt o
my st udy. Yes, I am sure t hi s i s where I caught i t ,
and, I am j ust as sure t hat her ent husi asm was not a
mat t er of acci dent . She had t rai ned hersel f t o l ook for
somet hi ng i n her prospect i ve purchaser' s offi ce, or hi s
- 25 -
work, or hi s conversat i on, over whi ch she coul d
express ent husi asm.
Remember, suggest i on and ent husi asm go hand i n
hand!
I can remember, as t hough i t were yest erday, t he
feel i ng t hat came over me when t hat woul d-be
sal esman pushed t hat Sat urday Eveni ng Post i n front
of me, as he remarked:
"You woul dn' t subscri be for t he Post t o hel p me
out , woul d you?"
Hi s words were chi l l ed, t hey were l i fel ess; t hey
l acked ent husi asm; t hey regi st ered an i mpressi on i n
my mi nd, but t hat i mpressi on was one of col dness. I
want ed t o see t he man go out at t he door at whi ch he
had come i n. Mi nd you, I am not nat ural l y
unsympat het i c, but t he t one of hi s voi ce, t he l ook on
hi s face, hi s general beari ng suggest ed t hat he was
t here t o ask a favor and not t o offer one.
Suggest i on i s one of t he most subt l e and powerful
pri nci pl es of psychol ogy. You are maki ng use of i t i n
al l t hat you do and say and t hi nk, but , unl ess you
underst and t he di fference bet ween negat i ve suggest i on
and posi t i ve suggest i on, you may be usi ng i t i n such a
way t hat i t i s bri ngi ng you defeat i nst ead of success.
Sci ence has est abl i shed t he fact t hat t hrough t he
negat i ve use of suggest i on l i fe may be ext i ngui shed.
Some years ago, i n France, a cri mi nal was condemned
t o deat h, but before t he t i me for hi s execut i on an
experi ment was performed on hi m whi ch concl usi vel y
proved t hat t hrough t he pri nci pl e of suggest i on deat h,
coul d be produced. The cri mi nal was brought t o t he
gui l l ot i ne and hi s head was pl aced under t he kni fe,
aft er he had been bl i ndfolded. A heavy, sharp edged
- 26 -
pl ank was t hen dropped on hi s neck, produci ng a
shock si mi l ar t o t hat of a sharp edged kni fe. Warm
wat er was t hen gent l y poured on hi s neck and al l owed
t o t ri ckl e sl owl y down hi s spi ne, t o i mi t at e t he fl ow of
warm bl ood. In seven mi nut es t he doct ors pronounced
t he man dead. Hi s i magi nat i on, t hrough t he pri nci pl e
of suggest i on, had act ual l y t urned t he sharp edged
pl ank i nt o a gui l l ot i ne bl ade and st opped hi s heart
from beat i ng.
In t he l i t t l e t own where I was rai sed, t here l i ved
an ol d l ady who const ant l y compl ai ned t hat she feared
deat h from cancer. Duri ng her chi l dhood she had seen
a woman who had cancer and t he si ght had so
i mpressed i t sel f upon her mi nd t hat she began t o l ook
for t he sympt oms of cancer i n her own body. She was
sure t hat every l i t t l e ache and pai n was t he begi nni ng
of her l ong-l ooked-for sympt om of cancer. I have seen
her pl ace her hand on her breast and have heard her
excl ai m, "Oh, I am sure I have a cancer growi ng here.
I can feel i t . " When compl ai ni ng of t hi s i magi nary
di sease, she al ways pl aced her hand on her l eft breast ,
where she bel i eved t he cancer was at t acki ng her.
For more t han t went y years she kept t hi s up.
A few weeks ago she di ed - wi t h cancer on her
l ef t breast ! If suggest i on wi l l act ual l y t urn t he edge of
a pl ank i nt o a gui l l ot i ne bl ade and t ransform heal t hy
body cel l s i nt o parasi t es out of whi ch cancer wi l l
devel op, can you not i magi ne what i t wi l l do i n
dest royi ng di sease germs, i f properl y di rect ed?
Suggest i on i s t he l aw t hrough whi ch ment al heal ers
work what appear t o be mi racl es. I have personal l y
wi t nessed t he removal of parasi t i cal growt hs known as
- 27 -


Half the wrecks that strew
life' s ocean
If some star had been their
guide,
Might in safety now be
riding,
But they drifted with the
Tide.



- 28 -
wart s, t hrough t he ai d of suggest i on, wi t hi n fort y-
ei ght hours.
You - t he reader of t hi s l esson - can be sent t o bed
wi t h i magi nary si ckness of t he worst sort , i n t wo
hours' t i me or l ess, t hrough t he use of suggest i on. If
you shoul d st art down t he st reet and t hree or four
peopl e i n whom you had confi dence shoul d meet you
and each excl ai m t hat you l ook i l l you woul d be ready
for a doct or. Thi s bri ngs t o mi nd an experi ence t hat I
once had wi t h a l i fe i nsurance sal esman. I had made
appl i cat i on for a pol i cy, but was undeci ded as t o
whet her I woul d t ake t en or t went y t housand dol l ars.
Meanwhi l e, t he agent had sent me t o t he l i fe i nsurance
company' s doct or t o be exami ned. The fol l owi ng day I
was cal l ed back for anot her exami nat i on. The second
t i me t he exami nat i on was more searchi ng, and t he
doct or carri ed a worri ed l ook on hi s face. The t hi rd
day I was cal l ed back agai n, and t hi s t i me t wo
consul t i ng physi ci ans were t here t o l ook me over.
They gave me t he most searchi ng exami nat i on I had
ever recei ved or even heard of.
The next day t he agent cal l ed on me and
addressed me as fol l ows:
"I do not wi sh t o al arm you! but t he doct ors who
exami ned you do not agree on your anal ysi s. You have
not yet deci ded whet her you wi l l t ake t en or t went y
t housand dol l ars' wort h of i nsurance, and I do not
t hi nk i t fai r for me t o gi ve you a report on your
medi cal exami nat i on unt i l you make t hi s deci si on,
because i f I di d you mi ght feel t hat I was urgi ng you
t o t ake t he l arger amount "
Then I spoke up and sai d: "Wel l , I have al ready
deci ded t o t ake t he ful l amount . " True enough; I had
deci ded t o t ake t he ful l t went y t housand dol l ar pol i cy.
- 29 -
I deci ded t he moment t he agent pl ant ed t he suggest i on
i n my mi nd t hat perhaps I had some const i t ut i onal
weakness t hat woul d make i t hard f or me t o get as
much i nsurance as I want ed.
"Very wel l , " sai d t he agent , "now t hat you have
deci ded I feel i t my dut y t o t el l you t hat t wo of t he
doct ors bel i eve you have t he t ubercul ar germ i n your
syst em, whi l e t he ot her t wo di sagree wi t h t hem. " The
t ri ck had been t urned. Cl ever suggest i on had pushed
me over t he fence of i ndeci si on and we were al l
sat i sfi ed.
Where does ent husi asm come i n, do you ask?
Never mi nd, i t "came i n" al l ri ght , but i f you wi sh t o
know who brought i t you wi l l have t o ask t he l i fe
i nsurance agent and hi s four medi cal accompl i ces, for
I am sure t hey must have had a heart y l augh at my
expense. But t he t ri ck was al l ri ght . I needed t he
i nsurance anyway.
Of course, i f you happen t o be a l i fe i nsurance
agent you wi l l not grab t hi s i dea and work i t out on
t he next prospect i ve cl i ent who i s sl ow i n maki ng up
hi s mi nd about t aki ng a pol i cy. Of course you wi l l
not !
A few mont hs ago I recei ved one of t he most
effect i ve pi eces of advert i si ng I ever saw. It was a
neat l i t t l e book i n whi ch a cl ever aut omobi l e
i nsurance sal esman had repri nt ed press di spat ches t hat
he had gat hered from al l over t he count ry, i n whi ch i t
was shown t hat si xt y-fi ve aut omobi l es had been st ol en
i n a si ngl e day. On t he back page of t he book was t hi s
hi ghl y suggest i ve st at ement :
"Your car may be t he next one t o go. Is i t
i nsured?"
At t he bot t om of t he page was t he sal esman' s name
and address; al so hi s t el ephone number. Before I had
- 30 -
fi ni shed readi ng t he fi rst t wo pages of t he book I
cal l ed t he sal esman on t he t el ephone and made i nqui ry
about rat es. He came ri ght over t o see me, and you
know t he remai nder of t he st ory.

Go back, now, t o t he t wo l et t ers and l et us
anal yze t he second one, whi ch brought t he desi red
repl i es from al l t o whom i t was sent . St udy, careful l y,
t he fi rst paragraph and you wi l l observe t hat i t asks a
quest i on whi ch can be answered i n but one way.
Compare t hi s openi ng paragraph wi t h t hat of t he fi rst
l et t er, by aski ng yoursel f whi ch of t he t wo woul d have
i mpressed you most favorabl y. Thi s paragraph i s
worded as i t i s for a t wo-fol d purpose; fi rst , i t i s
i nt ended t o serve t he purpose of neut ral i zi ng t he mi nd
of t he reader so he wi l l read t he remai nder of t he
l et t er i n an open-mi nded at t i t ude; and, second, i t asks
a quest i on whi ch can be answered i n but one way, for
t he purpose of commi t t i ng t he reader t o a vi ewpoi nt
whi ch harmoni zes wi t h t he nat ure of t he servi ce t hat
he i s t o be request ed t o render i n subsequent
paragraphs of t he l et t er.
In t he second l esson of t hi s course you observed
t hat Andrew Carnegi e refused t o answer my quest i on,
when I asked hi m t o what he at t ri but ed hi s success,
unt i l he had asked me t o defi ne t he word success. He
di d t hi s t o avoi d mi sunderst andi ng. The fi rst
paragraph of t he l et t er we are anal yzi ng i s so worded
t hat i t st at es t he obj ect of t he l et t er and at t he same
t i me pract i cal l y forces t he reader t o accept t hat obj ect
as bei ng sound and reasonabl e.
Any person who woul d answer t he quest i on asked
- 31 -
i n t hi s paragraph of t he l et t er under di scussi on, i n t he
negat i ve, woul d, by t he same answer, convi ct hi msel f
on t he charge of sel fi shness, and no man want s t o face
hi msel f wi t h a gui l t y consci ence on such a charge.
Just as t he farmer fi rst pl ows hi s ground, t hen
fert i l i zes i t , and perhaps harrows i t and prepares i t t o
recei ve t he seed, i n order t hat he may be sure of a
crop, so does t hi s paragraph fert i l i ze t he mi nd of t he
reader and prepare i t for t he seed whi ch i s t o be
pl aced t here t hrough t he subt l e suggest i on t hat t he
paragraph cont ai ns.
St udy, careful l y, t he second paragraph of t he
l et t er and you wi l l observe t hat i t carri es a st at ement
of fact whi ch t he reader can nei t her quest i on nor
deny! It provi des hi m wi t h no reason for argument
because i t i s obvi ousl y based upon a sound
fundament al . It t akes hi m t he second st ep of t he
psychol ogi cal j ourney t hat l eads st rai ght t oward
compl i ance wi t h t he request t hat i s careful l y cl ot hed
and covered up i n t he t hi rd paragraph of t he l et t er, but
you wi l l not i ce t hat t he t hi rd paragraph begi ns by
payi ng t he reader a ni ce l i t t l e compl i ment t hat was not
desi gned t o make hi m angry. "Therefore, i f you wi l l
wri t e me of your vi ews as t o t he most essent i al poi nt s
t o be borne i n mi nd by t hose who are offeri ng
personal servi ces for sal e, " et c. , St udy t he wordi ng of
t hi s sent ence, t oget her wi t h t he set t i ng i n whi ch i t has
been pl aced, and you wi l l observe t hat i t hardl y
appears t o be a request at al l , and cert ai nl y t here i s
not hi ng about i t t o suggest t hat t he wri t er of t he l et t er
i s request i ng a f avor f or hi s personal benef i t . At most ,
i t can be const rued merel y as a request for a favor for
ot hers.
Now st udy t he cl osi ng paragraph and not i ce how
- 32 -
t act ful l y conceal ed i s t he suggest i on t hat i f t he reader
shoul d refuse t he request he i s pl aci ng hi msel f i n t he
awkward posi t i on of one who does not care enough
about t hose who are l ess fort unat e t han hi msel f t o
spend a t wo cent st amp and a few mi nut es of t i me for
t hei r benefi t .
From st art t o fi ni sh t he l et t er conveys i t s
st rongest i mpressi ons by mere suggest i on, yet t hi s
suggest i on i s so careful l y covered t hat i t i s not
obvi ous except upon careful anal ysi s of t he ent i re
l et t er.
The whol e const ruct i on of t he l et t er i s such t hat
i f t he reader l ays i t asi de wi t hout compl yi ng wi t h t he
request i t makes he wi l l have t o reckon wi t h hi s own
consci ence! Thi s effect i s i nt ensi fi ed by t he l ast
sent ence of t he l ast paragraph and especi al l y by t he
l ast t hi rt een words of t hat sent ence, "who wi l l read
your message, bel i eve i n i t , and be gui ded by i t . "
Thi s l et t er bri ngs t he reader up wi t h a bang and
t urns hi s own consci ence i nt o an al l y of t he wri t er; i t
corners hi m, j ust as a hunt er mi ght corner a rabbi t by
dri vi ng i t i nt o a careful l y prepared net .
The best evi dence t hat t hi s anal ysi s i s correct i s
t he fact t hat t he l et t er brought repl i es from every
person t o whom i t was sent , despi t e t he fact t hat every
one of t hese men was of t he t ype t hat we speak of as
bei ng a man of affai rs - t he t ype t hat i s general l y
supposed t o be t oo busy t o answer a l et t er of t hi s
nat ure. Not onl y di d t he l et t er bri ng t he desi red
repl i es, but t he men t o whom i t was sent repl i ed i n
person, wi t h t he except i on of t he l at e Theodore
Roosevel t , who repl i ed under t he si gnat ure of a
secret ary.
John Wanamaker and Frank A. Vanderl i p wrot e
t wo of t he fi nest l et t ers I have ever read, each a mas-
- 33 -


CONCEIT is a fog which
envelops a man's real
character beyond his
own recognition. It
weakens his native
ability and strengthens
all his inconsistencies.



- 34 -
t erpi ece t hat mi ght wel l have adorned t he pages of a
more di gni fi ed vol ume t han t he one for whi ch t he
l et t ers were request ed. Andrew Carnegi e al so wrot e a
l et t er t hat was wel l wort h consi derat i on by al l who
have personal servi ces for sal e. Wi l l i am Jenni ngs
Bryan wrot e a fi ne l et t er, as di d, al so, t he l at e Lord
Nort hcl i ffe. None of t hese men wrot e merel y t o pl ease
me, for I was unknown t o al l of t hem, wi t h t he
except i on of four. They di d not wri t e t o pl ease me -
t hey wrot e t o pl ease t hemsel ves and t o render a
wort hy servi ce. Perhaps t he wordi ng of t he l et t er had
somet hi ng t o do wi t h t hi s, but , as t o t hat , I make no
poi nt ot her t han t o st at e t hat al l of t hese men whom I
have ment i oned, and most ot hers of t hei r t ype, are
general l y t he most wi l l i ng men t o render servi ce for
ot hers when t hey are properl y approached.
I wi sh t o t ake advant age of t hi s appropri at e
opport uni t y t o st at e t hat al l of t he real l y bi g men
whom I have had t he pl easure of knowi ng have been
t he most wi l l i ng and court eous men of my
acquai nt ance when i t came t o renderi ng servi ce t hat
was of benefi t t o ot hers. Perhaps t hat was one reason
why t hey were real l y bi g men.
The human mi nd i s a marvel ous pi ece of
machi nery!
One of i t s out st andi ng charact eri st i cs i s not i ced
i n t he fact t hat al l i mpressi ons whi ch reach i t , ei t her
t hrough out si de suggest i on or Aut o-suggest i on, are
recorded t oget her i n groups whi ch harmoni ze i n
nat ure. The negat i ve i mpressi ons are st ored away, al l
i n one port i on of t he brai n, whi l e t he posi t i ve
i mpressi ons are st ored i n anot her port i on. When one
of t hese i mpressi ons (or past experi ences) i s cal l ed
i nt o t he consci ous mi nd, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of
- 35 -
memory, t here i s a t endency t o recal l wi t h i t al l ot hers
of a si mi l ar nat ure, j ust as t he rai si ng of one l i nk of a
chai n bri ngs up ot her l i nks wi t h i t . For exampl e,
anyt hi ng t hat causes a feel i ng of doubt t o ari se i n a
person' s mi nd i s suffi ci ent t o cal l fort h al l of hi s
experi ences whi ch caused hi m t o become doubt ful . If
a man i s asked by a st ranger t o cash a check,
i mmedi at el y he remembers havi ng cashed checks t hat
were not good, or of havi ng heard of ot hers who di d
so. Through t he l aw of associ at i on al l si mi l ar
emot i ons, experi ences and sense i mpressi ons t hat
reach t he mi nd are fi l ed away t oget her, so t hat t he
recal l i ng of one has a t endency t o bri ng back t o
memory al l t he ot hers.
To arouse a feel i ng of di st rust i n a person' s mi nd
has a t endency t o bri ng t o t he surface every doubt -
bui l di ng experi ence t hat person ever had. For t hi s
reason successful sal esmen endeavor t o keep away
from t he di scussi on of subj ect s t hat may arouse t he
buyer' s "chai n of doubt i mpressi ons" whi ch he has
st ored away by reason of previ ous experi ences. The
successful sal esman qui ckl y l earns t hat "knocki ng" a
compet i t or or a compet i ng art i cl e may resul t i n
bri ngi ng t o t he buyer' s mi nd cert ai n negat i ve emot i ons
growi ng out of previ ous experi ences whi ch may make
i t i mpossi bl e for t he sal esman t o "neut ral i ze" t he
buyer' s mi nd.
Thi s pri nci pl e appl i es t o and cont rol s every sense
i mpressi on t hat i s l odged i n t he human mi nd. Take t he
feel i ng of fear, for exampl e; t he moment we permi t a
si ngl e emot i on t hat i s rel at ed t o fear t o reach t he
consci ous mi nd, i t cal l s wi t h i t al l of i t s unsavory
rel at i ons. A feel i ng of courage cannot cl ai m t he
at t ent i on of t he consci ous mi nd whi l e a feel i ng of fear
- 36 -
i s t here. One or t he ot her must domi nat e. They make
poor room-mat es because t hey do not harmoni ze i n
nat ure. Li ke at t ract s l i ke. Every t hought hel d i n t he
consci ous mi nd has a t endency t o draw t o i t ot her
t hought s of a si mi l ar nat ure. You see, t herefore, t hat
t hese feel i ngs, t hought s and emot i ons growi ng out of
past experi ences, whi ch cl ai m t he at t ent i on of t he
consci ous mi nd, are backed by a regul ar army of
support i ng sol di ers of a si mi l ar nat ure, t hat st and
ready t o ai d t hem i n t hei r work.
Del i berat el y pl ace i n your own mi nd, t hrough t he
pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on, t he ambi t i on t o succeed
t hrough t he ai d of a def i ni t e chi ef ai m, and not i ce how
qui ckl y al l of your l at ent or undevel oped abi l i t y i n t he
nat ure of past experi ences wi l l become st i mul at ed and
aroused t o act i on i n your behal f. Pl ant i n a boy' s
mi nd, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of suggest i on, t he
ambi t i on t o become a successful l awyer or doct or or
engi neer or busi ness man or fi nanci er, and i f you pl ant
t hat suggest i on deepl y enough, and keep i t t here, by
repet i t i on, i t wi l l begi n t o move t hat boy t oward t he
achi evement of t he obj ect of t hat ambi t i on.
If you woul d pl ant a suggest i on "deepl y, " mi x i t
generousl y wi t h ent husi asm; for ent husi asm i s t he
fert i l i zer t hat wi l l i nsure i t s rapi d growt h as wel l as
i t s permanency.
When t hat ki nd-heart ed ol d gent l eman pl ant ed i n
my mi nd t he suggest i on t hat I was a "bri ght boy" and
t hat I coul d make my mark i n t he worl d i f I woul d
educat e mysel f, i t was not so much what he sai d, as i t
was t he way i n whi ch he sai d i t t hat made such a deep
and l ast i ng i mpressi on on my mi nd. It was t he way i n
whi ch he gri pped my shoul ders and t he l ook of con-
- 37 -
fi dence i n hi s eyes t hat drove hi s suggest i on so deepl y
i nt o my subconsci ous mi nd t hat i t never gave me any
peace unt i l I commenced t aki ng t he st eps t hat l ed t o
t he ful fi l l ment of t he suggest i on.
Thi s i s a poi nt t hat I woul d st ress wi t h al l t he
power at my command. It i s not so much what you say
as i t i s t he TONE and MANNER i n whi ch you say i t
t hat makes. a l ast i ng i mpressi on.
It nat ural l y fol l ows, t herefore, t hat si nceri t y of
purpose, honest y and earnest ness must be pl aced back
of al l t hat one says i f one woul d make a l ast i ng and
favorabl e i mpressi on.
What ever you successful l y sel l t o ot hers you must
fi rst sel l t o yoursel f !
Not l ong ago I was approached by an agent of t he
government of Mexi co who sought my servi ces as a
wri t er of propaganda for t he admi ni st rat i on i n charge
at t hat t i me. Hi s approach was about as fol l ows:
"Whereas, Seor has a reput at i on as an exponent
of t he Gol den Rul e phi l osophy; and whereas, Seor i s
known t hroughout t he Uni t ed St at es as an i ndependent
who i s not al l i ed wi t h any pol i t i cal fact i on, now,
t herefore, woul d Seor be graci ous enough t o come t o
Mexi co, st udy t he economi c and pol i t i cal , affai rs of
t hat count ry, t hen ret urn t o t he Uni t ed St at es and
wri t e a seri es of art i cl es t o appear i n t he newspapers,
recommendi ng t o t he peopl e of Ameri ca t he i mmedi at e
recogni t i on of Mexi co by t he government of t he
Uni t ed St at es, et c. "
For t hi s servi ce, I was offered more money t han I
shal l , perhaps, ever possess duri ng my ent i re l i fe; but
I refused t he commi ssi on, and for a reason t hat wi l l
fai l t o i mpress anyone except t hose who underst and
- 38 -
t he pri nci pl e whi ch makes i t necessary for al l who
woul d i nfl uence ot hers t o remai n on good t erms wi t h
t hei r own consci ence.
I coul d not wri t e convi nci ngl y of Mexi co' s cause
for t he reason t hat I di d not bel i eve i n t hat cause;
t herefore, I coul d not have mi xed suffi ci ent
ent husi asm wi t h my wri t i ng t o have made i t effect i ve,
even t hough I had been wi l l i ng t o prost i t ut e my t al ent
and di p my pen i nt o i nk t hat I knew t o be muddy.
I wi l l not endeavor furt her t o expl ai n my
phi l osophy on t hi s i nci dent for t he reason t hat t hose
who are far enough advanced i n t he st udy of Aut o-
suggest i on wi l l not need furt her expl anat i on, whi l e
t hose who are not far enough advanced woul d not and
coul d not underst and.
No man can af f ord t o express, t hrough words or
act s, t hat whi ch i s not i n harmony wi t h hi s own bel i ef ,
and i f he does so he must pay by t he l oss of hi s abi l i t y
t o i nf l uence ot hers.
Pl ease read, al oud, t he foregoi ng paragraph! It i s
wort h emphasi zi ng by repet i t i on, for l ack of
observat i on of t he pri nci pl e upon whi ch i t i s based
const i t ut es t he rocks and reefs upon whi ch many a
man' s def i ni t e chi ef ai m dashes i t sel f t o pi eces.
I do not bel i eve t hat I can afford t o t ry t o decei ve
anyone, about anyt hi ng, but I know t hat I cannot
af f ord t o t ry t o decei ve mysel f . To do so woul d dest roy
t he power of my pen and render my words i neffect i ve.
It i s onl y when I wri t e wi t h t he f i re of ent husi asm
burni ng i n my heart t hat my wri t i ng i mpresses ot hers
favorabl y; and i t i s onl y when I speak from a heart
t hat i s burst i ng wi t h bel i ef i n my message, t hat I can
move my audi ence t o accept t hat message.
- 39 -

IS there not food for
thought in the fact that no
newspaper has ever
published any account of
"Wild drinking parties" or
other similar scandals in
connection with the names
of Edison, Ford, Rockefeller
and most of the other really
big fellows?

- 40 -
I woul d al so have you read, al oud, t he foregoi ng
paragraph. Yes, I woul d have you commi t i t t o
memory. Even more t han t hi s, I woul d have you wri t e
i t out and pl ace i t where i t may serve as a dai l y
remi nder of a pri nci pl e, nay, a l aw as i mmut abl e as
t he l aw of gravi t at i on, wi t hout whi ch you can never
become a power i n your chosen l i f e-work.
There have been t i mes, and many of t hem, when i t
appeared t hat i f I st ood by t hi s pri nci pl e i t woul d
mean st arvat i on!
There have been t i mes when my cl osest fri ends
and busi ness advi sers have st rongl y urged me t o shade
my phi l osophy for t he sake of gai ni ng a needed
advant age here and t here, but somehow I have
managed t o cl i ng t o i t , mai nl y, I suppose, for t he
reason t hat I have preferred peace and harmony i n my
own heart t o t he mat eri al gai n t hat I mi ght have had
by a forced compromi se wi t h my consci ence.
St range as i t may seem, my del i berat i ons and
concl usi ons on t hi s subj ect of refusi ng t o st rangl e my
own consci ence have sel dom been based upon what i s
commonl y cal l ed "honest y. " That whi ch I have done i n
t he mat t er of refrai ni ng from wri t i ng or speaki ng
anyt hi ng t hat I di d not bel i eve has been sol el y a
quest i on of honor bet ween my consci ence and mysel f.
I have t ri ed t o express t hat whi ch my heart di ct at ed
because I have ai med t o gi ve my words "fl esh. " It
mi ght be sai d t hat my mot i ve was based more upon
sel f-i nt erest t han i t was on a desi re t o be fai r wi t h
ot hers, al t hough I have never desi red t o be unfai r wi t h
ot hers, so far as I am abl e t o anal yze mysel f.
No man can become a mast er sal esman i f he
compromi ses wi t h fal sehood. Murder wi l l out , and
- 41 -
even t hough no one ever cat ches hi m red-handed i n
expressi ng t hat whi ch he does not bel i eve, hi s words
wi l l fai l i n t he accompl i shment of t hei r purpose
because he cannot gi ve t hem "fl esh, " i f t hey do not
come from hi s heart , and i f t hey are not mi xed wi t h
genui ne, unadul t erat ed ent husi asm.
I woul d al so have you read, al oud, t he foregoi ng
paragraph, for i t embraces a great l aw t hat you must
underst and and appl y before you can become a person
of i nfl uence i n any undert aki ng.
In maki ng t hese request s, for t he sake of
emphasi s, I am not t ryi ng t o t ake undue l i bert i es wi t h
you. I am gi vi ng you ful l credi t for bei ng an adul t , a
t hi nker, : an i nt el l i gent person, yet I know how l i kel y
you are t o ski p over t hese vi t al l aws wi t hout bei ng
suffi ci ent l y i mpressed by t hem t o make t hem a part of
your own workaday phi l osophy. I know your weakness
because I know my own. It has requi red t he bet t er part
of t went y-fi ve years of ups and downs - most l y downs
- t o i mpress t hese basi c t rut hs upon my own mi nd so`
t hat t hey i nfl uenced me. I have t ri ed bot h t hem and
t hei r opposi t es; t herefore, I can speak, not as one who
merel y bel i eves i n t hei r soundness, but as one who
knows.
And what do I mean by "t hese t rut hs"?
So t hat you cannot possi bl y mi sunderst and my
meani ng, and so t hat t hese words of warni ng cannot
possi bl y convey an abst ract meani ng, I wi l l st at e t hat
by "t hese t rut hs" I mean t hi s:
You cannot af f ord t o suggest t o anot her person,
by word of mout h or by an act of yours, t hat whi ch
you do not bel i eve.
Surel y t hat i s pl ai n enough.
- 42 -
And, t he reason you cannot afford t o do so, i s
t hi s:
If you compromi se wi t h your own consci ence, i t
wi l l not be l ong bef ore you wi l l have no consci ence;
f or your consci ence wi l l f ai l t o gui de you, j ust as an
al arm cl ock wi l l f ai l t o awaken you i f you do not heed
i t .
Surel y, t hat i s pl ai n enough, al so.
And how do I happen t o be an aut hori t y on t hi s
vi t al subj ect , do you ask?
I am an aut hori t y because I have experi ment ed
wi t h t he pri nci pl e unt i l I know how i t works!
"But , " you may ask, "how do I know t hat you are
t el l i ng t he t rut h?"
The answer i s t hat you wi l l know onl y by
experi ment i ng f or yoursel f , and by observi ng ot hers
who f ai t hf ul l y appl y t hi s pri nci pl e and t hose who do
not appl y i t .
If my evi dence needs backi ng, t hen consul t any
man whom you know t o be a person who has "t ri ed t o
get by" wi t hout observi ng t hi s pri nci pl e, and i f he wi l l
not or cannot gi ve you t he t rut h you can get i t ,
nevert hel ess, by anal yzi ng t he man.
There i s but one t hi ng i n t he worl d t hat gi ves a
man real and enduri ng power, and t hat i s charact er!
Reput at i on, bear i n mi nd, i s not charact er. Reput at i on
i s t hat whi ch peopl e are bel i eved t o be; charact er i s
t hat whi ch peopl e are! If you woul d be a person of
great i nfl uence, t hen be a person of real charact er.
Charact er i s t he phi l osopher' s l ode-st one t hrough
whi ch al l who have i t may t urn t he base met al s of
t hei r l i fe i nt o pure gol d. Wi t hout charact er you have
not hi ng; you are not hi ng; and you can be not hi ng,
except a pi l e of fl esh and bone and hai r, wort h
perhaps t went y-fi ve dol l ars. Charact er i s somet hi ng
- 43 -
t hat you cannot beg or st eal or buy. You can get i t
onl y by bui l di ng i t ; and you can bui l d i t by your own
t hought s and deeds, and i n no ot her way.
Through t he ai d of Aut o-suggest i on, any person
can bui l d a sound charact er, no mat t er what hi s past
has been. As a fi t t i ng cl ose for t hi s l esson, I wi sh t o
emphasi ze t he fact t hat al l who have charact er have
ent husi asm and personal i t y suffi ci ent t o draw t o t hem
ot hers who have charact er.
You wi l l now be i nst ruct ed as t o how you shal l
proceed i n devel opi ng ent husi asm, i n t he event t hat
you do not al ready possess t hi s rare qual i t y.
The i nst ruct i ons wi l l be si mpl e, but you wi l l be
unfort unat e i f you di scount t hei r val ue on t hat
account .
Fi rst : Compl et e t he remai ni ng l essons of t hi s
course, because ot her i mport ant i nst ruct i ons whi ch are
t o be co-ordi nat ed wi t h t hi s one wi l l be found i n
subsequent l essons.
Second: If you have not al ready done so, wri t e
out your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n cl ear, si mpl e l anguage,
and fol l ow t hi s by wri t i ng out t he pl an t hrough whi ch
you i nt end t o t ransform your ai m i nt o real i t y.
Thi rd: Read over t he descri pt i on of your def i ni t e
chi ef ai m each ni ght , j ust before ret i ri ng, and as you
read, see yoursel f (i n your i magi nat i on) i n ful l
possessi on of t he obj ect of your ai m. Do t hi s wi t h ful l
fai t h i n your abi l i t y t o t ransform your def i ni t e chi ef
ai m i nt o real i t y. Read al oud, wi t h al l t he ent husi asm
at your command, emphasi zi ng every word. Repeat
t hi s readi ng unt i l t he smal l st i l l voi ce wi t hi n you t el l s
you t hat your purpose wi l l be real i zed. Somet i mes you
wi l l feel t he effect s of t hi s voi ce f rom wi t hi n t he fi rst
- 44 -
t i me you read your def i ni t e chi ef ai m; whi l e at ot her
t i mes, you may have t o read i t a dozen or fi ft y t i mes
before t he assurance comes, but do not st op unt i l you
feel i t .
If you prefer t o do so you may read your def i ni t e
chi ef ai m as a prayer.
The remai nder of t hi s l esson i s for t he person who
has not yet l earned t he power of f ai t h and who knows
l i t t l e or not hi ng of t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on.
To al l who are i n t hi s cl ass, I woul d recommend
t he readi ng of t he sevent h and ei ght h verses of t he
sevent h chapt er, and t he t went i et h verse of t he
sevent eent h chapt er of St . Mat t hew.
One of t he great est powers for good, upon t he
face of t hi s eart h, i s fai t h. To t hi s marvel ous power
may be t raced mi racl es of t he most ast oundi ng nat ure.
It offers peace on eart h t o al l who embrace i t .
Fai t h i nvol ves a pri nci pl e t hat i s so far-reachi ng
i n i t s effect t hat no man can say what are i t s
l i mi t at i ons, or i f i t has l i mi t at i ons. Wri t e i nt o t he
descri pt i on of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m a st at ement o f
t he qual i t i es t hat you i nt end t o devel op i n yoursel f ,
and t he st at i on i n l i f e t hat you i nt end t o at t ai n, and
have f ai t h, as you read t hi s descri pt i on each ni ght ,
t hat you can t ransf orm t hi s purpose i nt o real i t y.
Surel y, you cannot mi ss t he suggest i on cont ai ned i n
t hi s l esson.
To become successful you must be a person of
act i on. Merel y t o "know" i s not suffi ci ent . It i s
necessary bot h t o know and do.
Ent husi asm i s t he mai nspri ng of t he mi nd whi ch
urges one t o put knowl edge i nt o act i on.
Bi l l y Sunday i s t he most successful evangel i st
t hi s count ry has ever known. For t he purpose of st udy-
- 45 -


IF you think your lot in
life has been hard read
"Up From Slavery" by
Booker T. Washington,
and you may see how
fortunate you have
been.



- 46 -
i ng hi s t echni que and checki ng up on hi s
psychol ogi cal met hods t he aut hor of t hi s course went
t hrough t hree campai gns wi t h Reverend Sunday.
Hi s success i s based very l argel y upon one word -
ENTHUSIASM!
By maki ng effect i ve use of t he l aw of suggest i on
Bi l l y Sunday conveys hi s own spi ri t of ent husi asm t o
t he mi nds of hi s fol l owers and t hey become i nfl uenced
by i t . He sel l s hi s sermons by t he use of exact l y t he
same sort of st rat egy empl oyed by many Mast er
Sal esmen.
Ent husi asm i s as essent i al t o a sal esman as wat er
i s t o a duck!
Al l successful sal es managers underst and t he
psychol ogy of ent husi asm and make use of i t , i n
vari ous ways, as a pract i cal means of hel pi ng t hei r
men produce more sal es.
Pract i cal l y al l sal es organi zat i ons have get -
t oget her meet i ngs at st at ed t i mes, for t he purpose of
revi t al i zi ng t he mi nds of al l members of t he sal es
force, and i nj ect i ng t he spi ri t of ent husi asm, whi ch
can be best done en masse, t hrough group psychol ogy.
Sal es meet i ngs mi ght properl y be cal l ed "revi val "
meet i ngs, because t hei r purpose i s t o revi ve i nt erest
and arouse ent husi asm whi ch wi l l enabl e t he sal esman
t o t ake up t he fi ght wi t h renewed ambi t i on and energy.
Duri ng hi s admi ni st rat i on as Sal es Manager of t he
Nat i onal Cash Regi st er Company Hugh Chal mers (who
l at er became famous i n t he mot or car i ndust ry) faced a
most embarrassi ng si t uat i on whi ch t hreat ened t o wi pe
out hi s posi t i on as wel l as t hat of t housands of
sal esmen under hi s di rect i on.
The company was i n fi nanci al di ffi cul t y. Thi s fact
- 47 -
had become known t o t he sal esmen i n t he fi el d and t he
effect of i t was t o cause t hem t o l ose t hei r
Ent husi asm. Sal es began t o dwi ndl e unt i l fi nal l y t he
condi t i ons became so al armi ng t hat a general meet i ng
of t he sal es organi zat i on was cal l ed, t o be hel d at t he
company' s pl ant i n Dayt on, Ohi o. Sal esmen were
cal l ed i n from al l over t he count ry.
Mr. Chal mers presi ded over t he meet i ng. He
began by cal l i ng on several of hi s best sal esmen t o get
on t hei r feet and t el l what was wrong out i n t he fi el d
t hat orders had fal l en off. One by one t hey got up, as
cal l ed, and each man had a most t erri bl e t al e of gri ef
t o unfol d: Busi ness condi t i ons were bad, money was
scarce, peopl e were hol di ng off buyi ng unt i l aft er
Presi dent i al el ect i on, et c. As t he fi ft h man began t o
enumerat e t he di ffi cul t i es whi ch had kept hi m from
maki ng hi s usual quot a of sal es Mr. Chal mers j umped
up on t op of a t abl e, hel d up hi s hands for si l ence, and
sai d "STOP! I order t hi s convent i on t o come t o a cl ose
for t en mi nut es whi l e I get my shoes shi ned. "
Then t urni ng t o a smal l col ored boy who sat near
by he ordered t he boy t o bri ng hi s shoe-shi ne out fi t
and shi ne hi s shoes, ri ght where he st ood, on t op of
t he t abl e.
The sal esmen i n t he audi ence were ast ounded!
Some of t hem t hought t hat Mr. Chal mers had suddenl y
l ost hi s mi nd. They began t o whi sper among
t hemsel ves. Meanwhi l e, t he l i t t l e col ored boy shi ned
fi rst one and t hen t he ot her shoe, t aki ng pl ent y of t i me
and doi ng a fi rst -cl ass j ob.
Aft er t he, j ob was fi ni shed Mr. Chal mers handed
t he boy a di me, t hen went ahead wi t h hi s speech:
"I want each of you, " sai d he, "t o t ake a good
- 48 -
l ook at t hi s l i t t l e col ored boy. He has t he concessi on
for shoe-shi ni ng t hroughout our pl ant and offi ces. Hi s
predecessor was a whi t e boy, consi derabl y ol der t han
hi msel f, and despi t e t he fact t hat t he company
subsi di zed hi m wi t h a sal ary of $5. 00 a week he coul d
not make a l i vi ng i n t hi s pl ant , where t housands of
peopl e are empl oyed.
"Thi s l i t t l e col ored boy not onl y makes a good
l i vi ng, wi t hout any subsi dy from t he company, but he
i s act ual l y savi ng money out of hi s earni ngs each
week, worki ng under t he same condi t i ons, i n t he same
pl ant , for t he same peopl e.
"Now I wi sh t o ask you a quest i on: Whose faul t
was i t t hat t he whi t e boy di d not get more busi ness?
Was i t hi s faul t , or t he faul t of hi s buyers?"
In a mi ght y roar from t he crowd t he answer came
back:
"IT WAS THE BOY' S FAULT, OF COURSE!"
"Just so, " repl i ed Chal mers, "and now I want t o
t el l you t hi s, t hat you are sel l i ng Cash Regi st ers i n t he
same t erri t ory, t o t he same peopl e, wi t h exact l y t he
same busi ness condi t i ons t hat exi st ed a year ago, yet
you are not produci ng t he busi ness t hat you were t hen.
Now whose faul t i s t hat ? Is i t yours, or t he buyer' s?"
And agai n t he answer came back wi t h a roar:
"IT IS OUR FAULT, OF COURSE!"
"I am gl ad t hat you are frank t o acknowl edge your
faul t s, " Chal mers cont i nued, "and I now wi sh t o t el l
you what your t roubl e i s: You have heard rumors
about t hi s company bei ng i n fi nanci al t roubl e and t hat
has ki l l ed off your ent husi asm so t hat you are not
maki ng t he effort t hat you formerl y made. If you wi l l
- 49 -
go back i nt o your t erri t ori es wi t h a defi ni t e promi se t o
send i n fi ve orders each duri ng t he next t hi rt y days
t hi s company wi l l no l onger be i n fi nanci al di ffi cul t y,
for t hat addi t i onal busi ness wi l l see us cl ear. Wi l l you
do i t ?"
They sai d t hey woul d, and t hey di d!
That i nci dent has gone down i n t he hi st ory of t he
Nat i onal Cash Regi st er Company under t he name of
Hugh Chal mers' Mi l l i on Dol l ar Shoe Shi ne, for i t i s
sai d t hat t hi s t urned t he t i de i n t he company' s affai rs
and was wort h mi l l i ons of dol l ars.
Ent husi asm knows no defeat ! The Sal es Manager
who knows how t o send out an army of ent husi ast i c
sal espeopl e may set hi s own pri ce on hi s servi ces, and
what i s more i mport ant even t han t hi s, he can i ncrease
t he earni ng capaci t y of every person under hi s
di rect i on; t hus, hi s ent husi asm benefi t s not onl y
hi msel f but perhaps hundreds of ot hers.
Ent husi asm i s never a mat t er of chance. There are
cert ai n st i mul i whi ch produce ent husi asm, t he most
i mport ant of t hese bei ng as fol l ows:
1. Occupat i on i n work whi ch one l oves best .
2. Envi ronment where one comes i n cont act wi t h
ot hers who are ent husi ast i c and opt i mi st i c.
3. Fi nanci al success.
4. Compl et e mast ery and appl i cat i on, i n one' s dai l y
work, of t he Fi ft een Laws of Success.
5. Good heal t h.
6. Knowl edge t hat one has served ot hers i n some
hel pful manner.
7. Good cl ot hes, appropri at e t o t he needs of one' s
occupat i on.
Al l of t hese seven sources of st i mul i are sel f-
- 50 -
expl anat ory wi t h t he except i on of t he l ast . The
psychol ogy of cl ot hes i s underst ood by very few
peopl e, and for t hi s reason i t wi l l be here expl ai ned i n
det ai l . Cl ot hes const i t ut e t he most i mport ant part of
t he embel l i shment whi ch every person must have i n
order t o feel sel f-rel i ant , hopeful and ent husi ast i c.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF GOOD CLOTHES

When t he good news came from t he t heat er of
war, on November t he el event h, 1918, my worl dl y
possessi ons amount ed t o but l i t t l e more t han t hey di d
t he day I came i nt o t he worl d.
The war had dest royed my busi ness and made i t
necessary for me t o make a new st art !
My wardrobe consi st ed of t hree wel l worn
busi ness sui t s and t wo uni forms whi ch I no l onger
needed.
Knowi ng al l t oo wel l t hat t he worl d forms i t s fi rst
and most l ast i ng i mpressi ons of a man by t he cl ot hes
he wears, I l ost no t i me i n vi si t i ng my t ai l or.
Happi l y, my t ai l or had known me for many years,
t herefore he di d not j udge me ent i rel y by t he cl ot hes I
wore. If he had I woul d have been "sunk. "
Wi t h l ess t han a dol l ar i n change i n my pocket , I
pi cked out t he cl ot h for t hree of t he most expensi ve
sui t s I ever owned, and ordered t hat t hey be made up
for me at once.
The t hree sui t s came t o $375. 00!
I shal l never forget t he remark made by t he t ai l or
as he t ook my measure. Gl anci ng fi rst at t he t hree
bol t s of expensi ve cl ot h whi ch I had sel ect ed, and
t hen at me, he i nqui red:
"Dol l ar-a-year man, eh?"
- 51 -


ALL anyone really requires,
as a capital on which to
start a successful career, is a
sound mind, a healthy body
and a genuine desire to be
of as much service as
possible to as many people
as possible.


- 52 -
"No, " sai d I, "i f I had been fort unat e enough t o
get on t he dol l ar-a-year payrol l I mi ght now have
enough money t o pay for t hese sui t s. "
The t ai l or l ooked at me wi t h surpri se. I don' t
t hi nk he got t he j oke.
One of t he sui t s was a beaut i ful dark gray; one
was a dark bl ue; t he ot her was a l i ght bl ue wi t h a pi n
st ri pe.
Fort unat el y I was i n good st andi ng wi t h my t ai l or,
t herefore he di d not ask when I was goi ng t o pay for
t hose expensi ve sui t s.
I knew t hat I coul d and woul d pay for t hem i n due
t i me, but coul d I have convi nced hi m of t hat ? Thi s
was t he t hought whi ch was runni ng t hrough my mi nd,
wi t h hope agai nst hope t hat t he quest i on woul d not be
brought up.
I t hen vi si t ed my haberdasher, from whom I
purchased t hree l ess expensi ve sui t s and a compl et e
suppl y of t he best shi rt s, col l ars, t i es, hosi ery and
underwear t hat he carri ed.
My bi l l at t he haberdasher' s amount ed t o a l i t t l e
over $300. 00.
Wi t h an ai r of prosperi t y I nonchal ant l y si gned
t he charge t i cket and t ossed i t back t o t he sal esman,
wi t h i nst ruct i ons t o del i ver my purchase t he fol l owi ng
morni ng. The feel i ng of renewed sel f-rel i ance and
success had begun t o come over me, even before I had
at t i red mysel f i n my newl y purchased out fi t .
I was out of t he war and $675. 00 i n debt , al l i n
l ess t han t went y-four hours.
The fol l owi ng day t he fi rst of t he t hree sui t s
ordered from t he haberdasher was del i vered. I put i t
on at once, st uffed a new si l k handkerchi ef i n t he out -
- 53 -
si de pocket of my coat , shoved t he $50. 00 I had
borrowed on my ri ng down i nt o my pant s pocket , and
wal ked down Mi chi gan Boul evard, i n Chi cago, feel i ng
as ri ch as Rockefel l er.
Every art i cl e of cl ot hi ng I wore, from my
underwear out , was of t he very best . That i t was not
pai d for was nobody' s busi ness except mi ne and my
t ai l or' s and my haberdasher' s.
Every morni ng I dressed mysel f i n an ent i rel y
new out fi t , and wal ked down t he same st reet , at
preci sel y t he same hour. That hour "happened" t o be
t he t i me when a cert ai n weal t hy publ i sher usual l y
wal ked down, t he same st reet , on hi s way t o l unch.
I made i t my busi ness t o speak t o hi m each day,
and occasi onal l y I woul d st op for a mi nut e' s chat wi t h
hi m.
Aft er t hi s dai l y meet i ng had been goi ng on for
about a week I met t hi s publ i sher one day, but deci ded
I woul d see i f he woul d l et me get by wi t hout
speaki ng.
Wat chi ng hi m from under my eyel ashes I l ooked
st rai ght ahead, and st art ed t o pass hi m when he
st opped and mot i oned me over t o t he edge of t he
si dewal k, pl aced hi s hand on my shoul der, l ooked me
over from head t o foot , and sai d: "You l ook damned
prosperous for a man who has j ust l ai d asi de a
uni form. Who makes your cl ot hes?"
"Wel l , " sai d I, "Wi l ki e & Sel l ery made t hi s
part i cul ar sui t . "
He t hen want ed t o know what sort of busi ness I
was engaged i n. That "ai ry" at mosphere of prosperi t y
whi ch I had been weari ng, al ong wi t h a new and
di fferent sui t every day, had got t he bet t er of hi s
curi osi t y. (I had hoped t hat i t woul d. )
- 54 -
Fl i ppi ng t he ashes from my Havana perfect o, I
sai d "Oh, I am prepari ng t he copy for a new magazi ne
t hat I am goi ng t o publ i sh. "
"A new magazi ne, eh?" he queri ed, "and what are
you goi ng t o cal l i t ?"
"It i s t o be named Hi l l ' s Gol den Rul e. "
"Don' t forget , " sai d my publ i sher fri end, "t hat I
am i n t he busi ness of pri nt i ng and di st ri but i ng
magazi nes. Perhaps I can serve you, al so. "
That was t he moment for whi ch I had been
wai t i ng. I had t hat very moment , and al most t he very
spot of ground on whi ch we st ood, i n mi nd when I was
purchasi ng t hose new sui t s.
But , i s i t necessary t o remi nd you, t hat
conversat i on never woul d have t aken pl ace had t hi s
publ i sher observed me wal ki ng down t hat st reet from
day t o day, wi t h a "whi pped-dog" l ook on my face, an
un-pressed sui t on my back and a l ook of povert y i n
my eyes.
An appearance of prosperi t y at t ract s at t ent i on
al ways, wi t h no except i ons what sover. Moreover, a
l ook of prosperi t y at t ract s "favorabl e at t ent i on, "
because t he one domi nat i ng desi re i n every human
heart i s t o be prosperous.

My publ i sher fri end i nvi t ed me t o hi s cl ub for
l unch. Before t he coffee and ci gars had been served he
had "t al ked me out of" t he cont ract for pri nt i ng and
di st ri but i ng my magazi ne. I had even "consent ed" t o
permi t hi m t o suppl y t he capi t al , wi t hout any i nt erest
charge.
For t he benefi t of t hose who are not fami l i ar wi t h
- 55 -
t he publ i shi ng busi ness may I not offer t he
i nformat i on t hat consi derabl e capi t al i s requi red for
l aunchi ng a new nat i onal l y di st ri but ed magazi ne.
Capi t al , i n such l arge amount s, i s oft en hard t o
get , even wi t h t he best of securi t y. The capi t al
necessary for l aunchi ng Hi l l ' s Gol den Rul e Magazi ne,
whi ch you may have read, was wel l above $30, 000. 00,
and every cent of i t was rai sed on a "front " creat ed
most l y by good cl ot hes. True, t here may have been
some abi l i t y back of t hose cl ot hes, but many mi l l i ons
of men have abi l i t y who never have anyt hi ng el se, and
who are never heard of out si de of t he l i mi t ed
communi t y i n whi ch t hey l i ve. Thi s i s a rat her sad
t rut h!
To some i t may seem an unpardonabl e
ext ravagance for one who was "broke" t o have gone i n
debt for $675. 00 wort h of cl ot hes, but t he psychol ogy
back of t hat i nvest ment more t han j ust i fi ed i t .
The appearance of prosperi t y not onl y made a
favorabl e i mpressi on on t hose t o whom I had t o l ook
for favors, but of more i mport ance st i l l was t he effect
t hat proper at t i re HAD ON ME.
I not onl y knew t hat correct cl ot hes woul d
i mpress ot hers favorabl y, but I knew al so t hat good
cl ot hes woul d gi ve me an at mosphere of sel f-rel i ance,
wi t hout whi ch I coul d not hope t o regai n my l ost
fort unes.
I got my fi rst t rai ni ng i n t he psychol ogy of good
cl ot hes from my fri end Edwi n C. Barnes, who i s a
cl ose busi ness associ at e of Thomas A. Edi son. Barnes
afforded consi derabl e amusement for t he Edi son st aff
when, some t went y-odd years ago, he rode i nt o West
Orange on a frei ght t rai n (not bei ng abl e t o rai se suf-
- 56 -
fi ci ent money for passenger fare) and announced at
t he Edi son offi ces t hat he had come t o ent er i nt o a
part nershi p wi t h Mr. Edi son.
Nearl y everybody around t he Edi son pl ant
l aughed at Barnes, except Edi son hi msel f. He saw
somet hi ng i n t he square j aw and det ermi ned face of
young Barnes whi ch most of t he ot hers di d not see,
despi t e t he fact t hat t he young man l ooked more l i ke a
t ramp t han he di d a fut ure part ner of t he great est
i nvent or on eart h.
Barnes got hi s st art , sweepi ng fl oors i n t he
Edi son offi ces!
That was al l he sought - j ust a chance t o get a
t oehol d i n t he Edi son organi zat i on. From t here on he
made hi st ory t hat i s wel l wort h emul at i on by ot her
young men who wi sh t o make pl aces for t hemsel ves.
Barnes has now ret i red from act i ve busi ness, even
t hough he i s st i l l a comparat i vel y young man, and
spends most of hi s t i me at hi s t wo beaut i ful homes i n
Bradent own, Fl ori da, and Damari scot t a, Mai ne. He i s
a mul t i mi l l i onai re, prosperous and happy.
I fi rst became acquai nt ed wi t h Barnes duri ng t he
earl y days of hi s associ at i on wi t h Edi son, before he
had "arri ved. "
In t hose days he had t he l argest and most
expensi ve col l ect i on of cl ot hes I had ever seen or
heard of one man owni ng. Hi s wardrobe consi st ed of
t hi rt y-one sui t s; one for each day of t he mont h. He
never wore t he same sui t t wo days i n successi on.
Moreover, al l hi s sui t s were of t he most
expensi ve t ype. (Inci dent al l y, hi s cl ot hes were made
by t he same t ai l ors who made t hose t hree sui t s for
me. )
He wore socks whi ch cost si x dol l ars per pai r.
- 57 -


THERE is a suitable reward
for every virtue and
appropriate punishment for
every sin a man commits.
Both the reward and the
punishment are effects over
which no man has control,
as they come upon him
voluntarily.

- 58 -
Hi s shi rt s and ot her weari ng apparel cost i n
si mi l ar proport i on. Hi s cravat s were speci al l y made, at
a cost of from fi ve t o seven dol l ars and a hal f each.
One day, i n a spi ri t of fun, I asked hi m t o save
some of hi s ol d sui t s whi ch he di d not need, for me.
He i nformed me t hat he hadn' t a si ngl e sui t whi ch
he di d not need!
He t hen gave me a l esson on t he psychol ogy of
cl ot hes whi ch i s wel l wort h rememberi ng. "I do not
wear t hi rt y-one sui t s of cl ot hes, " sai d he, "ent i rel y for
t he i mpressi on t hey make on ot her peopl e; I do i t
most l y for t he i mpressi on t hey have on me. "
Barnes t hen t ol d me of t he day when he present ed
hi msel f at t he Edi son pl ant , for a posi t i on. He sai d he
had t o wal k around t he pl ant a dozen t i mes before he
worked up enough courage t o announce hi msel f,
because he knew t hat he l ooked more l i ke a t ramp t han
he di d a desi rabl e empl oyee.
Barnes i s sai d t o be t he most abl e sal esman ever
connect ed wi t h t he great i nvent or of West Orange. Hi s
ent i re fort une was made t hrough hi s abi l i t y as a
sal esman, but he has oft en sai d t hat he never coul d
have accompl i shed t he resul t s whi ch have made hi m
bot h weal t hy and famous had i t not been for hi s
underst andi ng of t he psychol ogy of cl ot hes.

I have met many sal esman i n my t i me. Duri ng t he
past t en years I have personal l y t rai ned and di rect ed
t he effort s of more t han 3, 000 sal espeopl e, bot h men
and women, and I have observed t hat , wi t hout a si ngl e
except i on, t he st ar producers were al l peopl e who
- 59 -
underst ood and made good use of t he psychol ogy of
cl ot hes.
I have seen a few wel l dressed peopl e who made
no out st andi ng records as sal esmen, but I have yet t o
see t he fi rst poorl y dressed man who became a st ar
producer i n t he fi el d of sel l i ng.
I have st udi ed t he psychol ogy of cl ot hes for so
l ong, and I have wat ched i t s effect on peopl e i n so
many di fferent wal ks of l i fe, t hat I am ful l y convi nced
t here i s a cl ose connect i on bet ween cl ot hes and
success.

Personal l y I feel no need of t hi rt y-one sui t s of
cl ot hes, but i f my personal i t y demanded a wardrobe of
t hi s si ze I woul d manage t o get i t , no mat t er how
much i t mi ght cost .
To be wel l dressed a man shoul d have at l east t en
sui t s of cl ot hes. He shoul d have a di fferent sui t for
each of t he seven days of t he week, a ful l dress sui t
and a Tuxedo, for formal eveni ng occasi ons, and a
cut away for formal aft ernoon occasi ons.
For summer wear he shoul d have an assort ment of
at l east four appropri at e l i ght sui t s, wi t h bl ue coat and
whi t e fl annel t rousers for i nformal aft ernoon and
eveni ng occasi ons. If he pl ays gol f he shoul d have at
l east one gol f sui t .
Thi s, of course, i s for t he man who i s a not ch or
t wo above t he "medi ocre" cl ass. The man who i s
sat i sfi ed wi t h medi ocri t y needs but few cl ot hes.
It may be t rue, as a wel l known poet has sai d, t hat
"cl ot hes do not make t he man, " but no one can deny
t he fact t hat good cl ot hes go a very l ong way t oward
gi vi ng hi m a f avorabl e st art .
- 60 -
A man' s bank wi l l general l y l oan hi m al l t he
money he want s when he does not need i t -when he i s
prosperous, but never go t o your bank for a l oan wi t h
a shabby-l ooki ng sui t on your back and a l ook of
povert y i n your eyes, for i f you do you' l l get t he gat e.
Success at t ract s success! There i s no escape from
t hi s great uni versal l aw; t herefore, i f you wi sh t o
at t ract success make sure t hat you l ook t he part of
success, whet her your cal l i ng i s t hat of day l aborer or
merchant pri nce.
For t he benefi t of t he more "di gni fi ed" st udent s
of t hi s phi l osophy who may obj ect t o resort i ng t o
"st unt " st i mul i or "t ri ck cl ot hi ng" as a means of
achi evi ng success, i t may be profi t abl y expl ai ned t hat
pract i cal l y every successful man on eart h has
di scovered some form of st i mul us t hrough whi ch he
can and does dri ve hi msel f on t o great er effort .
It may be shocki ng t o members of t he Ant i -
Sal oon League, but i t i s sai d t o be t rue, nevert hel ess,
t hat James Whi t comb Ri l ey wrot e hi s best poems when
he was under t he i nfl uence of al cohol . Hi s st i mul us
was l i quor. (The aut hor wi shes i t di st i nct l y underst ood
t hat he does not recommend t he use of al cohol i c or
narcot i c st i mul i , for any purpose what soever, as ei t her
wi l l event ual l y dest roy bot h body and mi nd of al l who
use t hem. ) Under t he i nfl uence of al cohol Ri l ey
became i magi nat i ve, ent husi ast i c and an ent i rel y
di fferent person, accordi ng t o cl ose personal fri ends
of hi s.
Edwi n Barnes spurred hi msel f i nt o t he necessary
act i on t o produce out st andi ng resul t s, wi t h t he ai d of
good cl ot hes.
Some men ri se t o great hei ght s of achi evement as
- 61 -
t he resul t of l ove for some woman. Connect t hi s wi t h
t he bri ef suggest i on t o t he subj ect whi ch was made i n
t he Int roduct ory Lesson and you wi l l , i f you are a
person who knows t he ways of men, be abl e t o fi ni sh
t he di scussi on of t hi s part i cul ar phase of ent husi asm
st i mul us wi t hout furt her comment by t he aut hor whi ch
mi ght not be appropri at e for t he younger mi nds t hat
wi l l assi mi l at e t hi s phi l osophy.
Underworl d charact ers who are engaged i n t he
dangerous busi ness of hi ghway robbery, burgl ary, et c. ,
general l y "dope" t hemsel ves for t he occasi on of t hei r
operat i ons, wi t h cocai ne, morphi ne and ot her
narcot i cs. Even i n t hi s t here i s a l esson whi ch shows
t hat pract i cal l y al l men need t emporary or art i fi ci al
st i mul i t o dri ve t hem t o great er effort t han t hat
normal l y empl oyed i n t he ordi nary pursui t s of l i fe.
SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE HAVE DISCOVERED
WAYS AND MEANS WHICH THEY BELIEVE BEST
SUITED TO THEIR OWN NEEDS, TO PRODUCE
STIMULI WHICH CAUSE THEM TO RISE TO
HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOR ABOVE THE ORDINARY.
One of t he most successful wri t ers i n t he worl d
empl oys an orchest ra of beaut i ful l y dressed young
women who pl ay for hi m whi l e he wri t es. Seat ed i n a
room t hat has been art i st i cal l y decorat ed t o sui t hi s
own t ast e, under l i ght s t hat have been col ored, t i nt ed
and soft ened, t hese beaut i ful young l adi es, dressed i n
handsome eveni ng gowns, pl ay hi s favori t e musi c. To
use hi s own words, "I become drunk wi t h ent husi asm,
under t he i nfl uence of t hi s envi ronment , and ri se t o
hei ght s I never know or feel on ot her occasi ons. It i s
t hen t hat I do my work. The t hought s pour i n on
- 62 -
me as i f t hey were di ct at ed by an unseen and unknown
power. "
Thi s aut hor get s much of hi s i nspi rat i on from
musi c and art . Once a week he spends at l east an hour
i n an art museum, l ooki ng at t he works of t he mast ers.
On t hese occasi ons, agai n usi ng hi s own words, "I
get enough ent husi asm from one hour' s vi si t i n t he
museum of art t o carry me for t wo days. "
Edgar Al l an Poe wrot e "The Raven" when, i t i s
report ed, he was more t han hal f i nt oxi cat ed. Oscar
Wi l de wrot e hi s poems under t he i nfl uence of a form
of st i mul us whi ch cannot be appropri at el y ment i oned
i n a course of t hi s nat ure.
Henry Ford (so i t i s bel i eved by t hi s aut hor, who
admi t s t hat t hi s i s merel y t he aut hor' s opi ni on) got hi s
real st art as t he resul t of hi s l ove for hi s charmi ng
l i fe-compani on. It was she who i nspi red hi m, gave
hi m fai t h i n hi msel f, and kept hi m keyed up so t hat he
carri ed on i n t he face of adversi t i es whi ch woul d have
ki l l ed off a dozen ordi nary men.
These i nci dent s are ci t ed as evi dence t hat men of
out st andi ng achi evement have, by acci dent or desi gn,
di scovered ways and means of st i mul at i ng t hemsel ves
t o a hi gh st at e of ent husi asm.
Associ at e t hat whi ch has been here st at ed wi t h
what was sai d concerni ng t he l aw of t he "Mast er
Mi nd, " i n t he Int roduct ory Lesson, and you wi l l have
an ent i rel y new concept i on of t he modus operandi
t hrough whi ch t hat l aw may be appl i ed. You wi l l al so
have a somewhat di fferent underst andi ng of t he real
purpose of "al l i ed effort , i n a spi ri t of perfect
harmony, " whi ch const i t ut es t he best known met hod of
bri ngi ng i nt o use t he Law of t he Mast er Mi nd.
- 63 -





YOUR employer does not
control the sort of service
you render. You control
that, and it is the thing that
makes or breaks you.



- 64 -
At t hi s poi nt i t seems appropri at e t o cal l your
at t ent i on t o t he manner i n whi ch t he l essons of t hi s
course bl end. You wi l l observe t hat each l esson covers
t he subj ect i nt ended t o be covered, and i n addi t i on t o
t hi s i t overl aps and gi ves t he st udent a bet t er
underst andi ng of some ot her l esson or l essons of t he
course.
In t he l i ght of what has been sai d i n t hi s l esson,
for exampl e, t he st udent wi l l bet t er underst and t he
real purpose of t he Law of t he Mast er Mi nd; t hat
purpose bei ng, i n t he mai n, a pract i cal met hod of
st i mul at i ng t he mi nds of al l who part i ci pat e i n t he
group const i t ut i ng t he Mast er Mi nd.
Ti mes t oo numerous t o be here descri bed t hi s
aut hor has gone i nt o conference wi t h men whose faces
showed t he si gns of care, who had t he appearance of
worry wri t t en al l over t hem, onl y t o see t hose same
men st rai ght en up t hei r shoul ders, t i l t t hei r chi ns at a
hi gher angl e, soft en t hei r faces wi t h smi l es of
confi dence, and get down t o busi ness wi t h t hat sort of
ENTHUSIASM whi ch knows no defeat .
The change t ook pl ace t he moment harmony of
purpose was est abl i shed.
If a man goes about t he affai rs of l i fe i n t he same
day-i n and day-out , prosai c, l ackadai si cal spi ri t ,
devoi d of ent husi asm, he i s doomed t o fai l ure.
Not hi ng can save hi m unt i l he changes hi s at t i t ude and
l earns how t o st i mul at e hi s mi nd and body t o unusual
hei ght s of ent husi asm AT WILL!
The aut hor i s unwi l l i ng t o l eave t hi s subj ect
wi t hout havi ng st at ed t he pri nci pl e here descri bed i n
so many di fferent ways t hat i t i s bound t o be
underst ood and al so respect ed by t he st udent s of t hi s
- 65 -
course, who, al l wi l l remember, are men and women of
al l sort s of nat ures, experi ences and degrees of
i nt el l i gence. For t hi s reason much repet i t i on i s
essent i al .
Your busi ness i n l i fe, you are remi nded once
agai n, i s t o achi eve success!
Wi t h t he st i mul us you wi l l experi ence from
st udyi ng t hi s phi l osophy, and wi t h t he ai d of t he i deas
you wi l l gat her from i t , pl us t he personal co-operat i on
of t he aut hor who wi l l gi ve you an accurat e i nvent ory
of your out st andi ng qual i t i es, you shoul d be abl e t o
creat e a DEFINITE PLAN t hat wi l l l i ft you t o great
hei ght s of achi evement . However, t here i s no pl an t hat
can produce t hi s desi rabl e resul t wi t hout t he ai d* of
some i nfl uence t hat wi l l cause you t o arouse yoursel f,
i n a spi ri t of ent husi asm, t o where you wi l l exert
great er t han t he ordi nary effort whi ch you put i nt o
your dai l y occupat i on.
You are now ready for t he l esson on Sel f-cont rol !
As you read t hat l esson you wi l l observe t hat i t
has a vi t al beari ng on t hi s l esson, j ust as t hi s l esson
has a di rect connect i on wi t h t he precedi ng l essons on
A Defi ni t e Chi ef Ai m, Sel f-confi dence, Ini t i at i ve and
Leadershi p and Imagi nat i on.
The next l esson descri bes t he Law whi ch serves
as t he Bal ance Wheel of t hi s ent i re phi l osophy.
- 66 -
THE SEVEN DEADLY HORSEMEN

An Af t er- t he- Lesson Vi si t Wi t h t he Aut hor



The "seven horsemen" are l abel ed, i n order
shown, Int ol erance, Greed, Revenge, Egot i sm,
Suspi ci on, Jeal ousl y and "?"

The worst enemy t hat any man has i s t he one t hat
wal ks around under hi s own hat .
If you coul d see yoursel f as ot hers see you t he
enemi es t hat you harbor i n your own personal i t y
mi ght be di scovered and t hrown out . The Seven
Enemi es named i n t hi s essay are t he commonest
whi ch ri de mi l l i ons of men and women t o f ai l ure
wi t hout bei ng di scovered. Wei gh yoursel f
caref ul l y and f i nd out how many of t he Seven you
are harbori ng.

YOU see, i n t hi s pi ct ure, seven deadl y warri ors!
From bi rt h unt i l deat h every human bei ng must gi ve
bat t l e t o t hese enemi es. Your success wi l l be
measured very l argel y by t he way you manage your
bat t l e agai nst t hese swi ft ri ders.
As you l ook at t hi s pi ct ure you wi l l say, of
- 67 -
course, t hat i t i s onl y i magi nat i on. True, t he pi ct ure i s
i magi nary, but t he swi ft ri ders of dest ruct i on are
REAL.
If t hese enemi es rode openl y, on real horses, t hey
woul d not be dangerous, because t hey coul d be
rounded up and put out of commi ssi on. But , t hey ri de
unseen, i n t he mi nds of men. So si l ent l y and subt l y do
t hey work t hat most peopl e never recogni ze t hei r
presence.
Take i nvent ory of yoursel f and fi nd out how many
of t hese seven horsemen you are harbori ng.

In t he foreground you wi l l fi nd t he most
dangerous and t he commonest of t he ri ders. You wi l l
be fort unat e i f you di scover t hi s enemy and prot ect
yoursel f agai nst i t . Thi s cruel warri or,
INTOLERANCE, has ki l l ed more peopl e, dest royed
more fri endshi ps, brought more mi sery and sufferi ng
i nt o t he worl d and caused more wars t han al l of t he
ot her si x horsemen t hat you see i n t hi s pi ct ure.
Unt i l you mast er INTOLERANCE you wi l l never
become an accurat e t hi nker. Thi s enemy of manki nd
cl oses up t he mi nd and pushes reason and l ogi c and
FACTS i nt o t he back-ground. If you fi nd yoursel f
hat i ng t hose whose rel i gi ous vi ewpoi nt i s di fferent
from your own you may be sure t hat t he most
dangerous of t he seven deadl y horsemen st i l l ri des i n
your brai n.

Next , i n t he pi ct ure, you wi l l observe REVENGE
and GREED!
These ri ders t ravel si de by si de. Where one i s
found t he ot her i s al ways cl ose at hand. GREED warps
- 68 -
and t wi st s man' s brai n so t hat he want s t o bui l d a
fence around t he eart h and keep everyone el se on t he
out si de of i t . Thi s i s t he enemy t hat dri ves man t o
accumul at e mi l l i ons upon t op of mi l l i ons of dol l ars
whi ch he does not need and can never use. Thi s i s t he
enemy t hat causes man t o t wi st t he screw unt i l he has
wrung t he l ast drop of bl ood from hi s fel l ow man.
And, t hanks t o REVENGE whi ch ri des al ongsi de
of GREED, t he unfort unat e person who gi ves brai n-
room t o t hese cruel t wi ns i s not sat i sfi ed t o merel y
t ake away hi s fel l ow man' s eart hl y bel ongi ngs; he
want s t o dest roy hi s reput at i on i n t he bargai n.

"Revenge i s a naked sword -
It has nei t her hi l t nor guard.
Woul d' st t hou wi el d t hi s brand of t he Lord:
Is t hy grasp t hen fi rm and hard?
But t he cl oser t hy cl ut ch of t he bl ade,
The deadl i er bl ow t hou woul d' st deal ,
Deeper wound i n t hy hand i s made -
It i s t hy bl ood reddens t he st eel .
And when t hou hast deal t t he bl ow -
When t he bl ade from t hy hand has fl own -
Inst ead of t he heart of t he foe
Thou may' st fi nd i t sheat hed i n t hi ne own. "

If you woul d know how deadl y are ENVY and
GREED, st udy t he hi st ory of every man who has set
out t o become RULER OF THIS WORLD!
If you do not wi sh t o undert ake so ambi t i ous a
program of research, t hen st udy t he peopl e around
YOU; t hose who have t ri ed and t hose who are now
- 69 -
t ryi ng t o "feat her t hei r own nest s" at t he cost of
ot hers. GREED and REVENGE st and at t he crossroads
of l i fe, where t hey t urn asi de t o fai l ure and mi sery
every person who woul d t ake t he road t hat l eads t o
success. It i s a part of your busi ness not t o permi t
t hem t o i nt erfere wi t h you when you approach one of
t hese crossroads.
Bot h i ndi vi dual s and nat i ons rapi dl y decl i ne
where GREED and ENVY ri de i n t he mi nds of t hose
who domi nat e. Take a l ook at Mexi co and Spai n i f you
wi sh t o know what happens t o t he envi ous and t he
greedy.
Most i mport ant of al l , t ake a l ook at YOURSELF
and make sure t hat t hese t wo deadl y enemi es are not
ri di ng i n your brai n!

Turn your at t ent i on, now, t o t wo more t wi ns of
dest ruct i on - EGOTISM and SUSPICION. Observe t hat
t hey, al so, ri de si de by si de. There i s no hope of
success for t he person who suffers ei t her from t oo
much sel f-l ove or l ack of confi dence i n ot hers.
Someone who l i kes t o mani pul at e fi gures has
est i mat ed t hat t he l argest cl ub i n t he worl d i s t he "IT
CAN' T BE DONE CLUB. " It i s cl ai med t hat t here are
approxi mat el y ni net y-ni ne mi l l i on members of t hi s
cl ub i n t he Uni t ed St at es of Ameri ca al one.
If you have no FAITH i n ot her peopl e you have
not t he seed of success i n you. SUSPICION i s a
prol i fi c germ. If permi t t ed t o get a st art i t rapi dl y
mul t i pl i es i t sel f unt i l i t l eaves no room for FAITH.
Wi t hout fai t h no man may enj oy enduri ng
success.
Runni ng, l i ke a gol den cord of i l l umi nat i on
- 70 -
t hroughout t he Bi bl e, i s t he admoni t i on t o have
FAITH. Before ci vi l i zat i on l ost i t sel f i n i t s mad rush
for dol l ars men underst ood t he power of FAITH.
"For veri l y I say unt o you, i f ye have
fai t h as a grai n of must ard seed, ye shal l say
unt o t hi s mount ai n, Remove hence t o yonder
pl ace; and i t shal l remove; and not hi ng shal l
be i mpossi bl e unt o you.
The wri t er of t hi s passage, whi ch appears i n t he
Bi bl e, underst ood a great l aw whi ch but few of t oday
underst and. Bel i eve i n peopl e i f you woul d have t hem
bel i eve i n you. Ki l l off SUSPICION. If you do not i t
wi l l ki l l you off.
If you woul d have power, cul t i vat e FAITH i n
manki nd!
EGOTISM t hri ves where SUSPICION exi st s.
Int erest yoursel f i n ot hers and you wi l l be t oo busy t o
i ndul ge i n sel f-l ove. Observe t hose around you who
begi n every sent ence wi t h t he personal pronoun, "I, "
and you wi l l not i ce t hat t hey are suspi ci ous of ot her
peopl e.
The man who can forget hi msel f whi l e engagi ng
i n useful servi ce t o ot her peopl e i s never cursed wi t h
SUSPICION. St udy t hose about you who are bot h
SUSPICIOUS and EGOTISTICAL and see how many
of t hi s t ype you can name who are successful i n
what ever work t hey may be engaged i n.
And, whi l e maki ng t hi s st udy of OTHERS, st udy,
al so, yoursel f!
Be sure t hat you are not bound down by
EGOTISM and SUSPICION.
Bri ngi ng up t he rear of t hi s deadl y group of ri ders
you see t wo horsemen: One i s JEALOUSY and t he
- 71 -
name of t he ot her has been purposel y omi t t ed.
Each reader of t hi s art i cl e may t ake i nvent ory of
hi msel f and gi ve t he sevent h ri der a name t hat fi t s
what ever he fi nds i n hi s own mi nd.
Some wi l l name t hi s ri der DISHONESTY. Ot hers
wi l l name i t PROCRASTINATION. A few wi l l have
t he courage t o name i t UNCONTROLLED SEX
DESIRE. As for you, name i t what ever you pl ease, but
be sure t o gi ve i t a name.
Perhaps your own i magi nat i on wi l l suppl y an
appropri at e name as a fel l ow-t ravel er for JEALOUSY.
You wi l l be bet t er prepared t o gi ve t he unnamed
ri der a name i f you know t hat JEALOUSY i s a form of
i nsani t y! Fact s are somet i mes cruel t hi ngs t o face. It
i s a fact t hat JEALOUSY i s a form of i nsani t y, known
t o t he medi cal frat erni t y as "dement i a praecox. "

"O j eal ousy,
Thou ugl i est fi end of hel l ! Thy deadl y venom
Preys on my vi t al s, t urns t he heal t hful hue
Of my fresh cheek t o haggard sal l owness,
And dri nks my spi ri t up!"

You wi l l not i ce t hat JEALOUSY ri des j ust back
of SUSPICION. Some who read t hi s wi l l say t hat
JEALOUSY and SUSPICION shoul d have ri dden si de
by si de, as one oft en l eads t o t he ot her i n man' s mi nd.
JEALOUSY i s t he most common form of i nsani t y.
It ri des i n t he mi nds of bot h men and women;
somet i mes wi t h a real cause, but more oft en wi t hout
any cause what soever.
Thi s deadl y ri der i s a great fri end of t he di vorce
- 72 -
l awyers!
It al so keeps det ect i ve agenci es busy ni ght and
day.
It t akes i t s regul ar t ol l of murder. It breaks up
homes and makes wi dows of mot hers and orphans of
i nnocent l i t t l e chi l dren. Peace and happi ness can
never be YOURS as l ong as t hi s ri der remai ns un-
harnessed i n your brai n.
Man and wi fe may go t hrough l i fe t oget her i n
povert y and st i l l be very happy, i f bot h are free from
t hi s chi l d of i nsani t y known as JEALOUSY. Exami ne
yoursel f careful l y and i f you fi nd any evi dence of
JEALOUSY i n your mi nd begi n, at once, t o mast er i t .
JEALOUSY ri des i n many forms.
When i t fi rst begi ns t o creep i nt o t he brai n i t
mani fest s i t sel f i n somet hi ng aft er t hi s fashi on:
"I wonder where she i s and what she i s doi ng
whi l e I am away?"
Or, "I wonder i f he does not see anot her woman
when he i s away from me?"
When t hese quest i ons begi n t o ari se i n your mi nd
do not cal l i n a det ect i ve. Inst ead, go t o t he
psychopat hi c hospi t al and have yoursel f exami ned,
because more t han l i kel y you are sufferi ng from a
mi l d form of i nsani t y.
Get your foot on JEALOUSY' S neck before i t get s
i t s cl ut ches on your t hroat .

Aft er you have read t hi s essay l ay i t asi de and
THINK about i t .
At fi rst you may say "Thi s does not appl y t o me. I
have no i magi nary horsemen i n my brai n. " And, you
may be ri ght -ONE OUT OF EVERY TEN MILLION
COULD SAY THIS AND BE RIGHT! The ot her ni ne
mi l l i on ni ne hundred and ni net y-ni ne t housand ni ne
- 73 -
- 74 -
hundred and ni net y-ni ne woul d be wrong.
Do not fool yoursel f! You may be i n t hat l arger,
cl ass. The purpose of t hi s art i cl e i s t o get you t o see
yoursel f as YOU ARE! If you are sufferi ng fai l ure and
povert y and mi sery i n any of t hei r forms you are sure
t o di scover one or more of t hese deadl y ri ders i n your
brai n.
Make no mi st ake about i t - t hose who have al l
t hey want , i ncl udi ng happi ness and good heal t h, have
dri ven t he seven horsemen out of t hei r brai ns.
Come back t o t hi s essay a mont h from now, aft er
you have had t i me t o anal yze yoursel f careful l y. Read
i t agai n and i t may bri ng you face t o face wi t h FACTS
t hat wi l l emanci pat e you from a horde of cruel
enemi es t hat now ri de wi t hi n your brai n wi t hout your
knowi ng i t .

T
T
H
H
E
E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
U
U
C
C
C
C
E
E
S
S
S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL










Pri nted i n the U. S. A.


- 2 -







Lesson Eight
SELF-CONTROL



- 3 -



NO MAN ACHIEVES
GREAT SUCCESS
WHO IS UNWILLING
TO MAKE PERSONAL
SACRIFICES.


- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Eight
SELF-CONTROL



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

IN t he precedi ng l esson you l earned of t he val ue of
ent husi asm. You al so l earned how t o generat e
ent husi asm and how t o t ransmi t i t s i nfl uence t o ot hers,
t hrough t he pri nci pl e of suggest i on.
You come, now, t o t he st udy of sel f -cont rol ,
t hrough whi ch you may di rect your ent husi asm t o
const ruct i ve ends. Wi t hout sel f -cont rol ent husi asm
resembl es t he unharnessed l i ght ni ng of an el ect ri cal
st orm - i t may st ri ke anywhere; i t may dest roy l i fe and
propert y.
Ent husi asm i s t he vi t al qual i t y t hat arouses you t o
act i on, whi l e sel f -cont rol i s t he bal ance wheel t hat
di rect s your act i on so t hat i t wi l l bui l d up and not t ear
down.
To be a person who i s wel l "bal anced, " you must
be a person i n whom ent husi asm and sel f -cont rol are
equal i zed. A survey whi ch I have j ust compl et ed of
t he 160, 000 adul t i nmat es of t he peni t ent i ari es of t he
Uni t ed St at es di scl oses t he st art l i ng fact t hat ni net y-
t wo per cent of t hese unfort unat e men and women are
- 5 -
i n pri son because t hey l acked t he necessary sel f -
cont rol t o di rect t hei r energi es const ruct i vel y.
Read t he foregoi ng paragraph agai n; i t i s
aut hent i c, i t i s st art l i ng!
It i s a fact t hat t he maj ori t y of a man' s gri efs
come about t hrough l ack of sel f -cont rol . The hol y
scri pt ures are ful l of admoni t i on i n support of sel f -
cont rol . They even urge us t o l ove our enemi es and t o
forgi ve t hose who i nj ure us. The l aw of non-resi st ance
runs, l i ke a gol den cord, t hroughout t he Bi bl e.
St udy t he records of t hose whom t he worl d cal l s
great , and observe t hat every one of t hem possesses
t hi s qual i t y of sel f -cont rol !
For exampl e, st udy t he charact eri st i cs of our own
i mmort al Li ncol n. In t he mi dst of hi s most t ryi ng
hours he exerci sed pat i ence, poi se and sel f -cont rol .
These were some of t he qual i t i es whi ch made hi m t he
great man t hat he was. He found di sl oyal t y i n some of
t he members of hi s cabi net ; but , for t he reason t hat
t hi s di sl oyal t y was t oward hi m, personal l y, and
because t hose i n whom he found i t had qual i t i es whi ch
made t hem val uabl e t o hi s count ry, Li ncol n exerci sed
sel f -cont rol and di sregarded t he obj ect i onabl e
qual i t i es.
How many men do you know who have sel f -
cont rol t o equal t hi s?
In l anguage more forceful t han i t was pol i shed,
Bi l l y Sunday excl ai med from t he pul pi t : "There i s
somet hi ng as rot t en as hel l about t he man who i s
al ways t ryi ng t o show some ot her f el l ow up!" I wonder
i f t he "devi l " di dn' t yel l , "Amen, brot her!" when Bi l l y
made t hat st at ement ?
However, sel f -cont rol becomes an i mport ant
- 6 -
fact or i n t hi s Readi ng Course on t he Law of Success,
not so much because l ack of i t works hardshi ps on
t hose who become i t s vi ct i ms, as for t he reason t hat
t hose who do not exerci se i t suffer t he l oss of a great
power whi ch t hey need i n t hei r st ruggl e for
achi evement of t hei r def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
If you negl ect t o exerci se sel f -cont rol , you are
not onl y l i kel y t o i nj ure ot hers, but you are sure t o
i nj ure yoursel f !
Duri ng t he earl y part of my publ i c career I
di scovered what havoc l ack of sel f -cont rol was
pl ayi ng i n my l i fe, and t hi s di scovery came about
t hrough a very commonpl ace i nci dent . (I bel i eve i t not
out of pl ace here t o di gress by maki ng t he st at ement
t hat most of t he great t rut hs of l i fe are wrapped up i n
t he ordi nary, commonpl ace event s of every-day l i fe. )
Thi s di scovery t aught me one of t he most
i mport ant l essons I have ever l earned. It came about
i n t hi s way:
One day, i n t he bui l di ng i n whi ch I had my offi ce,
t he j ani t or and I had a mi sunderst andi ng. Thi s l ed t o a
most vi ol ent form of mut ual di sl i ke bet ween us. As a
means of showi ng hi s cont empt for me, t hi s j ani t or
woul d swi t ch off t he el ect ri c l i ght s of t he bui l di ng
when he knew t hat I was t here al one at work i n my
st udy. Thi s happened on several occasi ons unt i l I
fi nal l y deci ded t o "st ri ke back. " My opport uni t y came
one Sunday when I came t o my st udy t o prepare an
address t hat I had t o del i ver t he fol l owi ng ni ght . I had
hardl y seat ed mysel f at my desk when off went t he
l i ght s.
I j umped t o my feet and ran t oward t he basement
of t he bui l di ng where I knew I woul d fi nd t he j ani t or.
- 7 -
When I arri ved, I found hi m busi l y engaged, shovel i ng
coal i nt o t he furnace, and whi st l i ng as t hough not hi ng
unusual had happened.
Wi t hout ceremony I pi t ched i nt o hi m, and for fi ve
mi nut es I hurl ed adj ect i ves at hi m whi ch were hot t er
t han t he fi re t hat he was feedi ng. Fi nal l y, I ran out of
words and had t o sl ow down. Then he st rai ght ened
hi msel f up, l ooked back over hi s shoul der, and i n a
cal m, smoot h t one of voi ce t hat was ful l of poi se and
sel f -cont rol , and wi t h a smi l e on hi s face t hat reached
from ear t o ear, he sai d:
"Why, you-al l ' s j ust a l i t t l e bi t exci t ed t hi s
morni ng, ai n' t you?"
That remark cut as t hough i t had been a st i l et t o 1
Imagi ne my feel i ngs as I st ood t here before an
i l l i t erat e man who coul d nei t her read nor wri t e, but
who, despi t e t hi s handi cap, had defeat ed me i n a duel
t hat had been fought on grounds - and wi t h a weapon -
of my own choi ce.
My consci ence poi nt ed an accusi ng fi nger at me. I
knew t hat not onl y had I been defeat ed but , what was
worse, I knew t hat I was t he aggressor and t hat I was
i n t he wrong, whi ch onl y served t o i nt ensi fy my
humi l i at i on.
Not onl y di d my consci ence poi nt an accusi ng
fi nger at me, but i t pl aced some very embarrassi ng
t hought s i n my mi nd; i t mocked me and i t t ant al i zed
me. There I st ood, a boast ed st udent of advanced
psychol ogy, an exponent of t he Gol den Rul e
phi l osophy, havi ng at l east a fai r acquai nt ance wi t h
t he works of Shakespeare, Socrat es, Pl at o, Emerson
and t he Bi bl e; whi l e faci ng me st ood a man who knew
not hi ng of l i t erat ure or of phi l osophy, but who had,
- 8 -
despi t e t hi s l ack of knowl edge, whi pped me i n a bat t l e
of words.
I t urned and went back t o my offi ce as rapi dl y as
I coul d go. There was not hi ng el se for me t o do. As I
began t o t hi nk t he mat t er over I saw my mi st ake, but ,
t rue t o nat ure, I was rel uct ant t o do t hat whi ch I knew
must be done t o ri ght t he wrong. I knew t hat I woul d
have t o apol ogi ze t o t hat man before I coul d pl ace
mysel f at peace i n my own heart , much l ess wi t h hi m.
Fi nal l y, I made up my mi nd t o go back down t o t he
basement and suffer t hi s humi l i t y whi ch I knew I had
t o undergo. The deci si on was not easi l y reached, nor
di d I reach i t qui ckl y.
I st art ed down, but I wal ked more sl owl y t han I
had when I went down t he fi rst t ri p. I was t ryi ng t o
t hi nk how I woul d make t he second approach so as t o
suffer t he l east humi l i at i on possi bl e.
When I got t o t he basement I cal l ed t o t he j ani t or
t o come over t o t he door. In a cal m, ki ndl y t one of
voi ce he asked:
"What do you wi sh t hi s t i me?"
I i nformed hi m t hat I had come back t o apol ogi ze
for t he wrong I had done, i f he woul d permi t me t o do
so. Agai n t hat smi l e spread al l over hi s face as he
sai d:
"For t he l ove of t he Lord, you don' t have t o
apol ogi ze. Nobody heard you except t hese four wal l s
and you and me. I ai n' t goi ng t o t el l i t and I know you
ai n' t goi ng t o t el l i t , so j ust forget i t . "
And t hat remark hurt more t han hi s fi rst one, for
he had not onl y expressed a wi l l i ngness t o forgi ve me,
but he had act ual l y i ndi cat ed hi s wi l l i ngness t o hel p
me cover t he i nci dent up, so i t woul d not become
known and do me an i nj ury.
- 9 -




THE man who actually
knows just what he
wants in life has al-
ready gone a long way
toward attaining it.



- 10 -
But I wal ked over t o hi m and t ook hi m by t he
hand. I shook wi t h more t han my hand - I shook wi t h
my heart - and as I wal ked back t o my offi ce I fel t
good for havi ng summoned t he courage wi t h whi ch t o
ri ght t he wrong I had done.
Thi s i s not t he end of t he st ory. It i s onl y t he
begi nni ng! Fol l owi ng t hi s i nci dent , I made a
resol ut i on t hat I woul d never agai n pl ace mysel f i n a
posi t i on i n whi ch anot her man, whet her he be an
i l l i t erat e j ani t or or a man of l et t ers, coul d humi l i at e
me because I had l ost my sel f -cont rol .
Fol l owi ng t hat resol ut i on, a remarkabl e change
began t o t ake pl ace i n me. My pen began t o t ake on
great er power. My spoken words began t o carry
great er wei ght . I began t o make more fri ends and
fewer enemi es among men of my acquai nt ance. The
i nci dent marked one of t he most i mport ant t urni ng-
poi nt s of my l i fe. It t aught me t hat no man can cont rol
ot hers unl ess he fi rst cont rol s hi msel f. It gave me a
cl ear concept i on of t he phi l osophy back of t hese
words, "Whom t he gods woul d dest roy, t hey fi rst make
mad. " It al so gave me a cl ear concept i on of t he l aw of
non-resi st ance and hel ped me i nt erpret many passages
of t he hol y scri pt ures, beari ng on t he subj ect of t hi s
l aw, as I had never before i nt erpret ed t hem.
Thi s i nci dent pl aced i n my hands t he pass-key t o
a st orehouse of knowl edge t hat i s i l l umi nat i ng and
hel pful i n al l t hat I do, and, l at er i n l i fe, when
enemi es sought t o dest roy me, i t gave me a powerful
weapon of defense t hat has never fai l ed me.
Lack of sel f -cont rol i s t he average sal esman' s
most damagi ng weakness. The prospect i ve buyer says
somet hi ng t hat t he sal esman does not wi sh t o hear,
- 11 -
and, i f he has not t hi s qual i t y of sel f -cont rol , he wi l l
"st ri ke back" wi t h a count er remark t hat i s fat al t o hi s
sal e.
In one of t he l arge depart ment st ores of Chi cago I
wi t nessed an i nci dent t hat i l l ust rat ed t he i mport ance
of sel f -cont rol . A l ong l i ne of women were i n front of
t he "compl ai nt " desk, t el l i ng t hei r t roubl es and t he
st ore' s f aul t s t o t he young woman i n charge. Some of
t he women were angry and unreasonabl e and some of
t hem made very ugl y remarks. The young woman at
t he desk recei ved t he di sgrunt l ed women wi t hout t he
sl i ght est si gn of resent ment at t hei r remarks. Wi t h a
smi l e on her face she di rect ed t hese women t o t he
proper depart ment s wi t h such charmi ng grace and
poi se t hat I marvel ed at her sel f -cont rol .
St andi ng j ust back of her was anot her young
woman who was maki ng not at i ons on sl i ps of paper
and passi ng t hem i n front of her, as t he women i n t he
l i ne unburdened t hei r t roubl es. These sl i ps of paper
cont ai ned t he gi st of what t he women i n t he l i ne were
sayi ng, mi nus t he "vi t ri ol i c col ori ng" and t he anger.
The smi l i ng young woman at t he desk who was
"heari ng" t he compl ai nt s was st one deaf ! Her assi st ant
suppl i ed her wi t h al l t he necessary fact s, t hough t hose
sl i ps of paper.
I was so i mpressed wi t h t he pl an t hat I sought t he
manager of t he st ore and i nt ervi ewed hi m. He
i nformed me t hat he had sel ect ed a deaf woman for
one of t he most t ryi ng and i mport ant posi t i ons i n t he
st ore for t he reason t hat he had not been abl e t o fi nd
any ot her person wi t h suffi ci ent sel f -cont rol t o fi l l t he
pl ace.
As I st ood and wat ched t hat l i ne of angry women,
- 12 -
I observed what pl easant effect t he smi l e of t he young
woman at t he desk had upon t hem. They came before
her growl i ng l i ke wol ves and went away as meek and
qui et as sheep. In fact some of t hem had "sheepi sh"
l ooks on t hei r faces as t hey l eft , because t he young
woman' s sel f -cont rol had made t hem ashamed of
t hemsel ves.
Ever si nce I wi t nessed t hat scene, I have t hought
of t he poi se and sel f-cont rol of t hat young woman at
t he desk every t i me I fel t mysel f becomi ng i rri t at ed at
remarks whi ch I di d not l i ke, and oft en I have t hought
t hat everybody shoul d have a set of "ment al ear
muffs" whi ch t hey coul d sl i p over t hei r ears at t i mes.
Personal l y, I have devel oped t he habi t of "cl osi ng" my
ears agai nst much of t he i dl e chat t er such as I used t o
make i t my busi ness t o resent . Li fe i s t oo short and
t here i s t oo much const ruct i ve work t o be done t o
j ust i fy us i n "st ri ki ng back" at everyone who says t hat
whi ch we do not wi sh t o hear.
In t he pract i ce of l aw I have observed a very
cl ever t ri ck t hat t ri al l awyers use when t hey wi sh t o
get a st at ement of fact s from a bel l i gerent wi t ness who
answers quest i ons wi t h t he proverbi al "I do not
remember" or "I do not know. " When everyt hi ng el se
fai l s, t hey manage t o make such a wi t ness angry; and
i n t hi s st at e of mi nd t hey cause hi m t o l ose hi s sel f -
cont rol and make st at ement s t hat he woul d not have
made had he kept a "cool " head.
Most of us go t hrough l i fe wi t h our "weat her eye"
cast skyward i n quest of t roubl e. We usual l y fi nd t hat
for whi ch we are l ooki ng. In my t ravel s I have been a
st udent of men whom I have heard i n "Pul l man car
conversat i on, " and I have observed t hat pract i cal l y
- 13 -
ni ne out of every t en have so l i t t l e sel f -cont rol t hat
t hey wi l l "i nvi t e" t hemsel ves i nt o t he di scussi on of
al most any subj ect t hat may be brought up. But few
men are cont ent ed t o si t i n a smoki ng compart ment
and l i st en t o a conversat i on wi t hout j oi ni ng i n and
"ai ri ng" t hei r vi ews.
Once I was t ravel i ng from Al bany t o New York
Ci t y. On t he way down, t he "Smoki ng Car Cl ub"
st art ed a conversat i on about t he l at e Ri chard Croker,
who was t hen chi ef of Tammany Hal l . The di scussi on
became l oud and bi t t er. Everyone became angry
except one ol d gent l eman who was agi t at i ng t he
argument and t aki ng a l i vel y i nt erest i n i t . He
remai ned cal m and seemed t o enj oy al l t he mean
t hi ngs t he ot hers sai d about t he "Ti ger" of Tammany
Hal l . Of course, I supposed t hat he was an enemy of
t he Tammany Chi ef, but he wasn' t !
He was Ri chard Croker, hi msel f !
Thi s was one of hi s cl ever t ri cks t hrough whi ch
he found out what peopl e t hought of hi m and what hi s
enemi es' pl ans were.
What ever el se Ri chard Croker mi ght have been,
he was a man of sel f -cont rol . Perhaps t hat i s one
reason why he remai ned undi sput ed boss of Tammany
Hal l as l ong as he di d. Men who cont rol t hemsel ves
usual l y boss t he j ob, no mat t er what i t may be.
Pl ease read, agai n, t he l ast sent ence of t he
precedi ng paragraph, for i t carri es a subt l e suggest i on
t hat mi ght be of profi t t o you. Thi s i s a commonpl ace
i nci dent , but i t i s i n j ust such i nci dent s t hat t he great
t rut hs of l i fe are hi dden-hi dden because t he set t i ngs
are ordi nary and commonpl ace.
Not l ong ago I accompani ed my wi fe on a
- 14 -
"bargai n hunt i ng" bee. Our at t ent i on was at t ract ed by
a crowd of women who were el bowi ng each ot her out
of t he way i n front of a pet t i coat count er at whi ch
"bargai ns" were bei ng offered. One l ady who l ooked
t o be about fort y-fi ve years of age crawl ed on her
hands and knees t hrough t he crowd and "bobbed" up i n
front of a cust omer who had engaged t he at t ent i on of
t he sal eswoman ahead of her. In a l oud, hi gh-pi t ched
t one of voi ce she demanded at t ent i on. The sal eswoman
was a di pl omat who underst ood human nat ure; she
al so possessed sel f -cont rol , for she smi l ed sweet l y at
t he i nt ruder and sai d: "Yes, Mi ss; I wi l l be wi t h you
i n a moment !"
The i nt ruder cal med hersel f!
I do not know whet her i t was t he "Yes, Mi ss, " or
t he sweet t one i n whi ch i t was sai d t hat modi fi ed her
at t i t ude; but i t was one or t he ot her; perhaps i t was
bot h. I do know, however, t hat t he sal eswoman was
rewarded for her sel f -cont rol by t he sal e of t hree
pet t i coat s, and t he happy "Mi ss" went away feel i ng
much younger for t he remark.
Roast t urkey i s a very popul ar di sh, but
overeat i ng of i t cost a fri end of mi ne, who i s i n t he
pri nt i ng busi ness, a fi ft y t housand dol l ar order. It
happened t he day aft er Thanksgi vi ng, when I cal l ed at
hi s offi ce for t he purpose of i nt roduci ng hi m t o a
promi nent Russi an who had come t o t he Uni t ed St at es
t o publ i sh a book. The Russi an spoke broken Engl i sh
and i t was t herefore hard for hi m t o make hi msel f
easi l y underst ood. Duri ng t he i nt ervi ew he asked my
pri nt er fri end a quest i on whi ch was mi st aken as a
refl ect i on upon hi s abi l i t y as a pri nt er. In an
unguarded moment he count ered wi t h t hi s remark:
- 15 -



NO man can rise to
fame and fortune
without carrying others
along with him. It
simply cannot be done.




- 16 -
"The t roubl e wi t h you Bol shevi ks i s t hat you l ook
wi t h suspi ci on on t he remai nder of t he worl d j ust
because of your own short -si ght edness. "
My "Bol shevi k" fri end nudged me on t he el bow
and whi spered:
"The gent l eman seems t o be si ck. We shal l cal l
agai n, when he i s feel i ng bet t er. "
But , he never cal l ed agai n. He pl aced hi s order
wi t h anot her pri nt er, and I l earned aft erward t hat t he
profi t on t hat order was more t han $10, 000. 00!
Ten t housand dol l ars seems a hi gh pri ce t o pay
for a pl at e of t urkey, but t hat i s t he pri ce t hat i t cost
my pri nt er fri end; for he offered me an apol ogy for hi s
conduct on t he ground t hat hi s t urkey di nner had gi ven
hi m i ndi gest i on and t herefore he had l ost hi s sel f -
cont rol .
One of t he l argest chai n st ore concerns i n t he
worl d has adopt ed a uni que, t hough effect i ve, met hod
of empl oyi ng sal espeopl e who have devel oped t he
essent i al qual i t y of sel f -cont rol whi ch al l successful
sal espeopl e must possess. Thi s concern has i n i t s
empl oy a very cl ever woman who vi si t s depart ment
st ores and ot her pl aces where sal espeopl e are
empl oyed and sel ect s cert ai n ones whom she bel i eves
t o possess t act and sel f -cont rol ; but , t o be sure of her
j udgment , she approaches t hese sal espeopl e and has
t hem show her t hei r wares. She asks al l sort s of
quest i ons t hat are desi gned t o t ry t hei r pat i ence. If
t hey st and t he t est , t hey are offered bet t er posi t i ons; i f
t hey fai l i n t he t est , t hey have merel y al l owed a good
opport uni t y t o pass by wi t hout knowi ng i t .
No doubt al l peopl e who refuse or negl ect t o
exerci se sel f -cont rol are l i t eral l y t urni ng opport uni t y
- 17 -
aft er opport uni t y away wi t hout knowi ng i t . One day I
was st andi ng at t he gl ove count er of a l arge ret ai l
st ore t al ki ng t o a young man who was empl oyed t here.
He was t el l i ng me t hat he had been wi t h t he st ore four
years, but on account of t he "short -si ght edness" of t he
st ore, hi s servi ces had not been appreci at ed and he
was l ooki ng for anot her posi t i on. In t he mi dst of t hi s
conversat i on a cust omer wal ked up t o hi m and asked
t o see some hat s. He pai d no at t ent i on t o t he
cust omer' s i nqui ry unt i l he had fi ni shed t el l i ng me hi s
t roubl es, despi t e t he fact t hat t he cust omer was
obvi ousl y becomi ng i mpat i ent . Fi nal l y, he ret urned t o
t he cust omer and sai d: "Thi s i sn' t t he hat depart ment . "
When t he cust omer i nqui red as t o where he mi ght fi nd
t hat depart ment t he young man repl i ed: "Ask t he
fl oor-wal ker over t here; he wi l l di rect you. "
For four years t hi s young man had been st andi ng
on t op of a fi ne opport uni t y but he di d not know i t . He
coul d have made a fri end of every person whom he
served i n t hat st ore and t hese fri ends coul d have made
hi m one of t he most val uabl e men i n t he st ore,
because t hey woul d have come back t o t rade wi t h hi m.
"Snappy" answers t o i nqui ri ng cust omers do not bri ng
t hem back.
One rai ny aft ernoon an old l ady wal ked i nt o a
Pi t t sburgh depart ment st ore and wandered around i n
an ai ml ess sort of way, very much i n t he manner t hat
peopl e who have no i nt ent i on of buyi ng oft en do.
Most of t he sal espeopl e gave her t he "once over" and
busi ed t hemsel ves by st rai ght eni ng t he st ock on t hei r
shel ves so as t o avoi d bei ng t roubl ed by her. One of
t he young men saw her and made i t hi s busi ness t o
i nqui re pol i t el y i f he mi ght serve her. She i nformed
- 18 -
hi m t hat she was onl y wai t i ng for i t t o st op rai ni ng;
t hat she di d not wi sh t o make any purchases. The
young man assured her t hat she was wel come, and by
engagi ng her i n conversat i on made her feel t hat he had
meant what he sai d. When she was ready t o go he
accompani ed her t o t he st reet and rai sed her umbrel l a
for her. She asked for hi s card and went on her way.
The i nci dent had been forgot t en by t he young man
when, one day, he was cal l ed i nt o t he offi ce by t he
head of t he fi rm and shown a l et t er from a l ady who
want ed a sal esman t o go t o Scot l and and t ake an order
for t he furni shi ngs for a mansi on.
That l ady was Andrew Carnegi e' s mot her; she was
al so t he same woman whom t he young man had so
court eousl y escort ed t o t he st reet many mont hs
previ ousl y.
In t he l et t er, Mrs. Carnegi e speci fi ed t hat t hi s
young man was t he one whom she desi red t o be sent t o
t ake her order. That order amount ed t o an enormous
sum, and t he i nci dent brought t he young man an
opport uni t y for advancement t hat he mi ght never have
had except for hi s court esy t o an ol d l ady who di d not
l ook l i ke a "ready sal e. "
Just as t he great fundament al l aws of l i fe are
wrapped up i n t he commonest sort of every-day
experi ences t hat most of us never not i ce, so are t he
real opport uni t i es oft en hi dden i n t he seemi ngl y
uni mport ant t ransact i ons of l i fe.
Ask t he next t en peopl e whom you meet why t hey
have not accompl i shed more i n t hei r respect i ve l i nes
of endeavor, and at l east ni ne of t hem wi l l t el l you
t hat opport uni t y does not seem t o come around t hei r
- 19 -
way. Go a st ep furt her and anal yze each of t hese ni ne
accurat el y by observi ng t hei r act i ons for one si ngl e
day, and t he chances are t hat you wi l l fi nd t hat every
one of t hem i s t urni ng away t he fi nest sort of
opport uni t i es every hour of t he day.
One day I went t o vi si t a fri end who was
associ at ed wi t h a Commerci al School , i n t he capaci t y
of sol i ci t or. When I asked hi m how he was get t i ng
al ong he repl i ed: "Rot t en! I see a l arge number of
peopl e but I am not maki ng enough sal es t o gi ve me a
good l i vi ng. In fact my account wi t h t he school i s
overdrawn and I am t hi nki ng about changi ng posi t i ons
as t here i s no opport uni t y here. "
It happened t hat I was on my vacat i on and had t en
days' t i me t hat I coul d use as I wi shed, so I chal l enged
hi s remark t hat he had no opport uni t y by t el l i ng hi m
t hat I coul d t urn hi s posi t i on i nt o $250. 00 i n a week' s
t i me and show hi m how t o make i t wort h t hat every
week t hereaft er. He l ooked at me i n amazement and
asked me not t o j oke wi t h hi m over so seri ous a
mat t er. When he was fi nal l y convi nced t hat I was i n
earnest he vent ured t o i nqui re how I woul d perform
t he "mi racl e. "
Then I asked hi m i f he had ever heard of
organi zed ef f ort , t o whi ch he repl i ed: "What do you
mean by organi zed ef f ort ?" I i nformed hi m t hat I had
reference t o t he di rect i on of hi s effort s i n such a
manner t hat he woul d enrol l from fi ve t o t en st udent s
wi t h t he same amount of effort t hat he had been
put t i ng i nt o t he enrol l ment of one or of none. He sai d
he was wi l l i ng t o be shown, so I gave hi m i nst ruct i ons
t o arrange for me t o speak before t he empl oyees of
one of t he l ocal depart ment st ores. He made t he ap-
- 20 -
poi nt ment and I del i vered t he address. In my t al k I
out l i ned a pl an t hrough whi ch t he empl oyees coul d not
onl y i ncrease t hei r abi l i t y so t hat t hey coul d earn
more money i n t hei r present posi t i ons, but i t al so
offered t hem an opport uni t y t o prepare t hemsel ves for
great er responsi bi l i t i es and bet t er posi t i ons.
Fol l owi ng my t al k, whi ch of course was desi gned for
t hat purpose, my fri end enrol l ed ei ght of t hose
empl oyees for ni ght courses i n t he Commerci al School
whi ch he represent ed.
The fol l owi ng ni ght he booked me for a si mi l ar
address before t he empl oyees of a l aundry, and
fol l owi ng t he address he enrol l ed t hree more st udent s,
t wo of t hem young women who worked over t he
washi ng machi nes at t he hardest sort of l abor.
Two days l at er he booked me for an address
before t he empl oyees of one of t he l ocal banks, and
fol l owi ng t he address he enrol l ed four more st udent s,
maki ng a t ot al of fi ft een st udent s, and t he ent i re t i me
consumed was not more t han si x hours, i ncl udi ng t he
t i me requi red for t he del i very of t he addresses and t he
enrol l ment of t he st udent s.
My fri end' s commi ssi on on t he t ransact i ons was a
l i t t l e over four hundred dol l ars!
These pl aces of empl oyment were wi t hi n fi ft een
mi nut es' wal k of t hi s man' s pl ace of busi ness, but he
had never t hought of l ooki ng t here for busi ness.
Nei t her had he ever t hought of al l yi ng hi msel f wi t h a
speaker who coul d assi st hi m i n "group" sel l i ng. That
man now owns a spl endi d Commerci al School of hi s
own, and I am i nformed t hat hi s net i ncome l ast year
was over $10, 000. 00.
"No opport uni t i es" come your way? Perhaps t hey
- 21 -




FEAR no man, hate no
man, wish no one
misfortune, and more
than likely you will
have plenty of friends.



- 22 -
come but you do not see t hem. Perhaps you wi l l see
t hem i n t he fut ure as you are prepari ng yoursel f,
t hrough t he ai d of t hi s Readi ng Course on t he Law of
Success, so t hat you can recogni ze an opport uni t y
when you see i t . The si xt h l esson of t hi s course i s on
t he subj ect of i magi nat i on, whi ch was t he chi ef fact or
t hat ent ered i nt o t he t ransact i on t hat I have j ust
rel at ed. Imagi nat i on, pl us a Defi ni t e Pl an, pl us Sel f-
confi dence, pl us Act i on, were t he mai n fact ors t hat
ent ered i nt o t hi s t ransact i on. You now know how t o
use al l of t hese, and before you shal l have fi ni shed
t hi s l esson you wi l l underst and how t o di rect t hese
fact ors t hrough sel f -cont rol .
Now l et us exami ne t he scope of meani ng of t he
t erm sel f -cont rol , as i t i s used i n connect i on wi t h t hi s
course, by descri bi ng t he general conduct of a person
who possesses i t . A person wi t h wel l -devel oped sel f -
cont rol does not i ndul ge i n hat red, envy, j eal ousy,
fear, revenge, or any si mi l ar dest ruct i ve emot i ons. A
person wi t h wel l -devel oped sel f -cont rol does not go
i nt o ecst asi es or become ungovernabl y ent husi ast i c
over anyt hi ng or anybody.
Greed and sel fi shness and sel f-approval beyond
t he poi nt of accurat e sel f-anal ysi s and appreci at i on of
one' s act ual meri t s, i ndi cat e l ack of sel f -cont rol i n one
of i t s most dangerous forms. Sel f-confi dence i s one of
t he i mport ant essent i al s of success, but when t hi s
facul t y i s devel oped beyond t he poi nt of reason i t
becomes very dangerous.
Sel f-sacri fi ce i s a commendabl e qual i t y, but when
i t i s carri ed t o ext remes, i t , al so, becomes one of t he
dangerous forms of l ack of sel f -cont rol .
You owe i t t o yoursel f not t o permi t your
- 23 -
emot i ons t o pl ace your happi ness i n t he keepi ng of
anot her person. Love i s essent i al for happi ness, but
t he person who l oves so deepl y t hat hi s or her
happi ness i s pl aced ent i rel y i n t he hands of anot her,
resembl es t he l i t t l e l amb who crept i nt o t he den of t he
"ni ce, gent l e l i t t l e wol f" and begged t o be permi t t ed t o
l i e down and go t o sl eep, or t he canary bi rd t hat
persi st ed i n pl ayi ng wi t h t he cat ' s whi skers.
A person wi t h wel l -devel oped sel f -cont rol wi l l
not permi t hi msel f t o be i nfluenced by t he cyni c or t he
pessi mi st ; nor wi l l he permi t anot her person t o do hi s
t hi nki ng for hi m.
A person wi t h wel l -devel oped sel f -cont rol wi l l
st i mul at e hi s i magi nat i on and hi s ent husi asm unt i l
t hey have produced act i on, but he wi l l t hen cont rol
t hat act i on and not permi t i t t o cont rol hi m.
A person wi t h wel l -devel oped sel f -cont rol wi l l
never, under any ci rcumst ances, sl ander anot her
person or seek revenge for any cause what soever.
A person wi t h sel f -cont rol wi l l not hat e t hose
who do not agree wi t h hi m; i nst ead, he wi l l endeavor
t o underst and t he reason for t hei r di sagreement , and
profi t by i t .
We come, now, t o a form of l ack of sel f -cont rol
whi ch causes more gri ef t han al l ot her forms
combi ned; i t i s t he habi t of formi ng opi ni ons before
st udyi ng t he f act s. We wi l l not anal yze t hi s part i cul ar
form i n det ai l , i n t hi s l esson, for t he reason t hat i t i s
ful l y covered i n Lesson El even, on accurat e t hought ,
but t he subj ect of sel f -cont rol coul d not be covered
wi t hout at l east a passi ng reference t o t hi s common
evi l t o whi ch we are al l more or l ess addi ct ed.
No one has any ri ght t o form an opi ni on t hat i s
- 24 -
not based ei t her upon t hat whi ch he bel i eves t o be
f act s, or upon a reasonabl e hypot hesi s; yet , i f you wi l l
observe yoursel f careful l y, you wi l l cat ch yoursel f
formi ng opi ni ons on not hi ng more subst ant i al t han
your desi re for a t hi ng t o be or not t o be.
Anot her gri evous form of l ack of sel f -cont rol i s
t he "spendi ng" habi t . I have reference, of course, t o
t he habi t of spendi ng beyond one' s needs. Thi s habi t
has become so preval ent si nce t he cl ose of t he worl d
war t hat i t i s al armi ng. A wel l known economi st has
prophesi ed t hat t hree more generat i ons wi l l t ransform
t he Uni t ed St at es from t he ri chest count ry i n t he worl d
t o t he poorest i f t he chi l dren are not t aught t he
savi ngs habi t , as a part of t hei r t rai ni ng i n bot h t he
school s and t he homes. On every hand, we see peopl e
buyi ng aut omobi l es on t he i nst al l ment pl an i nst ead of
buyi ng homes. Wi t hi n t he l ast fi ft een years t he
aut omobi l e "fad" has become so popul ar t hat l i t eral l y
t ens of t housands of peopl e are mort gagi ng t hei r
fut ures t o own cars.
A promi nent sci ent i st , who has a keen sense of
humor, has prophesi ed t hat not onl y wi l l t hi s habi t
grow l ean bank account s, but , i f persi st ed i n, i t wi l l
event ual l y grow babi es whose l egs wi l l have become
t ransformed i nt o wheel s.
Thi s i s a speed-mad, money-spendi ng age i n
whi ch we are l i vi ng, and t he uppermost t hought i n t he
mi nds of most of us i s t o l i ve fast er t han our
nei ghbors. Not l ong ago t he general manager of a
concern t hat empl oys 600 men and women became
al armed over t he l arge number of hi s empl oyees who
were becomi ng i nvol ved wi t h "l oan sharks, " and
deci ded' t o put an end t o t hi s evi l . When he compl et ed
- 25 -



TO do much clear thinking
a man must arrange for
regular periods of solitude
when he can concentrate
and indulge his imagination
without distraction.
-Thomas A. Edi son.


- 26 -
hi s i nvest i gat i on, he found t hat onl y ni ne per cent of
hi s empl oyees had savi ngs account s, and of t he ot her
ni net y-one per cent who had no money ahead, sevent y-
fi ve per cent were i n debt i n one form or anot her,
some of t hem bei ng hopel essl y i nvol ved fi nanci al l y.
Of t hose who were i n debt 210 owned aut omobi l es.
We are creat ures of i mi t at i on. We fi nd i t hard t o
resi st t he t empt at i on t o do t hat whi ch we see ot hers
doi ng. If our nei ghbor buys a Bui ck, we must i mi t at e
hi m and i f we cannot scrape t oget her enough t o make
t he fi rst payment on a Bui ck we must , at l east , have a
Ford. Meanwhi l e, we t ake no heed of t he morrow. The
ol d-fashi oned "rai ny-day nest egg" has become
obsol et e. We l i ve from day t o day. We buy our coal by
t he pound and our fl our i n fi ve pound sacks, t hereby
payi ng a t hi rd more for i t t han i t ought t o cost ,
because i t i s di st ri but ed i n smal l quant i t i es.
Of course t hi s warni ng does not appl y t o you!
It i s i nt ended onl y for t hose who are bi ndi ng
t hemsel ves i n t he chai ns of povert y by spendi ng
beyond t hei r earni ng capaci t y, and who have not yet
heard t hat t here are defi ni t e l aws whi ch must be
observed by al l who woul d at t ai n success.
The aut omobi l e i s one of t he modern wonders of
t he worl d, but i t i s more oft en a l uxury t han i t i s a
necessi t y, and t ens of t housands of peopl e who are
now "st eppi ng on t he gas" at a l i vel y pace are goi ng t o
see some dangerous ski ddi ng when t hei r "rai ny days"
arri ve.
It requi res consi derabl e sel f -cont rol t o use t he
st reet cars as a means of t ransport at i on when peopl e
al l around us are dri vi ng aut omobi l es, but al l who
exerci se t hi s sel f -cont rol are pract i cal l y sure t o see
- 27 -
t he day when many who are now dri vi ng cars wi l l be
ei t her ri di ng t he st reet cars or wal ki ng.
It was t hi s modem t endency t o spend t he ent i re
i ncome whi ch prompt ed Henry Ford t o safe-guard hi s
empl oyees wi t h cert ai n rest ri ct i ons when he
est abl i shed hi s famous $5. 00 a day mi ni mum wage
scal e.
Twent y years ago, i f a boy want ed a wagon, he
fashi oned t he wheel s out of boards and had t he
pl easure of bui l di ng i t hi msel f. Now, i f a boy want s a
wagon, he cri es for i t - and get s i t !
Lack of sel f -cont rol i s bei ng devel oped i n t he
oncomi ng generat i ons by t hei r parent s who have
become vi ct i ms of t he spendi ng habi t . Three
generat i ons ago, pract i cal l y any boy coul d mend hi s
own shoes wi t h t he fami l y cobbl i ng out fi t . Today t he
boy t akes hi s shoes t o t he corner shoe-shop and pays
$1. 75 for heel s and hal f sol es, and t hi s habi t i s by no
means confi ned t o t he ri ch and wel l -t o-do cl asses.
I repeat - t he spendi ng habi t i s t urni ng Ameri ca
i nt o a nat i on of paupers!
I am safe i n assumi ng t hat you are st ruggl i ng t o
at t ai n success, for i f you were not you woul d not be
readi ng t hi s course. Let me remi nd you, t hen, t hat a
l i t t l e savi ngs account wi l l at t ract many an opport uni t y
t o you t hat woul d not come your way wi t hout i t . The
si ze of t he account i s not so i mport ant as i s t he fact
t hat you have est abl i shed t he savi ngs habi t , for t hi s
habi t marks you as a person who exerci ses an
i mport ant form of sel f -cont rol .
The modem t endency of t hose who work for a
sal ary i s t o spend i t al l . If a man who recei ves
$3, 000. 00 a year and manages t o get al ong on i t fai rl y
wel l , recei ves an i ncrease of $1, 000. 00 a year, does he
- 28 -
cont i nue t o l i ve on $3, 000. 00 and pl ace t he i ncreased
port i on of hi s i ncome i n t he savi ngs bank? No, not
unl ess he i s one of t he few who have devel oped t he
savi ngs habi t . Then, what does he do wi t h t hi s
addi t i onal $1, 000. 00? He t rades i n t he ol d aut omobi l e
and buys a more expensi ve one, and at t he end of t he
year he i s poorer on a $4, 000. 00 i ncome t han he was
t he previ ous year on a $3, 000. 00 i ncome.
Thi s i s a "modern, t went i et h cent ury model "
Ameri can t hat I am descri bi ng, and you wi l l be l ucky
i f, upon cl ose anal ysi s, you do not fi nd yoursel f t o be
one of t hi s cl ass.
Somewhere bet ween t he mi ser who hoards every
penny he get s hi s hands on, i n an ol d sock, and t he
man who spends every cent he can earn or borrow,
t here i s a "happy medi um, " and i f you enj oy l i fe wi t h
reasonabl e assurance of average freedom and
cont ent ment , you must fi nd t hi s hal f-way poi nt and
adopt i t as a part of your sel f -cont rol program.
Sel f-di sci pl i ne i s t he most essent i al fact or i n t he
devel opment of personal power, because i t enabl es
you t o cont rol your appet i t e and your t endency t o
spend more t han you earn and your habi t of "st ri ki ng
back" at t hose who offend you and t he ot her
dest ruct i ve habi t s whi ch cause you t o di ssi pat e your
energi es t hrough non-product i ve effort t hat t akes on
forms t oo numerous t o be cat al ogued i n t hi s l esson.
Very earl y i n my publ i c career I was shocked
when I l earned how many peopl e t here are who devot e
most of t hei r energi es t o t eari ng down t hat whi ch t he
bui l ders const ruct . By some queer t urn of t he wheel of
fat e one of t hese dest royers crossed my pat h by
maki ng i t hi s busi ness t o t ry t o dest roy my reput at i on.
- 29 -



ASK any wise man
what he most desires
and he will, more than
likely, say "more
wisdom."


- 30 -
At fi rst , I was i ncl i ned t o "st ri ke back" at hi m, but as
I sat at my t ypewri t er l at e one ni ght , a t hought came
t o me whi ch changed my ent i re at t i t ude t oward t hi s
man. Removi ng t he sheet of paper t hat was i n my
t ypewri t er, I i nsert ed anot her one on whi ch I st at ed
t hi s t hought , i n t hese words:

You have a t remendous advant age over
t he man who does you an i nj ury: you have
i t wi t hi n your power t o f orgi ve hi m, whi l e
he has no such advant age over you.

As I fi ni shed wri t i ng t hose l i nes, I made up my
mi nd t hat I had come t o t he poi nt at whi ch I had t o
deci de upon a pol i cy t hat woul d serve as a gui de
concerni ng my at t i t ude t oward t hose who cri t i ci ze my
work or t ry t o dest roy my reput at i on. I reached t hi s
deci si on by reasoni ng somet hi ng aft er t hi s fashi on:
Two courses of act i on were open t o me. I coul d wast e
much of my t i me and energy i n st ri ki ng back at t hose
who woul d t ry t o dest roy me, or I coul d devot e t hi s
energy t o furt heri ng my l i fe-work and l et t he resul t of
t hat work serve as my sol e answer t o al l who woul d
cri t i ci ze my effort s or quest i on my mot i ves. I deci ded
upon t he l at t er as bei ng t he bet t er pol i cy and adopt ed
i t .
"By t hei r deeds you shal l know t hem!"
If your deeds are const ruct i ve and you are at
peace wi t h yoursel f, i n your own heart , you wi l l not
fi nd i t necessary t o st op and expl ai n your mot i ves, for
t hey wi l l expl ai n t hemsel ves.
The worl d soon forget s i t s dest royers. It bui l ds i t s
monument s t o and best ows i t s honors upon none but
i t s bui l ders. Keep t hi s fact i n mi nd and you wi l l more
- 31 -
easi l y reconci l e yoursel f t o t he pol i cy of refusi ng t o
wast e your energi es by "st ri ki ng back" at t hose who
offend you.
Every person who amount s t o anyt hi ng i n t hi s
worl d comes t o t he poi nt , sooner or l at er, at whi ch he
i s forced t o set t l e t hi s quest i on of pol i cy t oward hi s
enemi es, and i f you want proof t hat i t pays t o exerci se
suffi ci ent sel f -cont rol t o refrai n from di ssi pat i ng your
vi t al energi es by "st ri ki ng back" t hen st udy t he
records of al l who have ri sen t o hi gh st at i ons i n l i fe
and observe how careful l y t hey curbed t hi s dest ruct i ve
habi t .
It i s a wel l known fact t hat no man ever reached a
hi gh st at i on i n l i fe wi t hout opposi t i on of a vi ol ent
nat ure from j eal ous and envi ous enemi es. The l at e
Presi dent Warren G. Hardi ng and ex-Presi dent Wi l son
and John H. Pat t erson of t he Nat i onal Cash Regi st er
Company and scores of ot hers whom I coul d ment i on,
were vi ct i ms of t hi s cruel t endency, of a cert ai n t ype
of depraved man, t o dest roy reput at i on. But t hese men
wast ed no t i me expl ai ni ng or "st ri ki ng back" at t hei r
enemi es. They exerci sed sel f -cont rol .
I do not know but t hat t hese at t acks on men who
are i n publ i c l i fe, cruel and unj ust and unt rut hful as
t hey oft en are, serve a good purpose. In my own case,
I know t hat I made a di scovery t hat was of great val ue
t o me, as a resul t of a seri es of bi t t er at t acks whi ch a
cont emporary j ournal i st l aunched agai nst me. I pai d
no at t ent i on t o t hese at t acks for four or fi ve years,
unt i l fi nal l y t hey became so bol d t hat I deci ded t o
overri de my pol i cy and "st ri ke back" at my ant agoni st .
I sat down at my t ypewri t er and began t o wri t e. In al l
of my experi ence as a wri t er I do not bel i eve I ever
- 32 -
assembl ed such a col l ect i on of bi t i ng adj ect i ves as
t hose whi ch I used on t hi s occasi on. The more I wrot e,
t he more angry I became, unt i l I had wri t t en al l t hat I
coul d t hi nk of on t he subj ect . As t he l ast l i ne was
fi ni shed, a st range feel i ng came over me-i t was not a
feel i ng of bi t t erness t oward t he man who had t ri ed t o
i nj ure me-i t was a feel i ng of compassi on, of
sympat hy, of forgi veness.
I had unconsci ousl y psycho-anal yzed mysel f by
rel easi ng, over t he keys of my t ypewri t er, t he
repressed emot i ons of hat e and resent ment whi ch I
had been uni nt ent i onal l y gat heri ng i n my sub-
consci ous mi nd over a l ong peri od of years.
Now, i f I fi nd mysel f becomi ng very angry, I si t
down at my t ypewri t er and "wri t e i t out of my
syst em, " t hen t hrow away t he manuscri pt , or fi l e i t
away as an exhi bi t for my scrapbook t o whi ch I can
refer back i n t he years t o come - aft er t he evol ut i onary
processes have carri ed me st i l l hi gher i n t he real m of
underst andi ng.
Repressed emot i ons, especi al l y, t he emot i on of
hat red, resembl e a bomb t hat has been const ruct ed of
hi gh expl osi ves, and unl ess t hey are handl ed wi t h as
much underst andi ng of t hei r nat ure as an expert woul d
handl e a bomb, t hey are as dangerous. A bomb may be
rendered harml ess by expl osi on i n an open fi el d, or by
di si nt egrat i on i n a bat h of t he proper sort . Al so, a
feel i ng of anger or hat red may be rendered harml ess
by gi vi ng expressi on t o i t i n a manner t hat harmoni zes
wi t h t he pri nci pl e of psycho-anal ysi s.
Before you can achi eve success i n t he hi gher and
broader sense you must gai n such t horough cont rol
over yoursel f t hat you wi l l be a person of poi se.
- 33 -


WHILE others may side-
track your ambitions
not a few times,
remember that dis-
couragement most freq-
uently comes from
within.


- 34 -
You are t he product of at l east a mi l l i on years of
evol ut i onary change. For count l ess generat i ons
precedi ng you Nat ure has been t emperi ng and refi ni ng
t he mat eri al s t hat have gone i nt o your make-up. St ep
by st ep, she has removed from t he generat i ons t hat
have preceded you t he ani mal i nst i nct s and baser
passi ons unt i l she has produced, i n you, t he f i nest
speci men of ani mal t hat l i ves. She has endowed you,
t hrough t hi s sl ow evol ut i onary process, wi t h reason
and poi se and "bal ance" suffi ci ent t o enabl e you t o
cont rol and do wi t h yoursel f what ever you wi l l .
No ot her ani mal has ever been endowed wi t h such
sel f-cont rol as you possess. You have been endowed
wi t h t he power t o use t he most hi ghl y organi zed form
of energy known t o man, t hat of t hought . It i s not
i mprobabl e t hat t hought i s t he cl osest connect i ng l i nk
t here i s bet ween t he mat eri al , physi cal t hi ngs of t hi s
worl d and t he worl d of Di vi ni t y.
You have not onl y t he power t o t hi nk but , what i s
a t housand t i mes more i mport ant st i l l , you have t he
power t o cont rol your t hought s and di rect t hem t o do
your bi ddi ng!
We are comi ng, now, t o t he real l y i mport ant part
of t hi s l esson. Read sl owl y and medi t at i vel y! I
approach t hi s part of t hi s l esson al most wi t h fear and
t rembl i ng, for i t bri ngs us face t o face wi t h a subj ect
whi ch but few men are qual i fi ed t o di scuss wi t h
reasonabl e i nt el l i gence.
I repeat , you have t he power t o cont rol your
t hought s and make t hem do your bi ddi ng!
Your brai n may be l i kened t o a dynamo, i n t hi s
respect , t hat i t generat es or set s i nt o mot i on t he
myst eri ous energy cal l ed t hought . The st i mul i t hat
- 35 -
st art your brai n i nt o act i on are of t wo sort s; one i s
Aut osuggest i on and t he ot her i s Suggest i on. You can
sel ect t he mat eri al out of whi ch your t hi nki ng i s
produced, and t hat i s Aut o-suggest i on (or sel f-
suggest i on). You can permi t ot hers t o sel ect t he
mat eri al out of whi ch your t hi nki ng i s produced and
t hat i s Suggest i on. It i s a humi l i at i ng fact t hat most
t hought i s produced by t he out si de suggest i ons of
ot hers, and i t i s more humi l i at i ng, st i l l , t o have t o
admi t t hat t he maj ori t y of us accept t hi s suggest i on
wi t hout ei t her exami ni ng i t or quest i oni ng i t s
soundness. We read t he dai l y papers as t hough every
word were based upon fact . We are swayed by t he
gossi p and i dl e chat t er of ot hers as t hough every word
were t rue.
Thought i s t he onl y t hi ng over whi ch you have
absol ut e cont rol , yet , unl ess you are t he proverbi al
except i on, whi ch i s about one out of every t en
t housand, you permi t ot her peopl e t o ent er t he sacred
mansi on of your mi nd and t here deposi t , t hrough
suggest i on, t hei r t roubl es and woes, adversi t i es and
fal sehoods, j ust as t hough you di d not have t he power
t o cl ose t he door and keep t hem out .
You have wi t hi n your cont rol t he power t o sel ect
t he mat eri al t hat const i t ut es t he domi nat i ng t hought s
of your mi nd, and j ust as surel y as you are readi ng
t hese l i nes, t hose t hought s whi ch domi nat e your mi nd
wi l l bri ng you success or fai l ure, accordi ng t o t hei r
nat ure.
The fact t hat t hought i s t he onl y t hi ng over whi ch
you have absol ut e cont rol i s, wi t hi n i t sel f, of most
profound si gni fi cance, as i t st rongl y suggest s t hat
t hought i s your nearest approach t o Di vi ni t y, on t hi s
eart hl y pl ane. Thi s fact al so carri es anot her hi ghl y
- 36 -
i mpressi ve suggest i on; namel y, t hat t hought i s your
most i mport ant t ool ; t he one wi t h whi ch you may
shape your worl dl y dest i ny accordi ng t o your own
l i ki ng. Surel y, Di vi ne Provi dence di d not make
t hought t he sol e power over whi ch you have absol ut e
cont rol wi t hout associ at i ng wi t h t hat power
pot ent i al i t i es whi ch, i f underst ood and devel oped,
woul d st agger t he i magi nat i on.
Sel f -cont rol i s sol el y a mat t er of t hought -cont rol !
Pl ease read t he foregoi ng sent ence al oud; read i t
t hought ful l y and medi t at e over i t before readi ng
furt her, because i t i s, wi t hout doubt , t he most
i mport ant si ngl e sent ence of t hi s ent i re course.
You are st udyi ng t hi s course, presumabl y because
you are earnest l y seeki ng t rut h and underst andi ng
suffi ci ent t o enabl e you t o at t ai n some hi gh st at i on i n
l i fe.
You are searchi ng for t he magi c key t hat wi l l
unl ock t he door t o t he source of power; and yet you
have t he key i n your own hands, and you may make
use of i t t he moment you l earn t o cont rol your
t hought s.
Pl ace i n your own mi nd, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of
Aut o-suggest i on, t he posi t i ve, const ruct i ve t hought s
whi ch harmoni ze wi t h your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe,
and t hat mi nd wi l l t ransform t hose t hought s i nt o
physi cal real i t y and hand t hem back t o you, as a
fi ni shed product .
Thi s i s t hought -cont rol !
When you del i berat el y choose t he t hought s whi ch
domi nat e your mi nd and fi rml y refuse admi t t ance t o
out si de suggest i on, you are exerci si ng sel f -cont rol i n
i t s hi ghest and most effi ci ent form. Man i s t he onl y
l i vi ng ani mal t hat can do t hi s.
- 37 -
How many mi l l i ons of years Nat ure has requi red
i n whi ch t o produce t hi s ani mal no one knows, but
every i nt el l i gent st udent of psychol ogy knows t hat t he
domi nat i ng t hought s det ermi ne t he act i ons and t he
nat ure of t he ani mal .
The process t hrough whi ch one may t hi nk
accurat el y i s a subj ect t hat has been reserved for
Lesson El even, of t hi s course. The poi nt we wi sh
cl earl y t o est abl i sh, i n t hi s l esson, i s t hat t hought ,
whet her accurat e or i naccurat e, i s t he most hi ghl y
organi zed funct i oni ng power of your mi nd; and t hat
you are but t he sum t ot al of your domi nat i ng or most
promi nent t hought s.
If you woul d be a mast er sal esman, whet her of
goods and wares or of personal servi ces, you must
exerci se suffi ci ent sel f -cont rol t o shut out al l adverse
argument s and suggest i ons. Most sal esmen have so
l i t t l e sel f -cont rol t hat t hey hear t he prospect i ve
purchaser say "no" even before he says i t . Not a few
sal esmen hear t hi s fat al word "no" even before t hey
come i nt o t he presence of t hei r prospect i ve purchaser.
They have so l i t t l e sel f -cont rol t hat t hey act ual l y
suggest t o t hemsel ves t hat t hei r prospect i ve purchaser
wi l l say "no" when asked t o purchase t hei r wares.
How di fferent i s t he man of sel f -cont rol ! He not
onl y suggest s t o hi msel f t hat hi s prospect i ve purchaser
wi l l say "yes, " but i f t he desi red "yes" i s not
fort hcomi ng, he st ays on t he j ob unt i l he breaks down
t he opposi t i on and forces a "yes. " If hi s prospect i ve
purchaser says "no, " he does not hear i t . If hi s
prospect i ve purchaser says "no" - a second, and a
t hi rd, and a fourt h t i me - he does not hear i t , for he i s
a man of sel f -cont rol and he permi t s no suggest i ons t o
reach hi s mi nd except t hose whi ch he desi res t o
i nfl uence hi m.
- 38 -
The mast er sal esman, whet her he be engaged i n
sel l i ng merchandi se, or personal servi ces, or sermons,
or publ i c addresses, underst ands how t o cont rol hi s
own t hought s. Inst ead of bei ng a person who accept s,
wi t h meek submi ssi on, t he suggest i ons of ot hers, he i s
a person who persuades ot hers t o accept hi s
suggest i ons. By cont rol l i ng hi msel f and by pl aci ng
onl y posi t i ve t hought s i n hi s own mi nd, he t hereby
becomes a domi nat i ng personal i t y, a mast er sal esman.
Thi s, t oo, i s sel f -cont rol !
A mast er sal esman . s one who t akes t he offensi ve,
and never t he defensi ve si de of an argument , i f
argument ari ses.
Pl ease read t he foregoi ng sent ence agai n!
If you are a mast er sal esman you know t hat i t i s
necessary for you t o keep your prospect i ve purchaser
on t he defensi ve, and you al so know t hat i t wi l l be
fat al t o your sal e i f you permi t hi m t o pl ace you on
t he defensi ve and keep you t here. You may, and of
course you wi l l at t i mes, be pl aced i n a posi t i on i n
whi ch you wi l l have t o assume t he defensi ve si de of
t he conversat i on for a t i me, but i t i s your busi ness t o
exerci se such perfect poi se and sel f -cont rol t hat you
wi l l change pl aces wi t h your prospect i ve purchaser
wi t hout hi s not i ci ng t hat you have done so, by pl aci ng
hi m back on t he defensi ve.
Thi s requi res t he most consummat e ski l l and sel f-
cont rol !
Most sal esmen sweep t hi s vi t al poi nt asi de by
becomi ng angry and t ryi ng t o scare t he prospect i ve
purchaser i nt o submi ssi on, but t he mast er sal esman
remai ns cal m and serene, and usual l y comes out t he
wi nner.
- 39 -


PEOPLE like to use
their excess energy by
"chewing the rag." Wm.
Wrigley, Jr., capitalized
this human trait by
giving them a stick of
Spearmint.



- 40 -
The word "sal esman" has reference t o al l peopl e
who t ry t o persuade or convi nce ot hers by l ogi cal
argument or appeal t o sel f-i nt erest . We are al l
sal esmen; or, at l east , we shoul d be, no mat t er what
form of servi ce we are renderi ng or what sort of goods
we are offeri ng.
The abi l i t y t o negot i at e wi t h ot her peopl e wi t hout
fri ct i on and argument i s t he out st andi ng qual i t y of al l
successful peopl e. Observe t hose nearest you and
not i ce how few t here are who underst and t hi s art of
t act ful negot i at i on. Observe, al so, how successful are
t he few who underst and t hi s art , despi t e t he fact t hat
t hey may have l ess educat i on t han t hose wi t h whom
t hey negot i at e.
It i s a knack t hat can be cul t i vat ed.
The art of successful negot i at i on grows out of
pat i ent and pai nst aki ng sel f -cont rol . Not i ce how easi l y
t he successful sal esman exerci ses sel f -cont rol when he
i s handl i ng a cust omer who i s i mpat i ent . In hi s heart
such a sal esman may be boi l i ng over, but you wi l l see
no evi dence of i t i n hi s face or manner or words.
He has acqui red t he art of t act ful negot i at i on!
A si ngl e frown of di sapproval or a si ngl e word
denot i ng i mpat i ence wi l l oft en spoi l a sal e, and no one
knows t hi s bet t er t han t he successful sal esman. He
makes i t hi s busi ness t o cont rol hi s feel i ngs, and as a
reward he set s hi s own sal ary mark and chooses hi s
own posi t i on.
To wat ch a person who has acqui red t he art of
successful negot i at i on i s a l i beral educat i on, wi t hi n
i t sel f. Wat ch t he publ i c speaker who has acqui red t hi s
art ; not i ce t he fi rmness of hi s st ep as he mount s t he
pl at form; observe t he fi rmness of hi s voi ce as he
- 41 -
begi ns t o speak; st udy t he expressi on on hi s face as he
sweeps hi s audi ence wi t h t he mast ery of hi s argument .
He has l earned how t o negot i at e wi t hout f ri ct i on.
Wat ch t he physi ci an who has acqui red t hi s art , as
he wal ks i nt o t he si ck room and greet s hi s pat i ent wi t h
a smi l e. Hi s beari ng, t he t one of hi s voi ce, t he l ook of
assurance on hi s face, al l mark hi m as one who has
acqui red t he art of successful negot i at i on, and t he
pat i ent begi ns t o feel bet t er t he moment he ent ers t he
si ck room.
Wat ch t he foreman of t he works who has acqui red
t hi s art , and observe how hi s very presence spurs hi s
men t o great er effort and i nspi res t hem wi t h
confi dence and ent husi asm.
Wat ch t he l awyer who has acqui red t hi s art , and
observe how he commands t he respect and at t ent i on of
t he court , t he j ury and hi s fel l ow-pract i t i oners. There
i s somet hi ng about t he t one of hi s voi ce, t he post ure
of hi s body, and t he expressi on on hi s face whi ch
causes hi s opponent t o suffer by compari son. He not
onl y knows hi s case, but he convi nces t he court and
t he j ury t hat he knows, and as hi s reward he wi ns hi s
cases and cl ai ms bi g ret ai ni ng fees.
And al l of t hi s i s predi cat ed upon sel f -cont rol !
And sel f -cont rol i s t he resul t of t hought -cont rol !
Del i berat el y pl ace i n your own mi nd t he sort of
t hought s t hat you desi re t here, and keep out of your
mi nd t hose t hought s whi ch ot hers pl ace t here t hrough
suggest i on, and you wi l l become a person of sel f -
cont rol .
Thi s pri vi l ege of st i mul at i ng your mi nd wi t h
suggest i ons and t hought s of your own choosi ng i s
your prerogat i ve power t hat Di vi ne Provi dence gave
- 42 -
you, and i f you wi l l exerci se t hi s hol y ri ght t here i s
not hi ng wi t hi n t he bounds of reason t hat you cannot
at t ai n.
"Losi ng your t emper, " and wi t h i t your case, or
your argument , or your sal e, marks you as one who
has not yet fami l i ari zed hi msel f wi t h t he fundament al s
upon whi ch sel f -cont rol i s based, and t he chi ef one of
t hese fundament al s i s t he pri vi l ege of choosi ng t he
t hought s t hat domi nat e t he mi nd.
A st udent i n one of my cl asses once asked how
one went about cont rol l i ng one' s t hought s when i n a
st at e of i nt ense anger, and I repl i ed: "In exact l y t he
same way t hat you woul d change your manner and t he
t one of your voi ce i f you were i n a heat ed argument
wi t h a member of your f ami l y and heard t he door bel l
ri ng, warni ng you t hat company was about t o vi si t
you. You woul d cont rol yoursel f because you woul d
desi re t o do so. "
If you have ever been i n a si mi l ar predi cament ,
where you found i t necessary t o cover up your real
feel i ngs and change t he expressi on on your face
qui ckl y, you know how easi l y i t can be done, and you
al so know t hat i t can be done because one want s t o do
i t !
Back of al l achi evement , back of al l sel f -cont rol ,
back of al l t hought cont rol , i s t hat magi c somet hi ng
cal l ed DESI RE!
It i s no mi sst at ement of fact t o say t hat you are
l i mi t ed onl y by t he dept h of your desi res!
When your desi res are st rong enough you wi l l
appear t o possess superhuman powers t o achi eve. No
one has ever expl ai ned t hi s st range phenomenon of t he
mi nd, and perhaps no one ever wi l l expl ai n i t , but i f
- 43 -
i f you doubt t hat i t exi st s you have but t o experi ment
and be convi nced.
If you were i n a bui l di ng t hat was on fi re, and al l
t he doors and wi ndows were l ocked, t he chances are
t hat you woul d devel op suffi ci ent st rengt h wi t h whi ch
t o break down t he average door, because of your
i nt ense desi re t o free yoursel f.
If you desi re t o acqui re t he art of successful
negot i at i on, as you undoubt edl y wi l l when you
underst and i t s si gni fi cance i n rel at i on t o your
achi evement of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m, you wi l l do so,
provi di ng your desi re i s i nt ense enough.
Napol eon desi red t o become emperor of France
and di d rul e. Li ncol n desi red t o free t he sl aves, and he
accompl i shed i t . The French desi red t hat "t hey shal l
not pass, " at t he begi nni ng of t he worl d war, and t hey
di dn' t pass! Edi son desi red t o produce l i ght wi t h
el ect ri ci t y, and he produced i t - al t hough he was many
years i n doi ng so. Roosevel t desi red t o uni t e t he
At l ant i c and Paci fi c oceans, t hrough t he Panama
Canal , and he di d i t . Demost henes desi red t o become a
great publ i c speaker, and despi t e t he handi cap of
seri ous i mpedi ment of speech, he t ransformed hi s
desi re i nt o real i t y. Hel en Kel l er desi red t o speak, and
despi t e t he fact t hat she was deaf, dumb and bl i nd, she
now speaks. John H. Pat t erson desi red t o domi nat e i n
t he product i on of cash regi st ers, and he di d i t .
Marshal l Fi el d desi red t o be t he l eadi ng merchant of
hi s t i me, and he di d. Shakespeare desi red t o become a
great pl aywri ght , and, despi t e t he fact t hat he was
onl y a poor i t i nerant act or, he made hi s desi re come
t rue. Bi l l y Sunday desi red t o qui t pl ayi ng base-bal l
and become a mast er preacher, and he di d. James J.
- 44 -
Hi l l desi red t o become an empi re bui l der; and, despi t e
t he fact t hat he was onl y a poor t el egraph operat or, he
t ransformed t hat desi re i nt o real i t y.
Don' t say, "It can' t be done, " or t hat you are
di fferent from t hese and t housands of ot hers who have
achi eved not ewort hy success i n every wort hy cal l i ng.
If you are "di fferent , " i t i s onl y i n t hi s respect : t hey
desi red t he obj ect of t hei r achi evement wi t h more
dept h and i nt ensi t y t han you desi re yours.
Pl ant i n your mi nd t he seed of a desi re t hat i s
const ruct i ve by maki ng t he fol l owi ng your creed and
t he foundat i on of your code of et hi cs:

"I wi sh t o be of servi ce t o my fel l ow men as I
j ourney t hrough l i fe. To do t hi s I have adopt ed t hi s
creed as a gui de t o be fol l owed i n deal i ng wi t h my
fel l ow-bei ngs:
"To t rai n mysel f so t hat never, under any
ci rcumst ances, wi l l I fi nd faul t wi t h any person, no
mat t er how much I may di sagree wi t h hi m or how
i nferi or hi s work may be, as l ong as I know he i s
si ncerel y t ryi ng t o do hi s best .
"To respect my count ry, my professi on and
mysel f. To be honest and fai r wi t h my fel l ow men, as
I expect t hem t o be honest and fai r wi t h me. To be a
l oyal ci t i zen of my count ry. To speak of i t wi t h
prai se, and act al ways as a wort hy cust odi an of i t s
good name. To be a person whose name carri es wei ght
wherever i t goes.
"To base my expect at i ons of reward on a sol i d
foundat i on of servi ce rendered. To be wi l l i ng t o pay
t he pri ce of success i n honest effort . To l ook upon my
work as an opport uni t y t o be sei zed wi t h j oy and made
- 45 -



IT is a peculiar trait of
human nature, but it is true,
that the most successful
men will work harder for
the sake of rendering useful
service than they will for
money alone.




- 46 -
t he most of, and not as a pai nful drudgery t o be
rel uct ant l y endured.
"To remember t hat success l i es wi t hi n mysel f - i n
my own brai n. To expect di ffi cul t i es and t o force my
way t hrough t hem.
"To avoi d procrast i nat i on i n al l i t s forms, and
never, under any ci rcumst ances, put off unt i l
t omorrow any dut y t hat shoul d be performed t oday.
"Fi nal l y, t o t ake a good gri p on t he j oys of l i fe,
so I may be court eous t o men, fai t hful t o fri ends, t rue
t o God - a fragrance i n t he pat h I t read. "

The energy whi ch most peopl e di ssi pat e t hrough
l ack of sel f -cont rol woul d, i f organi zed and used
const ruct i vel y, bri ng al l t he necessi t i es and al l t he
l uxuri es desi red.
The t i me whi ch many peopl e devot e t o
"gossi pi ng" about ot hers woul d, i f cont rol l ed and
di rect ed const ruct i vel y, be suffi ci ent t o at t ai n t he
obj ect of t hei r def i ni t e chi ef ai m (i f t hey had such an
ai m).
Al l successful peopl e grade hi gh on sel f -cont rol !
Al l "fai l ures" grade l ow, general l y zero, on t hi s
i mport ant l aw of human conduct .
St udy t he comparat i ve anal ysi s chart i n t he
Int roduct ory Lesson, and observe t he sel f -cont rol
gradi ngs of Jesse James and Napol eon.
St udy t hose around you and observe, wi t h profi t ,
t hat al l t he successful ones exerci se sel f -cont rol ,
whi l e t he "fai l ures" permi t t hei r THOUGHTS,
WORDS and DEEDS t o run wi l d!
One very common and very dest ruct i ve form of
l ack of sel f -cont rol i s t he habi t of t al ki ng t oo much.
Peopl e of wi sdom, who know what t hey want and are
- 47 -
bent on get t i ng i t , guard t hei r conversat i on careful l y.
There can be no gai n from a vol ume of uni nvi t ed,
uncont rol l ed, l oosel y spoken words.
It i s nearl y al ways more profi t abl e t o l i st en t han
i t i s t o speak. A good l i st ener may, once i n a great
whi l e, hear somet hi ng t hat wi l l add t o hi s st ock of
knowl edge. It requi res sel f -cont rol t o become a good
l i st ener, but t he benefi t s t o be gai ned are wort h t he
effort .
"Taki ng t he conversat i on away from anot her
person" i s a common form of l ack of sel f -cont rol
whi ch i s not onl y di scourt eous, but i t depri ves t hose
who do i t of many val uabl e opport uni t i es t o l earn
from ot hers.
Aft er compl et i ng t hi s l esson you shoul d go back
t o t he sel f-anal ysi s chart , i n t he Int roduct ory Lesson,
and re-grade yoursel f on t he Law of Sel f-cont rol .
Perhaps you may wi sh t o reduce your former gradi ng
somewhat .
Sel f -cont rol was one of t he marked charact eri st i cs
of al l successful l eaders whom I have anal yzed, i n
gat heri ng mat eri al for t hi s course. Lut her Burbank
sai d t hat , i n hi s opi ni on, sel f -cont rol was t he most
i mport ant of t he Fi ft een Laws of Success. Duri ng al l
hi s years of pat i ent st udy and observat i on of t he
evol ut i onary processes of veget abl e l i fe he found i t
necessary t o exerci se t he facul t y of sel f -cont rol ,
despi t e t he fact t hat he was deal i ng wi t h i nani mat e
l i fe.
John Burroughs, t he nat ural i st , sai d pract i cal l y
t he same t hi ng; t hat sel f -cont rol st ood near t he head
of t he l i st , i n i mport ance, of t he Fi ft een Laws of
Success.
The man who exerci ses compl et e sel f -cont rol
cannot be permanent l y defeat ed, as Emerson has so
- 48 -
wel l st at ed i n hi s essay on Compensat i on, for t he
reason t hat obst acl es and opposi t i on have a way of
mel t i ng away when confront ed by t he det ermi ned mi nd
t hat i s gui ded t o a defi ni t e end wi t h compl et e sel f -
cont rol .
Every weal t hy man whom I have anal yzed
(referri ng t o t hose who have become weal t hy t hrough
t hei r own effort s) showed such posi t i ve evi dence t hat
sel f -cont rol had been one of hi s st rong poi nt s t hat I
reached t he concl usi on t hat no man can hope t o
accumul at e great weal t h and keep i t wi t hout
exerci si ng t hi s necessary qual i t y.
The savi ng of money requi res t he exerci se of sel f -
cont rol of t he hi ghest order, as, I hope, has been made
qui t e cl ear i n t he fourt h l esson of t hi s course.
I am i ndebt ed t o Edward W. Bok for t he
fol l owi ng rat her col orful descri pt i on of t he ext ent t o
whi ch he found i t necessary t o exerci se sel f -cont rol
before he achi eved success and was crowned wi t h
fame as one of t he great j ournal i st s of Ameri ca:

WHY I BELIEVE IN POVERTY AS THE RICHEST
EXPERIENCE THAT CAN COME TO A BOY

I make my l i vi ng t ryi ng t o edi t t he Ladi es' Home
Journal . And because t he publ i c has been most
generous i n i t s accept ance of t hat peri odi cal , a share
of t hat success has l ogi cal l y come t o me. Hence a
number of my very good readers cheri sh an opi ni on
t hat oft en I have been t empt ed t o correct , a t empt at i on
t o whi ch I now yi el d. My correspondent s express t he
convi ct i on vari ousl y, but t hi s ext ract from a l et t er i s a
fai r sampl e:
"It i s al l very easy for you t o preach economy t o
- 49 -
us when you do not know t he necessi t y for i t : To t el l
us how, as for exampl e i n my own case, we must l i ve
wi t hi n my husband' s i ncome of ei ght hundred dol l ars a
year, when you have never known what i t i s t o l i ve on
l ess t han t housands. Has i t occurred t o you, born wi t h
t he proverbi al si l ver spoon i n your mout h, t hat
t heoret i cal wri t i ng i s pret t y col d and fut i l e compared
t o t he act ual hand-t o-mout h st ruggl e t hat so many of
us l i ve, day by day and year i n and year out - an
experi ence t hat you know not of?"
"An experi ence t hat you know not of!"
Now, how far do t he fact s square wi t h t hi s
st at ement ?
Whet her or not I was born wi t h t he proverbi al
si l ver spoon i n my mout h, I cannot say. It i s t rue t hat
I was born of wel l -t o-do parent s. But when I was si x
years ol d my fat her l ost al l hi s means, and faced l i fe
at fort y-fi ve, i n a st range count ry, wi t hout even
necessari es. There are men and t hei r wi ves who know
what t hat means; for a man t o t ry t o "come back" at
fort y-fi ve, and i n a st range count ry!
I had t he handi cap of not knowi ng one word of
t he Engl i sh l anguage. I went t o a publ i c school and
l earned what I coul d. And sparse morsel s t hey were!
The boys were cruel , as boys are. The t eachers were
i mpat i ent , as t i red t eachers are.
My fat her coul d not fi nd hi s pl ace i n t he worl d.
My mot her who had al ways had servant s at her beck
and cal l , faced t he probl ems of housekeepi ng t hat she
had never l earned nor been t aught . And t here was no
money.
So, aft er school hours, my brot her and I went
home, but not t o pl ay. Aft er-school hours meant for us
- 50 -
t o hel p a mot her who dai l y grew more frai l under t he
burdens t hat she coul d not carry. Not for days, but for
years, we t wo boys got up i n t he gray col d wi nt er
dawn when t he beds feel so warm t o growi ng boys,
and we si ft ed t he coal ashes of t he day-before' s fi re
for a st ray l ump or t wo of unburned coal , and wi t h
what we had or coul d fi nd we made t he fi re and
warmed up t he room. Then we set t he t abl e for t he
scant breakfast , went t o school , and di rect l y aft er
school we washed t he di shes, swept and scrubbed t he
fl oors. Li vi ng i n a t hree-fami l y t enement , each t hi rd
week meant t hat we scrubbed t he ent i re t hree fl i ght s
of st ai rs from t he t hi rd st ory t o t he fi rst , as wel l as t he
doorst eps and t he si dewal k out si de. The l at t er work
was t he hardest ; for we di d i t on Sat urdays, wi t h t he
boys of t he nei ghborhood l ooki ng on none t oo ki ndl y,
so we di d i t t o t he echo of t he crack of t he bal l and
bat on t he adj oi ni ng l ot !
In t he eveni ng when t he ot her boys coul d si t by
t he l amp or st udy t hei r l essons, we t wo boys went out
wi t h a basket and pi cked up wood and coal i n t he
adj oi ni ng l ot s, or went aft er t he dozen or so pi eces of
coal l eft from t he t on of coal put i n t hat aft ernoon by
one of t he nei ghbors, wi t h t he spot hungri l y fi xed i n
mi nd by one of us duri ng t he day, hopi ng t hat t he man
who carri ed i n t he coal might not be t oo careful i n
pi cki ng up t he st ray l umps!
"An experi ence t hat you know not of!" Don' t I?
At t en years of age I got my fi rst j ob, washi ng t he
wi ndows of a baker' s shop at fi ft y cent s a week. In a
week or t wo I was al l owed t o sel l bread and cakes
behi nd t he count er aft er school hours for a dol l ar a
week - handi ng out freshl y baked cakes and warm, de-
- 51 -

OUR DOUBTS ARE
TRAITORS AND
MAKE US LOSE THE
GOOD WE OFT
MIGHT WIN BY
FEARING TO
ATTEMPT.
-Shakespeare.


- 52 -
l i ci ous-smel l i ng bread, when scarcel y a crumb had
passed my mout h t hat day!
Then on Sat urday morni ngs I served a rout e for a
weekl y paper, and sol d my remai ni ng st ock on t he
st reet . It meant from si xt y t o sevent y cent s for t hat
day' s work.
I l i ved i n Brookl yn, New York, and t he chi ef
means of t ransport at i on t o Coney Isl and at t hat t i me
was t he horse car. Near where we l i ved t he cars woul d
st op t o wat er t he horses, t he men woul d j ump out and
get a dri nk of wat er, but t he women had no means of
quenchi ng t hei r t hi rst . Seei ng t hi s l ack I got a pai l ,
fi l l ed i t wi t h wat er and a bi t of i ce, and, wi t h a gl ass,
j umped on each car on Sat urday aft ernoon and al l day
Sunday, and sol d my wares at a cent a gl ass. And
when compet i t i on came, as i t di d very qui ckl y when
ot her boys saw t hat a Sunday' s work meant t wo or
t hree dol l ars, I squeezed a l emon or t wo i n my pai l ,
my l i qui d became "l emonade" and my pri ce t wo cent s
a gl ass, and Sunday meant fi ve dol l ars t o me.
Then, i n t urn, I became a report er duri ng t he
eveni ngs, an offi ce boy day-t i mes, and l earned
st enography at mi dni ght .
My correspondent says she support s her fami l y of
husband and chi l d on ei ght hundred dol l ars a year, and
says I have never known what t hat means. I support ed
a fami l y of t hree on si x dol l ars and t went y-fi ve cent s
a week-l ess t han one-hal f of her yearl y i ncome. When
my brot her and I, combi ned, brought i n ei ght hundred
dol l ars a year we fel t ri ch!
I have for t he fi rst t i me gone i nt o t hese det ai l s i n
pri nt so t hat you may' know, at fi rst hand, t hat t he
edi t or of t he Ladi es' Home j ournal i s not a t heori st
- 53 -
when he wri t es or pri nt s art i cl es t hat seek t o preach
economy or t hat refl ect a hand-t o-hand st ruggl e on a
smal l or an i nvi si bl e i ncome. There i s not a si ngl e
st ep, not an i nch, on t he road of di rect povert y t hat I
do not know of or have not experi enced. And, havi ng
experi enced every t hought , every feel i ng and every
hardshi p t hat come t o t hose who t ravel t hat road, I say
t oday t hat I rej oi ce wi t h every boy who i s goi ng
t hrough t he same experi ence.
Nor am I di scount i ng or forget t i ng one si ngl e
pang of t he keen hardshi ps t hat such a st ruggl e means.
I woul d not t oday exchange my years of t he keenest
hardshi p t hat a boy can know or pass t hrough for any
si ngl e experi ence t hat coul d have come t o me. I know
what i t means t o earn - not a dol l ar, but t o earn t wo
cent s. I know t he val ue of money as I coul d have
l earned i t or known i t i n no ot her way. I coul d have
been t rai ned for my l i fe-work i n no surer way. I coul d
not have arri ved at a t ruer underst andi ng of what i t
means t o face a day wi t hout a penny i n hand, not a
l oaf of bread i n t he cupboard, not a pi ece of ki ndl i ng
wood for t he fi re - wi t h not hi ng t o eat , and t hen be a
boy wi t h t he hunger of ni ne and t en, wi t h a mot her
frai l and di scouraged!
"An experi ence t hat you know not of!" Don' t I?
And yet I rej oi ce i n t he experi ence, and I repeat :
I envy every boy who i s i n t hat condi t i on and goi ng
t hrough i t . But - and here i s t he pi vot of my st rong
bel i ef i n povert y as an undi sgui sed bl essi ng t o a boy -
I bel i eve i n povert y as a condi t i on t o experi ence, t o go
t hrough, and t hen t o get out of : not as a condi t i on t o
st ay i n. "That ' s al l very wel l , " some wi l l say; "easy
enough t o say, but how can you get out of i t ?" No one
- 54 -
can defi ni t el y t el l anot her t hat . No one t ol d me. No
t wo persons can fi nd t he same way out . Each must
fi nd hi s way for hi msel f. That depends on t he boy. I
was det ermi ned t o get out of povert y, because my
mot her was not born i n i t , coul d not st and i t and di d
not bel ong i n i t . Thi s gave me t he fi rst essent i al : a
purpose. Then I backed up t he purpose wi t h effort and
wi l l i ngness t o work and t o work at anyt hi ng t hat came
my way, no mat t er what i t was, so l ong as i t meant
"t he way out . " I di d not pi ck and choose; I t ook what
came and di d i t i n t he best way I knew how; and when
I di dn' t l i ke what I was doi ng I st i l l di d i t wel l whi l e I
was doi ng i t , but I saw t o i t t hat I di dn' t do i t any
l onger t han I had t o do i t . I used every rung i n t he
l adder as a rung t o t he one above. It meant effort , but
out of t he effort and t he work came t he experi ence;
t he upbui l di ng, t he devel opment ; t he capaci t y t o
underst and and sympat hi ze; t he great est heri t age t hat
can come t o a boy. And not hi ng i n t he worl d can gi ve
t hat t o a boy, so t hat i t wi l l burn i nt o hi m, as wi l l
povert y.
That i s why I bel i eve so st rongl y i n povert y, t he
great est bl essi ng i n t he way of t he deepest and ful l est
experi ence t hat can come t o a boy. But , as I repeat :
al ways as a condi t i on t o work out of, not t o st ay i n.

Before you can devel op t he habi t of perfect sel f -
cont rol you must underst and t he real need for t hi s
qual i t y. Al so, you must underst and t he advant ages
whi ch sel f -cont rol provi des t hose who have l earned
how t o exerci se i t .
By devel opi ng sel f -cont rol you devel op, al so,
ot her qual i t i es t hat wi l l add t o your personal power.
- 55 -
Among ot her l aws whi ch are avai l abl e t o t he person
who exerci ses sel f -cont rol i s t he Law of Ret al i at i on.
You know what "ret al i at e" means!
In t he sense t hat we are usi ng here i t means t o
"ret urn l i ke for l i ke, " and not merel y t o avenge or t o
seek revenge, as i s commonl y meant by t he use of t hi s
word.
If I do you an i nj ury you ret al i at e at fi rst
opport uni t y. If I say unj ust t hi ngs about you, you wi l l
ret al i at e i n ki nd, even i n great er measure!
On t he ot her hand, i f I do you a favor you wi l l
reci procat e even i n great er measure i f possi bl e.
Through t he proper use of t hi s l aw I can get you
t o do what ever I wi sh you t o do. If I wi sh you t o
di sl i ke me and t o l end your i nfl uence t oward
damagi ng me, I can accompl i sh t hi s resul t by
i nfl i ct i ng upon you t he sort of t reat ment t hat I want
you t o i nfl i ct upon me t hrough ret al i at i on.
If I wi sh your respect , your fri endshi p and your
co-operat i on I can get t hese by ext endi ng t o you my
fri endshi p and co-operat i on.
On t hese st at ement s I know t hat we are t oget her.
You can compare t hese st at ement s wi t h your own
experi ence and you wi l l see how beaut i ful l y t hey
harmoni ze.
How oft en have you heard t he remark, "What a
wonderful personal i t y t hat person has. " How oft en
have you met peopl e whose personal i t i es you covet ed?
The man who at t ract s you t o hi m t hrough hi s
pl easi ng personal i t y i s merel y maki ng use of t he Law
of Harmoni ous At t ract i on, or t he Law of Ret al i at i on,
bot h of whi ch, when anal yzed, mean t hat "l i ke at t ract s
l i ke. "
- 56 -
If you wi l l st udy, underst and and make i nt el l i gent
use of t he Law of Ret al i at i on you wi l l be an effi ci ent
and successful sal esman. When you have mast ered t hi s
si mpl e l aw and l earned how t o use i t you wi l l have
l earned al l t hat can be l earned about sal esmanshi p.
The fi rst and probabl y t he most i mport ant st ep t o
be t aken i n mast eri ng t hi s l aw i s t o cul t i vat e compl et e
sel f -cont rol . You must l earn t o t ake al l sort s of
puni shment and abuse wi t hout ret al i at i ng i n ki nd. Thi s
sel f-cont rol i s a part of t he pri ce you must pay for
mast ery of t he Law of Ret al i at i on.
When an angry person st art s i n t o vi l i fy and abuse
you, j ust l y or unj ust l y, j ust remember t hat i f you
ret al i at e i n a l i ke manner you are bei ng drawn down t o
t hat person' s ment al l evel , t herefore t hat person i s
domi nat i ng you!
On t he ot her hand, i f you refuse t o become angry,
i f you ret ai n your sel f-composure and remai n cal m and
serene you ret ai n al l your ordi nary facul t i es t hrough
whi ch t o reason. You t ake t he ot her fel l ow by
surpri se. You ret al i at e wi t h a weapon wi t h t he use of
whi ch he i s unfami l i ar, consequent l y you easi l y
domi nat e hi m.
Li ke at t ract s l i ke! There' s no denyi ng t hi s!
Li t eral l y speaki ng, every person wi t h whom you
come i n cont act i s a ment al l ooki ng-gl ass i n whi ch
you may see a perfect refl ect i on of your own ment al
at t i t ude.
As an exampl e of di rect appl i cat i on of t he Law of
Ret al i at i on, l et us ci t e an experi ence t hat I recent l y
had wi t h my t wo smal l boys, Napol eon Juni or and
James.
- 57 -




IT is well worth remembering
that the customer is the most
important factor in any
business. If you don' t think so,
try to get along without him
for a while.




- 58 -
We were on our way t o t he park t o feed t he bi rds
and squi rrel s. Napol eon j uni or had bought a bag of
peanut s and James had bought a box of "Crackerj ack. "
James t ook a not i on t o sampl e t he peanut s. Wi t hout
aski ng permi ssi on he reached over and made a grab
for t he bag. He mi ssed and Napol eon j uni or
"ret al i at ed" wi t h hi s l eft fi st whi ch l anded rat her
bri skl y on James' j aw.
I sai d t o James: "Now, see here, son, you di dn' t
go about get t i ng t hose peanut s i n t he ri ght manner.
Let me show you how t o get t hem. " It al l happened so
qui ckl y t hat I hadn' t t he sl i ght est i dea when I spoke
what I was goi ng t o suggest t o James, but I sparred for
t i me t o anal yze t he occurrence and work out a bet t er
way, i f possi bl e, t han t hat adopt ed by hi m.
Then I t hought of t he experi ment s we had been
maki ng i n connect i on wi t h t he Law of Ret al i at i on, so I
sai d t o James: "Open your box of `Crackerj ack' and
offer your l i t t l e brot her some and see what happens. "
Aft er consi derabl e coaxi ng I persuaded hi m t o do t hi s.
Then a remarkabl e t hi ng happened - a happeni ng out
of whi ch I l earned my great est l esson i n sal esmanshi p!
Bef ore Napol eon woul d t ouch t he "Crackerj ack" he
i nsi st ed on pouri ng some of hi s peanut s i nt o l ames'
overcoat pocket . He "ret al i at ed i n ki nd!" Out of t hi s
si mpl e experi ment wi t h t wo smal l boys I l earned more
about t he art of managi ng t hem t han I coul d have
l earned i n any ot her manner. Inci dent al l y, my boys are
begi nni ng t o l earn how t o mani pul at e t hi s Law of
Ret al i at i on whi ch saves t hem many a physi cal combat .
None of us have advanced far beyond Napol eon
Juni or and James as far as t he operat i on and i nfl uence
- 59 -
of t he Law of Ret al i at i on i s concerned. We are al l j ust
grown-up chi l dren and easi l y i nfl uenced t hrough t hi s
pri nci pl e. The habi t of "ret al i at i ng i n ki nd" i s so
uni versal l y pract i ced among us t hat we can properl y
cal l t hi s habi t t he Law of Ret al i at i on. If a person
present s us wi t h a gi ft we never feel sat i sfi ed unt i l we
have "ret al i at ed" wi t h somet hi ng as good or bet t er
t han t hat whi ch we recei ved. If a person speaks wel l
of us we i ncrease our admi rat i on for t hat person, and
we "ret al i at e" i n ret urn!
Through t he pri nci pl e of ret al i at i on we can
act ual l y convert our enemi es i nt o l oyal fri ends. If you
have an enemy whom you wi sh t o convert i nt o a fri end
you can prove t he t rut h of t hi s st at ement i f you wi l l
forget t hat dangerous mi l l st one hangi ng around your
neck, whi ch we cal l "pri de" (st ubbornness). Make a
habi t of speaki ng t o t hi s enemy wi t h unusual
cordi al i t y. Go out of your way t o favor hi m i n every
manner possi bl e. He may seem i mmovabl e at fi rst , but
gradual l y he wi l l gi ve way t o your i nfl uence and
"ret al i at e i n ki nd!" The hot t est coal s of fi re ever
heaped upon t he head of one who has wronged you are
t he coal s of human ki ndness.
One morni ng i n August , 1863, a young cl ergyman
was cal l ed out of bed i n a hot el at Lawrence, Kansas.
The man who cal l ed hi m was one of Quant rel l ' s
guerri l l as, and he want ed hi m t o hurry downst ai rs and
be shot . Al l over t he border t hat morni ng peopl e were
bei ng murdered. A band of rai ders had ri dden i n earl y
t o perpet rat e t he Lawrence massacre.
The guerri l l a who cal l ed t he cl ergyman was
i mpat i ent . The l at t er, when ful l y awake, was horri fi ed
by what he saw goi ng on t hrough hi s wi ndow. As he
- 60 -
came downst ai rs t he guerri l l a demanded hi s wat ch and
money, and t hen want ed t o know i f he was an
abol i t i oni st . The cl ergyman was t rembl i ng. But he
deci ded t hat i f he was t o di e t hen and t here i t woul d
not be wi t h a l i e on hi s l i ps. So he sai d t hat he was,
and fol l owed up t he admi ssi on wi t h a remark t hat
i mmedi at el y t urned t he whol e affai r i nt o anot her
channel .
He and t he guerri l l a sat down on t he porch, whi l e
peopl e were bei ng ki l l ed t hrough t he t own, and had a
l ong t al k. It l ast ed unt i l t he rai ders were ready t o
l eave. When t he cl ergyman' s guerri l l a mount ed t o j oi n
hi s confederat es he was st ri ct l y on t he defensi ve. He
handed back t he New Engl ander' s val uabl es,
apol ogi zed for di st urbi ng hi m and asked t o be t hought
wel l of.
That cl ergyman l i ved many years aft er t he
Lawrence massacre. What di d he say t o t he guerri l l a?
What was t here i n hi s personal i t y t hat l ed t he l at t er t o
si t down and t al k? What di d t hey t al k about ?
"Are you a Yankee abol i t i oni st ?" t he guerri l l a had
asked. "Yes, I am, " was t he repl y, "and you know very
wel l t hat you ought t o be ashamed of what you' re
doi ng"
Thi s drew t he mat t er di rect l y t o a moral i ssue. It
brought t he guerri l l a up roundl y. The cl ergyman was
onl y a st ri pl i ng besi de t hi s seasoned border ruffi an.
But he t hrew a burden of moral proof on t o t he rai der,
and i n a moment t he l at t er was t ryi ng t o demonst rat e
t hat he mi ght be a bet t er fel l ow t han ci rcumst ances
woul d seem t o i ndi cat e.
Aft er waki ng t hi s New Engl ander t o ki l l hi m on
account of hi s pol i t i cs, he spent t went y mi nut es on t he
wi t ness st and t ryi ng t o prove an al i bi . He went i nt o
- 61 -
hi s personal hi st ory at l engt h. He expl ai ned mat t ers
from t he t i me when he had been a t ough l i t t l e ki d who
woul dn' t say hi s prayers, and became qui t e
sent i ment al i n recal l i ng how one t hi ng had l ed t o
anot her, and t hat t o somet hi ng worse, unt i l - wel l ,
here he was, and "a mi ght y bad busi ness t o be i n,
pardner. " Hi s l ast request i n ri di ng away was: "Now,
pardner, don' t t hi nk t oo hard of me, wi l l you?"
The New Engl and cl ergyman made use of t he Law
of Ret al i at i on, whet her he knew i t at t hat t i me or not .
Imagi ne what woul d have happened had he come
downst ai rs wi t h a revol ver i n hi s hand and st art ed t o
meet physi cal force wi t h physi cal force!
But he di dn' t do t hi s! He mast ered t he guerri l l a
because he fought hi m wi t h a force t hat was unknown
t o t he bri gand.
Why i s i t t hat when once a man begi ns t o make
money t he whol e worl d seems t o beat a pat hway t o hi s
door?
Take any person t hat you know who enj oys
fi nanci al success and he wi l l t el l you t hat he i s bei ng
const ant l y sought , and t hat opport uni t i es t o make
money are const ant l y bei ng urged upon hi m!
"To hi m t hat hat h shal l be gi ven, but t o hi m t hat
hat h not shal l be t aken away even t hat whi ch he bat h"
Thi s quot at i on from t he Bi bl e used t o seem
ri di cul ous t o me, yet how t rue i t i s when reduced t o
i t s concret e meani ng.
Yes, "t o hi m t hat hat h shal l be gi ven!" If he
"hat h" fai l ure, l ack of sel f-confi dence, hat red or l ack
of sel f -cont rol , t o hi m shal l t hese qual i t i es be gi ven i n
st i l l great er abundance! But , i f he "hat h" success,
sel f-confi dence, sel f -cont rol , pat i ence, persi st ence and
- 62 -
det ermi nat i on, t o hi m shal l t hese qual i t i es be
i ncreased!
Somet i mes i t may be necessary t o meet force wi t h
force unt i l we overpower our opponent or adversary,
but whi l e he i s down i s a spl endi d t i me t o compl et e
t he "ret al i at i on" by t aki ng hi m by t he hand and
showi ng hi m a bet t er way t o set t l e di sput es.
Li ke at t ract s l i ke! Germany sought t o bat he her
sword i n human bl ood, i n a rut hl ess escapade of
conquest . As a resul t she has drawn t he "ret al i at i on i n
ki nd" of most of t he ci vi l i zed worl d.
It i s for you t o deci de what you want your fel l ow
men t o do and i t i s f or you t o get t hem t o do i t t hrough
t he Law of Ret al i at i on!
"The Di vi ne Economy i s aut omat i c and very
si mpl e: we recei ve onl y t hat whi ch we gi ve. "
How t rue i t i s t hat "we recei ve onl y t hat whi ch we
gi ve"! It i s not t hat whi ch we wi sh for t hat comes
back t o us, but t hat whi ch we gi ve.
I i mpl ore you t o make use of t hi s l aw, not al one
for mat eri al gai n, but , bet t er st i l l , for t he at t ai nment
of happi ness and good-wi l l t oward men.
Thi s, aft er al l , i s t he onl y real success for whi ch
t o st ri ve.

SUMMARY

In t hi s l esson we have l earned a great pri nci pl e -
probabl y t he most i mport ant maj or pri nci pl e of
psychol ogy! We have l earned t hat our t hought s and
act i ons t oward ot hers resembl e an el ect ri c magnet
whi ch at t ract s t o us t he same sort of t hought and t he
same sort of act i on t hat we, oursel ves, creat e.
We have l earned t hat "l i ke at t ract s l i ke, " whet her
i n t hought or i n expressi on of t hought t hrough bodi l y
- 63 -


A GOOD HEARTY
LAUGH IS WORTH
TEN THOUSAND
"GROANS" AND A
MILLION "SIGHS" IN
ANY MARKET ON
EARTH.

- 64 -
act i on. We have l earned t hat t he human mi nd
responds, i n ki nd, t o what ever t hought i mpressi ons i t
recei ves. We have l earned t hat t he human mi nd
resembl es mot her eart h i n t hat i t wi l l reproduce a crop
of muscul ar act i on whi ch corresponds, i n ki nd, t o t he
sensory i mpressi ons pl ant ed i n i t . We have l earned
t hat ki ndness beget s ki ndness and unki ndness and
i nj ust i ce beget unki ndness and i nj ust i ce.
We have l earned t hat our act i ons t oward ot hers,
whet her of ki ndness or unki ndness, j ust i ce or
i nj ust i ce, come back t o us, even i n a l arger measure!
We have l earned t hat t he human mi nd responds i n
ki nd, t o al l sensory i mpressi ons i t recei ves, t herefore
we know what we must do t o i nfl uence any desi red
act i on upon t he part of anot her. We have l earned t hat
"pri de" and "st ubbornness" must be brushed away
before we can make use of t he Law of Ret al i at i on i n a
const ruct i ve way. We have not l earned what t he Law
of Ret al i at i on i s, but we have l earned how i t works
and what i t wi l l do; t herefore, i t onl y remai ns for us
t o make i nt el l i gent use of t hi s great pri nci pl e.

You are now ready t o proceed wi t h Lesson Ni ne,
where you wi l l fi nd ot her l aws whi ch harmoni ze
perfect l y wi t h t hose descri bed i n t hi s l esson on Sel f-
cont rol .
It wi l l requi re t he st rongest sort of sel f -cont rol t o
enabl e t he begi nner t o appl y t he maj or l aw of t he next
l esson, on t he Habi t of Doi ng More Than Pai d For, but
experi ence wi l l show t hat t he devel opment of such
cont rol i s more t han j ust i fi ed by t he resul t s growi ng
out of such di sci pl i ne.
- 65 -

IF you are successful
remember that somewhere,
sometime, someone gave
you a lift or an idea that
started you in the right
direction. Remember, also,
that you are indebted to life
until you help some less
fortunate person, just as
you were helped.

- 66 -
THE EVOLUTION OF
TRANSPORTATION

An Af t er- t he- Lesson Vi si t Wi t h t he Aut hor



Not hi ng i s permanent except change. Li f e
resembl es a great kal ei doscope bef ore whi ch Ti me
i s ever shi f t i ng, changi ng and rearrangi ng bot h
t he st age set t i ng and t he pl ayers. New f ri ends are
const ant l y repl aci ng t he ol d. Everyt hi ng i s i n a
st at e of f l ux. In every heart i s t he seed of bot h
rascal i t y and j ust i ce. Every human bei ng i s bot h a
cri mi nal and a sai nt , dependi ng upon t he
expedi ency of t he moment as t o whi ch wi l l assert
i t sel f . Honest y and di shonest y are l argel y mat t ers
of i ndi vi dual vi ewpoi nt . The weak and t he st rong,
t he ri ch and t he poor, t he i gnorant and t he wel l -
i nf ormed are exchangi ng pl aces cont i nuousl y.
Know YOURSELF and you know t he ent i re
human race. There i s but one real achi evement ,
and t hat i s t he abi l i t y t o THINK ACCURATELY.
We move wi t h t he processi on, or behi nd i t , but we
cannot st and st i l l .

NOTHING i s permanent except change!
In t he pi ct ure above you see proof t hat t he l aw of
evol ut i on i s worki ng out i mprovement s i n t he met hods
- 67 -
met hods of t ravel . Remember, as you st udy t hi s
pi ct ure, t hat al l t hese changes t ook pl ace fi rst i n t he
mi nds of men.
At t he ext reme l eft you see t he fi rst crude met hod
of t ransport at i on. Man was not sat i sf i ed wi t h t hi s sl ow
process. Those t wo l i t t l e words "not sat i sfi ed, " have
been t he st art i ng poi nt of al l advancement . Thi nk of
t hem as you read t hi s art i cl e.
Next , i n t he pi ct ure, you see t he hi st ory of
t ransport at i on st ep by st ep, as man' s brai n began t o
expand. It was a l ong st ep forward when man
di scovered how t o hi t ch a bul l ock t o a wagon and
t hereby escape t he t oi l of pul l i ng t he l oad. That was
pract i cal ut i l i t y. But , when t he st age-coach was
ushered i nt o use t hat was bot h ut i l i t y and st yl e. St i l l
man was "not sat i sfi ed" and t hi s di ssat i sfact i on
creat ed t he crude l ocomot i ve t hat you see i n t he
pi ct ure.
Now al l t hese met hods of t ravel have been
di scarded except i n cert ai n unci vi l i zed (or
uncommerci al i zed) part s of t he worl d. The man
drawi ng t he cart , t he bul l ock drawi ng t he cart , t he
st age-coach and t he crude l ocomot i ve al l bel ong t o
ages t hat have passed.
At t he ri ght you see t he t ransport at i on met hods of
t he present . Compare t hem wi t h t hose of t he past and
you may have a fai r i dea of t he enormous expansi on
t hat has t aken pl ace i n t he brai n and mi nd of man.
Man now moves about more rapi dl y t han i n t he past .
From t he fi rst t ype of l ocomot i ve t here has been
evol ved a powerful machi ne capabl e of haul i ng a
hundred cars of frei ght , compared wi t h t he one smal l
l i ght car t hat coul d be drawn wi t h t he ori gi nal .
Aut omobi l es t hat t ravel at t he speed of sevent y-fi ve
- 68 -
mi l es an hour are now as common as were t he t wo-
wheel cart s i n ages past . Moreover, t hey are wi t hi n t he
means of al l who want t hem.
And st i l l man' s mi nd was "not sat i sfi ed. " Travel
on t he eart h was t oo sl ow. Turni ng hi s eyes upward he
wat ched t he bi rds soari ng hi gh i n t he el ement s and
became "DETERMINED" t o excel t hem. St udy, al so,
t he word "det ermi ned, " for what ever man becomes
det ermi ned t o do man does! Wi t hi n t he bri ef peri od of
fi ft een years man has mast ered t he ai r and now t ravel s
i n t he ai rpl ane at t he rat e of a hundred and fi ft y mi l es
an hour.
Not onl y has man made t he ai r carry hi m at
amazi ngl y rapi d speed, but he has harnessed t he et her
and made i t carry hi s words al l t he way around t he
eart h i n t he fract i onal part of a second.

We have been descri bi ng t he PAST and t he
PRESENT!
At t he bot t om of t he pi ct ure we may see t he next
st ep forward t hat man wi l l t ake i n met hods of t ravel ; a
machi ne t hat wi l l fl y i n t he ai r, run on t he ground and
swi m i n t he wat er, at t he di scret i on of man.
The purpose of t hi s essay and t he pi ct ure at t he
t op of t he page i s t o provi de food for THOUGHT!
Any i nfl uence t hat causes one t o t hi nk causes
one, al so, t o grow st ronger ment al l y. Mi nd st i mul ant s
are essent i al for growt h. From t he days of t he man-
drawn cart t o t he present days of ai r mast ery t he onl y
progress t hat any man has made has been t he resul t of
some i nfl uence t hat st i mulat ed hi s mi nd t o great er
t han normal act i on.
- 69 -
The t wo great maj or i nfl uences t hat cause t he
mi nd of man t o grow are t he urge of necessi t y and t he
urge of desi re t o creat e. Some mi nds devel op onl y
aft er t hey have undergone fai l ure and defeat and ot her
forms of puni shment whi ch arouse t hem t o great er
act i on. Ot her mi nds wi t her away and di e under
puni shment , but grow t o unbel i evabl e hei ght s when
provi ded wi t h t he opport uni t y t o use t hei r i magi nat i ve
forces i n a creat i ve way.
St udy t he pi ct ure of t he evol ut i on of
t ransport at i on and you wi l l observe one out st andi ng
fact wort h rememberi ng, namel y, t hat t he whol e st ory
has been one of devel opment and advancement t hat
grew out of necessi t y. The ent i re peri od descri bed i n
t he pi ct ure as "THE PAST" was one wherei n t he urge
was t hat of necessi t y.
In t he peri od descri bed i n t he pi ct ure above as
"THE PRESENT" t he urge has been a combi nat i on of
bot h necessi t y and t he desi re t o creat e. The peri od
descri bed as "THE FUTURE" wi l l be one i n whi ch t he
st rong desi re t o creat e wi l l be t he sol e urge t hat wi l l
dri ve man' s mi nd on and on t o hei ght s as yet
undreamed of.
It i s a l ong di st ance from t he days of t he man-
drawn cart t o t he present , when man has harnessed t he
l i ght ni ng of t he cl ouds and made i t t urn machi nery
t hat wi l l perform as much servi ce i n a mi nut e as t en
t housand men coul d perform i n a day. But , i f t he
di st ance has been l ong t he devel opment of man' s mi nd
has been correspondi ngl y great , and t hat devel opment
has been suffi ci ent t o event ual l y do t he work of t he
worl d wi t h machi nes operat ed by Nat ure' s forces and
not by man' s muscl es.
- 70 -
The evol ut i onary changes i n t he met hods of
t ransport at i on have creat ed ot her probl ems for man' s
mi nd t o sol ve. The aut omobi l e drove man t o bui l d
bet t er roads and more of t hem. The aut omobi l e and t he
speedy l ocomot i ve, combi ned, have creat ed dangerous
crossi ngs whi ch cl ai m t housands of l i ves annual l y.
Man' s mi nd must now respond t o t he urge of
"necessi t y" and meet t hi s emergency.
Keep t hi s essay and remember t hi s prophecy:
Wi t hi n fi ve years every rai l road crossi ng i n t he
count ry wi l l be ampl y prot ect ed agai nst aut omobi l e
acci dent s, and, t he aut omobi l e, i t sel f, wi l l mani pul at e
t he syst em t hat wi l l do t he prot ect i ng; a syst em t hat
wi l l be fool -proof and effect i ve; a syst em t hat wi l l
work whet her t he dri ver of t he aut omobi l e i s asl eep or
awake, drunk or sober.
Come, now, for a bri ef gl i mpse at t he machi nery
of t he i magi nat i on of man, as i t works under t he
st i mul ant of desi re t o creat e.
Some i magi nat i ve man; perhaps some fel l ow who
never di d anyt hi ng el se of not e and who wi l l never do
anyt hi ng wort h whi l e agai n; wi l l creat e a syst em of
rai l road crossi ng prot ect i on t hat wi l l be operat ed by
t he wei ght of t he passi ng aut omobi l e. Wi t hi n t he
requi red di st ance from t he crossi ng a pl at form si mi l ar
t o t he pl at form of a l arge frei ght scal e wi l l cover an
ent i re sect i on of t he roadway. As soon as an
aut omobi l e mount s t hi s pl at form t he wei ght of t he
machi ne wi l l l ower a gat e, ri ng a gong and fl ash a red
l i ght i n front of t he mot ori st . The gat e wi l l ri se i n one
mi nut e, al l owi ng t he mot ori st t o pass over t he t rack,
t hus forci ng hi m t o "st op, l ook and l i st en. "
If you have a hi ghl y i magi nat i ve mi nd YOU may
- 71 -
be t he one who wi l l creat e t hi s syst em and col l ect t he
royal t i es from i t s sal e.
To be pract i cal t he i magi nat i ve mi nd shoul d be al .
ways on t he al ert for ways and means of di vert i ng
wast e mot i on and power i nt o useful channel s. Most
aut omobi l es are far t oo heavy i n compari son wi t h t he
l oad t hey carry. Thi s wei ght can be ut i l i zed by maki ng
i t provi de t he mot ori st wi t h rai l road crossi ng
prot ect i on.
Remember, t he purpose of t hi s essay i s t o gi ve
you merel y t he seed of suggest i on; not t he fi ni shed
product of an i nvent i on ready t o set up and render
servi ce. The val ue t o you, of t hi s suggest i on, l i es i n
t he possi bi l i t y of THOUGHT t hat you may devot e t o
i t , t hereby devel opi ng and expandi ng your own mi nd.
St udy yoursel f and fi nd out t o whi ch of t he t wo
great maj or urges t o act i on your mi nd responds most
nat ural l y - t he urge of necessi t y or t he desi re t o
creat e. If you have chi l dren, st udy t hem and det ermi ne
t o whi ch of t hese t wo mot i ves t hey respond most
nat ural l y. Mi l l i ons of chi l dren have had t hei r
i magi nat i on dwarfed and ret arded by parent s who
removed as much as possi bl e of t he urge of necessi t y.
By "maki ng i t easy" for your chi l d you may be
depri vi ng t he worl d of a geni us. Bear i n mi nd t he fact
t hat most of t he progress t hat man has made came as
t he resul t of bi t t er, bi t i ng NECESSITY!

You need no proof t hat met hods of t ransport at i on
have undergone a cont i nuous process of evol ut i on. So
marked has t he change been t hat t he ol d one-l ung t ype
- 72 -
of aut omobi l e now provokes a l augh wherever i t i s
found on t he st reet .
The l aw of evol ut i on i s al ways and everywhere at
work, changi ng, t eari ng down and rebui l di ng every
mat eri al el ement on t hi s eart h and t hroughout t he
uni verse. Towns, ci t i es and communi t i es are
undergoi ng const ant change. Go back t o t he pl ace
where you l i ved t went y years ago and you wi l l
recogni ze nei t her t he pl ace nor t he peopl e. New faces
wi l l have made t hei r appearance. The ol d faces wi l l
have changed. New bui l di ngs wi l l have t aken t he pl ace
of t he ol d. Everyt hi ng wi l l appear di fferent l y because
everyt hi ng wi l l be di fferent .
The human mi nd i s al so undergoi ng const ant
change. If t hi s were not t rue we woul d never grow
beyond t he chi l d-mi nd age. Every seven years t he
mi nd of a normal person becomes not i ceabl y
devel oped and expanded. It i s duri ng t hese peri odi cal
changes of t he mi nd t hat bad habi t s may be l eft off
and bet t er habi t s cul t i vat ed. Fort unat e for t he human
bei ng t hat hi s mi nd i s undergoi ng a cont i nuous
process of orderl y change.
The mi nd t hat i s dri ven by t he urge of necessi t y,
or out of l ove t o creat e, devel ops more rapi dl y t han
does t he mi nd t hat i s never st i mul at ed t o great er
act i on t han t hat whi ch i s necessary for exi st ence.
The i magi nat i ve facul t y of t he human mi nd i s t he
great est pi ece of machi nery ever creat ed. Out of i t has
come every man-made machi ne and every manmade
obj ect .
Back of t he great i ndust ri es and rai l roads and
banki ng houses and commerci al ent erpri ses i s t he al l -
powerful force of IMAGINATION!
- 73 -
Force your mi nd t o THINK! Proceed by
combi ni ng ol d i deas i nt o new pl ans. Every great
i nvent i on and every out st andi ng busi ness or i ndust ri al
achi evement t hat you can name i s, i n fi nal anal ysi s,
but t he appl i cat i on of a combi nat i on of pl ans and
i deas t hat have been used before, i n some ot her
manner.
"Back of t he beat i ng hammer
By whi ch t he st eel i s wrought ,
Back of t he workshop' s cl amor
The seeker may fi nd t he Thought ;
The t hought t hat i s ever Mast er
Of i ron and st eam and st eel ,
That ri ses above di sast er
And t rampl es i t under heel .

"The drudge may fret and t i nker
Or l abor wi t h l ust y bl ows,
But back of hi m st ands t he Thi nker,
The cl ear-eyed man who knows;
For i nt o each pl ow or saber,
Each pi ece and part and whol e,
Must go t he brai ns of l abor,
Whi ch gi ves t he work a soul .

"Back of t he mot or' s hummi ng,
Back of t he bel l s t hat ri ng,
Back of t he hammer' s drummi ng,
Back of t he cranes t hat swi ng,
There i s t he Eye whi ch scans t hem,
Wat chi ng t hrough st ress and st rai n,
There i s t he Mi nd whi ch pl ans t hem
Back of t he brawn, t he Brai n.


- 74 -
"Mi ght of t he roari ng boi l er,
Force of t he engi ne' s t hrust ,
St rengt h of t he sweat i ng t oi l er,
Great l y i n t hese we t rust ;
But back of t hem st ands t he schemer,
The Thi nker who dri ves t hi ngs t hrough,
Back of t he j ob - t he Dreamer
Who' s maki ng t he dream come t rue. "

Si x mont hs or a year from now come back and
read t hi s essay agai n and you wi l l observe how much
more you wi l l get from i t t han you di d at fi rst readi ng.
TIME gi ves t he l aw of evol ut i on a chance t o expand
your mi nd so i t can see and underst and more.
- 75 -
- 76 -


I HAVE YET TO FIND
THE FIRST MAN WHO
AMOUNTED TO VERY
MUCH WHO HAD NOT
THE HABIT OF DOING
MORE COURAGE TO
ASSUME RESPON-
SIBILITY FOR HIS OWN
MISTAKES WITHOUT
BEING ACCUSED.

T
T
H
H
E
E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
U
U
C
C
C
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E
E
S
S
S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL









Pri nted i n the U. S. A.


- 2 -







Lesson Nine
HABIT OF DOING MORE
THAN PAID FOR



- 3 -



THERE are ten weaknesses
against which most of us
must guard ourselves. One
of these is the habit of
trying to reap before we
have sown, and the other
nine are all wrapped up in
the one practice of creating
alibis to cover every
mistake made.



- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Nine
HABIT OF DOING MORE THAN
PAID FOR



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

IT may seem t o be a depart ure from t he subj ect of t hi s
l esson t o st art t he l esson wi t h a di scussi on of l ove,
but , i f you wi l l re serve your opi ni on unt i l you have
compl et ed t he l esson, you may be ready t o agree t hat
t he subj ect of l ove coul d not have been omi t t ed
wi t hout i mpai ri ng t he val ue of t he l esson.
The word "l ove" i s here used i n an al l -embraci ng
sense!
There are many obj ect s, mot i ves and peopl e
whi ch arouse one' s l ove-nat ure. There i s some work
whi ch we do not l i ke, some t hat we do l i ke
moderat el y, and, under cert ai n condi t i ons, t here may
be work t hat we act ual l y LOVE!
Great art i st s, for exampl e, general l y l ove t hei r
work. The day l aborer, on t he ot her hand, usual l y not
onl y di sl i kes hi s work, but may act ual l y hat e i t .
Work whi ch one does merel y for t he sake of
earni ng a l i vi ng i s sel dom l i ked. More oft en i t i s
di sl i ked, or even hat ed.
- 5 -
When engaged i n work whi ch he l oves, a man may
l abor for an unbel i evabl y l ong peri od of hours wi t hout
becomi ng fat i gued. Work t hat a man di sl i kes or hat es
bri ngs on fat i gue very qui ckl y.
A man' s endurance, t herefore, depends very
l argel y on t he ext ent t o whi ch he l i kes, di sl i kes or
l oves t hat whi ch he i s doi ng.
We are here l ayi ng t he foundat i on, as you wi l l of
course observe, for t he st at ement of one of t he most
i mport ant l aws of t hi s phi l osophy, vi z. :
A man i s most ef f i ci ent and wi l l more qui ckl y and
easi l y succeed when engaged i n work t hat he l oves, or
work t hat he perf orms i n behal f o f some person whom
he l oves.
Whenever t he el ement of l ove ent ers i nt o any t ask
t hat one performs, t he qual i t y of t he work becomes
i mmedi at el y i mproved and t he quant i t y i ncreased,
wi t hout a correspondi ng i ncrease i n t he fat i gue caused
by t he work.
Some years ago a group of soci al i st s, or perhaps
t hey cal l ed t hemsel ves "co-operat ors, " organi zed a
col ony i n Loui si ana, purchased several hundred acres
of farm l and, and st art ed t o work out an i deal whi ch
t hey bel i eved woul d gi ve t hem great er happi ness i n
l i fe and fewer of t he worri es t hrough a syst em t hat
provi ded each person wi t h work at t he sort of l abor he
l i ked best .
Thei r i dea was t o pay no wages t o anyone. Each
person di d t he work he l i ked best , or t hat for whi ch he
mi ght be best equi pped, and t he product s of t hei r
combi ned l abors became t he propert y of al l . They had
t hei r own dai ry, t hei r own bri ck-maki ng pl ant , t hei r
own cat t l e, poul t ry, et c. They had t hei r own school s
- 6 -
and a pri nt i ng pl ant t hrough whi ch t hey publ i shed a
paper
A Swedi sh gent l eman from Mi nnesot a j oi ned t he
col ony, and at hi s own request he was pl aced at work
i n t he pri nt i ng pl ant . Very soon he compl ai ned t hat he
di d not l i ke t he work, so he was changed and put t o
work on t he farm, operat i ng a t ract or. Two days of
t hi s was al l he coul d st and, so he agai n appl i ed for a
t ransfer, and was assi gned t o t he dai ry. He coul d not
get al ong wi t h t he cows, so he was once more
changed, t o t he l aundry, where he l ast ed but one day.
One by one he t ri ed every j ob on t he works, but l i ked
none of t hem. It had begun t o l ook as i f he di d not fi t
i n wi t h t he co-operat i ve i dea of l i vi ng, and he was
about t o wi t hdraw when someone happened t o t hi nk of
one j ob he had not yet t ri ed - i n t he bri ck pl ant , so he
was gi ven a wheel barrow and put t o work wheel i ng
bri cks from t he ki l ns and st acki ng t hem i n pi l es, i n t he
bri ck yard. A week' s t i me went by and no compl ai nt
was regi st ered by hi m. When asked i f he l i ked hi s j ob
he repl i ed, "Thi s ban chust t he j ob I l i ke. "
Imagi ne anyone preferri ng a j ob wheel i ng bri cks!
However, t hat j ob sui t ed t he Swede' s nat ure, he
worked al one, at a t ask whi ch cal l ed for no t hought ,
and pl aced upon hi m no responsi bi l i t y, whi ch was j ust
what he want ed.
He remai ned at t he j ob unt i l al l t he bri cks had
been wheel ed out and st acked, t hen wi t hdrew from t he
col ony because t here was no more bri ck work t o be
done. "The ni ce qui et j ob ban fi ni shed, so I yank I ban
go back t o Mi nney-so-t i e, " and back t o "Mi nney-so-
t i e" he went !
- 7 -
When a man i s engaged i n work t hat he l oves i t i s
no hardshi p for hi m t o do more work and bet t er work
t han t hat for whi ch he i s pai d, and for t hi s very reason
every man owes i t t o hi msel f t o do hi s best t o fi nd t he
sort of work he l i kes best .
I have a perfect ri ght t o offer t hi s advi ce t o t he
st udent s of t hi s phi l osophy for t he reason t hat I have
fol l owed i t , mysel f, wi t hout reason t o regret havi ng
done so.
Thi s seems t o be an appropri at e pl ace t o i nj ect a
l i t t l e personal hi st ory concerni ng bot h t he aut hor and
t he Law of Success phi l osophy, t he purpose of whi ch
i s t o show t hat l abor performed i n a spi ri t of l ove for
t he sake of t he l abor, i t sel f, never has been and never
wi l l be l ost .
Thi s ent i re l esson i s devot ed t o t he offeri ng of
evi dence t hat i t real l y pays t o render more servi ce and
bet t er servi ce t han one i s pai d t o render. What an
empt y and usel ess effort t hi s woul d be i f t he aut hor
had not , hi msel f, pract i ced t hi s rul e l ong enough t o be
abl e t o say j ust how i t works out .
For over a quart er of a cent ury I have been
engaged i n t he l abor of l ove out of whi ch t hi s
phi l osophy has been devel oped, and I am perfect l y
si ncere when I repeat t hat whi ch I have st at ed
el sewhere i n t hi s course, t hat I have been ampl y pai d
for my l abors, by t he pl easure I have had as I went
al ong, even i f I recei ved not hi ng more.
My l abors on t hi s phi l osophy made i t necessary,
many years ago, for me t o choose bet ween i mmedi at e
monet ary ret urns, whi ch I mi ght have enj oyed by
di rect i ng my effort s al ong purel y commerci al l i nes,
and remunerat i on t hat comes i n l at er years, and whi ch
- 8 -
i s represent ed by bot h t he usual fi nanci al st andards
and ot her forms of pay whi ch can be measured onl y i n
t erms of accumul at ed knowl edge t hat enabl es one t o
enj oy t he worl d about hi m more keenl y.
The man who engages i n work t hat he l oves best
does not al ways have t he support , i n hi s choi ce, of hi s
cl osest fri ends and rel at i ves.
Combat i ng negat i ve suggest i ons from fri ends and
rel at i ves has requi red an al armi ng proport i on of my
energi es, duri ng t he years t hat I have been engaged i n
research work for t he purpose of gat heri ng,
organi zi ng, cl assi fyi ng and t est i ng t he mat eri al whi ch
has gone i nt o t hi s course.
These personal references are made sol el y for t he
purpose of showi ng t he st udent s of t hi s phi l osophy
t hat sel dom, i f ever, can one hope t o engage i n t he
work one l oves best wi t hout meet i ng wi t h obst acl es of
some nat ure. General l y, t he chi ef obst acl es i n t he way
of one engagi ng i n t he sort of work one l oves best i s
t hat i t may not be t he work whi ch bri ngs t he great est
remunerat i on at t he st art .
To offset t hi s di sadvant age, however, t he one who
engages i n t he sort of work he l oves i s general l y
rewarded wi t h t wo very deci ded benefi t s, namel y;
fi rst , he usual l y fi nds i n such work t he great est of al l
rewards, HAPPINESS, whi ch i s pri cel ess, and
secondl y, hi s act ual reward i n money, when averaged
over a l i fe-t i me of effort , i s general l y much great er,
for t he reason t hat l abor whi ch i s performed i n a spi ri t
of l ove i s usual l y great er i n quant i t y and fi ner i n
qual i t y t han t hat whi ch i s performed sol el y for money.
The most embarrassi ng and, I mi ght wi t hout any
i nt ent i on of di srespect say, t he most di sast rous oppo-
- 9 -

THERE is no more
dangerous person -
dangerous to himself
and to others - than
the person who passes
judgment without pre-
tending to know the
facts.

- 10 -
si t i on t o my choi ce of a l i fe-work came from my wi fe.
Thi s, perhaps, wi l l expl ai n why I have made frequent
references, i n many of t he l essons of t hi s course, t o
t he fact t hat a man' s wi fe may ei t her "make" or
"break" hi m, accordi ng t o t he ext ent t o whi ch she
gi ves or wi t hhol ds co-operat i on and encouragement i n
connect i on wi t h hi s chosen work.
My wi fe' s i dea was t hat I shoul d accept a sal ari ed
posi t i on t hat woul d i nsure a regul ar mont hl y i ncome,
because I had shown, by t he few sal ari ed posi t i ons I
had hel d, t hat I had market abl e abi l i t y whi ch shoul d
command an i ncome of from $6, 000. 00 t o $10, 000. 00
a year wi t hout any very great effort on my part .
In a way I saw my wi fe' s vi ewpoi nt and was i n
sympat hy wi t h i t , because we had young growi ng
chi l dren comi ng on who needed cl ot hes and educat i on,
and a regul ar sal ary, even t hough i t were not l arge,
seemed t o be a necessi t y.
Despi t e t hi s l ogi cal argument , however, I chose t o
overri de my wi fe' s counsel . Came, t hen, t o her rescue,
t he combi ned forces of her fami l y and mi ne, and
col l ect i vel y t hey charged me, head-on, wi t h what
amount ed t o a command t o ri ght -about -face and set t l e
down on a sal ary basi s.
St udyi ng ot her peopl e mi ght be al l ri ght for a man
who had t he t i me t o spend i n t hi s "unprofi t abl e"
manner, t hey reasoned, but for a young marri ed man
wi t h a growi ng fami l y t hi s seemed hardl y t he t hi ng t o
do.
But I remai ned adamant ! I had made my choi ce
and I was det ermi ned t o st and by i t .
The opposi t i on di d not yi el d t o my vi ewpoi nt , but
gradual l y, of course, i t mel t ed away. Meanwhi l e, t he
knowl edge t hat my choi ce had worked at l east a t em-
- 11 -
porary hardshi p on my fami l y, combi ned wi t h t he
t hought t hat my dearest fri ends and rel at i ves were not
i n harmony wi t h me, great l y i ncreased my l abors.
Fort unat el y, not al l of my fri ends bel i eved my
choi ce unwi se!
There were a few fri ends who not onl y bel i eved I
was fol l owi ng a course t hat woul d ul t i mat el y bri ng me
out somewhere near t he t op of t he mount ai n of useful
achi evement , but , i n addi t i on t o bel i evi ng i n my pl ans,
t hey act ual l y went out of t hei r way t o encourage me
not t o be whi pped by ei t her adversi t y or t he
opposi t i on of rel at i ves.
Of t hi s smal l group of fai t hful ones who gave me
encouragement at a t i me when i t was badl y needed,
perhaps one man shoul d have t he ful l est credi t , and
t hi s man i s Edwi n C. Barnes, a busi ness associ at e of
Thomas A. Edi son.
Mr. Barnes became i nt erest ed i n my chosen work
nearl y t went y years ago, and I owe i t t o hi m t o st at e
here t hat had i t not been for hi s unwaveri ng fai t h i n
t he soundness of t he Law of Success phi l osophy I
woul d have yi el ded t o t he persuasi on of my fri ends
and sought t he way of l east resi st ance vi a t he sal ary
rout e.
Thi s woul d have saved me much gri ef and an
al most endl ess amount of cri t i ci sm, but i t woul d have
wrecked t he hopes of a l i fe-t i me, and i n t he end I
woul d i n al l probabi l i t y have l ost , al so, t he fi nest and
most desi rabl e of al l t hi ngs, HAPPINESS! for I have
been ext remel y happy i n my work, even duri ng t he
peri ods when t he remunerat i on i t brought me coul d be
measured by not hi ng but a mount ai n of debt s whi ch I
coul d not for t he moment pay.
- 12 -
Perhaps t hi s may expl ai n, t o some ext ent , why t he
subj ect of sl avery t hrough debt was so ext ensi vel y
emphasi zed i n Lesson Four, on t he Habi t of Savi ng.
We want t hat l esson t o "si nk i n. "
Edwi n Barnes not onl y bel i eved i n t he soundness
of t he Law of Success phi l osophy, but hi s own
fi nanci al success had demonst rat ed, as had al so hi s
cl ose busi ness rel at i onshi p wi t h t he great est i nvent or
on eart h, t hat he had t he ri ght t o speak wi t h aut hori t y
on t he subj ect of t he l aws t hrough whi ch success may
be achi eved.
I began my work of research wi t h t he bel i ef t hat
success coul d be at t ai ned, by anyone wi t h reasonabl e
i nt el l i gence and a real desi re t o succeed, by fol l owi ng
cert ai n (t hen by me unknown) rul es of procedure. I
want ed t o know what t hese rul es were and how t hey
coul d be appl i ed.
Mr. Barnes bel i eved as I di d. Moreover, he was i n
a posi t i on t o know t hat t he ast oundi ng achi evement s
of hi s busi ness associ at e, Mr. Edi son, came about
ent i rel y t hrough t he appl i cat i on of some of t he
pri nci pl es whi ch l at er were t est ed and i ncl uded as a
part of t hi s phi l osophy. From hi s way of t hi nki ng i t
seemed t hat t he accumul at i on of money, enj oyi ng
peace of mi nd and fi ndi ng happi ness coul d be brought
about by t he appl i cat i on of never-varyi ng l aws whi ch
anyone mi ght mast er and appl y.
That was my bel i ef, al so. That bel i ef has now
been t ransformed i nt o not merel y a provabl e, but a
PROVED real i t y, as I hope every st udent of t hi s
course wi l l have reason t o underst and when t he course
shal l have been mast ered.
Pl ease keep i n mi nd t hat duri ng al l t hese years of
- 13 -
research I was not onl y appl yi ng t he l aw covered by
t hi s l esson, by DOING MORE THAN PAID FOR, but ,
I was goi ng much furt her t han t hi s by doi ng work for
whi ch I di d not , at t he t i me I was doi ng i t , hope ever
t o recei ve pay.
Thus, out of years of chaos, adversi t y and
opposi t i on t hi s phi l osophy was fi nal l y compl et ed and
reduced t o manuscri pt s, ready for publ i cat i on.
For a t i me not hi ng happened!
I was rest i ng on my oars, so t o speak, before
t aki ng t he next st ep t oward pl aci ng t he phi l osophy i n
t he hands of peopl e who I had reason t o bel i eve woul d
wel come i t .
"God moves i n a myst eri ous way, Hi s wonders t o
perform!"
Duri ng t he earl i er years of my experi ence I
t hought t hese words t o be empt y and meani ngl ess, but
I have si nce modi fi ed my bel i ef consi derabl y.
I was i nvi t ed t o del i ver an address i n Cant on,
Ohi o. My comi ng had been wel l advert i sed and t here
was reason t o expect t hat I woul d have a l arge
audi ence. To t he cont rary, confl i ct i ng meet i ngs bei ng
hel d by t wo l arge groups of busi ness men reduced my
audi ence t o t he l ucky number of "t hi rt een. "
It has al ways been my bel i ef t hat a man shoul d do
hi s best , regardl ess of how much he recei ves for hi s
servi ces, or t he number of peopl e he may be servi ng
or t he cl ass of peopl e served. I went at my subj ect as
t hough t he hal l were fi l l ed. Somehow t here arose i n
me a sort of feel i ng of resent ment on account of t he
way t he "wheel of fat e" had t urned agai nst me, and i f
I ever made a convi nci ng speech I made i t t hat ni ght .
- 14 -
Down deep i n my heart , however, I t hought I had
fai l ed!
I di d not know unt i l t he next day t hat I was
maki ng hi st ory t he ni ght before t hat was dest i ned t o
gi ve t he Law of Success phi l osophy i t s fi rst real
i mpet us.
One of t he men who sat i n my audi ence, as one of
t he "t hi rt een, " was t he l at e Don R. Mel l et t , who was
t hen t he publ i sher of t he Cant on Dai l y News, bri ef
reference t o whom I made i n t he Int roduct ory Lesson
of t hi s course.
Aft er I had fi ni shed speaki ng I sl i pped out at t he
back door and ret urned t o my hot el , not want i ng t o
face any of my "t hi rt een" vi ct i ms on t he way out .
The next day I was i nvi t ed t o Mr. Mel l et t ' s offi ce.
Inasmuch as i t was he who had t aken t he
i ni t i at i ve by i nvi t i ng me i n t o see hi m I l eft i t t o hi m
t o do most of t he t al ki ng. He began i n somet hi ng l i ke
t hi s fashi on:
"Woul d you mi nd t el l i ng me your ent i re l i fe-
st ory, from t he days of your earl y chi l dhood on up t o
t he present ?"
I t ol d hi m I woul d do so i f he coul d st and t he
burden of l i st eni ng t o so l ong a narrat i ve. He sai d he
coul d, but before I began he caut i oned me not t o omi t
t he unfavorabl e si de.
"What I wi sh you t o do, " sai d he, "i s t o mi x t he
fat wi t h t he l ean and l et me t ake a l ook at your very
soul , not from i t s most favorabl e si de, but from al l
si des. "
For t hree hours I t al ked whi l e Mel l et t l i st ened!
I omi t t ed not hi ng. I t ol d hi m of my st ruggl es, of
my mi st akes, of my i mpul ses t o be di shonest when t he
t i des of fort une swept agai nst me t oo swi ft l y, and of
- 15 -



AMONG the other
things you intend to
"cut out" in your New
Year's resolution,
include the word
"Impossible!"


- 16 -
my bet t er j udgment whi ch prevai l ed i n t he end, but
onl y aft er my consci ence and I had engaged i n
prol onged combat . I t ol d hi m how I concei ved t he i dea
of organi zi ng t he Law of Success phi l osophy, how I
had gone about gat heri ng t he dat a t hat had gone i nt o
t he phi l osophy, of t he t est s I had made whi ch resul t ed
i n t he el i mi nat i on of some of t he dat a and t he
ret ent i on of ot her part s of i t .
Aft er I had fi ni shed Mel l et t sai d: "I wi sh t o ask
you a very personal quest i on, and I hope you wi l l
answer i t as frankl y as you have t ol d t he remai nder of
your st ory. Have you accumul at ed any money from
your effort s, and, i f not , do you know why you have
not ?"
"No!" I repl i ed. "I have accumul at ed not hi ng but
experi ence and knowl edge and a few debt s, and t he
reason, whi l e i t may not be sound, i s easi l y expl ai ned.
The t rut h i s t hat I have been so busy al l t hese years i n
t ryi ng t o el i mi nat e some of my own i gnorance so I
coul d i nt el l i gent l y gat her and organi ze t he dat a t hat
have gone i nt o t he Law of Success phi l osophy, t hat I
have had nei t her t he opport uni t y nor t he i ncl i nat i on t o
t urn my effort s t o maki ng money. "
The seri ous l ook on Don Mel l et t ' s face, much t o
my surpri se, soft ened i nt o a smi l e as he l ai d hi s hand
on my shoul der and sai d:
"I knew t he answer before you st at ed i t , but I
wondered i f you knew i t . You probabl y know t hat you
are not t he onl y man who has had t o sacri fi ce
i mmedi at e monet ary remunerat i on for t he sake of
gat heri ng knowl edge, for i n t rut h your experi ence has
been t hat of every phi l osopher from t he t i me of
Socrat es down t o t he present . "
- 17 -
Those words fel l as t he sound of musi c upon my
ears!
I had made one of t he most embarrassi ng
admi ssi ons of my l i fe; I had l ai d my soul bare,
admi t t i ng t emporary defeat at al most every cross-road
whi ch I had passed i n my st ruggl es, and I had capped
al l t hi s off by admi t t i ng t hat an exponent of t he Law
of Success was, hi msel f, a t emporary fai l ure!
How i ncongruous i t seemed! I fel t st upi d,
humi l i at ed and embarrassed as I sat i n front of t he
most searchi ng pai r of eyes and t he most i nqui si t i ve
man I had ever met .
The absurdi t y of i t al l came over me l i ke a fl ash -
THE PHILOSOPHY OF SUCCESS, CREATED AND
BROADCASTED BY A MAN WHO WAS
OBVIOUSLY A FAILURE!
Thi s t hought st ruck me so forci bl y t hat I
expressed i t i n words.
"What ?" Mel l et t excl ai med, "a fai l ure?
"Surel y you know t he di fference bet ween fai l ure
and t emporary defeat , " he cont i nued. "No man i s a
fai l ure who creat es a si ngl e i dea, much l ess an ent i re
phi l osophy, t hat serves t o soft en t he di sappoi nt ment s
and mi ni mi ze t he hardshi ps of generat i ons yet
unborn. "
I wondered what was t he obj ect of t hi s i nt ervi ew.
My fi rst conj ect ure was t hat Mel l et t want ed some
fact s on whi ch t o base an at t ack, i n hi s newspaper, on
t he Law of Success phi l osophy. Perhaps t hi s t hought
grew out of some of my previ ous experi ences wi t h
newspaper men, a few of whom had been ant agoni st i c
t oward me. At any rat e, I deci ded at t he out set of t he
i nt ervi ew t o gi ve hi m t he fact s, wi t hout embel l i shment
- 18 -
come from i t what woul d.
Before I l eft Mel l et t ' s offi ce we had become
busi ness part ners, wi t h t he underst andi ng t hat he
woul d resi gn as publ i sher of t he Cant on Dai l y News
and t ake over t he management of al l my affai rs, as
soon as t hi s coul d be arranged.
Meanwhi l e, I began wri t i ng a seri es of Sunday
feat ure-page edi t ori al s whi ch were publ i shed i n t he
Cant on Dai l y News, based upon t he Law of Success
phi l osophy.
One of t hese edi t ori al s (t he one ent i t l ed
"Fai l ure, " whi ch appears i n t he back of one of t he
l essons of t hi s course) came t o t he at t ent i on of j udge
El bert H. Gary, who was at t hat t i me t he Chai rman of
t he Board of t he Uni t ed St at es St eel Corporat i on. Thi s
resul t ed i n t he openi ng of communi cat i on bet ween
Mel l et t and Judge Gary, whi ch, i n t urn, l ed t o j udge
Gary' s offer t o purchase t he Law of Success course for
t he use of t he empl oyees of t he St eel Corporat i on, i n
t he manner descri bed i n t he Int roduct ory Lesson.
The t i des of fort une had begun t o t urn i n my
favor!
The seeds of servi ce whi ch I had been sowi ng
over a l ong peri od of t oi l some years, by DOING
MORE THAN PAID FOR, were begi nni ng t o
germi nat e at l ast !
Despi t e t he fact t hat my part ner was assassi nat ed
before our pl ans had much more t han st art ed, and
Judge Gary di ed before t he Law of Success phi l osophy
coul d be re-wri t t en so i t conformed t o hi s
requi rement s, t he "l ove' s l abor l ost " on t hat fat eful
ni ght , when I spoke t o an audi ence of t hi rt een i n
Cant on, Ohi o, st art ed a chai n of event s whi ch now
move rapi dl y wi t hout t hought or effort on my part .
- 19 -
It i s no abuse of confi dences t o enumerat e here a
few of t he event s whi ch show t hat no l abor of l ove i s
ever performed at a t ot al l oss, and t hat t hose who
render more servi ce and bet t er servi ce t han t hat for
whi ch t hey are pai d sooner or l at er recei ve pay for
much more t han t hey act ual l y do.
As t hi s l esson i s ready t o go t o t he publ i sher
some of t he fol l owi ng wel l known concerns are
consi deri ng favorabl y t he purchase of t he Law of
Success course for al l t hei r empl oyees, whi l e ot hers
have act ual l y arranged for t he purchase of t he course:
Mr. Dani el Wi l l ard, Presi dent of t he Bal t i more &
Ohi o Rai l road Co.
Indi an Refi ni ng Company
St andard Oi l Company
New York Li fe Insurance Company
The Post al Tel egraph Commerci al -Cabl e Company
The Pi erce-Arrow Mot or Car Company
The Cadi l l ac Mot or Car Company
And some fi ft y ot her concerns of a si mi l ar si ze.
In addi t i on t o t hi s, a newl y organi zed cl ub for
boys, si mi l ar i n nat ure t o t he Y. M. C. A. , has
cont ract ed for t he use of t he Law of Success course as
t he basi s of i t s educat i onal program, and est i mat es
t hat i t wi l l di st ri but e more t han 100, 000 courses of t he
phi l osophy wi t hi n t he next t wo years.
Qui t e asi de from t hese sources of di st ri but i on, t he
Ral st on Uni versi t y Press, of Meri den, Conn. , has
cont ract ed t o publ i sh and di st ri but e t he course t o
i ndi vi dual s t hroughout t he Uni t ed St at es, and perhaps
i n some forei gn count ri es. How many courses t hey
wi l l di st ri but e cannot be accurat el y est i mat ed, but
when one st ops t o consi der t he fact t hat t hey have a
- 20 -
mai l i ng l i st of approxi mat el y 800, 000 peopl e who
have fai t h i n anyt hi ng t hey offer for sal e, i t seems
very reasonabl e t o suppose t hat t hei r di st ri but i on wi l l
pl ace t ens of t housands of courses i n t he hands of men
and women who are earnest l y searchi ng for t he
knowl edge conveyed by t he Law of Success
phi l osophy.
Perhaps i t i s unnecessary, but I wi sh t o expl ai n
t hat my onl y obj ect i n here rel at i ng t he st ory of how
t he Law of Success phi l osophy has gai ned t he
recogni t i on descri bed i s t o show how t he l aw upon
whi ch t hi s l esson i s based act ual l y works out i n t he
pract i cal affai rs of l i fe.
If I coul d have made t hi s anal ysi s wi t hout t he use
of t he personal pronoun I woul d have done so.

Wi t h t hi s background of hi st ory concerni ng t he
Law of Success phi l osophy as a whol e, and t hi s l esson
i n part i cul ar, you are bet t er prepared t o accept as
sound t he l aw on whi ch t hi s l esson i s based.
There are more t han a score of sound reasons why
you shoul d devel op t he habi t of performi ng more
servi ce and bet t er servi ce t han t hat for whi ch you are
pai d, despi t e t he fact t hat a l arge maj ori t y of t he
peopl e are not renderi ng such servi ce.
There are t wo reasons, however, for renderi ng
such servi ce, whi ch t ranscend, i n i mport ance, al l t he
ot hers; namel y,
Fi rst : By est abl i shi ng a reput at i on as bei ng a
person who al ways renders more servi ce and bet t er
servi ce t han t hat for whi ch you are pai d, you wi l l
benefi t by compari son wi t h t hose around you who do
not render such servi ce, and t he cont rast wi l l be so
- 21 -

IF ye have faith as a
grain of mustard seed,
ye shall say unto this
mountain, Remove
hence to yonder place;
and it shall remove;
and nothing shall be
impossible unto you."

- 22 -
not i ceabl e t hat t here wi l l be keen compet i t i on f or your
servi ces, no mat t er what your l i f e-work may be.
It woul d be an i nsul t t o your i nt el l i gence t o offer
proof of t he soundness of t hi s st at ement , because i t i s
obvi ousl y sound. Whet her you are preachi ng sermons,
pract i ci ng l aw, wri t i ng books, t eachi ng school , or
di ggi ng di t ches, you wi l l become more val uabl e and
you wi l l be abl e t o command great er pay t he mi nut e
you gai n recogni t i on as a person who does more t han
t hat for whi ch he i s pai d.
Second: By far t he most i mport ant reason why
you shoul d render more servi ce t han t hat for whi ch
you are pai d; a reason t hat i s basi c and fundament al i n
nat ure; may be descri bed i n t hi s way: Suppose t hat
you wi shed t o devel op a st rong ri ght arm, and suppose
t hat you t ri ed t o do so by t yi ng t he arm t o your si de
wi t h a rope, t hus t aki ng i t out of use and gi vi ng i t a
l ong rest . Woul d di suse bri ng st rengt h, or woul d i t
bri ng at rophy and weakness, resul t i ng, fi nal l y, i n your
bei ng compel l ed t o have t he arm removed?
You know t hat i f you wi shed a st rong ri ght arm
you coul d devel op such an arm onl y by gi vi ng i t t he
hardest sort of use. Take a l ook at t he arm of a
bl acksmi t h i f you wi sh t o know how an arm may be
made st rong. Out of resi st ance comes st rengt h. The
st rongest oak t ree of t he forest i s not t he one t hat i s
prot ect ed from t he st orm and hi dden from t he sun, but
i t i s t he one t hat st ands i n t he open, where i t i s
compel l ed t o st ruggl e for i t s exi st ence agai nst t he
wi nds and rai ns and t he scorchi ng sun.
It i s t hrough t he operat i on of one of Nat ure' s
unvaryi ng l aws t hat st ruggl e and resi st ance devel op
st rengt h, and t he purpose of t hi s l esson i s t o show you
- 23 -
how t o harness t hi s l aw and so use i t t hat i t wi l l ai d
you i n your st ruggl e for success. By performi ng more
servi ce and bet t er servi ce t han t hat for whi ch you are
pai d, you not onl y exerci se your servi ce-renderi ng
qual i t i es, and t hereby devel op ski l l and abi l i t y of an
ext raordi nary sort , but you bui l d reput at i on t hat i s
val uabl e. If you form t he habi t of renderi ng such
servi ce you wi l l become so adept i n your work t hat
you can command great er remunerat i on t han t hose who
do not perform such servi ce. You wi l l event ual l y
devel op suffi ci ent st rengt h t o enabl e you t o remove
yoursel f from any undesi rabl e st at i on i n l i fe, and no
one can or wi l l desi re t o st op you.
If you are an empl oyee you can make yoursel f so
val uabl e, t hrough t hi s habi t of performi ng more
servi ce t han t hat for whi ch you are pai d, t hat you can
pract i cal l y set your own wages and no sensi bl e
empl oyer wi l l t ry t o st op you. If your empl oyer shoul d
be so unfort unat e as t o t ry t o wi t hhol d from you t he
compensat i on t o whi ch you are ent i t l ed, t hi s wi l l not
l ong remai n as a handi cap because ot her empl oyers
wi l l di scover t hi s unusual qual i t y and offer you
empl oyment .
The very fact t hat most peopl e are renderi ng as
l i t t l e servi ce as t hey can possi bl y get by wi t h serves
as an advant age t o al l who are renderi ng more servi ce
t han t hat for whi ch t hey are pai d, because i t enabl es
al l who do t hi s t o profi t by compari son. You can "get
by" i f you render as l i t t l e servi ce as possi bl e, but t hat
i s al l you wi l l get ; and when work i s sl ack and
ret renchment set s i n, you wi l l be one of t he fi rst t o be
di smi ssed.
For more t han t went y-fi ve years I have careful l y
- 24 -
st udi ed men wi t h t he obj ect of ascert ai ni ng why some
achi eve not ewort hy success whi l e ot hers wi t h j ust as
much abi l i t y do not get ahead; and i t seems si gni fi cant
t hat every person whom I have observed appl yi ng t hi s
pri nci pl e of renderi ng more servi ce t han t hat for
whi ch he was pai d, was hol di ng a bet t er posi t i on and
recei vi ng more pay t han t hose who merel y performed
suffi ci ent servi ce t o "get by" wi t h.
Personal l y I never recei ved a promot i on i n my
l i f e t hat I coul d not t race di rect l y t o recogni t i on t hat I
had gai ned by renderi ng more servi ce and bet t er
servi ce t han t hat f or whi ch I was pai d.
I am st ressi ng t he i mport ance of maki ng t hi s
pri nci pl e a habi t as a means of enabl i ng an empl oyee
t o promot e hi msel f t o a hi gher posi t i on, wi t h great er
pay, for t he reason t hat t hi s course wi l l be st udi ed by
t housands of young men and young women who work
for ot hers. However, t he pri nci pl e appl i es t o t he
empl oyer or t o t he professi onal man or woman j ust t he
same as t o t he empl oyee.
Observance of t hi s pri nci pl e bri ngs a t wo-fol d
reward. Fi rst , i t bri ngs t he reward of great er mat eri al
gai n t han t hat enj oyed by t hose who do not observe i t ;
and, second, i t bri ngs t hat reward of happi ness and
sat i sfact i on whi ch come onl y t o t hose who render such
servi ce. If you recei ve no pay except t hat whi ch comes
i n your pay envel ope, you are underpai d, no mat t er
how much money t hat envel ope cont ai ns.

My wi fe has j ust ret urned from t he Publ i c Li brary
wi t h a book for me t o read. The book i s ent i t l ed
- 25 -
"Observat i on; Every Man Hi s Own Uni versi t y, " by
Russel l H. Conwel l .
By chance I opened t hi s book at t he begi nni ng of
t he chapt er ent i t l ed Every Man' s Uni versi t y, and, as I
read i t t hrough, my fi rst i mpul se was t o recommend
t hat you go t o t he Publ i c Li brary and read t he ent i re
book; but , upon second t hought , I wi l l not do t hi s;
i nst ead, I wi l l recommend t hat you purchase t he book
and read i t , not once but a hundred t i mes, because i t
covers t he subj ect of t hi s l esson as t hough i t had been
wri t t en for t hat purpose; covers i t i n a far more
i mpressi ve manner t han I coul d do i t .
The fol l owi ng quot at i on from t he chapt er ent i t l ed
Every Man' s Uni versi t y wi l l gi ve you an i dea of t he
gol den nugget of t rut h t o be found t hroughout t he
book:
"The i nt el l ect can be made t o l ook far beyond t he
range of what men and women ordi nari l y see, but not
al l t he col l eges i n t he worl d can al one confer t hi s
power - t hi s i s t he reward of sel f -cul t ure; each must
acqui re i t for hi msel f; and perhaps t hi s i s why t he
power of observi ng deepl y and wi del y i s so much
oft ener found i n t hose men and t hose women who have
never crossed t he t hreshol d of any col l ege but t he
Uni versi t y of Hard Knocks. "
Read t hat book as a part of t hi s l esson, because i t
wi l l prepare you t o profi t by t he phi l osophy and
psychol ogy upon whi ch t he l esson i s bui l t .

We wi l l now anal yze t he l aw upon whi ch t hi s
ent i re l esson i s founded, namel y -
- 26 -
THE LAW OF INCREASING RETURNS!

Let us begi n our anal ysi s by showi ng how Nat ure
empl oys t hi s l aw i n behal f of t he t i l l ers of t he soi l .
The farmer careful l y prepares t he ground, t hen sows
hi s wheat and wai t s whi l e t he Law of Increasi ng
Ret urns bri ngs back t he seed he has sown, pl us a
many-f ol d i ncrease.
But for t hi s Law of Increasi ng Ret urns, man
woul d peri sh, because he coul d not make t he soi l
produce suffi ci ent food for hi s exi st ence. There woul d
be no advant age t o be gai ned by sowi ng a fi el d of
wheat i f t he harvest yi el d di d not ret urn more t han
was sown.
Wi t h t hi s vi t al "t i p" from Nat ure, whi ch we may
gat her from t he wheat fi el ds, l et us proceed t o
appropri at e t hi s Law of Increasi ng Ret urns and l earn
how t o appl y i t t o t he servi ce we render, t o t he end
t hat i t may yi el d ret urns i n excess of and out of
proport i on t o t he ef f ort put f ort h.
Fi rst of al l , l et us emphasi ze t he fact t hat t here i s
no t ri ckery or chi canery connect ed wi t h t hi s Law,
al t hough qui t e a few seem not t o have l earned t hi s
great t rut h, j udgi ng by t he number who spend al l of
t hei r effort s ei t her t ryi ng t o get somet hi ng for
not hi ng, or somet hi ng for l ess t han i t s t rue val ue.
It i s t o no such end t hat we recommend t he use of
t he Law of Increasi ng Ret urns, for no such end i s
possi bl e, wi t hi n t he broad meani ng of t he word
success.
Anot her remarkabl e and not ewort hy feat ure of t he
Law of Increasi ng Ret urns i s t he fact t hat i t may be
used by t hose who purchase servi ce wi t h as great
ret urns as i t can be by t hose who render servi ce, for
Proof of whi ch we have but t o st udy t he effect s of
- 27 -


ULTIMATELY nothing
matters very much. The
defeat that seems to break
your heart today will be
but a ripple among the
waves of other ex-
periences in the ocean of
your life further ahead.


- 28 -
Henry Ford' s famous Fi ve-Dol l ar-a-day mi ni mum
wage scal e whi ch he i naugurat ed some years ago.
Those who are fami l i ar wi t h t he fact s say t hat Mr.
Ford was not pl ayi ng t he part of a phi l ant hropi st when
he i naugurat ed t hi s mi ni mum wage scal e; but , t o t he
cont rary, he was merel y t aki ng advant age of a sound
busi ness pri nci pl e whi ch has probabl y yi el ded hi m
great er ret urns, i n bot h dol l ars and good-wi l l , t han
any ot her si ngl e pol i cy ever i naugurat ed at t he Ford
pl ant .
By payi ng more wages t han t he average, he
recei ved more servi ce and bet t er servi ce t han t he
average!
At a si ngl e st roke, t hrough t he i naugurat i on of
t hat mi ni mum wage pol i cy, Ford at t ract ed t he best
l abor on t he market and pl aced a premi um upon t he
pri vi l ege of worki ng i n hi s pl ant .
I have no aut hent i c fi gures at hand beari ng on t he
subj ect , but I have sound reason t o conj ect ure t hat for
every fi ve dol l ars Ford spent , under t hi s pol i cy, he
recei ved at l east seven dol l ars and fi ft y cent s' wort h
of servi ce. I have, al so, sound reason t o bel i eve t hat
t hi s pol i cy enabl ed Ford t o reduce t he cost of
supervi si on, because empl oyment i n hi s pl ant became
so desi rabl e t hat no worker woul d care t o run t he ri sk
of l osi ng hi s posi t i on by "sol di eri ng" on t he j ob or
renderi ng poor servi ce.
Where ot her empl oyers were forced t o depend
upon cost l y supervi si on i n order t o get t he servi ce t o
whi ch t hey were ent i t l ed, and for whi ch t hey were
payi ng, Ford got t he same or bet t er servi ce by t he l ess
expensi ve met hod of pl aci ng a premi um upon
empl oyment i n hi s pl ant .
Marshal l Fi el d was probabl y t he l eadi ng merchant
- 29 -
of hi s t i me, and t he great Fi el d st ore, i n Chi cago,
st ands t oday as a monument t o hi s abi l i t y t o appl y t he
Law of Increasi ng Ret urns.
A cust omer purchased an expensi ve l ace wai st at
t he Fi el d st ore, but di d not wear i t . Two years l at er
she gave i t t o her ni ece as a weddi ng present . The
ni ece qui et l y ret urned t he wai st t o t he Fi el d st ore and
exchanged i t for ot her merchandi se, despi t e t he fact
t hat i t had been out for more t han t wo years and was
t hen out of st yl e.
Not onl y di d t he Fi el d st ore t ake back t he wai st ,
but , what i s of more i mport ance i t di d so wi t hout
argument !
Of course t here was no obl i gat i on, moral or l egal ,
on t he part of t he st ore t o accept t he ret urn of t he
wai st at t hat l at e dat e, whi ch makes t he t ransact i on al l
t he more si gni fi cant .
The wai st was ori gi nal l y pri ced at fi ft y dol l ars,
and of course i t had t o be t hrown on t he bargai n
count er and sol d for what ever i t woul d bri ng, but t he
keen st udent of human nat ure wi l l underst and t hat t he
Fi el d st ore not onl y di d not l ose anyt hi ng on t he
wai st , but i t act ual l y profi t ed by t he t ransact i on t o an
ext ent t hat cannot be measured i n mere dol l ars.
The woman who ret urned t he wai st knew t hat she
was not ent i t l ed t o a rebat e; t herefore, when t he st ore
gave her t hat t o whi ch she was not ent i t l ed t he
t ransact i on won her as a permanent cust omer. But t he
effect of t he t ransact i on di d not end here; i t onl y
began; for t hi s woman spread t he news of t he "fai r
t reat ment " she had recei ved at t he Fi el d st ore, far and
near. It was t he t al k of t he women of her set for many
days, and t he Fi el d st ore recei ved more advert i si ng
- 30 -
from t he t ransact i on t han i t coul d have purchased i n
any ot her way wi t h t en t i mes t he val ue of t he wai st .
The success of t he Fi el d st ore was bui l t l argel y
upon Marshal l Fi el d' s underst andi ng of t he Law of
Increasi ng Ret urns, whi ch prompt ed hi m t o adopt , as a
part of hi s busi ness pol i cy, t he sl ogan, "The cust omer
i s al ways ri ght . "
When you do onl y t hat for whi ch you are pai d,
t here i s not hi ng out of t he ordi nary t o at t ract
f avorabl e comment about t he t ransact i on; but , when
you wi l l i ngl y do more t han t hat for whi ch you are
pai d, your act i on at t ract s t he favorabl e at t ent i on of al l
who are affect ed by t he t ransact i on, and goes anot her
st ep t oward est abl i shi ng a reput at i on t hat wi l l
event ual l y set t he Law of Increasi ng Ret urns t o work
i n your behal f, for t hi s reput at i on wi l l creat e a
demand for your servi ces, far and wi de.
Carol Downes went t o work for W. C. Durant , t he
aut omobi l e manufact urer, i n a mi nor posi t i on. He i s
now Mr. Durant ' s ri ght -hand man, and t he presi dent of
one of hi s aut omobi l e di st ri but i ng compani es. He
promot ed hi msel f i nt o t hi s profi t abl e posi t i on sol el y
t hrough t he ai d of t he Law of Increasi ng Ret urns,
whi ch he put i nt o operat i on by renderi ng more servi ce
and bet t er servi ce t han t hat for whi ch he was pai d.
In a recent vi si t wi t h Mr. Downes I asked hi m t o
t el l me how he managed t o gai n promot i on so rapi dl y.
In a few bri ef sent ences he t ol d t he whol e st ory.
"When I fi rst went t o work wi t h Mr. Durant , " sai d
he, "I not i ced t hat he al ways remai ned at t he offi ce
l ong aft er al l t he ot hers had gone home for t he day,
and I made i t my busi ness t o st ay t here, al so. No one
- 31 -


TO love praise, but not
worship it, and fear
condemnation, but not
go down under it, is
evidence of a well
balanced personality.



- 32 -
asked me t o st ay, but I t hought someone shoul d be
t here t o gi ve Mr. Durant any assi st ance he mi ght need.
Oft en he woul d l ook around for someone t o bri ng hi m
a l et t er fi l e, or render some ot her t ri vi al servi ce, and
al ways he f ound me t here ready t o serve hi m. He got
i nt o t he habi t of cal l i ng on me; t hat i s about al l t here
i s t o t he st ory. "
"He got i nt o t he habi t of cal l i ng on me!"
Read t hat sent ence agai n, for i t i s ful l of meani ng
of t he ri chest sort .
Why di d Mr. Durant get i nt o t he habi t of cal l i ng
on Mr. Downes? Because Mr. Downes made i t hi s
busi ness t o be on hand where he woul d be seen. He
del i berat el y pl aced hi msel f i n Mr. Durant ' s way i n
order t hat he mi ght render servi ce t hat woul d pl ace t he
Law of Increasi ng Ret urns back of hi m.
Was he t ol d t o do t hi s? No!
Was he pai d t o do i t ? Yes! He was pai d by t he
opport uni t y i t offered for hi m t o bri ng hi msel f t o t he
at t ent i on of t he man who had i t wi t hi n hi s power t o
promot e hi m.
We are now approachi ng t he most i mport ant part
of t hi s l esson, because t hi s i s an appropri at e pl ace at
whi ch t o suggest t hat you have t he same opport uni t y
t o make use of t he Law of Increasi ng Ret urns t hat Mr.
Downes had, and you can go about t he appl i cat i on of
t he Law i n exact l y t he same way t hat he di d, by bei ng
on hand and ready t o vol unt eer your servi ces i n t he
perf ormance of work whi ch ot hers may shi rk because
t hey are not pai d t o do i t .
St op! Don' t say i t -don' t even t hi nk i t i f you have
t he sl i ght est i nt ent i on of spri ngi ng t hat ol d t i meworn
phrase ent i t l ed, "But my empl oyer i s di f f erent . "
- 33 -
Of course he i s di fferent . Al l men are di fferent i n
most respect s, but t hey are very much al i ke i n t hi s -
t hey are somewhat sel f i sh; i n fact t hey are sel fi sh
enough not t o want a man such as Carol Downes t o
cast hi s l ot wi t h t hei r compet i t or, and t hi s very
sel fi shness may be made t o serve you as an asset and
not as a l i abi l i t y i f -
You have t he good j udgment t o make yoursel f so
usef ul t hat t he person t o whom you sel l your servi ces
cannot get al ong wi t hout you.
One of t he most advant ageous promot i ons I ever
recei ved came about t hrough an i nci dent whi ch
seemed so i nsi gni fi cant t hat i t appeared t o be
uni mport ant . One Sat urday aft ernoon, a l awyer, whose
offi ce was on t he same fl oor as t hat of my empl oyer,
came i n and asked i f I knew where he coul d get a
st enographer t o do some work whi ch he was compel l ed
t o fi ni sh t hat day.
I t ol d hi m t hat al l of our st enographers had gone
t o t he bal l game, and t hat I woul d have been gone had
he cal l ed fi ve mi nut es l at er, but t hat I woul d be very
gl ad t o st ay and do hi s work as I coul d go t o a bal l
game any day and hi s work had t o be done t hen.
I di d t he work for hi m, and when he asked how
much he owed me I repl i ed, "Oh, about a t housand
dol l ars, as l ong as i t i s you; i f i t were for anyone el se,
I woul dn' t charge anyt hi ng. " He smi l ed, and t hanked
me.
Li t t l e di d I t hi nk, when I made t hat remark, t hat
he woul d ever pay me a t housand dol l ars for t hat
aft ernoon' s work, but he di d) Si x mont hs l at er, aft er I
had ent i rel y forgot t en t he i nci dent , he cal l ed on me
agai n, and asked how much sal ary I was recei vi ng.
- 34 -
When I t ol d hi m he i nformed me t hat he was ready t o
pay me t hat t housand dol l ars whi ch I had l aughi ngl y
sai d I woul d charge hi m for t he work I had performed
for hi m and he di d pay i t by gi vi ng me a posi t i on at a
t housand dol l ars a year i ncrease i n sal ary.
Unconsci ousl y, I had put t he Law of Increasi ng
Ret urns t o work i n my behal f t hat aft ernoon, by gi vi ng
up t he bal l game and renderi ng a servi ce whi ch was
obvi ousl y rendered out of a desi re t o be hel pful and
not for t he sake of a monet ary consi derat i on.
It was not my dut y t o gi ve up my Sat urday
aft ernoon, but -
It was my pri vi l ege!
Furt hermore, i t was a profi t abl e pri vi l ege,
because i t yi el ded me a t housand dol l ars i n cash and a
much more responsi bl e posi t i on t han t he one I had
formerl y occupi ed.
It was Carol Downes' dut y t o be on hand unt i l t he
usual qui t t i ng t i me, but i t was hi s pri vi l ege t o remai n
at hi s post aft er t he ot her workers had gone, and t hat
pri vi l ege properl y exerci sed brought hi m great er
responsi bi l i t i es and a sal ary t hat yi el ds hi m more i n a
year t han he woul d have made i n a l i fe-t i me i n t he
posi t i on he occupi ed before he exerci sed t he pri vi l ege.
I have been t hi nki ng for more t han t went y-fi ve
years of t hi s pri vi l ege of performi ng more servi ce and
bet t er servi ce t han t hat for whi ch we are pai d, and my
t hought s have l ed me t o t he concl usi on t hat a si ngl e
hour devot ed each day t o renderi ng servi ce for whi ch
we are not pai d, can be made t o yi el d bi gger ret urns
t han we recei ved from t he ent i re remai nder of t he day
- 35 -

THE educated man is the
man who has learned how
to get everything he
needs without violating
the rights of his fellow
men. Education comes
from within; you get it by
struggle and effort and
thought.
- 36 -
t he day duri ng whi ch we are merel y performi ng our
dut y.
(We are st i l l i n t he nei ghborhood of t he most
i mport ant part of t hi s l esson, t herefore, t hi nk and
assi mi l at e as you pass over t hese pages. )
The Law of Increasi ng Ret urns i s no i nvent i on of
mi ne, nor do I l ay cl ai m t o t he di scovery of t he
pri nci pl e of renderi ng more servi ce and bet t er servi ce
t han pai d for, as a means of ut i l i zi ng t hi s Law. I
merel y appropri at ed t hem, aft er many years of careful
observat i on of t hose forces whi ch ent er i nt o t he
at t ai nment of success, j ust as you wi l l appropri at e
t hem aft er you underst and t hei r si gni fi cance.
You mi ght begi n t hi s appropri at i on process now
by t ryi ng an experi ment whi ch may easi l y open your
eyes and pl ace back of your effort s powers t hat you
di d not know you possessed.
Let me caut i on you, however, not t o at t empt t hi s
experi ment i n t he same spi ri t i n whi ch a cert ai n
woman experi ment ed wi t h t hat Bi bl i cal passage whi ch
says somet hi ng t o t he effect t hat i f you have f ai t h t he
si ze of a grai n of must ard, and say t o yonder mount ai n
be removed t o some ot her pl ace, i t wi l l be removed.
Thi s woman l i ved near a hi gh mount ai n t hat she coul d
see from her front door; t herefore, as she ret i red t hat
ni ght she commanded t he mount ai n t o remove i t sel f t o
some ot her pl ace.
Next morni ng she j umped out of bed, rushed t o
t he door and l ooked out , but l o! t he mount ai n was st i l l
t here. Then she sai d:
"Just as I had expect ed! I knew i t woul d be
t here. "
I am goi ng t o ask you t o approach t hi s experi ment
- 37 -
wi t h ful l f ai t h t hat i t wi l l mark one of t he most
i mport ant t urni ng-poi nt s of your ent i re l i fe. I am
goi ng t o ask you t o make t he obj ect of t hi s experi ment
t he removal of a mount ai n t hat i s st andi ng where your
t empl e of success shoul d st and, but where i t never can
st and unt i l you have removed t he mount ai n.
You may never have not i ced t he mount ai n t o
whi ch I refer, but i t i s st andi ng t here i n your way j ust
t he same, unl ess you have al ready di scovered and
removed i t .
"And what i s t hi s mount ai n?" you ask!
It i s t he f eel i ng t hat you have been cheat ed unl ess
you recei ve mat eri al pay f or al l t he servi ce you
render.
That feel i ng may be unconsci ousl y expressi ng
i t sel f and dest royi ng t he very foundat i on of your
t empl e of success i n scores of ways t hat you have not
observed.
In t he very l owl y bred t ype of humani t y, t hi s
feel i ng usual l y seeks out ward expressi on i n t erms
somet hi ng l i ke t hi s:
"I am not pai d t o do t hi s and I' l l be bl anket y-
bl anket y-bl ank i f I' l l do i t !"
You know t he t ype t o whi ch reference i s made;
you have met wi t h i t many t i mes, but you have never
found a si ngl e person of t hi s t ype who was successful ,
and you never wi l l .
Success must be at t ract ed t hrough underst andi ng
and appl i cat i on of l aws whi ch are as i mmut abl e as i s
t he l aw of gravi t at i on. It cannot be dri ven i nt o t he
corner and capt ured as one woul d capt ure a wi l d st eer.
For t hi s reason you are request ed t o ent er i nt o t he
fol l owi ng experi ment wi t h t he obj ect of fami l i ari zi ng
yoursel f wi t h one of t he most i mport ant of t hese l aws;
namel y, t he Law of Increasi ng Ret urns.
- 38 -
The experi ment :
Duri ng t he next si x mont hs make i t your busi ness
t o render useful servi ce t o at l east one person every
day, for whi ch you nei t her expect nor accept monet ary
pay.
Go at t hi s experi ment wi t h fai t h t hat i t wi l l
uncover for your use one of t he most powerful l aws
t hat ent er i nt o t he achi evement of enduri ng success,
and you wi l l not be di sappoi nt ed.
The renderi ng of t hi s servi ce may t ake on any one
of more t han a score of forms. For exampl e, i t may be
rendered personal l y t o one or more speci fi c persons;
or i t may be rendered t o your empl oyer, i n t he nat ure
of work t hat you perform aft er hours.
Agai n, i t may be rendered t o ent i re st rangers
whom you never expect t o see agai n. It mat t ers not t o
whom you render t hi s servi ce so l ong as you render i t
wi t h wi l l i ngness, and sol el y for t he purpose of
benefi t i ng ot hers.
If you carry out t hi s experi ment i n t he proper
at t i t ude of mi nd, you wi l l di scover t hat whi ch al l
ot hers who have become fami l i ar wi t h t he l aw upon
whi ch i t i s based have di scovered; namel y, t hat -
You can no more render servi ce wi t hout recei vi ng
compensat i on t han you can wi t hhol d t he renderi ng of
i t wi t hout suf f eri ng t he l oss of reward.
"Cause and effect , means and ends, seed and
frui t , cannot be severed, " says Emerson; "for t he
effect al ready bl ooms i n t he cause, t he end pre-exi st s
i n t he means, t he frui t i n t he seed. "

"If you serve an ungrat eful mast er, serve hi m t he
more. Put God i n your debt . Every st roke shal l be
- 39 -



THE person who sows a
single beautiful thought
in the mind of another,
renders the world a
greater service than that
rendered by all the
faultfinders combined.



- 40 -
repai d. The l onger t he payment i s wi t hhol den, t he
bet t er for you; for compound i nt erest on compound
i nt erest i s t he rat e and usage of t hi s exchequer. "

"The l aw of Nat ure i s, Do t he t hi ng and you shal l
have t he power; but t hey who do not t he t hi ng have
not t he power. "

"Men suffer al l t hei r l i fe l ong, under t he fool i sh
superst i t i on t hat t hey can be cheat ed. But i t i s as
i mpossi bl e for a man t o be cheat ed by anyone but
hi msel f, as for a t hi ng t o be, and not t o be, at t he same
t i me. There i s a t hi rd si l ent part y t o al l our bargai ns.
The nat ure and soul of t hi ngs t akes on i t sel f t he
guarant y of ful fi l l ment of every cont ract , so t hat
honest servi ce cannot come t o l oss. "
Before you begi n t he experi ment t hat you have
been request ed t o undert ake, read Emerson' s essay on
Compensat i on, for i t wi l l go a very l ong way t oward
hel pi ng you t o underst and why you are maki ng t he
experi ment .
Perhaps you have read Compensat i on before.
Read i t agai n! One of t he st range phenomena t hat you
wi l l observe about t hi s essay may be found i n t he fact
t hat every t i me you read i t you wi l l di scover new
t rut hs t hat you di d not not i ce duri ng previ ous
readi ngs.
A few years ago I was i nvi t ed t o del i ver t he
graduat i on address before t he st udent s of an east ern
col l ege. Duri ng my address I dwel t at l engt h, and wi t h
al l t he emphasi s at my command, on t he i mport ance of
renderi ng more servi ce and bet t er servi ce t han t hat for
whi ch one i s pai d.
- 41 -
Aft er t he address was del i vered, t he presi dent and
t he secret ary of t he col l ege i nvi t ed me t o l uncheon.
Whi l e we were eat i ng, t he secret ary t urned t o t he
presi dent and sai d:
"I have j ust f ound out what t hi s man i s doi ng. He
i s put t i ng hi msel f ahead i n t he worl d by f i rst hel pi ng
ot hers t o get ahead. "
In t hat bri ef st at ement he had epi t omi zed t he most
i mport ant part of my phi l osophy on t he subj ect of
success.
It i s l i t eral l y t rue t hat you can succeed best and
qui ckest by hel pi ng ot hers t o succeed.
Some t en years ago, when I was engaged i n t he
advert i si ng busi ness, I bui l t my ent i re cl i ent el e by t he
appl i cat i on of t he fundament al s upon whi ch t hi s
l esson i s founded. By havi ng my name pl aced on t he
fol l ow-up l i st s of vari ous mai l order houses I recei ved
t hei r sal es l i t erat ure. When I recei ved a sal es l et t er or
a bookl et or a fol der whi ch I bel i eved I coul d i mprove
I went ri ght t o work on i t and made t he i mprovement ,
t hen sent i t back t o t he fi rm t hat had sent i t t o me,
wi t h a l et t er st at i ng t hat t hi s was but a t ri fl i ng sampl e
of what I coul d do - t hat t here were pl ent y of ot her
good i deas where t hat one came from - and, t hat I
woul d be gl ad t o render regul ar servi ce for a mont hl y
fee.
Invari abl y t hi s brought an order for my servi ces.
On one occasi on I remember t hat t he fi rm was
di shonest enough t o appropri at e my i dea and use i t
wi t hout payi ng me for i t , but t hi s t urned out t o be an
advant age t o me, i n t hi s way: A member of t he fi rm
who was fami l i ar wi t h t he t ransact i on st art ed anot her
busi ness and as a resul t of t he work I had done for hi s
- 42 -
former associ at es, for whi ch I was not pai d, he
engaged me t o serve hi m, on a basi s t hat pai d me more
t han doubl e t he amount I woul d have real i zed from hi s
ori gi nal fi rm.
Thus t he Law of Compensat i on gave back t o me,
and wi t h compound i nt erest added, t hat whi ch I had
l ost by renderi ng servi ce t o t hose who were di shonest .
If I were l ooki ng for a profi t abl e fi el d of
empl oyment t oday, I coul d fi nd i t by agai n put t i ng
i nt o act i on t hi s pl an of re-wri t i ng sal es l i t erat ure as a
means of creat i ng a market for my servi ces. Perhaps I
woul d fi nd ot hers who woul d appropri at e my i deas
wi t hout payi ng for t hem, but by and l arge peopl e
woul d not do t hi s for t he si mpl e reason t hat i t woul d
be more profi t abl e t o t hem t o deal fai rl y wi t h me and
t hereby avai l t hemsel ves of my cont i nued servi ces.
Several years ago I was i nvi t ed t o del i ver a
l ect ure before t he st udent s of t he Pal mer School , at
Davenport , Iowa. My manager compl et ed
arrangement s for me t o accept t he i nvi t at i on under t he
regul ar t erms i n effect at t hat t i me, whi ch were
$100. 00 for t he l ect ure and my t ravel i ng expenses.
When I arri ved at Davenport , I found a recept i on
commi t t ee awai t i ng me at t he depot and t hat eveni ng I
was gi ven one of t he warmest wel comes I had ever
recei ved duri ng my publ i c career, up t o t hat t i me. I
met many del i ght ful peopl e from whom I gat hered
many val uabl e fact s t hat were of benefi t t o me;
t herefore, when I was asked t o make out my expense
account so t he school coul d gi ve me a check, I t ol d
t hem t hat I had recei ved my pay, many t i mes over, by
t hat whi ch I had l earned whi l e I was t here. I refused
- 43 -
my fee and ret urned t o my offi ce, i n Chi cago, feel i ng
wel l repai d for t he t ri p.
The fol l owi ng morni ng Dr. Pal mer went before
t he t wo t housand st udent s of hi s school and announced
what I had sai d about feel i ng repai d by what I had
l earned, and added:
"In t he t went y years t hat I have been conduct i ng
t hi s school I have had scores of speakers address t he
st udent body, but t hi s i s t he fi rst t i me I ever knew a
man t o refuse hi s fee because he fel t t hat he had been
repai d for hi s servi ces i n ot her ways. Thi s man i s t he
edi t or of a nat i onal magazi ne and I advi se every one
of you t o subscri be for t hat magazi ne, because such a
man as t hi s must have much t hat each of you wi l l need
when you go i nt o t he fi el d and offer your servi ces. "
By t he mi ddl e of t hat week I had recei ved more
t han $6, 000. 00 for subscri pt i ons t o t he magazi ne of
whi ch I was edi t or, and duri ng t he fol l owi ng t wo years
t hese same t wo t housand student s and t hei r fri ends
sent i n more t han $50, 000. 00 for subscri pt i ons.
Tel l me, i f you can, how or where I coul d have
i nvest ed $100. 00 as profi t abl y as t hi s, by refusi ng t o
accept my $100. 00 fee and t hereby set t i ng t he Law of
Increasi ng Ret urns t o work i n my behal f?
We go t hrough t wo i mport ant peri ods i n t hi s l i fe;
one i s t hat peri od duri ng whi ch we are gat heri ng,
cl assi fyi ng and organi zi ng knowl edge, and t he ot her i s
t hat peri od duri ng whi ch we are st ruggl i ng for
recogni t i on. We must fi rst l earn somet hi ng, whi ch
requi res more effort t han most of us are wi l l i ng t o put
i nt o t he j ob; but , aft er we have l earned much t hat can
be of useful servi ce t o ot hers, we are st i l l confront ed
- 44 -
wi t h t he probl em of convi ncing t hem t hat we can serve
t hem.
One of t he most i mport ant reasons why we shoul d
al ways be not onl y ready but wi l l i ng t o render servi ce,
i s t he fact t hat every t i me we do so, we gai n t hereby
anot her opport uni t y t o prove t o someone t hat we have
abi l i t y; we go j ust one more st ep t oward gai ni ng t he
necessary recogni t i on t hat we must al l have.
Inst ead of sayi ng t o t he worl d, "Show me t he
col or of your money and I wi l l show you what I can
do, " reverse t he rul e and say, "Let me show you t he
col or of my servi ce so t hat I may t ake a l ook at t he
col or of your money i f you l i ke my servi ce. "
In 1917 a cert ai n woman who was t hen neari ng
t he fi ft y-year mi l epost of l i fe, was worki ng as a
st enographer, at fi ft een dol l ars a week. Judgi ng by t he
sal ary she must have been none t oo compet ent i n t hat
work.
Now not e t hi s change:
Last year, t hi s same woman cl eared a l i t t l e over
$100, 000. 00 on t he l ect ure pl at form.
What bri dged t hat mi ght y chasm bet ween t hese
t wo earni ng capaci t i es? you ask, and I answer:
The habi t of perf ormi ng more servi ce and bet t er
servi ce t han t hat f or whi ch she was pai d, t hereby
t aki ng advant age of t he Law of Increasi ng Ret urns.
Thi s woman i s wel l known t hroughout t he
count ry, as she i s now a promi nent l ect urer on t he
subj ect of Appl i ed Psychol ogy.
Let me show you how she harnessed t he Law of
Increasi ng Ret urns. Fi rst , she goes i nt o a ci t y and
del i vers a seri es of fi ft een free l ect ures. Al l may
at t end who wi l l , wi t hout money and wi t hout pri ce.
- 45 -


NO man can rise to
fame and fortune
without carrying
others along with him.
It simply cannot be
done.



- 46 -
Duri ng t he del i very of t hese fi ft een l ect ures she has
t he opport uni t y of "sel l i ng hersel f" t o her audi ence,
and at t he end of t he seri es she announces t he
format i on of a cl ass for whi ch she charges t went y-fi ve
dol l ars per st udent .
That ' s al l t here i s t o her pl an!
Where she i s commandi ng a smal l fort une for a
year' s work t here are scores of much more profi ci ent
l ect urers who are barel y get t i ng enough from t hei r
work t o pay t hei r expenses, si mpl y because t hey have
not yet fami l i ari zed t hemsel ves wi t h t he fundament al s
upon whi ch t hi s l esson i s based, as she has done.
Now, I woul d l i ke t o have you st op ri ght here and
answer t hi s quest i on:
If a fi ft y-year-ol d woman, who has no
ext raordi nary qual i fi cat i ons, can harness t he Law of
Increasi ng Ret urns and make i t rai se her from t he
posi t i on as st enographer at fi ft een dol l ars a week t o
t hat of l ect urer at over $100, 000. 00 a year - why
cannot you appl y t hi s same l aw so t hat i t wi l l gi ve you
advant ages t hat you do not now possess?
Never mi nd what i s t o come i n t he remai nder of
t hi s l esson unt i l you have answered t hi s quest i on and -
answered i t AS IT SHOULD BE ANSWERED!
You are st ruggl i ng, ei t her meekl y or earnest l y, t o
make a pl ace for yoursel f i n t he worl d. Perhaps you
are exert i ng enough effort t o bri ng you success of t he
hi ghest order, i f t hat effort were coupl ed wi t h and
support ed by t he Law of Increasi ng Ret urns.
For t hi s reason, you owe i t t o yoursel f t o fi nd out
j ust how you can appl y t hi s l aw t o best advant age.
Now go back t o t hat quest i on, agai n; for I am
det ermi ned t hat you shal l not pass i t by l i ght l y,
- 47 -
wi t hout gi vi ng yoursel f t he benefi t of at l east t ryi ng
t o answer i t .
In ot her words, t here i s no mi st aki ng t he fact t hat
you are bei ng brought face t o face wi t h a quest i on t hat
vi t al l y affect s your fut ure, and, i f you evade i t , t he
faul t wi l l be wi t h you.
You may l ay t hi s l esson asi de aft er you have read
i t , and i t i s your pri vi l ege t o do so, wi t hout maki ng
any at t empt t o profi t by i t ; but , i f you do so, you wi l l
never agai n be abl e t o l ook at yoursel f i n a mi rror
wi t hout bei ng haunt ed by t he feel i ng t hat -
YOU HAVE DELIBERATELY CHEATED
YOURSELF!
Perhaps t hi s i s t el l i ng t he t rut h i n an
undi pl omat i c way; but , when you purchased t hi s
course on t he Law of Success, you di d so because you
want ed fact s, and you are get t i ng t hem, wi t hout t he
embel l i shment of apol ogy.
Aft er you have fi ni shed t hi s l esson, i f you wi l l go
back and revi ew t he l essons on Ini t i at i ve and
Leadershi p and Ent husi asm, you wi l l bet t er
underst and t hose l essons.
Those l essons and t hi s one cl earl y est abl i sh t he
necessi t y of t aki ng t he i ni t i at i ve, f ol l owi ng i t wi t h
aggressi ve act i on and doi ng more t han you are pai d t o
do. If you wi l l burn t he fundament al s of t hese t hree
l essons i nt o your consci ousness you wi l l be a changed
person, and I make t hi s st at ement regardl ess of who
you are or what your cal l i ng may be.
If t hi s pl ai n l anguage has made you angry, I am
gl ad; for i t i ndi cat es t hat you can be moved! Now, i f
you woul d profi t by t he counsel of one who has made
many more mi st akes t han you ever made, and for t hat
- 48 -
reason l earned a few of t he fundament al t rut hs of l i fe,
harness t hi s anger and focus i t on yoursel f unt i l i t
dri ves you fort h t o render t he servi ce of whi ch you are
capabl e.
If you wi l l do t hi s you can col l ect a ki ng' s ransom
as your reward.

Now l et us t urn our at t ent i on t o st i l l anot her
i mport ant feat ure of t hi s habi t of performi ng more
servi ce and bet t er servi ce t han t hat for whi ch we are
pai d; namel y, t he fact t hat we can devel op t hi s habi t
wi t hout aski ng for permi ssi on t o do so.
Such servi ce may be rendered t hrough your own
i ni t i at i ve, wi t hout t he consent of any person. You do
not have t o consul t t hose t o whom you render t he
servi ce, for i t i s a pri vi l ege over whi ch you have
ent i re cont rol .
There are many t hi ngs you coul d do t hat woul d
t end t o promot e your i nt erest s, but most of t hem
requi re t he co-operat i on or t he consent of ot hers. If
you render l ess servi ce t han t hat for whi ch you are
pai d you must do so by l eave of t he purchaser of t he
servi ce, or t he market for your servi ce wi l l soon
cease.
I want you t o get t he ful l si gni fi cance of t hi s
ri ght of prerogat i ve, whi ch you have, t o render more
servi ce and bet t er servi ce t han t hat for whi ch you are
pai d, for t hi s pl aces squarel y upon your shoul ders t he
responsi bi l i t y of renderi ng such servi ce, and i f you
fai l t o do so, you haven' t a pl ausi bl e excuse t o offer or
an "al i bi upon whi ch t o fal l back, i f you fai l i n t he
achi evement of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe.
One of t he most essent i al yet t he hardest t rut hs
- 49 -
t hat I have had t o l earn, i s t hat every person shoul d be
hi s own hardest t ask-mast er.
We are al l fi ne bui l ders of "al i bi s" and creat ors of
"excuses" i n support of our short -comi ngs.
We are not seeki ng f act s and t rut hs as t hey are,
but , as we wi sh t hem t o be. We prefer honeyed words
of fl at t ery t o t hose of col d, unbi ased t rut h, wherei n
l i es t he weakest spot of t he man-ani mal .
Furt hermore, we are up i n arms agai nst t hose who
dare t o uncover t he t rut h for our benefi t .
One of t he most severe shocks I recei ved i n t he
earl y part of my publ i c career was t he knowl edge t hat
men are st i l l bei ng cruci fi ed for t he hi gh cri me of
t el l i ng t he t rut h. I recal l an experi ence I had some t en
years ago, wi t h a man who had wri t t en a book
advert i si ng hi s busi ness school . He submi t t ed t hi s
book t o me and pai d me t o revi ew i t and gi ve hi m my
candi d opi ni on of i t . I revi ewed t he book wi t h
pai nst aki ng care, t hen di d my dut y by showi ng hi m
wherei n I bel i eved t he book was weak.
Here I l earned a great l esson, for t hat man
became so angry t hat he has never forgi ven me for
al l owi ng hi m t o l ook at hi s book t hrough my eyes.
When he asked me t o t el l hi m frankl y what "cri t i ci sm"
I had t o offer of t he book, what he real l y meant was
t hat I shoul d t el l hi m what I saw i n t he book t hat I
coul d "compl i ment . "
That ' s human nat ure f or you!
We court fl at t ery more t han we do t he t rut h. I
know, because I am human.
Al l of whi ch i s i n preparat i on for t he "unki ndest
cut of al l " t hat I am dut y-bound t o i nfl i ct upon you;
namel y, t o suggest t hat you have not done as wel l as
- 50 -
you mi ght have done for t he reason t hat you have not
appl i ed a suffi ci ent amount of t rut h set out i n Lesson
Ei ght , on Sel f -cont rol , t o charge yoursel f wi t h your
own mi st akes and short -comi ngs.
To do t hi s t akes sel f -cont rol and pl ent y of i t .
If you pai d some person who had t he abi l i t y and
t he courage t o do i t , a hundred dol l ars t o st ri p you of
your vani t y and concei t and l ove for fl at t ery, so t hat
you mi ght see t he weakest part of your make-up, t he
pri ce woul d be reasonabl e enough.
We go t hrough l i fe st umbl i ng and fal l i ng and
st ruggl i ng t o our knees, and st ruggl i ng and fal l i ng
some more, maki ng asses of oursel ves, and goi ng
down, fi nal l y, i n defeat , l argel y because we ei t her
negl ect or f l at l y ref use t o l earn t he t rut h about
oursel ves.
Si nce I have come t o di scover some of my own
weaknesses t hrough my work of hel pi ng ot hers
di scover t hei rs, I bl ush wi t h shame when I t ake a
ret rospect i ve vi ew of l i fe and t hi nk how ri di cul ous I
must have seemed i n t he eyes of t hose who coul d see
me as I woul dn' t see mysel f.
We parade before t he enl arged shadows of our
own vani t y and i magi ne t hat t hose shadows are our
real sel ves, whi l e t he few knowi ng soul s wi t h whom
we meet st and i n t he background and l ook at us wi t h
pi t y or wi t h scorn.
Hol d on a mi nut e 1 I am not t hrough wi t h you yet .
You have pai d me t o del ve i nt o t he dept hs of your
real sel f and gi ve you an i nt rospect i ve i nvent ory of
what i s t here, and I am goi ng t o do t he j ob ri ght , as
nearl y as I can.
Not onl y have you been fool i ng yoursel f as t o t he
real cause of your fai l ures of t he past , but you have
- 51 -




ALL salesmen will profit
by remembering that none
of us want anything that
someone else wishes to
"get rid of."




- 52 -
t ri ed t o hang t hese causes on t he door of someone
el se.
When t hi ngs di d not go t o sui t you, i nst ead of
accept i ng ful l responsi bi l i t y for t he cause, you have
sai d, "Oh, hang t hi s j ob! - I don' t l i ke t he way ' t hey'
are t reat i ng me, so I' m goi ng t o qui t !"
Don' t deny i t !
Now l et me whi sper a l i t t l e secret i n your ear - a
secret whi ch I have had t o gat her from gri ef and
heart aches and unnecessary puni shment of t he hardest
sort -
Inst ead of "qui t t i ng" t he j ob because t here were
obst acl es t o mast er and di f f i cul t i es t o be overcome,
you shoul d have f aced t he f act s and t hen you woul d
have known t hat l i f e, i t sel f , i s j ust one l ong seri es of
mast ery of di f f i cul t i es and obst acl es.
The measure of a man may be t aken very
accurat el y by t he ext ent t o whi ch he adapt s hi msel f t o
hi s envi ronment and makes i t hi s busi ness t o accept
responsi bi l i t y for every adversi t y wi t h whi ch he
meet s, whet her t he adversi t y grows out of a cause
wi t hi n hi s cont rol or not .
Now, i f you feel t hat I have "panned" you rat her
severel y, have pi t y on me, O Fel l ow-Wayfarer, for you
surel y must know t hat I have had t o puni sh mysel f
more sorel y t han I have puni shed you bef ore I l earned
t he t rut h t hat I am here passi ng on t o you f or your use
and gui dance.
I have a few enemi es - t hank God f or t hem! - for
t hey have been vul gar and merci l ess enough t o say
some t hi ngs about me t hat forced me t o ri d mysel f of
some of my most seri ous short -comi ngs; mai nl y t hose
whi ch I di d not know I possessed. I have profi t ed by
t he cri t i ci sm of t hese enemi es wi t hout havi ng t o pay
- 53 -
t hem for t hei r servi ces i n dol l ars, al t hough I have pai d
i n ot her ways.
However, i t was not unt i l some years ago t hat I
caught si ght of some of my most gl ari ng faul t s whi ch
were brought t o my at t ent i on as I st udi ed Emerson' s
essay on Compensat i on, part i cul arl y t he fol l owi ng
part of i t :
"Our st rengt h grows out of our weakness.
"Not unt i l we are pri cked, and st ung, and sorel y
shot at , awakens t he i ndi gnat i on whi ch arms i t sel f
wi t h secret forces. A great man i s al ways wi l l i ng t o be
l i t t l e. Whi l e he si t s on t he cushi on of advant age he
goes t o sl eep. When he i s pushed, t orment ed, defeat ed,
he has a chance t o l earn somet hi ng; he has been put on
hi s wi t s, on hi s manhood; he has gai ned f act s; l earned
hi s i gnorance; i s cured of t he i nsani t y of concei t ; has
got moderat i on and real ski l l . The wi se man al ways
t hrows hi msel f on t he si de of hi s assai l ant s. It i s more
hi s i nt erest t han i t i s t hei rs t o fi nd hi s weak poi nt .
Bl ame i s safer t han prai se. I hat e t o be defended i n a
newspaper. As l ong as al l t hat i s sai d i s sai d agai nst
me, I feel a cert ai n assurance of success. But as soon
as honeyed words of prai se are spoken of me, I feel as
one t hat l i es unprot ect ed before hi s enemi es. "
St udy t hi s, t he phi l osophy of t he i mmort al
Emerson, for i t may serve as a modi fyi ng force t hat
wi l l t emper your met al and prepare you for t he bat t l es
of l i fe, as carbon t empers t he st eel .
If you are a very young person, you need t o st udy
i t al l t he more, for i t oft en requi res t he st ern real i t i es
of many years of experi ence t o prepare one t o
assi mi l at e and appl y t hi s phi l osophy.
- 54 -
Bet t er t hat you shoul d underst and t hese great
t rut hs as a resul t of my undi pl omat i c present at i on of
t hem t han t o be forced t o gat her t hem from t he l ess
sympat het i c sources of col d experi ence. Experi ence i s
a t eacher t hat knows no favori t es. When I permi t you
t o profi t by t he t rut hs I have gat hered from t he
t eachi ngs of t hi s col d and unsympat het i c t eacher
cal l ed "experi ence, " I am doi ng my best t o show you
favori t i sm, whi ch remi nds me, somewhat , of t he t i mes
when my fat her used t o "do hi s dut y" by me, i n t he
woodshed, al ways st art i ng wi t h t hi s bi t of encouragi ng
phi l osophy:
"Son, t hi s hurt s me worse t han i t does you. "

Thus we approach t he cl ose of t hi s l esson wi t hout
havi ng exhaust ed t he possi bil i t i es of t he subj ect ; nay,
wi t hout havi ng more t han scrat ched t he surface of i t .
There comes t o my mi nd t he st ory of a romance
of l ong ago t hrough whi ch I can l eave i n your mi nd
t he mai n i mport of t hi s l esson. Thi s st ory had i t s
set t i ng i n t he ci t y of Ant i och, i n anci ent Rome, t wo
t housand Years ago, when t he great ci t y of Jerusal em
and al l t he l and of Judea were under t he oppressi ve
heel of Rome.
The st ar fi gure of t he st ory was a young Jew by
t he name of Ben Hur, who was fal sel y accused of
cri me and sent enced t o hard l abor, at t he gal l ey' s oar.
Chai ned t o a bench i n t he gal l ey, and bei ng forced t o
t ug weari l y at t he oars, Ben Hur devel oped a powerful
body. Li t t l e di d hi s t orment ors know t hat out of hi s
puni shment woul d grow t he st rengt h wi t h whi ch he
woul d one day gai n hi s freedom. Perhaps Ben Hur,
hi msel f, had no such hopes.
- 55 -
Then came t he day of t he chari ot races: t he day
t hat was dest i ned t o break t he chai ns t hat bound Ben
Hur t o t he oars of t he gal l ey and gi ve hi m hi s
freedom.
One span of horses was wi t hout a dri ver. In
desperat i on t he owner sought t he ai d of t he young
sl ave because of hi s mi ght y arms, and begged hi m t o
t ake t he pl ace of t he mi ssi ng dri ver.
As Ben Hur pi cked up t he rei ns, a mi ght y cry
went up from t he onl ookers.
"Look! Look! Those arms! - where di d you get
t hem?" t hey howl ed, and Ben Hur answered:
"At t he gal l ey' s oar!"
The race was on. Wi t h t hose mi ght y arms Ben Hur
cal ml y drove t hat chargi ng span of horses on t o
vi ct ory; vi ct ory t hat won for hi m hi s freedom.
Li fe, i t sel f, i s a great chari ot race, and t he
vi ct ory goes onl y t o t hose who have devel oped t he
st rengt h of charact er and det ermi nat i on and wi l l -
power t o wi n.
What mat t ers i t t hat we devel op t hi s st rengt h
t hrough cruel confi nement at t he gal l ey' s oar, as l ong
as we use i t so t hat i t bri ngs us, fi nal l y, t o vi ct ory and
freedom.
It i s an unvaryi ng l aw t hat st rengt h grows out of
resi st ance. If we pi t y t he poor bl acksmi t h who swi ngs
a fi ve pound hammer al l day l ong, we must al so
admi re t he wonderful arm t hat he devel ops i n doi ng i t .
"Because of t he dual const i t ut i on of al l t hi ngs, i n
l abor as i n l i fe, t here can be no cheat i ng, " says
Emerson. "The t hi ef st eal s from hi msel f. The swi ndl er
swi ndl es hi msel f. For t he real pri ce of l abor i s
knowl edge and vi rt ue, whereof weal t h and credi t
- 56 -
are si gns. The si gns, l i ke paper money, may be
count erfei t ed or st ol en, but t hat whi ch t hey represent ;
namel y, knowl edge and vi rt ue, cannot be count erfei t ed
or st ol en. "
Henry Ford recei ves fi ft een t housand l et t ers a
week from peopl e who are beggi ng for a part of hi s
weal t h; yet how few of t hese poor i gnorant soul s
underst and t hat Ford' s real weal t h i s not measured by
t he dol l ars he has i n t he bank, nor t he fact ori es he
owns, but by t he reput at i on he has gai ned t hrough t he
renderi ng of useful servi ce at a reasonabl e pri ce.
And how di d he gai n t hat reput at i on?
Cert ai nl y not by renderi ng as l i t t l e servi ce as
possi bl e and col l ect i ng for i t al l he coul d f i l ch f rom
t he purchasers.
The very warp and woof of Ford' s busi ness
phi l osophy i s t hi s:
"Gi ve t he peopl e t he best product at t he l owest
pri ce possi bl e. "
When ot her aut omobi l e manufact urers rai se t hei r
pri ces, Ford l owers hi s. When ot her empl oyers l ower
wages, Ford i ncreases t hem. What has happened? Thi s
pol i cy has pl aced t he Law of Increasi ng Ret urns back
of Ford so effect i vel y t hat he has become t he ri chest
and most powerful man i n t he worl d.
Oh, you fool i sh and short -si ght ed seekers aft er
weal t h, who are ret urni ng from t he dai l y chase empt y-
handed, - why do you not t ake a l esson from men l i ke
Ford? Why do you not reverse your phi l osophy and
gi ve i n order t hat you may get ?
I am fi ni shi ng t hi s l esson on Chri st mas Eve!
In t he room next t o my st udy our chi l dren are
decorat i ng t hei r Chri st mas t ree, and t he rhyt hm of
- 57 -


THERE are no lazy men.
What may appear to be
a lazy man is only an
unfortunate person who
has not found the work
for which he is best
suited.


- 58 -
t hei r voi ces fal l s as musi c upon my ears. They are
happy, not al one because t hey expect t o recei ve, but
for t he deeper reason t hat t hey have present s hi dden
away whi ch t hey expect t o gi ve.
From t he wi ndow of my st udy, I can see t he
nei ghbor' s chi l dren as t hey, t oo, are gl eeful l y engaged
i n prepari ng for t hi s wonderful event .
Throughout t he ci vi l i zed worl d, mi l l i ons of
peopl e are prepari ng t o cel ebrat e t he bi rt h of t hi s
Pri nce of Peace who, more t han any ot her man, set
fort h t he reasons why i t i s more bl essed t o gi ve t han
t o recei ve, and why enduri ng happi ness comes not
from possessi ng mat eri al weal t h, but from renderi ng
servi ce t o humani t y.
It seems a queer co-i nci dence t hat t he compl et i on
of t hi s part i cul ar l esson shoul d have happened on
Chri st mas Eve, yet I am gl ad t hat i t has, for t hi s has
provi ded me wi t h suffi ci ent j ust i fi cat i on for
remi ndi ng you t hat nowhere i n t he ent i re hi st ory of
ci vi l i zat i on coul d I have found st ronger support of t he
fundament al s of t hi s l esson t han may be found i n t he
Sermon on t he Mount , i n t he book of Mat t hew.
Chri st i ani t y i s one of t he great est and most
farreachi ng i nfl uences i n t he worl d t oday, and I hardl y
need apol ogi ze for remi ndi ng you t hat t he t enet s of
Chri st ' s phi l osophy are i n absol ut e harmony wi t h t he
fundament al s upon whi ch t hi s l esson, i n t he mai n, i s
founded.
As I see t he happy faces of t he chi l dren and
wat ch t he hurryi ng crowds of bel at ed Chri st mas
shoppers, al l radi ant wi t h t he spl endor of t he spi ri t of
gi vi ng, I cannot hel p wi shi ng t hat every eve was
Chri st mas Eve, for t hen t hi s woul d be a bet t er worl d
- 59 -
i n whi ch t he st ruggl e for exi st ence woul d be reduced
t o a mi ni mum, and hat red and st ri fe out l awed.
Li fe i s but a short span of years at best . Li ke a
candl e we are l i ght ed, fl i cker for a moment , and t hen
go out ! If we were pl aced here for t he purpose of
l ayi ng up t reasures for use i n a l i fe t hat l i es beyond
t he dark shadow of Deat h, may i t not be possi bl e t hat
we can best col l ect t hese t reasures by renderi ng al l t he
servi ce we can, t o al l t he peopl e we can, i n a l ovi ng
spi ri t of ki ndness and sympat hy?
I hope you agree wi t h t hi s phi l osophy.
Here t hi s l esson must end, but i t i s by no means
compl et ed. Where I l ay down t he chai n of t hought i t i s
now your dut y t o t ake i t up and devel op i t , i n your
own way, and t o your own benefi t .
By t he very nat ure of t he subj ect of t hi s l esson i t
can never be fi ni shed, for i t l eads i nt o t he heart of al l
human act i vi t i es. It s purpose i s t o cause you t o t ake
t he fundament al s upon whi ch i t i s based and use t hem
as a st i mul us t hat wi l l cause your mi nd t o unfol d,
t hereby rel easi ng t he l at ent forces t hat are yours.
Thi s l esson was not wri t t en for t he purpose of
t eachi ng you, but i t was i nt ended as a means of
causi ng you t o t each yoursel f one of t he great t rut hs
of l i fe. It was i nt ended as a source of educat i on, i n t he
t rue sense of educi ng, drawi ng out , devel opi ng from
wi t hi n, t hose forces of mi nd whi ch are avai l abl e for
your use.
When you del i ver t he best servi ce of whi ch you
are capabl e, st ri vi ng each t i me t o excel al l your
previ ous effort s, you are maki ng use of t he hi ghest
form of educat i on. Therefore, when you render more
servi ce and bet t er servi ce t han t hat for whi ch you are
pai d, you, more t han anyone el se, are profi t i ng by t he
effort .
- 60 -
It i s onl y t hrough t he del i very of such servi ce
t hat mast ery i n your chosen fi el d of endeavor can be
at t ai ned. For t hi s reason you shoul d make i t a part of
your def i ni t e chi ef ai m t o endeavor t o surpass al l
previ ous records i n al l t hat you do. Let t hi s become a
part of your dai l y habi t s, and fol l ow i t wi t h t he same
regul ari t y wi t h whi ch you eat your meal s.
Make i t your busi ness t o render more servi ce and
bet t er servi ce t han t hat for whi ch you are pai d, and l o!
before you real i ze what has happened, you wi l l
fi nd t hat THE WORLD I S WI LLI NGLY PAYI NG YOU FOR
MORE THAN YOU DO!
Compound i nt erest upon compound i nt erest i s t he
rat e t hat you wi l l be pai d for such servi ce. Just how
t hi s pyrami di ng of gai ns t akes pl ace i s l eft ent i rel y t o
you t o det ermi ne.
Now, what are you goi ng t o do wi t h t hat whi ch
you have l earned from t hi s l esson? and when? and
how? and why? Thi s l esson can be of no val ue t o you
unl ess i t moves you t o adopt and use t he knowl edge i t
has brought you.
Knowl edge becomes POWER onl y t hrough
organi zat i on and USE! Do not forget t hi s.
You can never become a Leader wi t hout doi ng
more t han you are pai d for, and you cannot become
successful wi t hout devel opi ng l eadershi p i n your
chosen occupat i on.
- 61 -


THERE is always room
for the man who can
be relied upon to
deliver the goods
when he said he
would.


- 62 -
THE MASTER MIND

An Af t er- t he- Lesson Vi si t Wi t h t he Aut hor



A Power That Can Bri ng You What ever You
Want On Thi s Eart h

SUCCESS i s achi eved t hrough t he appl i cat i on of
power.
In t he pi ct ure at t he t op of t hi s page you see t wo
forms of POWER!
At t he l eft you see physi cal power, produced by
Nat ure, wi t h t he ai d of organi zed rai ndrops pouri ng
over Ni agara Fal l s. Man has harnessed t hi s form of
power.
At t he ri ght you see anot her, and a much more
i nt ensi ve form of power, produced t hrough t he
harmoni ous co-ordi nat i on of THOUGHT i n t he mi nds
of men. Observe t hat t he word "harmoni ous" has been
emphasi zed. In t hi s pi ct ure you see a group of men
seat ed at t he Di rect ors' Tabl e i n a modem busi ness
offi ce. The powerful fi gure ri si ng above t he group
represent s t he "Mast er Mi nd" whi ch may be creat ed
wherever men bl end t hei r mi nds i n a spi ri t of perfect
harmony, wi t h some DEFINITE obj ect i ve i n vi ew.
- 63 -
St udy t hi s pi ct ure! It i nt erpret s t he great est
POWER known t o man.

Wi t h t he ai d of t he MIND man has di scovered
many i nt erest i ng fact s about t he eart h on whi ch he
l i ves, t he ai r and t he et her t hat fi l l t he endl ess space
about hi m, and t he mi l l i ons of ot her pl anet s and
heavenl y bodi es t hat fl oat t hrough space.
Wi t h t he ai d of a l i t t l e mechani cal cont ri vance
(whi ch hi s MIND concei ved) cal l ed a "spect roscope, "
man has di scovered, at a di st ance of 93, 000, 000 mi l es,
t he nat ure of t he subst ances of whi ch t he sun i s made.
We have l i ved t hrough t he st one age, t he i ron age,
t he copper age, t he rel i gi ous fanat i c age, t he sci ent i fi c
research age, t he i ndust ri al age and we ent er, now, t he
age of THOUGHT.
Out of t he spoi l s of t he dark ages t hrough whi ch
man has passed he has saved much mat eri al t hat i s
sound food for THOUGHT. Whi l e for more t han t en
t housand years t he bat t l e bet ween IGNORANCE,
SUPERSTITION and FEAR on t he one si de, and
INTELLIGENCE on t he ot her, has raged, man has
pi cked up some useful knowl edge.
Among ot her fragment s of useful knowl edge
gat hered by man, he has di scovered and cl assi fi ed t he
83 el ement s of whi ch al l physi cal mat t er consi st s. By
st udy and anal ysi s and compari son man has di scovered
t he "bi gness" of t he mat eri al t hi ngs i n t he uni verse as
t hey are represent ed by t he suns and st ars, some of
t hem over t en mi l l i on t i mes as l arge as t he eart h on
whi ch he l i ves. On t he ot her hand, man has di scovered
t he "l i t t l eness" of t hi ngs by reduci ng mat t er t o
- 64 -
mol ecul es, at oms, and fi nal l y, t o t he smal l est known
part i cl e, t he el ect ron. An at om i s so i nconcei vabl y
smal l t hat a grai n of sand cont ai ns mi l l i ons of t hem.
The mol ecul e i s made up of at oms, whi ch are sai d
t o be l i t t l e part i cl es of mat t er t hat revol ve around
each ot her i n one cont i nuous ci rcui t , at l i ght ni ng
speed, very much as t he eart h and ot her pl anet s whi rl
around t he sun i n an endl ess ci rcui t .
The at om, i n t urn, i s made up of el ect rons whi ch
are const ant l y i n rapi d mot i on; t hus i t i s sai d t hat i n
every drop of wat er and every grai n of sand t he ent i re
pri nci pl e upon whi ch t he whol e uni verse operat es, i s
dupl i cat ed.
How marvel ous! How st upendous! How do we
know t hese t hi ngs t o be t rue? Through t he ai d of t he
MIND.
You may gat her some sl i ght i dea of t he magni t ude
of i t al l t he next t i me you eat a beef-st eak, by
rememberi ng t hat t he st eak on your pl at e, t he pl at e
i t sel f, and t he t abl e on whi ch you are eat i ng and t he
si l verware wi t h whi ch you are eat i ng are al l , i n fi nal
anal ysi s, made of exact l y t he same mat eri al , el ect rons.
In t he physi cal or mat eri al worl d, whet her one i s
l ooki ng at t he l argest st ar t hat fl oat s t hrough t he
heavens or t he smal l est grai n of sand t o be found on
eart h, t he obj ect under observat i on i s but an organi zed
col l ect i on of mol ecul es, at oms and el ect rons. (An
el ect ron i s an i nseparabl e form of power, made up of a
posi t i ve and a negat i ve pol e. )
Man knows much about t he physi cal fact s of t he
uni verse!
The next great sci ent i fi c di scovery wi l l be t he
fact , whi ch al ready exi st s, t hat every human brai n i s
- 65 -
bot h a broadcast i ng and a receivi ng st at i on; t hat every
t hought vi brat i on rel eased by t he brai n may be pi cked
up and i nt erpret ed by al l ot her brai ns t hat are i n
harmony, or i n "t une" wi t h t he rat e of vi brat i on of t he
broadcast i ng brai n.

How di d man acqui re t he knowl edge t hat he
possesses concerni ng t he physi cal l aws of t hi s eart h?
How di d he l earn what has t aken pl ace before hi s
t i me, and duri ng hi s unci vi l i zed peri od? He gat hered
t hi s knowl edge by t urni ng back t he pages of Nat ure' s
Bi bl e and t here vi ewi ng t he uni mpeachabl e evi dence
of mi l l i ons of years of st ruggl e among ani mal s of a
l ower i nt el l i gence. By t urni ng back t he great st one
pages man has uncovered t he bones, skel et ons,
foot pri nt s and ot her unmi st akabl e evi dence whi ch
Mot her Nat ure has hel d for hi s i nspect i on t hroughout
unbel i evabl e peri ods of t i me.
Now man i s about t o t urn hi s at t ent i on t o anot her
sect i on of Nat ure' s Bi bl e - t he one wherei n has been
wri t t en a hi st ory of t he great ment al st ruggl e t hat has
t aken pl ace i n t he real m of THOUGHT. Thi s page i s
represent ed by t he boundl ess et her whi ch has pi cked
up and st i l l carri es every t hought vi brat i on t hat was
ever rel eased from t he mi nd of man.
Thi s great page i n Nat ure' s Bi bl e i s one t hat no
human bei ng has been abl e t o t amper wi t h. It s records
are posi t i ve, and soon t hey may be cl earl y i nt erpret ed.
No i nt erpol at i ons by man have been permi t t ed. Of t he
aut hent i ci t y of t he st ory wri t t en on t hi s page t here can
be no doubt .
Thanks t o EDUCATION (meani ng t he unfol di ng,
- 66 -
educi ng, drawi ng out , devel opi ng from wi t hi n of t he
human mi nd) Nat ure' s Bi bl e i s now bei ng i nt erpret ed.
The st ory of man' s l ong, peri l ous st ruggl e upward
has been wri t t en on t he pages of t hi s, t he great est of
al l Bi bl es.
Al l who have part l y conquered t he Si x Basi c
Fears descri bed i n anot her "aut hor' s vi si t " i n t hi s
seri es, and who have succesful l y conquered
SUPERSTITION and IGNORANCE, may read t he
records t hat have been wri t t en i n Nat ure' s Bi bl e. To
al l ot hers t hi s pri vi l ege i s deni ed. For t hi s reason
t here are probabl y fewer t han one t housand peopl e i n
t he ent i re worl d at t hi s t i me who are i n, even t he
pri mary grade as far as t he readi ng of t hi s Bi bl e i s
concerned.
In t he ent i re worl d t here are probabl y fewer t han
one hundred peopl e, t oday, who know anyt hi ng about
or have ever heard of t he chemi st ry of t he mi nd,
t hrough whi ch t wo or more mi nds -
- MAY BE BLENDED, IN A SPIRIT OF
PERFECT HARMONY, IN SUCH A MANNER THAT
THERE IS BORN A THIRD MIND POSSESSING THE
SUPERHUMAN POWER TO READ THE STORY OF
THE VIBRATION OF THOUGHT AS IT HAS BEEN
WRITTEN AND NOW EXISTS IN THE
IMPERISHABLE RECORDS OF THE ETHER.
The newl y-di scovered radi o pri nci pl e has shut t he
mout hs of t he Doubt i ng Thomases and sent t he
sci ent i st scurryi ng i nt o new fi el ds of experi ment at i on.
When t hey emerge from t hi s fi el d of research t hey
wi l l show us t hat t he mi nd as we underst and i t t oday,
as compared t o t he mi nd of t omorrow, i s about t he
same as compari ng t he i nt el l i gence of a pol l i wog t o
- 67 -
t hat of a professor of bi ol ogy who has read t he ent i re
l i fe-l i ne of ani mal l i fe, from t he amoeba on up t o man.

Come for a short vi si t wi t h a few of t he
POWERFUL men now l i vi ng who are maki ng use of
power creat ed t hrough t he bl endi ng, i n a spi ri t of
harmony, of t wo or more mi nds.
We wi l l begi n wi t h t hree wel l known men, who
are known t o be men of great achi evement i n t hei r
respect i ve fi el ds of endeavor. Thei r names are Henry
Ford, Thomas A. Edi son and Harvey Fi rest one.
Of t he t hree Henry Ford i s t he most POWERFUL,
havi ng reference t o economi c power. Mr. Ford i s t he
most powerful man now l i vi ng on eart h, and i s
bel i eved t o be t he most powerful who ever l i ved. So
great i s hi s power t hat he may have anyt hi ng of a
physi cal nat ure t hat he desi res, or i t s equi val ent .
Mi l l i ons of dol l ars, t o hi m, are but pl ayt hi ngs, no
harder t o acqui re t han t he grai ns of sand wi t h whi ch
t he chi l d bui l ds sand-t unnel s.
Mr. Edi son has such a keen i nsi ght i nt o Mot her
Nat ure' s Bi bl e t hat he has harnessed and combi ned for
t he good of man, more of Nat ure' s l aws t han any ot her
man who ever l i ved. It was he who brought t oget her
t he poi nt of a needl e and a pi ece of wax i n such a way
t hat t hey record and preserve t he human voi ce. It was
he who fi rst made t he l i ght ni ng serve t o l i ght our
houses and st reet s, t hrough t he ai d of t he i ncandescent
l i ght . It was he who made t he camera record and
produce al l sort s of mot i on, t hrough t he modem
movi ng pi ct ure apparat us.
Mr. Fi rest one' s i ndust ri al achi evement i s so wel l
- 68 -
known t hat i t needs no comment . He has made dol l ars
mul t i pl y t hemsel ves so rapi dl y t hat hi s name has
become a by-word wherever aut omobi l es are operat ed.
Al l t hree men began t hei r busi ness and
professi onal careers wi t h no capi t al and but l i t t l e
school i ng of t he nat ure usual l y referred t o as
"educat i on. "
Perhaps Mr. Ford' s begi nni ng was, by far, t he
most humbl e of t he t hree. Cursed wi t h povert y,
ret arded by l ack of even t he most el ement ary form of
school i ng, and handi capped by i gnorance i n many
forms, he has mast ered al l of t hese i n t he
i nconcei vabl y short peri od of t went y-fi ve years.
Thus mi ght we bri efl y descri be t he achi evement s
of t hree wel l known, successful men of POWER!
But , we have been deal i ng wi t h EFFECT onl y!
The t rue phi l osopher wi shes t o know somet hi ng
of t he cause whi ch produced t hese desi rabl e
EFFECTS.
It i s a mat t er of publ i c knowl edge t hat Mr. Ford,
Mr. Edi son and Mr. Fi rest one are cl ose personal
fri ends; t hat t hey go away t o t he woods once a year
for a peri od of recuperat i on and rest .
But , i t i s not general l y known - i t i s doubt ful i f
t hese t hree men, t hemsel ves, even know i t -
- THAT THERE EXISTS BETWEEN THE THREE
MEN A BOND OF HARMONY OUT OF WHICH HAS
GROWN A MASTER MIND THAT IS BEING USED
BY EACH OF THE THREE. A MIND OF
SUPERHUMAN ABILITY, THAT HAS IRE
CAPACITY TO "TUNE IN" ON FORCES WITH
WHICH MOST MEN ARE TO NO EXTENT
FAMILIAR.
Let us repeat t he st at ement t hat out of t he
bl endi ng and harmoni zi ng of t wo or more mi nds
- 69 -
(t wel ve or t hi rt een mi nds appear t o be t he most
favorabl e number) may be produced a mi nd whi ch has
t he capaci t y t o "t une i n" on t he vi brat i ons of t he et her
and pi ck up, from t hat source, ki ndred t hought s, on
any subj ect .

Through t he pri nci pl e of harmony of mi nds, Ford,
Edi son and Fi rest one have creat ed a Mast er Mi nd t hat
now suppl ement s t he effort s of each of t he t hree, and
WHETHER CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY,
THIS "MASTER MIND" IS THE CAUSE OF THE
SUCCESS OF EACH OF THE THREE.
There i s no ot her answer t o t hei r at t ai nment of
great power, and t hei r far-reachi ng success i n t hei r
respect i ve fi el ds of endeavor, and t hi s i s t rue despi t e
t he fact t hat nei t her of t hem may be consci ous of t he
power t hey have creat ed, or t he manner i n whi ch t hey
have done so.
In t he ci t y of Chi cago l i ve si x powerful men
known as t he Bi g Si x. These si x men are sai d t o be t he
most powerful group of men i n t he mi ddl e west . It i s
sai d t hat t hei r combi ned i ncome t ot al s more t han
t went y-fi ve mi l l i on dol l ars a year.
Every man i n t he group began i n t he most humbl e
of ci rcumst ances.
Thei r names are:
Wm. Wri gl ey, Jr. , who owns t he Wri gl ey Chewi ng
Gum busi ness, and whose i ncome i s sai d t o be over
fi ft een mi l l i on dol l ars a year. John R. Thompson, who
owns t he chai n of Thompson sel f-hel p l unch rooms
t hroughout t he count ry. Mr. Lasker, who owns t he
Lord & Thomas Advert i si ng Agency. Mr. McCul l ough,
- 70 -
who owns t he l argest express busi ness i n t he worl d.
And, Mr. Ri t chi e and Mr. Hert z, who own t he Yel l ow
Taxi cab busi ness of t he count ry.
There i s not hi ng st art l i ng about a man who does
not hi ng more t han become a mi l l i onai re, as a rul e.
However, t here i s somet hi ng connect ed wi t h t he
fi nanci al success of t hese part i cul ar mi l l i onai res t hat
i s more t han st art l i ng, for i t i s wel l known t hat t here
exi st s bet ween t hem a bond of fri endshi p out of whi ch
has grown t he condi t i on of harmony t hat produces a
Mast er Mi nd.
These si x men, whet her by acci dent or desi gn,
have bl ended t hei r mi nds i n such a way t hat t he mi nd
of each has been suppl ement ed by a superhuman
power known as a "Mast er Mi nd, " and ' t hat mi nd has
brought each of t hem more worl dl y gai n t han any
person coul d possi bl y use t o advant age. .
The l aw upon whi ch t he pri nci pl e of a Mast er
Mi nd operat es was di scovered by Chri st , when he
surrounded hi msel f wi t h t wel ve di sci pl es and creat ed
t he fi rst Thi rt een Cl ub of t he worl d.
Despi t e t he fact t hat one of t he t hi rt een (Judas)
broke t he chai n of harmony, suffi ci ent seed was sown
duri ng t he peri od of harmony t hat ori gi nal l y exi st ed
bet ween t hese t hi rt een peopl e, t o i nsure t he
cont i nuat i on of THE GREATEST AND MOST
FARREACHING PHILOSOPHY KNOWN TO THE
INHABITANTS OF THIS EARTH.
Many mi l l i ons of peopl e bel i eve t hemsel ves t o
possess WISDOM. Many of t hese do possess wi sdom,
i n cert ai n el ement ary st ages, but no man may possess
real wi sdom wi t hout t he ai d of t he power known as a
Mast er Mi nd, and such a mi nd cannot be creat ed ex-
- 71 -
cept t hrough t he pri nci pl e of bl endi ng, i n harmony, of
t wo or more mi nds.
Through many years of pract i cal experi ment at i on
i t has been found t hat t hi rt een mi nds, when bl ended i n
a spi ri t of perfect harmony, produce t he most pract i cal
resul t s.
Upon t hi s pri nci pl e, whet her consci ousl y or
unconsci ousl y, i s founded al l of t he great i ndust ri al
and commerci al successes t hat are so abundant i n t hi s
age.
The word "merger" i s becomi ng one of t he most
popul ar words i n newspaper parl ance, because hardl y
a day goes by t hat one may not read of some bi g
i ndust ri al , commerci al , fi nanci al or rai l road merger.
Sl owl y t he worl d i s begi nni ng t o l earn (i n a very few
mi nds onl y) t hat t hrough fri endl y al l i ance and
cooperat i on great POWER may be devel oped.

The successful busi ness and i ndust ri al and
fi nanci al ent erpri ses are t hose managed by l eaders
who ei t her consci ousl y or unconsci ousl y appl y t he
pri nci pl e of co-ordi nat ed effort descri bed i n t hi s
art i cl e. If you woul d be a great l eader i n any
undert aki ng, surround yoursel f wi t h ot her mi nds t hat
can be bl ended i n a spi ri t of co-operat i on so t hat t hey
act and funct i on as one.
If you can grasp t hi s pri nci pl e and appl y i t you
may have, for your effort s, what ever you want on t hi s
eart h!
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I LIKE to see a man
proud of his country,
and I like to see him
so live that his country
is proud of him.
-Lincoln.



T
T
H
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E
E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
U
U
C
C
C
C
E
E
S
S
S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL










Pri nted i n the U. S. A.


- 2 -







Lesson Ten
PLEASING PERSONALITY



- 3 -

EMPLOYERS are al-
ways on the lookout
for a man who does a
better job of any sort
than is customary,
whether it be
wrapping a package,
writing a letter or
closing a sale.

- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Ten
PLEASING PERSONALITY



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

WHAT i s an ATTRACTIVE personal i t y?
Of course t he answer i s: A personal i t y t hat
at t ract s.
But what causes a personal i t y t o at t ract ? Let us
proceed t o fi nd out . Your personal i t y i s t he sum t ot al
of your charact eri st i cs and appearances whi ch
di st i ngui sh you from al l ot hers. The cl ot hes you wear,
t he l i nes i n your face, t he t one of your voi ce, t he
t hought s you t hi nk, t he charact er you have devel oped
by t hose t hought s, al l const i t ut e part s of your
personal i t y.
Whet her your personal i t y i s at t ract i ve or not i s
anot her mat t er.
By far t he most i mport ant part of your personal i t y
i s t hat whi ch i s represent ed by your charact er, and i s
t herefore t he part t hat i s not vi si bl e. The st yl e of your
cl ot hes and t hei r appropri at eness undoubt edl y
const i t ut e a very i mport ant part of your personal i t y,
for i t i s t rue t hat peopl e form fi rst i mpressi ons of you
from your out ward appearance.
- 5 -
Even t he manner i n whi ch you shake hands forms
an i mport ant part of your personal i t y, and goes a very
l ong way t oward at t ract i ng or repel l i ng t hose wi t h
whom you shake hands.
Thi s art can be cul t i vat ed.
The expressi on of your eyes al so forms an
i mport ant part of your personal i t y, for t here are
peopl e, and t hey are more numerous t han one mi ght
i magi ne, who can l ook t hrough your eyes i nt o your
heart and see t hat whi ch i s wri t t en t here by t he nat ure
of your most secret t hought s.
The vi t al i t y of your body - somet i mes cal l ed
personal magnet i sm - al so const i t ut es an i mport ant
part of your personal i t y.
Now l et us proceed t o arrange t hese out ward
medi ums t hrough whi ch t he nat ure of our personal i t y
i s expressed, so t hat i t wi l l at t ract and not repel .
There i s one way i n whi ch you can so express t he
composi t e of your personal i t y t hat i t wi l l al ways
at t ract , even t hough you may be as homel y as t he
ci rcus "fat woman, " and t hi s i s by -
Taki ng a keen heart -i nt erest i n t he ot her f el l ow' s
"game i n l i f e.
Let me i l l ust rat e exact l y what i s meant , by
rel at i ng an i nci dent t hat happened some years ago,
from whi ch I was t aught a l esson i n mast er
sal esmanshi p.
One day an ol d l ady cal l ed at my offi ce and sent
i n her card wi t h a message sayi ng t hat she must see
me personal l y. No amount of coaxi ng by secret ari es
coul d i nduce her t o di scl ose t he nat ure of her vi si t ,
t herefore I made up my mi nd t hat she was some poor
ol d soul who want ed t o sel l me a book, and
rememberi ng t hat my own mot her was a woman, I
- 6 -
deci ded t o go out t o t he recept i on room and buy her
book, what ever i t mi ght be.
Pl ease fol l ow every det ai l t hought ful l y; for you,
t oo, may l earn a l esson i n mast er sal esmanshi p from
t hi s i nci dent .
As I wal ked down t he hal l -way from my pri vat e
offi ce t hi s ol d l ady, who was st andi ng j ust out si de of
t he rai l i ng t hat l ed t o t he mai n recept i on room, began
t o smi l e.
I had seen many peopl e smi l e, but never before
had I seen one who smi l ed so sweet l y as di d t hi s l ady.
It was one of t hose cont agi ous smi l es, because I
caught t he spi ri t of i t and began t o smi l e al so.
As I reached t he rai l i ng t he ol d l ady ext ended her
hand t o shake hands wi t h me. Now, as a rul e, I do not
become t oo fri endl y on fi rst acquai nt ance when a
person cal l s at my offi ce, for t he reason t hat i t i s very
hard t o say "no" i f t he cal l er shoul d ask me t o do t hat
whi ch I do not wi sh t o do.
However, t hi s dear ol d l ady l ooked so sweet l y
i nnocent and harml ess t hat I ext ended my hand and
she began t o shake i t ! whereupon, I di scovered t hat
she not onl y had an at t ract i ve smi l e, but she al so had
a magnet i c hand-shake. She t ook hol d of my hand
fi rml y, but not t oo fi rml y, and t he very manner i n
whi ch she went about i t t el egraphed t he t hought t o my
brai n t hat i t was she who was doi ng t he honors. She
made me feel t hat she was real l y and t rul y gl ad t o
shake my hand, and I bel i eve t hat she was. I bel i eve
t hat her hand-shake came from t he heart as wel l as
from t he hand.
I have shaken hands wi t h many t housands of
peopl e duri ng my publ i c career, but I do not recal l
- 7 -
havi ng ever done so wi t h anyone who underst ood t he
art of doi ng i t as wel l as t hi s ol d l ady di d. The
moment she t ouched my hand I coul d feel mysel f
"sl i ppi ng, " and I knew t hat what ever i t was t hat she
had come aft er she woul d go away wi t h i t , and t hat I
woul d ai d and abet her al l I coul d t oward t hi s end.
In ot her words, t hat penet rat i ng smi l e and t hat
warm hand-shake had di sarmed me and made me a
"wi l l i ng vi ct i m. " At a si ngl e st roke t hi s ol d l ady had
shorn me of t hat fal se shel l i nt o whi ch I crawl when
sal esmen come around sel l i ng, or t ryi ng t o sel l , t hat
whi ch I do not want . To go back t o an expressi on
whi ch you found qui t e frequent l y i n previ ous l essons
of t hi s course, t hi s gent l e vi si t or had "neut ral i zed" my
mi nd and made me want t o l i st en.
Ah, but here i s t he st umbl i ng poi nt at whi ch most
sal espeopl e fal l and break thei r necks, fi gurat i vel y
speaki ng, for i t i s as usel ess t o t ry t o sel l a man
somet hi ng unt i l you have fi rst made hi m want t o
l i st en, as i t woul d be t o command t he eart h t o st op
rot at i ng.
Not e wel l how t hi s ol d l ady used a smi l e and a
hand-shake as t he t ool s wi t h whi ch t o pry open t he
wi ndow t hat l ed t o my heart ; but t he most i mport ant
part of t he t ransact i on i s yet t o be rel at ed.
Sl owl y and del i berat el y, as i f she had al l t he t i me
t here was i n t he uni verse (whi ch she di d have, as far
as I was concerned at t hat moment ) t he ol d l ady began
t o cryst al l i ze t he fi rst st ep of her vi ct ory i nt o real i t y
by sayi ng:
"I j ust came here t o t el l you (what seemed t o me
t o be a l ong pause) t hat I t hi nk you are doi ng t he most
wonderf ul work of any man i n t he worl d t oday. "
Every word was emphasi zed by a gent l e, t hough
- 8 -
fi rm, squeeze of my hand, and she was l ooki ng
t hrough my eyes and i nt o my heart as she spoke.
Aft er I regai ned consci ousness (for i t became a
st andi ng j oke among my assi st ant s at t he offi ce t hat I
fai nt ed dead away) I reached down and unl ocked t he
l i t t l e secret l at ch t hat fast ened t he gat e and sai d:
"Come ri ght i n, dear l ady, - come ri ght i nt o my
pri vat e of f i ce, " and wi t h a gal l ant bow t hat woul d
have done credi t t o t he caval i ers of ol den t i mes, I
bade her come i n and "si t awhi l e. "
As she ent ered my pri vat e offi ce, I mot i oned her
t o t he bi g easy-chai r back of my desk whi l e I t ook t he
l i t t l e hard-seat ed chai r whi ch, under ordi nary
ci rcumst ances, I woul d have used as a means of
di scouragi ng her from t aki ng up t oo much of my t i me.
For t hree-quart ers of an hour I l i st ened t o one of
t he most bri l l i ant and charmi ng conversat i ons I have
ever heard, and my vi si t or was doi ng al l of t he
conversi ng. From t he very st art she had assumed t he
i ni t i at i ve and t aken t he l ead, and, up t o t he end of t hat
fi rst t hree-quart ers of an hour, she found no
i ncl i nat i on, on my part , t o chal l enge her ri ght t o i t .
I repeat , l est you di d not get t he ful l i mport of i t ,
t hat I was a wi l l i ng l i st ener!
Now comes t he part of t he st ory whi ch woul d
make me bl ush wi t h embarrassment , i f i t were not for
t he fact t hat you and I are separat ed by t he pages of
t hi s book; but I must summon t he courage wi t h whi ch
t o t el l you t he fact s because t he ent i re i nci dent woul d
l ose i t s si gni fi cance i f I fai l ed t o do t hi s.
As I have st at ed, my vi si t or ent ranced me wi t h
bri l l i ant and capt i vat i ng conversat i on for t hree-
- 9 -

IF you have tried and met
with defeat; if you have
planned and watched your
plans as they were crushed
before your eyes; just
remember that the greatest
men in all history were the
products of courage, and
courage, you know, is born
in the cradle of adversity.
- 10 -
quart ers of an hour. Now, what do you suppose she
was t al ki ng about al l t hat t i me?
No! You are wrong.
She was not t ryi ng t o sel l me a book, nor di d she
once use t he personal pronoun "I. "
However, she was not onl y t ryi ng, but act ual l y
sel l i ng me somet hi ng, and t hat somet hi ng was mysel f .
She had no sooner been seat ed i n t hat bi g
cushi oned chai r t han she unrol l ed a package whi ch I
had mi st aken for a book t hat she had come t o sel l me,
and sure enough, t here was a book i n t he package - i n
fact , several of t hem; for she had a compl et e year' s
fi l e of t he magazi ne of whi ch I was t hen edi t or (Hi l l ' s
Gol den Rul e). She t urned t he pages of t hose
magazi nes and read pl aces t hat she had marked here
and t here, assuri ng me, i n t he meanwhi l e, t hat she had
al ways bel i eved t he phi l osophy back of t hat whi ch she
was readi ng.
Then, aft er I was i n a st at e of compl et e
mesmeri sm, and t horoughl y recept i ve, my vi si t or
t act ful l y swi t ched t he conversat i on t o a subj ect whi ch,
I suspect , she had i n mi nd t o di scuss wi t h me l ong
before she present ed hersel f at my offi ce; but - and
t hi s i s anot her poi nt at whi ch most sal espeopl e
bl under - had she reversed t he order of her
conversat i on and begun where she fi ni shed, t he
chances are t hat she never woul d have had t he
opport uni t y t o si t i n t hat bi g easy-chai r.
Duri ng t he l ast t hree mi nut es of her vi si t , she
ski l l ful l y l ai d before me t he meri t s of some securi t i es
t hat she was sel l i ng. She di d not ask me t o purchase;
but , t he way i n whi ch she t ol d me of t he meri t s of t he
securi t i es (pl us t he way i n whi ch she had so
i mpressi vel y t ol d me of t he meri t s of my own "game")
- 11 -
had t he psychol ogi cal effect of causi ng me t o want t o
purchase; and, even t hough I made no purchase of
securi t i es from her, she made a sal e - because I pi cked
up t he t el ephone and i nt roduced her t o a man t o whom
she l at er sol d more t han fi ve t i mes t he amount t hat she
had i nt ended sel l i ng me.
If t hat same woman, or anot her woman, or a man,
who had t he t act and personal i t y t hat she possessed,
shoul d cal l on me, I woul d agai n si t down and l i st en
for t hree-quart ers of an hour.
We are al l human; and we are al l more or l ess
vai n!
We are al l al i ke i n t hi s respect - we wi l l l i st en
wi t h i nt ense i nt erest t o t hose who have t he t act t o t al k
t o us about t hat whi ch l i es cl osest t o our heart s; and
t hen, out of a sense of reci proci t y, we wi l l al so l i st en
wi t h i nt erest when t he speaker fi nal l y swi t ches t he
conversat i on t o t he subj ect whi ch l i es cl osest t o hi s or
her heart ; and, at t he end, we wi l l not onl y "si gn on
t he dot t ed l i ne" but we wi l l say, "What a wonderf ul
personal i t y!"
In t he ci t y of Chi cago, some years ago, I was
conduct i ng a school of sal esmanshi p for a securi t i es
house whi ch empl oyed more t han 1, 500 sal espeopl e.
To keep t he ranks of t hat bi g organi zat i on fi l l ed, we
had t o t rai n and empl oy si x hundred new sal espeopl e
every week. Of al l t he t housands of men and women
who went t hrough t hat school , t here was but one man
who grasped t he si gni fi cance of t he pri nci pl e I am
here descri bi ng, t he fi rst t i me he heard i t anal yzed.
Thi s man had never t ri ed t o sel l securi t i es and
frankl y admi t t ed, when he ent ered t he sal esmanshi p
cl ass, t hat he was not a sal esman. Let ' s see whet her he
was or not .
- 12 -
Aft er he had fi ni shed hi s t rai ni ng, one of t he
"st ar" sal esmen t ook a not i on t o pl ay a pract i cal j oke
on hi m, bel i evi ng hi m t o be a credul ous person who
woul d bel i eve al l t hat he heard, so t hi s "st ar" gave
hi m an i nsi de "t i p" as t o where he woul d be abl e t o
sel l some securi t i es wi t hout any great effort . Thi s st ar
woul d make t he sal e hi msel f, so he sai d; but t he man
t o whom he referred as bei ng a l i kel y purchaser was
an ordi nary art i st who woul d purchase wi t h so l i t t l e
urgi ng t hat he, bei ng a "st ar, " di d not wi sh t o wast e
hi s t i me on hi m.
The newl y made sal esman was del i ght ed t o
recei ve t he "t i p, " and, fort hwi t h, he was on hi s way t o
make t he sal e. As soon as he was out of t he offi ce, t he
"st ar" gat hered t he ot her "st ars" around hi m and t ol d
of t he j oke he was pl ayi ng; for i n real i t y t he art i st was
a very weal t hy man and t he "st ar, " hi msel f, had spent
nearl y a mont h t ryi ng t o sel l hi m, but wi t hout success.
It t hen devel oped t hat al l of t he "st ars" of t hat
part i cul ar group had cal l ed on t hi s same art i st but had
fai l ed t o i nt erest hi m.
The newl y made sal esman was gone about an hour
and a hal f. When he ret urned he found t he "st ars"
wai t i ng for hi m wi t h smi l es on t hei r faces.
To t hei r surpri se, t he newl y made sal esman al so
wore a broad smi l e on hi s face. The "st ars" l ooked at
each ot her i nqui ri ngl y, for t hey had expect ed t hat t hi s
"green" man woul d not ret urn i n a j oyful mood.
"Wel l , di d you sel l t o your man?" i nqui red t he
ori gi nat or of t hi s "j oke. "
"Cert ai nl y, " repl i ed t he uni ni t i at ed one, "and I
found t hat art i st t o be al l you sai d he was - a perfect
gent l eman and a very i nt erest i ng man. "
- 13 -
Reachi ng i nt o hi s pocket he pul l ed out an order
and a check for $2, 000. 00.
The "st ars" want ed t o know how he di d i t .
"Oh, i t wasn' t di ffi cul t , " repl i ed t he newl y made
sal esman; "I j ust wal ked i n and t al ked t o hi m a few
mi nut es and he brought up t he subj ect of t he securi t i es
hi msel f, and sai d he want ed t o purchase; t herefore, I
real l y di d not sel l t o hi m - he purchased of hi s own
accord. "
When I heard of t he t ransact i on, I cal l ed t he
newl y made sal esman i n and asked hi m t o descri be, i n
det ai l , j ust how he made t he sal e, and I wi l l rel at e i t
j ust as he t ol d i t .
When he reached t he art i st ' s st udi o, he found hi m
at work on a pi ct ure. So engaged i n hi s work was t he
art i st t hat he di d not see t he sal esman ent er; so t he
sal esman wal ked over t o where he coul d see t he
pi ct ure and st ood t here l ooki ng at i t wi t hout sayi ng a
word.
Fi nal l y t he art i st saw hi m; t hen t he sal esman
apol ogi zed for t he i nt rusi on and began t o t al k
about t he pi ct ure t hat t he art i st was pai nt i ng!
He knew j ust enough about art t o be abl e t o
di scuss t he meri t s of t he pi ct ure wi t h some
i nt el l i gence; and he was real l y i nt erest ed i n t he
subj ect .
He l i ked t he pi ct ure and frankl y t ol d t he art i st so,
whi ch, of course, made t he art i st very angry!
For nearl y an hour t hose t wo men t al ked of
not hi ng but art ; part i cul arl y t hat pi ct ure t hat st ood on
t he art i st ' s easel .
Fi nal l y, t he art i st asked t he sal esman hi s name
and hi s busi ness, and t he sal esman (yes, t he mast er
sal esman) repl i ed, "Oh, never mi nd my busi ness or my
- 14 -
name; I am more i nt erest ed i n you and your art !"
The art i st ' s face beamed wi t h a smi l e of j oy.
Those words fel l as sweet musi c upon hi s ears.
But , not t o be out done by hi s pol i t e vi si t or, he i nsi st ed
on knowi ng what mi ssi on had brought hi m t o hi s
st udi o.
Then, wi t h an ai r of genui ne rel uct ance, t hi s
mast er sal esman - t hi s real "st ar" - i nt roduced hi msel f
and t ol d hi s busi ness.
Bri efl y he descri bed t he securi t i es he was sel l i ng,
and t he art i st l i st ened as i f he enj oyed every word t hat
was spoken. Aft er t he sal esman had fi ni shed t he art i st
sai d:
"Wel l , wel l ! I have been very fool i sh. Ot her
sal esmen from your fi rm have been here t ryi ng t o sel l
me some of t hose securi t i es, but t hey t al ked not hi ng
but busi ness; i n fact , t hey annoyed me so t hat I had t o
ask one of t hem t o l eave. Now l et me see - what was
t hat fel l ow' s name - oh, yes, i t was Mr. Perki ns. "
(Perki ns was t he "st ar" who had t hought of t hi s cl ever
t ri ck t o pl ay on t he newl y made sal esman. ) "But you
present t he mat t er so di fferent l y, and now I see how
fool i sh I have been, and I want you t o l et me have
$2, 000. 00 wort h of t hose securi t i es. "
Thi nk of t hat - "You present t he mat t er so
di f f erent l y!"
And how di d t hi s newl y made sal esman present
t he mat t er so di fferent l y? Put t i ng t he quest i on anot her
way, what di d t hi s mast er sal esman real l y sel l t hat
art i st ? Di d he sel l hi m securi t i es?
No! he sol d hi m hi s own pi ct ure whi ch he was
pai nt i ng on hi s own canvas.
The securi t i es were but an i nci dent .
Don' t overl ook t hi s poi nt . That mast er sal esman
- 15 -


I WOULD RATHER
BEGIN AT THE BOT-
TOM AND CLIMB TO
THE TOP THAN TO
START AT THE TOP
AND HAVE TO RE-
MAIN THERE.

- 16 -
had remembered t he st ory of t he ol d l ady who
ent ert ai ned me f or t hree-quart ers of an hour by
t al ki ng about t hat whi ch was nearest my heart , and i t
had so i mpressed hi m t hat he made up hi s mi nd t o
st udy hi s prospect i ve purchasers and f i nd out what
woul d i nt erest t hem most , so he coul d t al k about t hat .
Thi s "green, " newl y made sal esman earned
$7, 900. 00 i n commi ssi ons t he fi rst mont h he was i n
t he fi el d, l eadi ng t he next hi ghest man by more t han
doubl e, and t he t ragedy of i t was t hat not one person
out of t he ent i re organi zat i on of 1, 500 sal espeopl e
t ook t he t i me t o fi nd out how and why he became t he
real "st ar" of t he organi zat i on, a fact whi ch I bel i eve
ful l y j ust i fi es t he rat her bi t i ng repri mand suggest ed i n
Lesson Ni ne t o whi ch you may have t aken offense.
A Carnegi e, or a Rockefel l er, or a James J. Hi l l ,
or a Marshal l Fi el d accumul at es a fort une, t hrough t he
appl i cat i on of t he sel fsame pri nci pl es t hat are
avai l abl e t o al l t he remai nder of us; but we envy t hem
t hei r weal t h wi t hout ever t hi nki ng of st udyi ng t hei r
phi l osophy and appropri at i ng i t t o our own use.
We l ook at a successful man i n t he hour of hi s
t ri umph, and wonder how he di d i t , but we overl ook
t he i mport ance of anal yzi ng hi s met hods and we forget
t he pri ce he had t o pay i n careful , wel l organi zed
preparat i on whi ch had t o be made before he coul d reap
t he frui t s of hi s effort s.
Throughout t hi s course on t he Law of Success,
you wi l l not fi nd a si ngl e new pri nci pl e; every one of
t hem i s as ol d as ci vi l i zat i on i t sel f; yet you wi l l fi nd
but few peopl e who seem t o underst and how t o appl y
t hem.
The sal esman who sol d t hose securi t i es t o t hat
- 17 -
art i st was not onl y a mast er sal esman, but he was a
man wi t h an at t ract i ve personal i t y. He was not much
t o l ook at ; perhaps t hat i s why t he "st ar" concei ved
t he i dea of pl ayi ng t hat cruel (?) j oke on hi m; but
even a homel y person may have a very at t ract i ve
personal i t y i n t he eyes of t hose whose handi work he
has prai sed.
Of course, t here are some who wi l l get t he wrong
concept i on of t he pri nci pl e I am here t ryi ng t o make
cl ear, by drawi ng t he concl usi on t hat any sort of
cheap fl at t ery wi l l t ake t he pl ace of genui ne heart
i nt erest . I hope t hat you are not one of t hese. I hope
t hat you are one of t hose who underst and t he real
psychol ogy upon whi ch t hi s l esson i s based, and t hat
you wi l l make i t your busi ness t o st udy ot her peopl e
cl osel y enough t o fi nd somet hi ng about t hem or t hei r
work t hat you real l y admi re. Onl y i n t hi s way can you
devel op a personal i t y t hat wi l l be i rresi st i bl y
at t ract i ve.
Cheap fl at t ery has j ust t he opposi t e effect t o t hat
of const i t ut i ng an at t ract i ve personal i t y. It repel s
i nst ead of at t ract i ng. It i s so shal l ow t hat even t he
i gnorant easi l y det ect i t .

Perhaps you have observed - and i f you have not I
wi sh you t o do so - t hat t hi s l esson emphasi zes at
l engt h t he i mport ance of maki ng i t your busi ness t o
t ake a keen i nt erest i n ot her peopl e and i n t hei r work,
busi ness or professi on. Thi s emphasi s was by no
means an acci dent .

You wi l l qui ckl y observe t hat t he pri nci pl es upon
whi ch t hi s l esson i s based are very cl osel y rel at ed t o
- 18 -
t hose whi ch const i t ut e t he foundat i on of Lesson Si x,
on Imagi nat i on.
Al so, you wi l l observe t hat t hi s l esson i s based
upon much t he same general pri nci pl es as t hose whi ch
form t he most i mport ant part of Lesson Thi rt een, on
Co-operat i on.
Let us here i nt roduce some very pract i cal
suggest i ons as t o how t he l aws of Imagi nat i on, Co-
operat i on and Pl easi ng Personal i t y may be bl ended, or
coordi nat ed t o profi t abl e ends, t hrough t he creat i on of
usabl e i deas.
Every t hi nker knows t hat "i deas" are t he
begi nni ng of al l successful achi evement . The quest i on
most oft en asked, however, i s, "How can I l earn t o
creat e i deas t hat wi l l earn money?"
In part we wi l l answer t hi s quest i on i n t hi s l esson
by suggest i ng some new and novel i deas, any of whi ch
mi ght be devel oped and made very profi t abl e, by
al most anyone, i n pract i cal l y any l ocal i t y.

IDEA NUMBER ONE

The worl d war has depri ved Germany of her
enormous t rade i n t oys. Before t he war we bought
most of our t oys from Germany. We are not l i kel y t o
buy any more t oys from German manufact urers i n our
t i me, or for a l ong whi l e aft erward.
Toys are i n demand, not al one i n t he Uni t ed
St at es, but i n forei gn count ri es, many of whi ch wi l l
not buy t oys from Germany. Our onl y compet i t or i s
Japan and her t oys are of so poor a qual i t y t hat her
compet i t i on means not hi ng.
But what sort of t oys shal l I manufact ure and
- 19 -
where wi l l I get t he capi t al wi t h whi ch t o carry on t he
busi ness, you wi l l ask?
Fi rst , go t o a l ocal t oy deal er and fi nd out j ust
whi ch cl ass of t oys sel l s most rapi dl y. If you do not
feel compet ent t o make i mprovement s on some of t he
t oys now on t he market , advert i se for an i nvent or
"wi t h an i dea for a market abl e t oy" and you wi l l soon
fi nd t he mechani cal geni us who wi l l suppl y t hi s
mi ssi ng l i nk i n your undert aki ng. Have hi m make you
a worki ng model of j ust what you want , t hen go t o
some smal l manufact urer, woodworker, machi ne shop
or t he l i ke, and arrange t o have your t oys
manufact ured.
You now know j ust what your t oy wi l l cost , so
you are ready t o go t o some bi g j obber, whol esal er or
di st ri but or and arrange for t he sal e of your ent i re
product .
If you are an abl e sal esman you can fi nance t hi s
whol e proj ect on t he few dol l ars requi red wi t h whi ch
t o advert i se for t he i nvent or. When you fi nd t hi s man
you can probabl y arrange wi t h hi m t o work out a
model for you duri ng hi s spare eveni ng hours, wi t h a
promi se t hat you wi l l gi ve hi m a bet t er j ob when you
are manufact uri ng your own t oys. He wi l l probabl y
gi ve you al l t he t i me you want i n whi ch t o pay hi m for
hi s l abor; or he may do t he work i n ret urn for an
i nt erest i n t he busi ness.
You can get t he manufact urer of your t oys t o wai t
for hi s money unt i l you are pai d by t he fi rm t o whi ch
you sel l t hem; and, i f necessary, you can assi gn t o hi m
t he i nvoi ces for t he t oys sol d and l et t he money come
di rect t o hi m.
Of course i f you have an unusual l y pl easi ng and
- 20 -
convi nci ng personal i t y and consi derabl e abi l i t y t o
organi ze, you wi l l be abl e t o t ake t he worki ng model
of your t oy t o some man of means and, i n ret urn for an
i nt erest i n t he busi ness, secure t he capi t al wi t h whi ch
t o do your own manufact uri ng.
If you want t o know what wi l l sel l , wat ch a crowd
of chi l dren at pl ay, st udy t hei r l i kes and di sl i kes, fi nd
out what wi l l amuse t hem and you wi l l probabl y get
an i dea on whi ch t o bui l d your t oy. It requi res no
geni us t o i nvent ! Common sense i s al l t hat i s
necessary. Si mpl y fi nd out what t he peopl e want and
t hen produce i t . Produce i t wel l - bet t er t han anyone
el se i s doi ng. Gi ve i t a t ouch of i ndi vi dual i t y. Make i t
di st i nct i ve.
We spend mi l l i ons of dol l ars annual l y for t oys
wi t h whi ch t o ent ert ai n our chi l dren. Make your new
t oy useful as wel l as i nt erest i ng. Make i t educat i onal
i f possi bl e. If i t ent ert ai ns and t eaches at t he same
t i me i t wi l l sel l readi l y and l i ve forever. If your t oy i s
i n t he nat ure of a game make i t t each t he chi l d
somet hi ng about t he worl d i n whi ch i t l i ves,
geography, ari t hmet i c, Engl i sh, physi ol ogy, et c. Or,
bet t er st i l l , produce a t oy t hat wi l l cause t he chi l d t o
run, j ump or i n some ot her way exerci se. Chi l dren
l ove t o move about and movi ng about i s of benefi t t o
t hem, especi al l y when st i mul at ed by t he pl ay mot i ve.
An i ndoor basebal l game woul d be a ready sel l er,
especi al l y i n t he ci t i es. Work out an arrangement for
at t achi ng t he bal l t o a st ri ng t hat wi l l be suspended
from t he cei l i ng so one chi l d may t hrow t he bal l
agai nst t he wal l and t hen st and back and st ri ke i t wi t h
a bat as i t rebounds. A one-chi l d basebal l game, i n
ot her words.
- 21 -


IT is better to be a big
man in a small town
than to be a small man
in a big town, and
ever so much easier.


- 22 -
PLAN NUMBER TWO

Thi s wi l l be of i nt erest onl y t o t he man or woman
who has t he sel f-confi dence and t he ambi t i on t o "run
t he ri sk" of maki ng a bi g i ncome, whi ch, we may add,
most peopl e have not .
It i s a suggest i on t hat coul d be put i nt o pract i cal
operat i on by at l east fort y or fi ft y peopl e i n every
l arge ci t y t hroughout t he Uni t ed St at es, and by a
smal l er number i n t he smal l er ci t i es.
It i s i nt ended for t he man or woman who can
wri t e or wi l l l earn t o wri t e advert i si ng copy, sal es
l i t erat ure, fol l ow-up l et t ers, col l ect i on l et t ers and t he
l i ke, usi ng t he abi l i t y t o wri t e whi ch we wi l l suppose
t hat you possess.
To make pract i cal and profi t abl e use of t hi s
suggest i on you wi l l need t he co-operat i on of a good
advert i si ng agency and from one t o fi ve fi rms or
i ndi vi dual s who do enough advert i si ng t o warrant
t hei r appropri at i ons goi ng t hrough an agency.
You shoul d go t o t he agency fi rst and make
arrangement s wi t h i t t o empl oy you and pay you seven
per cent on t he gross expendi t ures of al l acount s
whi ch you bri ng t o i t ; t hi s seven per cent t o
compensat e you for get t i ng t he account and for
wri t i ng t he copy and ot herwi se servi ng t he cl i ent i n
t he management of hi s advert i si ng appropri at i on. Any
rel i abl e agency wi l l gl adl y gi ve you t hi s amount for
al l t he busi ness you wi l l bri ng.
Then you go t o a fi rm or i ndi vi dual whose
advert i si ng account you wi sh t o handl e and say i n
effect t hat you wi sh t o go t o work wi t hout
compensat i on. Tel l what you can do and what you
- 23 -
i nt end t o do for t hat part i cul ar fi rm t hat wi l l hel p i t
sel l more goods. If t he fi rm empl oys an advert i si ng
manager you are t o become vi rt ual l y hi s assi st ant
wi t hout pay, on one condi t i on, namel y, t hat t he
advert i si ng appropri at i on i s t o be pl aced t hrough t he
agency wi t h whi ch you have t he connect i on. Through
t hi s arrangement t he fi rm or i ndi vi dual whose account
you t hus secure wi l l get t he benefi t of your personal
servi ces, wi t hout cost , and pay no more for pl aci ng i t s
advert i si ng t hrough your agency t han i t woul d t hrough
any ot her. If your canvass i s convi nci ng and you
real l y t ake t he t i me t o prepare your case, you wi l l get
your account wi t hout much argument .
You can repeat t hi s t ransact i on unt i l you have as
many account s as you can handl e advant ageousl y,
whi ch, under ordi nary condi t i ons, wi l l be not more
t han t en or t wel ve; probabl y l ess i f one or more of
your cl i ent s spends upwards of $25, 000. 00 a year i n
advert i si ng.
If you are a compet ent wri t er of advert i si ng copy
and have t he abi l i t y t o creat e new and profi t abl e i deas
for your cl i ent s you wi l l be abl e t o hol d t hei r busi ness
from year t o year. You of course underst and t hat you
are not t o accept more account s t han you can handl e
i ndi vi dual l y. You shoul d spend a port i on of your t i me
i n t he pl ace of busi ness of each of your cl i ent s; i n fact
you shoul d have a desk and worki ng equi pment ri ght
on t he grounds, so you can get fi rst hand i nformat i on
as t o your cl i ent s' sal es probl ems as wel l as accurat e
i nformat i on as t o t hei r goods and wares.
Through t hi s sort of effort you wi l l gi ve t he
advert i si ng agency a reput at i on for effect i ve servi ce
- 24 -
such as i t woul d get i n no ot her way, and you wi l l
pl ease your cl i ent s because t hey wi l l see sat i sfact ory
ret urns from your effort s. As l ong as you keep t he
agency and t he cl i ent s whom you serve sat i sfi ed your
j ob i s safe and you wi l l make money. A reasonabl e
expect at i on of ret urns under t hi s pl an woul d be a
gross busi ness of $250, 000. 00 a year, on whi ch your
seven per cent woul d amount t o $17, 500. 00.
A man or woman of unusual abi l i t y coul d run t he
fi gure much hi gher t han t hi s, up t o, say, an i ncome of
$25, 000. 00 a year, whi l e t he t endency woul d be,
however, t o drop down t o around $5, 000. 00 t o
$7, 500. 00, whi ch are t he fi gures t hat t he "average"
man or woman mi ght reasonabl y expect t o earn.
You can see t hat t he plan has possi bi l i t i es. It
suppl i es i ndependent work and gi ves you one hundred
per cent of your earni ng power. It i s bet t er t han a
posi t i on as advert i si ng manager, even i f t he posi t i on
pai d t he same money, because i t pract i cal l y pl aces you
i n a busi ness of your own - one i n whi ch your name i s
const ant l y devel opi ng a survi val val ue.

PLAN NUMBER THREE

Thi s pl an can be put i nt o operat i on by al most any
man or woman of average i nt el l i gence, and wi t h but
l i t t l e preparat i on. Go t o any fi rst -cl ass pri nt er and
make arrangement s wi t h hi m t o handl e al l t he busi ness
you bri ng t o hi m, al l owi ng you a commi ssi on of say
t en per cent on t he gross amount . Then go t o t he
l argest users of pri nt ed mat t er and get sampl es of
everyt hi ng i n t he way of pri nt i ng t hat t hey use.
Form a part nershi p or worki ng arrangement wi t h a
- 25 -
commerci al art i st who wi l l go over al l t hi s pri nt ed
mat t er and wherever sui t abl e or appropri at e he wi l l
i mprove t he i l l ust rat i ons or make i l l ust rat i ons where
none were used before, maki ng a rough penci l sket ch
whi ch can be past ed t o t he ori gi nal pri nt ed mat t er.
Then, i f you are not a wri t er of copy, form a
worki ng arrangement wi t h someone who i s and get
hi m or her t o go over t he copy of t he pri nt ed mat t er
and i mprove i t i n every respect possi bl e.
When t he work i s compl et e go back t o t he fi rm
from whom you get t he pri nt ed mat t er, t aki ng wi t h
you quot at i ons on t he work and show what can be
done i n t he way of i mprovement . Say not hi ng about
your quot at i ons, however, unt i l you have shown how
much you coul d i mprove t he pri nt ed mat t er. You wi l l
probabl y get t he ent i re busi ness of t hat fi rm by gi vi ng
t hat sort of servi ce i n connect i on wi t h every j ob of
pri nt i ng i t has done.
If you perform your servi ce properl y you wi l l
soon have al l t he busi ness t hat your commerci al art i st ,
your copy wri t er and you can handl e. It ought t o be
good for $5, 000. 00 a year api ece for you.
Any profi t s t hat you earn from t he work of ot hers
i n connect i on wi t h any of t hese pl ans wi l l be a
l egi t i mat e profi t - a profi t t o whi ch you wi l l be
ent i t l ed i n ret urn for your abi l i t y t o organi ze and
bri ng t oget her t he necessary t al ent and abi l i t y wi t h
whi ch t o perform sat i sfact ory servi ce.
If you go i nt o t he t oy busi ness you wi l l be
ent i t l ed t o a profi t on t he work of t hose who make t he
t oys because i t wi l l be t hrough your abi l i t y t hat
empl oyment for t hem i s avai l abl e.
It i s more t han l i kel y t hat your brai ns and your
- 26 -
abi l i t y, when added t o t hat of t hose who work wi t h
you or for you, wi l l great l y i ncrease t hei r earni ng
capaci t y - even t o t he ext ent t hat t hey can wel l afford
t o see you make a smal l amount from t hei r effort s
because t hey wi l l be st i l l earni ng much more t han t hey
coul d earn wi t hout your gui dance!
You are wi l l i ng t o t ake any of t hese pl ans and
make a profi t out of t hem, are you not ? You see
not hi ng wrong on your part , do you? If you are an
empl oyee, worki ng for some ot her person or fi rm, may
i t not be possi bl e t hat t he head of t hat fi rm or t hat
i ndi vi dual , wi t h hi s abi l i t y t o organi ze, fi nance, et c. ,
i s i ncreasi ng your own earni ng capaci t y ri ght now?
You want t o get out of t he empl oyee cl ass and
become an empl oyer. We do not bl ame you for t hat .
Nearl y every normal person want s t o do t he same. The
one best fi rst st ep t o t ake i s t o serve t he fi rm or
i ndi vi dual for whom you are worki ng j ust as you
woul d wi sh t o be served i f you were t hat i ndi vi dual or
t he head of t hat fi rm.
Who are t he bi g empl oyers of hel p, t oday? Are
t hey t he ri ch men' s sons who fel l hei r t o empl oyer-
shi p? Not on your l i fe! They are t he men and women
who came up from t he ranks of t he most l owl y sort of
l abor; men and women who have had no great er
opport uni t y t han you have. They are i n t he posi t i ons
t hat t hey hol d because t hei r superi or abi l i t y has
enabl ed t hem i nt el l i gent l y t o di rect ot hers. You can
acqui re t hat abi l i t y i f you wi l l t ry.
Ri ght i n t he t own or ci t y where you l i ve t here are
peopl e who probabl y coul d benefi t by knowi ng you,
and who coul d undoubt edl y benefi t you i n ret urn. In
one sect i on of t he ci t y l i ves John Smi t h who wi shes
- 27 -


ASPIRATION is
greater than reali-
zation, because it
keeps us eternally
climbing upward tow-
ard some unattained
goal.

- 28 -
t o sel l hi s grocery st ore and open a movi ng pi ct ure
t heat er. In anot her sect i on of t he ci t y i s a man who
has a movi ng pi ct ure t heat er t hat he woul d l i ke t o
t rade for a grocery st ore.
Can you bri ng t hem t oget her?
If you can, you wi l l serve bot h and earn a ni ce
remunerat i on.
In your t own or ci t y are peopl e who want t he
product s rai sed on t he farms i n t he surroundi ng
communi t y. On t hose farms are farmers who rai se
farm product s and who want t o get t hem i nt o t he
hands of t hose who l i ve i n t own. If you can fi nd a way
of carryi ng t he farm product s di rect from t he farm t o
t he ci t y or t own consumer you wi l l enabl e t he farmer
t o get more for hi s product s and t he consumer t o get
t hose product s for l ess, and st i l l t here wi l l be a
margi n t o pay you for your i ngenui t y i n short eni ng t he
rout e bet ween producer and consumer.
In busi ness t here are, broadl y speaki ng, t wo
cl asses of peopl e - t he Producers and t he Consumers.
The t endency of t he t i mes i s t o fi nd some way of
bri ngi ng t hese t wo t oget her wi t hout so many
i nt ermedi ari es. Fi nd a way t o short en t he rout e
bet ween producer and consumer and you wi l l have
creat ed a pl an t hat wi l l hel p t hese t wo cl asses and
handsomel y profi t you.
The l aborer i s wort hy of hi s hi re. If you can
creat e such a pl an you are ent i t l ed t o a fai r proport i on
of t hat whi ch you save for t he consumer and al so a
fai r proport i on of t hat whi ch you make for t he
producer.
Let us warn you t hat what ever pl an you creat e as
a means of maki ng money you had bet t er see t hat i t
sl i ces off a l i t t l e of t he cost t o t he consumer i nst ead
of addi ng a l i t t l e t o t hat cost .
- 29 -
The busi ness of bri ngi ng producer and consumer
t oget her i s a profi t abl e busi ness when i t i s conduct ed
fai rl y t o bot h, and wi t hout a greedy desi re t o get al l
t here i s i n si ght ! The Ameri can publ i c i s wonderful l y
pat i ent wi t h profi t eers who i mpose upon i t , but t here
i s a pi vot al poi nt beyond whi ch even t he shrewdest of
t hem dare not go.
It may be al l ri ght t o corner t he di amond market
and run up enormousl y hi gh t he pri ce of t hose whi t e
rocks whi ch are dug out of t he ground i n Afri ca
wi t hout t roubl e, but when t he pri ces of food and
cl ot hi ng and ot her necessi t i es begi n t o soar skyward
t here i s a chance of someone get t i ng i nt o t he bad
graces of t he Ameri can publ i c.
If you crave weal t h and are real l y brave enough
t o shoul der t he burdens whi ch go wi t h i t , reverse t he
usual met hod of acqui ri ng i t by gi vi ng your goods and
wares t o t he worl d at t he l owest possi bl e profi t you
can afford i nst ead of exact i ng al l t hat you can wi t h
safet y. Ford has found i t profi t abl e t o pay hi s workers,
not as l i t t l e as he can get t hem f or, but as much as hi s
prof i t s wi l l permi t . He has al so found i t profi t abl e t o
reduce t he pri ce of hi s aut omobi l e t o t he consumer
whi l e ot her manufact urers (many of whom have l ong
si nce fai l ed) cont i nued t o i ncrease t hei r pri ce.
There may be some perfect l y good pl ans t hrough
t he operat i on of whi ch you coul d squeeze t he
consumer and st i l l manage t o keep out of j ai l , but you
wi l l enj oy much more peace of mi nd and i n al l
probabi l i t y more profi t s i n t he l ong run i f your pl an,
when you compl et e i t , i s bui l t al ong t he Ford l i nes.
You have heard John D. Rockefel l er abused con-
- 30 -
si derabl y, but most of t hi s abuse has been prompt ed
by sheer envy upon t he part of t hose who woul d l i ke
t o have hi s money but who haven' t t he i ncl i nat i on t o
earn i t . Regardl ess of your opi ni on of Rockefel l er, do
not forget t hat he began as a humbl e bookkeeper and
t hat he gradual l y cl i mbed t o t he t op i n t he
accumul at i on of money because of hi s abi l i t y t o
organi ze and di rect ot her and l ess abl e men
i nt el l i gent l y. Thi s aut hor can remember when he had
t o pay t went y-fi ve cent s for a gal l on of l amp oi l and
wal k t wo mi l es t hrough t he hot sun and carry i t home
i n a t i n can i n t he bargai n. Now, Rockefel l er' s wagon
wi l l del i ver i t at t he back door, i n t he ci t y or on t he
farm, at a l i t t l e over hal f t hat sum.
Who has a ri ght t o begrudge Rockefel l er hi s
mi l l i ons as l ong as he has reduced t he pri ce of a
needed commodi t y. He coul d j ust as easi l y have
i ncreased t he pri ce of l amp oi l t o hal f a dol l ar, but we
seri ousl y doubt t hat he woul d be a mul t i -mi l l i onai re
t oday i f he had done so.
There are a l ot of us who want money, but ni net y-
ni ne out of every hundred who st art t o creat e a pl an
t hrough whi ch t o get money gi ve al l t hei r t hought t o
t he scheme t hrough whi ch t o get hol d of i t and no
t hought t o t he servi ce t o be gi ven i n ret urn f or i t .
A Pl easi ng Personal i t y i s one t hat makes use of
Imagi nat i on and Co-operat i on. We have ci t ed t he
foregoi ng i l l ust rat i ons of how i deas may be creat ed t o
show you how t o co-ordi nat e t he l aws of Imagi nat i on,
Co-operat i on and a Pl easi ng Personal i t y.
Anal yze any man who does not have a Pl easi ng
Personal i t y and you wi l l fi nd l acki ng i n t hat man t he
facul t i es of Imagi nat i on and Co-operat i on al so.
- 31 -
Thi s bri ngs us t o a sui t abl e pl ace at whi ch t o
i nt roduce one of t he great est l essons on personal i t y
ever pl aced on paper. It i s al so one of t he most
effect i ve l essons on sal esmanshi p ever wri t t en, for t he
subj ect s of at t ract i ve personal i t y and sal esmanshi p
must al ways go hand i n hand; t hey are i nseparabl e.
I have reference t o Shakespeare' s mast erpi ece,
Mark Ant ony' s speech at t he funeral of Caesar.
Perhaps you have read t hi s orat i on, but i t i s here
present ed wi t h i nt erpret at i ons i n parent heses whi ch
may hel p you t o gat her a new meani ng from i t .
The set t i ng for t hat orat i on was somet hi ng l i ke
t he fol l owi ng:
Caesar i s dead, and Brut us, hi s sl ayer, i s cal l ed
on t o t el l t he Roman mob, t hat has gat hered at t he
undert aker' s, why he put Caesar out of t he way.
Pi ct ure, i n your i magi nat i on, a howl i ng mob t hat was
none t oo fri endl y t o Caesar, and t hat al ready bel i eved
t hat Brut us had done a nobl e deed by murderi ng hi m.
Brut us t akes t he pl at form and makes a short
st at ement of hi s reasons for ki l l i ng Caesar. Confi dent
t hat he has won t he day he t akes hi s seat . Hi s whol e
demeanor i s t hat of one who bel i eves hi s word wi l l be
accept ed wi t hout quest i on; i t i s one of haught i ness.
Mark Ant ony now t akes t he pl at form, knowi ng
t hat t he mob i s ant agoni st i c t o hi m because he i s a
fri end of Caesar. In a l ow, humbl e t one of voi ce
Ant ony begi ns t o speak:

Ant ony: "For Brut us' sake, I am behol di ng t o you. "
Fourt h Ci t i zen: "What does he say of Brut us?"
Thi rd Ci t i zen: "He says, for Brut us' sake, he fi nds
hi msel f behol di ng t o us al l . "
- 32 -
Fourt h Ci t i zen: "' Twere best he speak no harm of
Brut us here. "
Fi rst Ci t i zen: "Thi s Caesar was a t yrant . "
Thi rd Ci t i zen: "Nay, t hat ' s cert ai n; we are bl est t hat
Rome i s ri d of hi m. "
Second Ci t i zen: "Peace! Let us hear what Ant ony can
say. " (Here you wi l l observe, i n Ant ony' s openi ng
sent ence, hi s cl ever met hod of "neut ral i zi ng" t he
mi nds of hi s l i st eners. )
Ant ony: "You gent l e Romans, -"
(About as "gent l e" as a gang of Bol shevi ks i n a
revol ut i onary l abor meet i ng. )
Al l : "Peace, ho! Let us hear hi m. "
(Had Ant ony begun hi s speech by "knocki ng"
Brut us, t he hi st ory of Rome woul d have been
di fferent . )
Ant ony: "Fri ends, Romans, Count rymen, l end me your
ears;
I come t o bury Caesar, not t o prai se hi m. "
(Al l yi ng hi msel f wi t h what he knew t o be t he
st at e of mi nd of hi s l i st eners. )
"The evi l t hat men do l i ves aft er t hem;
The good i s oft i nt erred wi t h t hei r bones;
So l et i t be wi t h Caesar. The nobl e Brut us
Hat h t ol d you Caesar was ambi t i ous;
If i t were so, i t was a gri evous faul t ;
And gri evousl y bat h Caesar answered i t .
Here, under l eave of Brut us and t he rest , -
For Brut us i s an honorabl e man;
So are t hey al l , al l honorabl e men -
Come I t o speak at Caesar' s funeral .
He was my fri end - fai t hful , and j ust t o me;
But Brut us says he was ambi t i ous;
- 33 -

CONGRATULATE your-
self when you reach that
degree of wisdom which
prompts you to see less of
the weaknesses of others
and more of your own, for
you will then be walking
in the company of the
really great.

- 34 -
And Brut us i s an honorabl e man;
He hat h brought many capt i ves home t o Rome,
Whose ransoms di d t he general coffers fi l l ;
Di d t hi s i n Caesar seem ambi t i ous?
When t he poor have cri ed, Caesar hat h wept ;
Ambi t i on shoul d be made of st erner st uff;
Yet Brut us says he was ambi t i ous;
And Brut us i s an honorabl e man.
You al l di d see t hat on t he Lupercal
I t hri ce present ed hi m a ki ngl y crown,
Whi ch he di d t hri ce refuse. Was t hi s ambi t i on?
Yet Brut us says he was ambi t i ous;
And, surel y, he i s an honorabl e man.
I speak not t o di sprove what Brut us spoke,
But here I am t o speak what I do know.
You al l di d l ove hi m once, not wi t hout cause;
What cause wi t hhol ds you t hen t o mourn for hi m?
O j udgment ! t hou art fl ed t o brut i sh beast s,
And men have l ost t hei r reason. Bear wi t h me,
My heart i s i n t he coffi n t here wi t h Caesar,
And I must pause t i l l i t come back t o me. "

(At t hi s poi nt Ant ony paused t o gi ve hi s audi ence
a chance t o di scuss hurri edl y, among t hemsel ves, hi s
openi ng st at ement s. Hi s obj ect i n doi ng t hi s was t o
observe what effect hi s words were havi ng, j ust as a
mast er sal esman al ways encourages hi s prospect i ve
purchaser t o t al k so he may know what i s i n hi s mi nd. )

Fi rst Ci t i zen: "Met hi nks t here i s much i n hi s say-
i ngs
Second Ci t i zen: "If t hou consi der ri ght l y of t he
mat t er, Caesar has had great wrong.
- 35 -
Thi rd Ci t i zen: "Has he, mast ers? I fear t here wi l l be
worse come i n hi s pl ace. "
Fourt h Ci t i zen: "Mark' d ye hi s words? He woul d not
t ake t he crown? Therefore ' t i s cert ai n he was not
ambi t i ous. "
Fi rst Ci t i zen: "If i t be found so, someone wi l l dear
abi de i t . "
Second Ci t i zen: "Poor soul ! hi s eyes are red as fi re
wi t h weepi ng. "
Thi rd Ci t i zen: "There' s not a nobl er man i n Rome t han
Ant ony. "
Fourt h Ci t i zen: "Now mark hi m, he begi ns agai n t o
speak"
Ant ony: "But yest erday t he word of Caesar mi ght
Have st ood agai nst t he worl d; now l i es he t here,
And none so poor t o do hi m reverence.
O mast ers (appeal i ng t o t hei r vani t y) i f I were
di sposed t o st i r
Your heart s and mi nds t o mut i ny and rage,
I shoul d do Brut us wrong and Cassi us wrong,
Who, you al l know, are honorabl e men; "
(Observe how oft en Ant ony has repeat ed t he t erm
"honorabl e. " Observe, al so, how cl everl y he bri ngs i n
t he fi rst suggest i on t hat , perhaps, Brut us and Cassi us
may not be as honorabl e as t he Roman mob bel i eves
t hem t o be. Thi s suggest i on i s carri ed i n t he words
"mut i ny" and "rage" whi ch he here uses for t he fi rst
t i me, aft er hi s pause gave him t i me t o observe t hat t he
mob was swi ngi ng over t oward hi s si de of t he
argument . Observe how careful l y he i s "feel i ng" hi s
way and maki ng hi s words f i t t hat whi ch he knows t o
be t he f rame of mi nd of hi s l i st eners. )
- 36 -
Ant ony: "I wi l l not do t hem wrong; I rat her choose
To wrong t he dead, t o wrong mysel f and you,
Than I wi l l wrong such honorabl e men. "

(Cryst al l i zi ng hi s suggest i on i nt o hat red of
Brut us and Cassi us, he t hen appeal s t o t hei r curi osi t y
and begi ns t o l ay t he foundat i on for hi s cl i max - a
cl i max whi ch he knows wi l l wi n t he mob because he i s
reachi ng i t so cl everl y t hat t he mob bel i eves i t t o be
i t s own concl usi on. )

Ant ony: "But here' s a parchment , wi t h t he seal of
Caesar;
I found i t i n hi s cl oset ; ' t i s hi s wi l l ;
Let but t he commons hear t hi s t est ament ,
Whi ch, pardon me, I do not mean t o read -"
(Ti ght eni ng up on hi s appeal t o t hei r curi osi t y by
maki ng t hem bel i eve he does not i nt end t o read t he
wi l l . )
"And t hey woul d go and ki ss dead Caesar' s
wounds
And di p t hei r napki ns i n hi s sacred bl ood,
Yea, beg a hai r of hi m for memory,
And, dyi ng, ment i on i t wi t hi n t hei r wi l l s,
Bequeat hi ng i t as a ri ch l egacy
Unt o t hei r i ssue. "

(Human nat ure al ways want s t hat whi ch i s
di ffi cul t t o get , or t hat of whi ch i t i s about t o be
depri ved. Observe how craft i l y Ant ony has awakened
t he i nt erest of t he mob and made t hem want t o hear
t he readi ng of t he wi l l , t hereby prepari ng t hem t o hear
i t wi t h open mi nds. Thi s marks hi s second st ep i n t he
process of "neut ral i zi ng" t hei r mi nds. )
- 37 -
Al l : "The wi l l , t he wi l l ! We wi l l hear Caesar' s wi l l . "
Ant ony: "Have pat i ence, gent l e fri ends, I must not
read i t ;
It i s not meet you know how Caesar l oved you.
You are not wood, you are not st ones, but men;
And, bei ng men, heari ng t he wi l l of Caesar,
It wi l l i nfl ame you; (Exact l y what he wi shes t o
do)
It wi l l make you mad;
' Ti s good you know not t hat you are hi s hei rs,
For i f you shoul d, O what wi l l come of i t !"
Fourt h Ci t i zen: "Read t he wi l l ; we' l l hear i t ,
Ant ony: You shal l read us t he wi l l ; Caesar' s wi l l . "
Ant ony: "Wi l l you be pat i ent ? Wi l l you st ay awhi l e?
I have o' ershot mysel f t o t el l you of i t ;
I fear I wrong t he honorabl e men
Whose daggers have st abb' d Caesar, I do fear i t . "

("Daggers" and "st abb' d" suggest cruel murder.
Observe how cl everl y Ant ony i nj ect s t hi s suggest i on
i nt o hi s speech, and observe, al so, how qui ckl y t he
mob cat ches i t s si gni fi cance, because, unknown t o t he
mob, Ant ony has careful l y prepared t hei r mi nds t o
recei ve t hi s suggest i on. )

Fourt h Ci t i zen: "They were t rai t ors, honorabl e men!"
Al l : "The wi l l ! The t est ament !"
Second Ci t i zen: "They were vi l l ai ns, murderers; t he
wi l l !" (Just what Ant ony woul d have sai d i n t he
begi nni ng, but he knew i t woul d have a more
desi rabl e effect i f he pl ant ed t he t hought i n t he
- 38 -
i n t he mi nds of t he mob and permi t t ed t hem t o say
i t t hemsel ves. )
Ant ony: "You wi l l compel me t hen t o read t he wi l l ?
Then make a ri ng about t he corpse of Caesar,
And l et me show you hi m t hat made t he wi l l .
Shal l I descend, and wi l l you gi ve me l eave?"

(Thi s was t he poi nt at whi ch Brut us shoul d have
begun t o l ook for a back door t hrough whi ch t o make
hi s escape. )

Al l : "Come down. "
Second Ci t i zen: "Descend. "
Thi rd Ci t i zen: "Room for Ant ony, most nobl e An-
t ony. "
Ant ony: "Nay, press not so upon me, st and far off. "

(He knew t hi s command woul d make t hem want t o
draw nearer, whi ch i s what he want ed t hem t o do. )

Al l : "St and back. Room. "
Ant ony: "If you have t ears, prepare t o shed t hem now.
You al l do know t hi s mant l e; I remember
The fi rst t i me ever Caesar put i t on;
' Twas on a summer' s eveni ng, i n hi s t ent ,
That day he overcame t he Nervi i ;
Look, i n t hi s pl ace ran Cassi us' dagger t hrough;
See what a rent t he envi ous Casca made;
Through t hi s t he wel l -bel oved Brut us st abb' d;
And as he pl ucked hi s cursed st eel away,
Mark how t he bl ood of Caesar fol l owed i t ,
As rushi ng out of doors, t o be resol ved
If Brut us so unki ndl y knock' d or no;
For Brut us, as you know, was Caesar' s angel ;
Judge, O you gods, how dearl y Caesar l oved hi m!
Thi s was t he most unki ndest cut of al l ;
- 39 -


THE word educate has its
roots in the Latin word
"educo," which means to
educe, to draw out, to
develop from within. The
best educated man is the
one whose mind has been
the most highly
developed.
- 40 -
For, when t he nobl e Caesar saw hi m st ab,
Ingrat i t ude, more st rong t han t rai t or' s arms,
Qui t e vanqui sh' d hi m; t hen burst hi s mi ght y
heart ;
And, i n hi s mant l e muffl i ng up hi s face,
Even at t he base of Pompey' s st at ua,
Whi ch al l t he whi l e ran bl ood, great Caesar fel l .
O, what a fal l was t here, my count rymen!
Then I, and you, and al l of us fel l down
Whi l e bl oody t reason fl ouri sh' d over us.
O, now you weep, and I percei ve you feel
The di nt of pi t y; t hese are graci ous drops.
Ki nd soul , why weep you when you but behol d
Our Caesar' s vest ure wounded? Look you here;
Here i s hi msel f, marr' d, as you see, wi t h t rai t ors. "

(Observe how Ant ony now uses t he words
"t rai t ors" qui t e freel y, because he knows t hat i t i s i n
harmony wi t h t hat whi ch i s i n t he mi nds of t he Roman
mob. )

Fi rst Ci t i zen: "O pi t eous spect acl e!"
Second Ci t i zen: "O woeful day!"
Thi rd Ci t i zen: "O woeful day!"
Fi rst Ci t i zen: "O most bl oody si ght !"
Second Ci t i zen: "We wi l l be revenged. "

(Had Brut us been a wi se man i nst ead of a
braggart he woul d have been many mi l es from t he
scene by t hi s t une. )

Al l : "Revenge! About ! Seek! Burn! Fi re! Ki l l ! Sl ay!
Let not a t rai t or l i ve!"

(Here Ant ony t akes t he next st ep t oward cryst al -
l i zi ng t he frenzy of t he mob i nt o act i on; but , cl ever
sal esman t hat he i s, does not t ry t o f orce t hi s act i on. )
- 41 -
Ant ony: "St ay, count rymen. "
Fi rst Ci t i zen: "Peace t here! Hear t he nobl e Ant ony. "
Second Ci t i zen: "We' l l hear hi m, we' l l fol l ow hi m,
we' l l di e wi t h hi m. "

(From t hese words Ant ony knows t hat he has t he
mob wi t h hi m. Observe how he t akes advant age of t hi s
psychol ogi cal moment - t he moment for whi ch al l
mast er sal esmen wai t . )

Ant ony: "Good fri ends, sweet fri ends, l et me not st i r
you up t o such a sudden fl ood of mut i ny.
They t hat have done t hi s deed are honorabl e.
What pri vat e gri efs t hey have, al as, I know not ,
That made t hem do i t ; t hey were wi se and honor-
abl e,
And wi l l , no doubt , wi t h reasons answer you.
I come not , fri ends, t o st eal away your heart s:
I am no orat or as Brut us i s;
But , as you know me al l , a pl ai n, bl unt man,
That l ove my fri end; and t hat t hey know ful l wel l
That gave me publ i c l eave t o speak of hi m;
For I have nei t her wi t , nor words, nor wort h,
Act i on, nor ut t erance, nor t he power of speech,
To st i r men' s bl ood; I onl y speak ri ght on;
I t el l you t hat whi ch you yoursel ves do know;
Show you sweet Caesar' s wounds, poor, poor,
dumb mout hs.
And bi d t hem speak for me; but were I Brut us,
And Brut us Ant ony, t here an Ant ony
Woul d ruffl e up your spi ri t s, and put a t ongue
In every wound of Caesar t hat shoul d move
The st ones of Rome t o ri se and mut i ny. "
- 42 -
Al l : "We' l l mut i ny. "
Fi rst Ci t i zen: "We' l l burn t he house of Brut us. "
Thi rd Ci t i zen: "Away, t hen! Come, seek t he con-
spi rat ors. "
Ant ony: "Yet hear me, count rymen; yet hear me
speak!"
Al l : "Peace, ho! Hear Ant ony. Most nobl e Ant ony!"
Ant ony: "Why, fri ends, you go t o do you know not
what ;
Wherei n hat h Caesar t hus deserved your l ove?
Al as, you know not ; I must t el l you, t hen;
You have forgot t he wi l l I t ol d you of. "

(Ant ony i s now ready t o pl ay hi s t rump card; he
i s ready t o reach hi s cl i max. Observe how wel l he has
marshal ed hi s suggest i ons, st ep by st ep, savi ng unt i l
t he l ast hi s most i mport ant st at ement ; t he one on
whi ch he rel i ed for act i on. In t he great fi el d of
sal esmanshi p and i n publ i c speaki ng many a man t ri es
t o reach t hi s poi nt t oo soon; t ri es t o "rush" hi s
audi ence or hi s prospect i ve purchaser, and t hereby
l oses hi s appeal . )

Al l : "Most t rue; t he wi l l ! Let ' s st ay and hear t he wi l l . "
Ant ony: "Here i s t he wi l l , and under Caesar' s seal .
To every Roman ci t i zen he gi ves,
To every several man, sevent y-fi ve drachmas. "
Second Ci t i zen: "Most nobl e Caesar! we' l l revenge hi s
deat h. ),
Thi rd Ci t i zen: "O royal Caesar!"
Ant ony: "Hear me wi t h pat i ence. "
Al l : "Peace, ho! "
Ant ony: "Moreover, he hat h l eft you al l hi s wal ks,
- 43 -
Hi s pri vat e arbors and new pl ant ed orchards,
On t hi s si de Ti ber; he hat h l eft t hem you,
And t o your hei rs forever; common pl easures,
To wal k abroad and recreat e yoursel f.
Here was a Caesar! When comes such anot her?"
Fi rst Ci t i zen: "Never, never. Come, away, away!
We' l l burn hi s body i n t he hol y pl ace,
And wi t h t he brands fi re t he t rai t ors' houses.
Take up t he body. "
Second Ci t i zen: "Go fet ch fi re. "
Thi rd Ci t i zen: "Pl uck down benches. "
Fourt h Ci t i zen: "Pl uck down forms, wi ndows, any-
t hi ng. "

And t hat was Brut us' fi ni sh!
He l ost hi s case because he l acked t he personal i t y
and t he good j udgment wi t h whi ch t o present hi s
argument f rom t he vi ewpoi nt of t he Roman mob, as
Mark Ant ony di d. Hi s whol e at t i t ude cl earl y i ndi cat ed
t hat he t hought pret t y wel l of hi msel f; t hat he was
proud of hi s deed. We have al l seen peopl e, i n t hi s day
and t i me, who somewhat resembl e Brut us i n t hi s
respect , but , i f we observe cl osel y, we not i ce t hat t hey
do not accompl i sh very much.
Suppose t hat Mark Ant ony had mount ed t he
pl at form i n a "st rut t i ng" at t i t ude, and had begun hi s
speech i n t hi s wi se:
"Now l et me t el l you Romans somet hi ng about
t hi s man Brut us - he i s a murderer at heart and - " he
woul d have gone no furt her, for t he mob woul d have
howl ed hi m down.
Cl ever sal esman and pract i cal psychol ogi st t hat
he was, Mark Ant ony so present ed hi s case t hat i t ap-
- 44 -
peared not t o be hi s own i dea at al l , but t hat of t he
Roman mob, i t sel f.
Go back t o t he l esson on i ni t i at i ve and l eadershi p
and read i t agai n, and as you read, compare t he
psychol ogy of i t wi t h t hat of Mark Ant ony' s speech.
Observe how t he "you" and not "I" at t i t ude t oward
ot hers was emphasi zed. Observe, i f you pl ease, how
t hi s same poi nt i s emphasi zed t hroughout t hi s course,
and especi al l y i n Lesson Seven, on ent husi asm.
Shakespeare was, by far, t he most abl e
psychol ogi st and wri t er known t o ci vi l i zat i on; for t hat
reason, al l of hi s wri t i ngs are based upon unerri ng
knowl edge of t he human mi nd. Throughout t hi s
speech, whi ch he pl aced i n t he mout h of Mark Ant ony,
you wi l l observe how careful l y he assumed t he "you"
at t i t ude; so careful l y t hat t he Roman mob was sure
t hat i t s deci si on was of i t s own maki ng.
I must cal l your at t ent i on, however, t o t he fact
t hat Mark Ant ony' s appeal t o t he sel f-i nt erest of t he
Roman mob was of t he craft y t ype, and was based
upon t he st eal t h wi t h whi ch di shonest men oft en make
use of t hi s pri nci pl e i n appeal i ng t o t he cupi di t y and
avari ce of t hei r vi ct i ms. Whi l e Mark Ant ony di spl ayed
evi dence of great sel f-cont rol i n bei ng abl e t o assume,
at t he begi nni ng of hi s speech, an at t i t ude t oward
Brut us t hat was not real , at t he same t i me i t i s obvi ous
t hat hi s ent i re appeal was based upon hi s knowl edge
of how t o i nfl uence t he mi nds of t he Roman mob,
t hrough fl at t ery.
The t wo l et t ers reproduced i n Lesson Seven, of
t hi s course, i l l ust rat e, i n a very concret e way, t he
val ue of t he "you" and t he fat al i t y of t he "I" appeal .
Go back and read t hese l et t ers agai n and observe how
- 45 -
I HAVE great wealth
that can never be taken
away from me; that I
can never squander;
that cannot be lost by
declining stocks or bad
investments; I have the
wealth of contentment
with my lot in life.
- 46 -
t he more successful of t he t wo fol l ows cl osel y t he
Mark Ant ony appeal , whi l e t he ot her one i s based
upon an appeal of j ust t he opposi t e nat ure. Whet her
you are wri t i ng a sal es l et t er, or preachi ng a sermon
or wri t i ng an advert i sement , or a book, you wi l l do
wel l t o fol l ow t he same pri nci pl es empl oyed by Mark
Ant ony i n hi s famous speech.
Now l et us t urn our at t ent i on t o t he st udy of ways
and means t hrough whi ch one may devel op a pl easi ng
personal i t y.
Let us st art wi t h t he fi rst essent i al , whi ch i s
charact er, for no one may have a pl easi ng personal i t y
wi t hout t he foundat i on of a sound, posi t i ve charact er.
Through t he pri nci pl e of t el epat hy you "t el egraph" t he
nat ure of your charact er t o t hose wi t h whom you come
i n cont act , whi ch i s responsi bl e for what you have
oft en cal l ed an "i nt ui t i ve" feel i ng t hat t he person
whom you had j ust met , but about whom you di d not
know very much, was not t rust wort hy.
You may embel l i sh yoursel f wi t h cl ot hes of t he
neat est and l at est desi gn, and conduct yoursel f i n a
most pl easi ng manner as far as out si de appearances
go; but i f t here i s greed, and envy, and hat red, and
j eal ousy, and avari ce, and sel fi shness i n your heart ,
you wi l l never at t ract any, except t hose charact ers
whi ch harmoni ze wi t h your own. Li ke at t ract s l i ke,
and you may be sure, t herefore, t hat t hose who are
at t ract ed t o you are t hose whose i nward nat ures
paral l el your own.
You may embel l i sh yoursel f wi t h an art i fi ci al
smi l e t hat bel i es your feel i ngs, and you may pract i ce
t he art of hand-shaki ng so t hat you can i mi t at e,
perfect l y, t he band-shake of t he person who i s an
- 47 -
adept at t hi s art , but , i f t hese out ward mani fest at i ons
of an at t ract i ve personal i t y l ack t hat vi t al fact or
cal l ed earnest ness of purpose t hey wi l l repel i nst ead
of at t ract .
How, t hen, may one bui l d charact er?
The fi rst st ep i n charact er bui l di ng i s ri gi d sel f -
di sci pl i ne:
In bot h t he second and ei ght h l essons of t hi s
course, you wi l l fi nd t he formul a t hrough whi ch you
may shape your charact er aft er any pat t ern t hat you
choose; but I repeat i t here, as i t i s based upon a
pri nci pl e t hat wi l l bear much repet i t i on, as fol l ows:
Fi rst : Sel ect t hose whose charact ers were made
up of t he qual i t i es whi ch you wi sh t o bui l d i nt o your
own charact er, and t hen proceed, i n t he manner
descri bed i n Lesson Two, t o appropri at e t hese
qual i t i es, t hrough t he ai d of Aut o-suggest i on. Creat e,
i n your i magi nat i on, a counci l t abl e and gat her your
charact ers around i t each ni ght , fi rst havi ng wri t t en
out a cl ear, conci se st at ement of t he part i cul ar
qual i t i es t hat you wi sh t o appropri at e from each. Then
proceed t o affi rm or suggest t o yoursel f, i n out spoken,
audi bl e words, t hat you are devel opi ng t he desi red
qual i t i es i n yoursel f. As you do t hi s cl ose your eyes
and see, i n your i magi nat i on, t he fi gures seat ed
around your i magi nary t abl e, i n t he manner descri bed
i n Lesson Two.
Second: Through t he pri nci pl es descri bed i n
Lesson Ei ght , on sel f -cont rol , cont rol your t hought s
and keep your mi nd vi t al i zed wi t h t hought s of a
posi t i ve nat ure. Let t he domi nat i ng t hought of your
mi nd be a pi ct ure of t he person t hat you i nt end t o be:
t he person t hat you are del i berat el y bui l di ng, t hrough
t hi s procedure. At l east a dozen t i mes a day, when you
have a few mi nut es t o yoursel f, shut your eyes and
- 48 -
di rect your t hought s t o t he fi gures whi ch you have
sel ect ed t o si t at your i magi nary counci l t abl e; and
feel , wi t h a f ai t h t hat knows NO LIMITATION, t hat
you are act ual l y growi ng t o resembl e i n charact er
t hose fi gures of your choi ce.
Thi rd: Fi nd at l east one person each day, and
more i f possi bl e, i n whom you see some good qual i t y
t hat i s wort hy of prai se, and prai se i t . Remember,
however, t hat t hi s prai se must not be i n t he nat ure of
cheap, i nsi ncere fl at t ery; i t must be genui ne. Speak
your words of prai se wi t h such earnest ness t hat t hey
wi l l i mpress t hose t o whom you speak; t hen wat ch
what happens. You wi l l have rendered t hose whom
you prai se a deci ded benefi t of great val ue t o t hem;
and, you wi l l have gone j ust one more st ep i n t he
di rect i on of devel opi ng t he habi t of l ooki ng for and
fi ndi ng t he good qual i t i es i n ot hers. I cannot
overemphasi ze t he far-reachi ng effect s of t hi s habi t of
prai si ng, openl y and ent husi ast i cal l y, t he good
qual i t i es i n ot hers; for t hi s habi t wi l l soon reward you
wi t h a feel i ng of sel f-respect and mani fest at i on of
grat i t ude from ot hers, t hat wi l l modi fy your ent i re
personal i t y. Here, agai n, t he l aw of at t ract i on ent ers,
and t hose whom you prai se wi l l see, i n you, t he
qual i t i es t hat you see i n t hem. Your success i n t he
appl i cat i on of t hi s formul a wi l l be i n exact proport i on
t o your f ai t h i n i t s soundness.
I do not merel y bel i eve t hat i t i s sound - I know
t hat i t i s - and t he reason I know i s t hat I have used i t
successful l y and I have al so t aught ot hers how t o use
i t successful l y; t herefore, I have a ri ght t o promi se
you t hat you can use i t wi t h equal success.
Furt hermore, you can, wi t h t he ai d of t hi s
- 49 -
formul a, devel op an at t ract i ve personal i t y so speedi l y
t hat you wi l l surpri se al l who know you. The
devel opment of such a personal i t y i s ent i rel y wi t hi n
your own cont rol , a fact whi ch gi ves you a t remendous
advant age and at t he same t i me pl aces upon you t he
responsi bi l i t y i f you fai l or negl ect t o exerci se your
pri vi l ege.
I now wi sh t o di rect your at t ent i on t o t he reason
for speaki ng, al oud, t he affi rmat i on t hat you are
devel opi ng t he desi red qual i t i es whi ch you have
sel ect ed as t he mat eri al s out of whi ch t o devel op an
at t ract i ve personal i t y.
Thi s procedure has t wo desi rabl e effect s; namel y-
Fi rst : It set s i nt o mot i on t he vi brat i on t hrough
whi ch t he t hought back of your words reaches and
i mbeds i t sel f i n your sub-consci ous mi nd, where i t
t akes root and grows unt i l i t becomes a great movi ng
force i n your out ward, physi cal act i vi t i es, l eadi ng i n
t he di rect i on of t ransformat i on of t he t hought i nt o
real i t y.
Second: It devel ops i n you t he abi l i t y t o speak
wi t h force and convi ct i on whi ch wi l l l ead, fi nal l y, t o
great abi l i t y as a publ i c speaker. No mat t er what your
cal l i ng i n l i fe may be, you shoul d be abl e t o st and
upon your feet and speak convi nci ngl y, as t hi s i s one
of t he most effect i ve ways of devel opi ng an at t ract i ve
personal i t y.
Put feel i ng and emot i on i nt o your words as you
speak, and devel op a deep, ri ch t one of voi ce. If your
voi ce i s i ncl i ned t o be hi gh pi t ched, t one i t down unt i l
i t i s soft and pl easi ng. You can never express an
at t ract i ve personal i t y, t o best advant age, t hrough a
harsh or shri l l voi ce. You must cul t i vat e your voi ce
unt i l i t becomes rhyt hmi cal and pl easi ng t o t he ear.
- 50 -
Remember t hat speech i s t he chi ef met hod of
expressi ng your personal i t y, and for t hi s reason i t i s
t o your advant age t o cul t i vat e a st yl e t hat i s bot h
forceful and pl easi ng.
I do not recal l a si ngl e out st andi ng at t ract i ve
personal i t y t hat was not made up, i n part , of abi l i t y t o
speak wi t h force and convi ct i on. St udy t he promi nent
men and women of t oday, wherever you fi nd t hem, and
observe t he si gni fi cant fact t hat t he more promi nent
t hey are t he more effi ci ent are t hey i n speaki ng
forceful l y.
St udy t he out st andi ng fi gures of t he past i n
pol i t i cs and st at esmanshi p and observe t hat t he most
successful ones were t hose who were not ed for t hei r
abi l i t y t o speak wi t h force and convi ct i on.
In t he fi el d of busi ness, i ndust ry and fi nance i t
seems si gni fi cant , al so, t hat t he most promi nent
l eaders are men and women who are abl e publ i c
speakers.
In fact no one may hope t o become a promi nent
l eader i n any not ewort hy undert aki ng wi t hout
devel opi ng t he abi l i t y t o speak wi t h forceful ness t hat
carri es convi ct i on. Whi l e t he sal esman may never
del i ver a publ i c address, he wi l l profi t , nevert hel ess,
i f he devel ops t he abi l i t y t o do so, because t hi s abi l i t y
i ncreases hi s power t o t al k convi nci ngl y i n ordi nary
conversat i on.
Let us now summari ze t he chi ef fact ors whi ch
ent er i nt o t he devel opment of an at t ract i ve
personal i t y, as fol l ows:
Fi rst : Form t he habi t of i nt erest i ng yoursel f i n
ot her peopl e; and make i t your busi ness t o fi nd t hei r
good qual i t i es and speak of t hem i n t erms of prai se.
Second: Devel op t he abi l i t y t o speak wi t h force
- 51 -


ENTHUSIASM is the
mainspring of the
soul. Keep it wound
up and you will never
be without power to
get what you actually
need.

- 52 -
and convi ct i on, bot h i n your ordi nary conversat i onal
t ones and before publ i c gat heri ngs, where you must
use more vol ume.
Thi rd: Cl ot he yoursel f i n a st yl e t hat i s becomi ng
t o your physi cal bui l d and t he work i n whi ch you are
engaged.
Fourt h: Devel op a posi t i ve charact er, t hrough t he
ai d of t he formul a out l i ned i n t hi s l esson.
Fi f t h: Learn how t o shake hands so t hat you
express warmt h of feel i ng and ent husi asm t hrough t hi s
form of greet i ng.
Si xt h: At t ract ot her peopl e t o you by fi rst
"at t ract i ng yoursel f" t o t hem.
Sevent h: Remember t hat your onl y l i mi t at i on,
wi t hi n reason, i s t he one whi ch YOU set up i n YOUR
OWN mi nd.
These seven poi nt s cover t he most i mport ant
fact ors t hat ent er i nt o t he devel opment of an
at t ract i ve personal i t y, but i t seems hardl y necessary
t o suggest t hat such a personal i t y wi l l not devel op of
i t s own accord. It wi l l devel op, i f you submi t yoursel f
t o t he di sci pl i ne herei n descri bed, wi t h a f i rm
det ermi nat i on t o t ransf orm yoursel f i nt o t he person
t hat you woul d l i ke t o be.
As I st udy t hi s l i st of seven i mport ant fact ors t hat
ent er i nt o t he devel opment of an at t ract i ve personal i t y
I feel moved t o di rect your at t ent i on t o t he second and
t he fourt h as bei ng t he most i mport ant .
If you wi l l cul t i vat e t hose fi ner t hought s, and
feel i ngs, and act i ons, out of whi ch a posi t i ve
charact er i s bui l t , and t hen l earn t o express yoursel f
wi t h force and convi ct i on, you wi l l have devel oped an
at t ract i ve personal i t y, for i t wi l l be seen t hat out of
- 53 -
t hi s at t ai nment wi l l come t he ot her qual i t i es here
out l i ned.
There i s a great power of at t ract i on back of t he
person who has a posi t i ve charact er, and t hi s power
expresses i t sel f t hrough unseen as wel l as vi si bl e
sources. The moment you come wi t hi n speaki ng
di st ance of such a person, even t hough not a word i s
spoken, t he i nfl uence of t he "unseen power wi t hi n"
makes i t sel f fel t .
Every "shady" t ransact i on i n whi ch you engage,
every negat i ve t hought t hat you t hi nk, and every
dest ruct i ve act i n whi ch you i ndul ge, dest roys j ust so
much of t hat "subt l e somet hi ng" wi t hi n you t hat i s
known as charact er.
"There i s ful l confessi on i n t he gl ances of our
eyes; i n our smi l es; i n sal ut at i ons; i n t he grasp of t he
hands. Hi s si n bedaubs hi m, mars al l hi s good
i mpressi on. Men know not why t hey do not t rust hi m,
but t hey do not t rust hi m. Hi s vi ce gl asses hi s eye,
demeans hi s cheek, pi nches t he nose, set s t he mark of
beast on t he back of t he head, and wri t es, O fool !
fool ! on t he forehead of a ki ng. " (Emerson. )
I woul d di rect your at t ent i on, now, t o t he fi rst of
t he seven fact ors t hat ent er i nt o t he devel opment of an
at t ract i ve personal i t y. You have observed t hat al l
t hrough t hi s l esson I have gone i nt o l engt hy det ai l t o
show t he mat eri al advant ages of bei ng agreeabl e t o
ot her peopl e.
However, t he bi ggest advant age of al l l i es, not i n
t he possi bi l i t y of monet ary or mat eri al gai n whi ch t hi s
habi t offers, but i n t he beaut i fyi ng effect t hat i t has
upon t he charact er of al l who pract i ce i t .
Acqui re t he habi t of maki ng yoursel f agreeabl e
and you profi t bot h mat eri al l y and ment al l y; for you
- 54 -
wi l l never be as happy i n any ot her way as you wi l l be
when you know t hat you are maki ng ot hers happy.
Remove t he chi ps from your shoul ders and qui t
chal l engi ng men t o engage you i n usel ess argument s!
Remove t he smoked gl asses t hrough whi ch you see
what you bel i eve t o be t he "bl ueness" of l i fe and
behol d t he shi ni ng sunl i ght of fri endl i ness i n i t s st ead.
Throw away your hammer and qui t knocki ng, for
surel y you must know t hat t he bi g pri zes of l i fe go t o
t he bui l ders and not t he dest royers.
The man who bui l ds a house i s an art i st ; t he man
who t ears i t down i s a j unkman. If you are a person
wi t h a gri evance t he worl d wi l l l i st en t o your vi t ri ol i c
"ravi ngs, " provi di ng i t does not "see you comi ng";
but , i f you are a person wi t h a message of fri endl i ness
and opt i mi sm, i t wi l l l i st en because i t wi shes t o do so.
No person wi t h a gri evance can be al so a person
wi t h an at t ract i ve personal i t y!
The art of bei ng agreeabl e -
- Just t hat one si mpl e t rai t -
- i s t he very foundat i on of al l successful
sal esmanshi p.
I dri ve my aut omobi l e fi ve mi l es i nt o t he
out ski rt s of t he ci t y t o purchase gasol i ne whi ch I
coul d procure wi t hi n t wo bl ocks of my own garage
Because t he man who runs t he f i l l i ng st at i on i s an
art i st ; he makes i t hi s busi ness t o be agreeabl e. I go
t here, not because he has cheaper gasol i ne, but
because I enj oy t he vi t al i zi ng effect of hi s at t ract i ve
personal i t y!
Fi ft i et h St reet and Broadway, i n New York, not
- 55 -
because I cannot fi nd ot her good shoes at t he same
pri ce, but for t he reason t hat Mr. Cobb, t he manager
of t hat part i cul ar Regal St ore, has an at t ract i ve
personal i t y. Whi l e he i s fi t t i ng me wi t h shoes, he
makes i t hi s busi ness t o t al k t o me on subj ect s whi ch
he knows t o be cl ose t o my heart .
I do my banki ng at t he Harri man Nat i onal Bank,
at Fort y-fourt h St reet and Fi ft h Avenue, not because
t here are not scores of ot her good banks much nearer
my pl ace of busi ness; but for t he reason t hat t he
t el l ers, and t he cashi ers, and t he l obby det ect i ve, and
Mr. Harri man, and al l of t he ot hers, wi t h whom I come
i n cont act , make i t t hei r busi ness t o be agreeabl e. My
account i s smal l but t hey recei ve me as t hough i t were
l arge.
I great l y admi re John D. Rockefel l er, Jr. , not
because he i s t he son of one of t he worl d' s ri chest
men; but for t he bet t er reason t hat he, t oo, has
acqui red t he art of bei ng agreeabl e.
In t he l i t t l e ci t y of Lancast er, Pennsyl vani a, l i ves
M. T. Garvi n, a very successful merchant whom I
woul d t ravel hundreds of mi l es t o vi si t , not because he
i s a weal t hy merchant , but for t he reason t hat he
makes i t hi s busi ness t o be agreeabl e. However, I
have no doubt t hat hi s mat eri al success i s cl osel y
rel at ed t o t hi s nobl e art of affabi l i t y whi ch he has
acqui red.
I have i n my vest pocket a Parker fount ai n pen,
and my wi fe and chi l dren have pens of t he same
brand, not because t here are not ot her good fount ai n
pens, but for t he reason t hat I have been at t ract ed t o
George S. Parker on account of hi s habi t of bei ng
agreeabl e.
- 56 -
My wi fe t akes t he Ladi es' Home j ournal , not
because t here are not ot her good magazi nes of a
si mi l ar nat ure, but for t he reason t hat we became
at t ract ed t o t he j ournal several years ago, whi l e
Edward Bok was i t s edi t or, because he had acqui red
t he art of bei ng agreeabl e.
O ye st ruggl i ng pi l gri ms, who are searchi ng for
t he rai nbow' s end; ye drawers of wat er and hewers of
wood, t arry for a moment by t he waysi de and l earn a
l esson from t he successful men and women who have
succeeded because t hey acqui red t he art of - bei ng
agreeabl e!
You can wi n, for a t i me, t hrough rut hl essness and
st eal t h; you can garner i n more of t hi s worl d' s goods
t han you wi l l need, by sheer force and shrewd
st rat egy, wi t hout t aki ng t he t i me or goi ng t o t he
t roubl e of bei ng agreeabl e; but , sooner or l at er, you
wi l l come t o t hat poi nt i n l i fe at whi ch you wi l l feel
t he pangs of remorse and t he empt i ness of your wel l
fi l l ed purse.
I never t hi nk of power and posi t i on and weal t h
t hat was at t ai ned by force, wi t hout feel i ng, very
deepl y, t he sent i ment expressed by a man whose name
I dare not ment i on, as he st ood at t he t omb of
Napol eon:
"A l i t t l e whi l e ago I st ood by t he grave of t he ol d
Napol eon - a magni fi cent t omb of gi l t and gol d, fi t
al most for a dei t y dead - and gazed upon t he
sarcophagus of rare and namel ess marbl e, where rest
at l ast t he ashes of t hat rest l ess man. I l eaned over t he
bal ust rade and t hought about t he career of t he great est
sol di er of t he modem worl d. I saw hi m at Toul on. I
saw hi m wal ki ng upon t he banks of t he Sei ne
cont empl at i ng sui ci de. I saw hi m put t i ng down t he
- 57 -


NO man has the right to
strain the relationship
of friendly acquaintance
to the breaking point by
asking or expecting of a
friend that which might
prove to be a burden to
the friend.


- 58 -
mob i n t he st reet s of Pari s. I saw hi m at t he head of
t he army i n It al y. I saw hi m crossi ng t he bri dge at
Lodi wi t h t he t ri -col or i n hi s hand. I saw hi m i n
Egypt , i n t he shadows of t he pyrami ds; I saw hi m
conquer t he Al ps and mi ngl e t he eagl es of France wi t h
t he eagl es of t he crags. I saw hi m at Marengo, at Ul m
and at Aust erl i t z. I saw hi m i n Russi a, when t he
i nfant ry of t he snow and t he caval ry of t he wi l d bl ast
scat t ered hi s l egi ons l i ke wi nt er' s wi t hered l eaves. I
saw hi m at Lei psi c i n defeat and di sast er - dri ven by a
mi l l i on bayonet s back upon Pari s - cl ut ched l i ke a
wi l d beast - bani shed t o El ba. I saw hi m escape and
re-t ake an empi re by t he force of hi s geni us. I saw hi m
upon t he fri ght ful fi el d of Wat erl oo, where chance and
fat e combi ned t o wreck t he fort unes of t hei r former
ki ng. And I saw hi m at St . Hel ena, wi t h hi s hands
crossed behi nd hi m, gazi ng out upon t he sad and
sol emn sea.
"I t hought of t he wi dows and orphans he had
made, of t he t ears t hat had been shed for hi s gl ory,
and of t he onl y woman who ever l oved hi m, pushed
from hi s heart by t he col d hand of ambi t i on. And I
sai d I woul d rat her have been a French peasant and
worn wooden shoes; I woul d rat her have l i ved i n a hut
wi t h a vi ne growi ng over t he door, and t he grapes
growi ng purpl e i n t he amorous ki sses of t he aut umn
sun; I woul d rat her have been t hat poor peasant , wi t h
my wi fe by my si de kni t t i ng as t he day di ed out of t he
sky, wi t h my chi l dren upon my knees and t hei r arms
about me; I woul d rat her have been t hi s man and gone
down t o t he t onguel ess si l ence of t he dreaml ess dust ,
t han t o have been t hat i mperi al personat i on of force
and murder, known as Napol eon t he Great . "
- 59 -
- 60 -
I l eave wi t h you, as a fi t t i ng cl i max for t hi s
l esson, t he t hought of t hi s deat hl ess di ssert at i on on a
man who l i ved by t he sword of force and di ed an
i gnomi ni ous deat h, an out cast i n t he eyes of hi s fel l ow
men; a sore t o t he memory of ci vi l i zat i on; a fai l ure
because -
He di d not acqui re t he art of bei ng agreeabl e!
Because he coul d not or woul d not subordi nat e "sel f "
f or t he good of hi s f ol l owers.

T
T
H
H
E
E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
U
U
C
C
C
C
E
E
S
S
S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL









Pri nted i n the U. S. A.
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Lesson Eleven
ACCURATE THOUGHT



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IT is pardonable to tell
your friends, by tact-
ful suggestion, of your
needs, but take care
not to ask them
outright for assistance
if you would retain
their friendship.




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THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Eleven
ACCURATE THOUGHT



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

THIS i s at one and t he same t i me t he most i mport ant ,
t he most i nt erest i ng and t he most di ffi cul t t o present
l esson of t hi s ent i re course on t he Law of Success.
It i s i mport ant because i t deal s wi t h a pri nci pl e
whi ch runs t hrough t he ent i re course. It i s i nt erest i ng
for t he same reason. It i s di ffi cul t t o present for t he
reason t hat i t wi l l carry t he average st udent far
beyond t he boundary l i ne of hi s common experi ences
and i nt o a real m of t hought i n whi ch he i s not
accust omed t o dwel l .
Unl ess you st udy t hi s l esson wi t h an open mi nd,
you wi l l mi ss t he very key-st one t o t he arch of t hi s
course, and wi t hout t hi s st one you can never compl et e
your Templ e of Success.
Thi s l esson wi l l bri ng you a concept i on of
t hought whi ch may carry you far above t he l evel t o
whi ch you have ri sen by t he evol ut i onary processes t o
whi ch you have been subj ect ed i n t he past ; and, for
t hi s reason, you shoul d not be di sappoi nt ed i f, at fi rst
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readi ng, you do not ful l y underst and i t . Most of us
di sbel i eve t hat whi ch we cannot underst and, and i t i s
wi t h knowl edge of t hi s human t endency i n mi nd t hat I
caut i on you agai nst cl osi ng your mi nd i f you do not
grasp al l t hat i s i n t hi s l esson at t he fi rst readi ng.
For t housands of years men made shi ps of wood,
and of not hi ng el se. They used wood because t hey
bel i eved t hat i t was t he onl y subst ance t hat woul d
fl oat ; but t hat was because t hey had not yet advanced
far enough i n t hei r t hi nki ng process t o underst and t he
t rut h t hat st eel wi l l fl oat , and t hat i t i s far superi or t o
wood for t he bui l di ng of shi ps. They di d not know t hat
anyt hi ng coul d fl oat whi ch was l i ght er t han t he
amount of wat er i s di spl aced, and unt i l t hey l earned of
t hi s great t rut h t hey went on maki ng shi ps of wood.
Unt i l some t went y-fi ve years ago, most men
t hought t hat onl y t he bi rds coul d fl y, but now we
know t hat man can not onl y equal t he fl yi ng of t he
bi rds, but he can excel i t .
Men di d not know, unt i l qui t e recent l y, t hat t he
great open voi d known as t he ai r i s more al i ve and
more sensi t i ve t han anyt hi ng t hat i s on t he eart h. They
di d not know t hat t he spoken word woul d t ravel
t hrough t he et her wi t h t he speed of a fl ash of
l i ght ni ng, wi t hout t he ai d of wi res. How coul d t hey
know t hi s when t hei r mi nds had not been unfol ded
suffi ci ent l y t o enabl e t hem t o grasp i t ? The purpose of
t hi s l esson i s t o ai d you i n so unfol di ng and expandi ng
your mi nd t hat you wi l l be abl e t o t hi nk wi t h
accuracy, for t hi s unfol dment wi l l open t o you a door
t hat l eads t o al l t he power you wi l l need i n compl et i ng
your Templ e of Success.
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Al l t hrough t he precedi ng l essons of t hi s course
you observed t hat we have deal t wi t h pri nci pl es whi ch
any one coul d easi l y grasp and appl y. You wi l l al so
observe t hat t hese pri nci pl es have been so present ed
t hat t hey l ead t o success as measured by mat eri al
weal t h. Thi s seemed necessary for t he reason t hat t o
most peopl e t he word success and t he word money are
synonymous t erms. Obvi ousl y, t he previ ous l essons of
t hi s course were i nt ended for t hose who l ook upon
worl dl y t hi ngs and mat eri al weal t h as bei ng al l t hat
t here i s t o success.
Present i ng t he mat t er i n anot her way, I was
consci ous of t he fact t hat t he maj ori t y of t he st udent s
of t hi s course woul d feel di sappoi nt ed i f I poi nt ed out
t o t hem a roadway t o success t hat l eads t hrough ot her
t han t he doorways of busi ness, and fi nance, and
i ndust ry; for i t i s a mat t er of common knowl edge t hat
most men want success t hat i s spel l ed $UCCE$$!
Very wel l - l et t hose who are sat i sfi ed wi t h t hi s
st andard of success have i t ; but some t here are who
wi l l want t o go hi gher up t he l adder, i n search of
success whi ch i s measured i n ot her t han mat eri al
st andards, and i t i s for t hei r benefi t i n part i cul ar t hat
t hi s and t he subsequent l essons of t hi s course are
i nt ended.

Accurat e t hought i nvol ves t wo fundament al s
whi ch al l who i ndul ge i n i t must observe. Fi rst , t o
t hi nk accurat el y you must separat e f act s from mere
i nf ormat i on. There i s much "i nformat i on" avai l abl e t o
you t hat i s not based upon fact s. Second, you must
separat e f act s i nt o t wo cl asses; namel y, t he i mport ant
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and t he uni mport ant , or, t he rel evant and t he
i rrel evant .
Onl y by so doi ng can you t hi nk cl earl y.
Al l f act s whi ch you can use i n t he at t ai nment of
your def i ni t e chi ef ai m are i mport ant and rel evant ; al l
t hat you cannot use are uni mport ant and i rrel evant . It
i s mai nl y t he negl ect of some t o make t hi s di st i nct i on
whi ch account s for t he chasm whi ch separat es so
wi del y peopl e who appear t o have equal abi l i t y, and
who have had equal opport uni t y. Wi t hout goi ng
out si de of your own ci rcl e of acquai nt ances you can
poi nt t o one or more persons who have had no great er
opport uni t y t han you have had, and who appear t o
have no more, and perhaps l ess, abi l i t y t han you, who
are achi evi ng far great er success.
And you wonder why!
Search di l i gent l y and you wi l l di scover t hat al l
such peopl e have acqui red t he habi t of combi ni ng and
usi ng t he i mport ant f act s whi ch affect t hei r l i ne of
work. Far from worki ng harder t han you, t hey are
perhaps worki ng l ess and wi t h great er ease. By vi rt ue
of t hei r havi ng l earned t he secret of separat i ng t he
i mport ant f act s from t he uni mport ant , t hey have
provi ded t hemsel ves wi t h a sort of ful crum and l ever
wi t h whi ch t hey can move wi t h t hei r l i t t l e fi ngers
l oads t hat you cannot budge wi t h t he ent i re wei ght of
your body.
The person who forms t he habi t of di rect i ng hi s
at t ent i on t o t he i mport ant f act s out of whi ch he i s
const ruct i ng hi s Templ e of Success, t hereby provi des
hi msel f wi t h a power whi ch may be l i kened t o a t ri p-
hammer whi ch st ri kes a t en-t on bl ow as compared t o a
t ack-hammer whi ch st ri kes a one-pound bl ow!
If t hese si mi l es appear t o be el ement ary you must
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keep i n mi nd t he fact t hat some of t he st udent s of t hi s
course have not yet devel oped t he capaci t y t o t hi nk i n
more compl i cat ed t erms, and t o t ry t o force t hem t o do
so woul d be t he equi val ent of l eavi ng t hem hopel essl y
behi nd.
That you may underst and t he i mport ance of
di st i ngui shi ng bet ween f act s and mere i nf ormat i on,
st udy t hat t ype of man who i s gui ded ent i rel y by t hat
whi ch he hears; t he t ype who i s i nfl uenced by al l t he
"whi speri ngs of t he wi nds of gossi p"; t hat accept s,
wi t hout anal ysi s, al l t hat he reads i n t he newspapers
and j udges ot hers by what t hei r enemi es and
compet i t ors and cont emporari es say about t hem.
Search your ci rcl e of acquai nt ances and pi ck out
one of t hi s t ype as an exampl e t o keep before your
mi nd whi l e we are on t hi s subj ect . Observe t hat t hi s
man usual l y begi ns hi s conversat i on wi t h some such
t erm as t hi s - "I see by t he papers, " or "t hey say. " The
accurat e t hi nker knows t hat t he newspapers are not
al ways accurat e i n t hei r report s, and he al so knows
t hat what "t hey say" usual l y carri es more fal sehood
t han t rut h. If you have not ri sen above t he "I see by
t he papers, " and t he "t hey say" cl ass, you have st i l l
far t o go before you become an accurat e t hi nker. Of
course, much t rut h and many f act s t ravel i n t he gui se
of i dl e gossi p and newspaper report s; but t he accurat e
t hi nker wi l l not accept as such al l t hat he sees and
hears.
Thi s i s a poi nt whi ch I feel i mpel l ed t o
emphasi ze, for t he reason t hat i t const i t ut es t he rocks
and reefs on whi ch so many peopl e fl ounder and go
down t o defeat i n a bot t oml ess ocean of fal se
concl usi ons.
In t he real m of l egal procedure, t here i s a
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THE great Edison failed ten
thousand times before he
made the incandescent
electric light work. Do not
become discouraged and
"quit" if you fail once or
twice before making your
plans work.

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A pri nci pl e whi ch i s cal l ed t he l aw of evi dence; and
t he obj ect of t hi s l aw i s t o get at t he f act s. Any j udge
can proceed wi t h j ust i ce t o all concerned, i f he has t he
f act s upon whi ch t o base hi s j udgment , but he may
pl ay havoc wi t h i nnocent peopl e i f he ci rcumvent s t he
l aw of evi dence and reaches a concl usi on or j udgment
t hat i s based upon hearsay i nf ormat i on.
The l aw of Evi dence vari es accordi ng t o t he
subj ect and ci rcumst ances wi t h whi ch i t i s used, but
you wi l l not go far wrong i f, i n t he absence of t hat
whi ch you know t o be f act s, you form your j udgment s
on t he hypot hesi s t hat onl y t hat part of t he evi dence
before you whi ch furt hers your own i nt erest s wi t hout
worki ng any hardshi p on ot hers i s based upon f act s.
Thi s i s a cruci al and i mport ant poi nt i n t hi s
l esson; t herefore, I wi sh t o be sure t hat you do not
pass i t by l i ght l y. Many a man mi st akes, knowi ngl y or
ot herwi se, expedi ency for f act ; doi ng a t hi ng, or
refrai ni ng from doi ng i t , for t he sol e reason t hat hi s
act i on furt hers hi s own i nt erest wi t hout consi derat i on
as t o whet her i t i nt erferes wi t h t he ri ght s of ot hers.
No mat t er how regret t abl e, i t i s t rue t hat most
t hi nki ng of t oday, far from bei ng accurat e, i s based
upon t he sol e foundat i on of expedi ency. It i s amazi ng
t o t he more advanced st udent of accurat e t hought ,
how many peopl e t here are who are "honest " when i t
i s profi t abl e t o t hem, but fi nd myri ads of fact s (?) t o
j ust i fy t hemsel ves i n fol l owi ng a di shonest course
when t hat course seems t o be more profi t abl e or
advant ageous.
No doubt you know peopl e who are l i ke t hat .
The accurat e t hi nker adopt s a st andard by whi ch
he gui des hi msel f, and he fol l ows t hat st andard at al l
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t i mes, whet her i t works al ways t o hi s i mmedi at e
advant age, or carri es hi m, now and t hen, t hrough t he
fi el ds of di sadvant age (as i t undoubt edl y wi l l ).
The accurat e t hi nker deal s wi t h fact s, regardl ess
of how t hey affect hi s own i nt erest s, for he knows t hat
ul t i mat el y t hi s pol i cy wi l l bri ng hi m out on t op, i n
ful l possessi on of t he obj ect of hi s def i ni t e chi ef ai m
i n l i fe. He underst ands t he soundness of t he
phi l osophy t hat t he ol d phi l osopher, Croesus, had i n
mi nd when he sai d:
"There i s a wheel on whi ch t he affai rs of men
revol ve, and i t s mechani sm i s such t hat i t prevent s any
man from bei ng al ways fort unat e. "
The accurat e t hi nker has but one st andard by
whi ch he conduct s hi msel f, i n hi s i nt ercourse wi t h hi s
fel l ow men, and t hat st andard i s observed by hi m as
fai t hful l y when i t bri ngs hi m t emporary di sadvant age
as i t i s when i t bri ngs hi m out st andi ng advant age; for,
bei ng an accurat e t hi nker, he knows t hat , by t he l aw
of averages, he wi l l more t han regai n at some fut ure
t i me t hat whi ch he l oses by appl yi ng hi s st andard t o
hi s own t emporary det ri ment .
You mi ght as wel l begi n t o prepare yoursel f t o
underst and t hat i t requi res t he st aunchest and most
unshakabl e charact er t o become an accurat e t hi nker,
for you can see t hat t hi s i s where t he reasoni ng of t hi s
l esson i s l eadi ng.
There i s a cert ai n amount of t emporary penal t y
at t ached t o accurat e t hi nki ng; t here i s no denyi ng t hi s
fact ; but , whi l e t hi s i s t rue, i t i s al so t rue t hat t he
compensat i ng reward, i n t he aggregat e, i s so
overwhel mi ngl y great er t hat you wi l l gl adl y pay t hi s
penal t y.
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In searchi ng for f act s i t i s oft en necessary t o
gat her t hem t hrough t he sol e source of knowl edge and
experi ence of ot hers. It t hen becomes necessary t o
exami ne careful l y bot h t he evi dence submi t t ed and t he
person from whom t he evi dence comes; and when t he
evi dence i s of such a nat ure that i t affect s t he i nt erest
of t he wi t ness who i s gi vi ng i t , t here wi l l be reason t o
scrut i ni ze i t al l t he more careful l y, as wi t nesses who
have an i nt erest i n t he evi dence t hat t hey are
submi t t i ng oft en yi el d t o t he t empt at i on t o col or and
pervert i t t o prot ect t hat i nt erest .
If one man sl anders anot her, hi s remarks shoul d
be accept ed, i f of any wei ght at al l , wi t h at l east a
grai n of t he proverbi al sal t of caut i on; for i t i s a
common human t endency for men t o fi nd not hi ng but
evi l i n t hose whom t hey do not l i ke. The man who has
at t ai ned t o t he degree of accurat e t hi nki ng t hat
enabl es hi m t o speak of hi s enemy wi t hout
exaggerat i ng hi s faul t s, and mi ni mi zi ng hi s vi rt ues, i s
t he except i on and not t he rul e.
Some very abl e men have not yet ri sen above t hi s
vul gar and sel f-dest ruct i ve habi t of bel i t t l i ng t hei r
enemi es, compet i t ors and cont emporari es. I wi sh t o
bri ng t hi s common t endency t o your at t ent i on wi t h al l
possi bl e emphasi s, because i t i s a t endency t hat i s
fat al t o accurat e t hi nki ng.
Before you can become an accurat e t hi nker, you
must underst and and make al l owance for t he fact t hat
t he moment a man or a woman begi ns t o assume
l eadershi p i n any wal k of l i fe, t he sl anderers begi n t o
ci rcul at e "rumors" and subt l e whi speri ngs refl ect i ng
upon hi s or her charact er.
No mat t er how fi ne one' s charact er i s or what
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servi ce he may be engaged i n renderi ng t o t he worl d,
he cannot escape t he not i ce of t hose mi sgui ded peopl e
who del i ght i n dest royi ng i nst ead of bui l di ng.
Li ncol n' s pol i t i cal enemi es ci rcul at ed t he report t hat
he l i ved wi t h a col ored woman. Washi ngt on' s pol i t i cal
enemi es ci rcul at ed a si mi l ar report concerni ng hi m.
Si nce bot h Li ncol n and Washi ngt on were sout hern
men, t hi s report was undoubt edl y regarded by t hose
who ci rcul at ed i t as bei ng at one and t he same t i me
t he most fi t t i ng and degradi ng one t hey coul d i magi ne.
But we do not have t o go back t o our fi rst
Presi dent t o fi nd evi dence of t hi s sl anderous nat ure
wi t h whi ch men are gi ft ed, for t hey went a st ep
furt her, i n payi ng t hei r t ri but es t o t he l at e Presi dent
Hardi ng, and ci rcul at ed t he report t hat he had negro
bl ood i n hi s vei ns.
When Woodrow Wi l son came back from Pari s
wi t h what he bel i eved t o be a sound pl an for
abol i shi ng war and set t l i ng i nt ernat i onal di sput es, al l
except t he accurat e t hi nker mi ght have been l ed t o
bel i eve, by t he report s of t he "t hey say" chorus, t hat
he was a combi nat i on of Nero and Judas Iscari ot . The
l i t t l e pol i t i ci ans, and t he cheap pol i t i ci ans, and t he
"i nt erest -pai d" pol i t i ci ans, and t he pl ai n i gnorant s
who di d no t hi nki ng of t hei r own, al l j oi ned i n one
mi ght y chorus for t he purpose of dest royi ng t he one
and onl y man i n t he hi st ory of t he worl d who of f ered a
pl an f or abol i shi ng war.
The sl anderers ki l l ed both Hardi ng and Wi l son -
murdered t hem wi t h vi ci ous l i es. They di d t he same t o
Li ncol n, onl y i n a somewhat more spect acul ar manner,
by i nci t i ng a fanat i c t o hast en hi s deat h wi t h a bul l et .
St at esmanshi p and pol i t i cs are not t he onl y fi el ds
- 14 -
i n whi ch t he accurat e t hi nker must be on guard
agai nst t he "t hey say" chorus. The moment a man
begi ns t o make hi msel f fel t i n t he fi el d of i ndust ry or
busi ness, t hi s chorus becomes act i ve. If a man makes
a bet t er mouse-t rap t han hi s nei ghbor, t he worl d wi l l
make a beat en pat h t o hi s door; no doubt about t hat ;
and i n t he gang t hat wi l l t rai l al ong wi l l be t hose who
come, not t o commend, but t o condemn and t o dest roy
hi s reput at i on. The l at e John H. Pat t erson, presi dent
of t he Nat i onal Cash Regi st er Company, i s a not abl e
exampl e of what may happen t o a man who bui l ds a
bet t er cash regi st er t han t hat of hi s nei ghbor; yet , i n
t he mi nd of t he accurat e t hi nker, t here i s not one
sci nt i l l a of evi dence t o support t he vi ci ous report s
t hat Mr. Pat t erson' s compet i t ors ci rcul at ed about hi m.
As for Wi l son and Hardi ng, we may onl y j udge
how post eri t y wi l l vi ew t hem by observi ng how i t has
i mmort al i zed t he names of Li ncol n and Washi ngt on.
Trut h, al one, endures. Al l el se must pass on wi t h
Ti me.
The obj ect of t hese references i s not t o eul ogi ze
t hose who st and i n no part i cul ar need of eul ogy; but ,
i t i s t o di rect your at t ent i on t o t he f act t hat "t hey say"
evi dence i s al ways subj ect t o t he cl osest scrut i ny; and
al l t he more so when i t i s of a negat i ve or dest ruct i ve
nat ure. No harm can come from accept i ng, as f act ,
hearsay evi dence t hat i s const ruct i ve; but i t s opposi t e,
i f accept ed at al l , shoul d be subj ect ed t o t he cl osest
i nspect i on possi bl e under t he avai l abl e means of
appl yi ng t he l aw of evi dence.
As an accurat e t hi nker, i t i s bot h your
pri vi l ege and your dut y t o avai l
yoursel f of fact s, even t hough
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YOU are well on the road
toward success if you have
such a keen conception of
life that you never build a
plan which contemplates
your requesting another
person to do that which
does not bring that person
some corresponding ad-
vantage in return for
compliance with your
request.

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you must go out of your way t o get t hem. If you
permi t yoursel f t o be swayed t o and fro by al l manner
of i nformat i on t hat comes t o your at t ent i on, you wi l l
never become an accurat e t hi nker; and i f you do not
t hi nk accurat el y, you cannot be sure of at t ai ni ng t he
obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe.
Many a man has gone down t o defeat because, due
t o hi s prej udi ce and hat red, he underest i mat ed t he
vi rt ues of hi s enemi es or compet i t ors. The eyes of t he
accurat e t hi nker see f act s - not t he del usi ons of
prej udi ce, hat e and envy.
An accurat e t hi nker must be somet hi ng of a good
sport sman - i n t hat he i s fai r enough (wi t h hi msel f at
l east ) t o l ook for vi rt ues as wel l as faul t s i n ot her
peopl e, for i t i s not wi t hout reason t o suppose t hat al l
men have some of each of t hese qual i t i es.
"I do not bel i eve t hat I can afford t o decei ve
ot hers - I know I cannot af f ord t o decei ve mysel f !"
Thi s must be t he mot t o of t he accurat e t hi nker.

Wi t h t he supposi t i on t hat t hese "hi nt s" are
suffi ci ent t o i mpress upon your mi nd t he i mport ance
of searchi ng for f act s unt i l you are reasonabl y sure
t hat you have found t hem, we wi l l t ake up t he
quest i on of organi zi ng, cl assi fyi ng and usi ng t hese
f act s.
Look, once more, i n t he ci rcl e of your own
acquai nt ances and fi nd a person who appears t o
accompl i sh more wi t h l ess effort t han do any of hi s
associ at es. St udy t hi s man and you observe t hat he i s a
st rat egi st i n t hat he has l earned how t o arrange f act s
so t hat he bri ngs t o hi s ai d t he Law of Increasi ng
Ret urns whi ch we descri bed i n a previ ous l esson.
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The man who knows t hat he i s worki ng wi t h f act s
goes at hi s t ask wi t h a feel i ng of sel f -conf i dence
whi ch enabl es hi m t o refrai n from t empori zi ng,
hesi t at i ng or wai t i ng t o make sure of hi s ground. He
knows i n advance what t he out come of hi s effort s wi l l
be; t herefore, he moves more rapi dl y and
accompl i shes more t han does t he man who must "feel
hi s way" because he i s not sure t hat he i s worki ng
wi t h f act s.
The man who has l earned of t he advant ages of
searchi ng for f act s as t he foundat i on of hi s t hi nki ng
has gone a very l ong way t oward t he devel opment of
accurat e t hi nki ng, but t he man who has l earned how t o
separat e f act s i nt o t he i mport ant and t he uni mport ant
has gone st i l l furt her. The l at t er may be compared t o
t he man who uses a t ri p-hammer, and t hereby
accompl i shes at one bl ow more t han t he former, who
uses a t ack-hammer, can accompl i sh wi t h t en t housand
bl ows.
Let us anal yze, bri efl y, a few men who have made
i t t hei r busi ness t o deal wi t h t he i mport ant or rel evant
f act s pert ai ni ng t o t hei r l i fe-work.
If i t were not for t he fact t hat t hi s course i s bei ng
adapt ed t o t he pract i cal needs of men and women of
t he present workaday worl d, we woul d go back t o t he
great men of t he past - Pl at o, Ari st ot l e, Epi ct et us,
Socrat es, Sol omon, Moses and Chri st - and di rect
at t ent i on t o t hei r habi t of deal i ng wi t h f act s. However,
we can fi nd exampl es nearer our own generat i on t hat
wi l l serve our purpose t o bet t er advant age at t hi s
part i cul ar poi nt .
Inasmuch as t hi s i s an age i n whi ch money i s
l ooked upon as bei ng t he most concret e proof of
success, l et us st udy a man who has accumul at ed
- 18 -
al most as much of i t as has any ot her man i n t he
hi st ory of t he worl d - John D. Rockefel l er.
Mr. Rockefel l er has one qual i t y t hat st ands out ,
l i ke a shi ni ng st ar, above al l of hi s ot her qual i t i es; i t
i s hi s habi t of deal i ng onl y wi t h t he rel evant f act s
pert ai ni ng t o hi s l i fe-work. As a very young man (and
a very poor young man, at t hat ) Mr. Rockefel l er
adopt ed, as hi s def i ni t e chi ef ai m, t he accumul at i on of
great weal t h. It i s not my purpose, nor i s i t of any
part i cul ar advant age, t o ent er i nt o Mr. Rockefel l er' s
met hod of accumul at i ng hi s fort une ot her t han t o
observe t hat hi s most pronounced qual i t y was t hat of
i nsi st i ng on f act s as t he basi s of hi s busi ness
phi l osophy. Some t here are who say t hat Mr.
Rockefel l er was not al ways fai r wi t h hi s compet i t ors.
That may or may not be t rue (as accurat e t hi nkers we
wi l l l eave t he poi nt undi st urbed), but no one (not even
hi s compet i t ors) ever accused Mr. Rockefel l er of
formi ng "snap-j udgment s" or of underest i mat i ng t he
st rengt h of hi s compet i t ors. He not onl y recogni zed
f act s t hat affect ed hi s busi ness, wherever and
whenever he found t hem, but he made i t hi s busi ness
t o search f or t hem unt i l he was sure he had f ound
t hem.
Thomas A. Edi son i s anot her exampl e of a man
who has at t ai ned t o great ness t hrough t he
organi zat i on, cl assi fi cat i on and use of rel evant f act s.
Mr. Edi son works wi t h nat ural l aws as hi s chi ef ai ds;
t herefore, he must be sure of hi s f act s before he can
harness t hose l aws. Every t i me you press a but t on and
swi t ch on an el ect ri c l i ght , remember t hat i t was Mr.
Edi son' s capaci t y for organi zi ng rel evant f act s whi ch
made t hi s possi bl e.
Every t i me you hear a phonograph, remember t hat
- 19 -
Mr. Edi son i s t he man who made i t a real i t y, t hrough
hi s persi st ent habi t of deal i ng wi t h rel evant f act s.
Every t i me you see a movi ng pi ct ure, remember
t hat i t was born of Mr. Edi son' s habi t of deal i ng wi t h
i mport ant and rel evant f act s.
In t he fi el d of sci ence rel evant f act s are t he t ool s
wi t h whi ch men and women work. Mere i nformat i on,
or hearsay evi dence, i s of no val ue t o Mr. Edi son; yet
he mi ght have wast ed hi s l i fe worki ng wi t h i t , as
mi l l i ons of ot her peopl e are doi ng.
Hearsay evi dence coul d never have produced t he
i ncandescent el ect ri c l i ght , t he phonograph or t he
movi ng pi ct ure, and i f i t had, t he phenomenon woul d
have been an "acci dent . " In t hi s l esson we are t ryi ng
t o prepare t he st udent t o avoi d "acci dent s. "
The quest i on now ari ses as t o what const i t ut es an
i mport ant and rel evant f act .
The answer depends ent i rel y upon what
const i t ut es your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe, for an
i mport ant and rel evant f act i s any fact whi ch you can
use, wi t hout i nt erferi ng wi t h t he ri ght s of ot hers, i n
t he at t ai nment of t hat purpose.
Al l ot her f act s, as far as you are concerned, are
superfl uous and of mi nor i mport ance at most .
However, you can work j ust as hard i n
organi zi ng, cl assi fyi ng and usi ng uni mport ant and
i rrel evant f act s as you can i n deal i ng wi t h t hei r
opposi t es, but you wi l l not accompl i sh as much.

Up t o t hi s poi nt we have been di scussi ng onl y one
fact or of accurat e t hought , t hat whi ch i s based upon
deduct i ve reasoni ng. Perhaps t hi s i s t he poi nt at
- 20 -
whi ch some of t he st udent s of t hi s course wi l l have t o
t hi nk al ong l i nes wi t h whi ch t hey are not fami l i ar, for
we come, now, t o t he di scussi on of t hought whi ch
does much more t han gat her, organi ze and combi ne
f act s.
Let us cal l t hi s creat i ve t hought !
That you may underst and why i t i s cal l ed creat i ve
t hought i t i s necessary bri efl y t o st udy t he process of
evol ut i on t hrough whi ch t he t hi nki ng man has been
creat ed.
Thi nki ng man has been a l ong t i me on t he road of
evol ut i on, and he has t ravel ed a very l ong way. In t he
words of j udge T. Troward (i n Bi bl e Myst ery and
Bi bl e Meani ng), "Perfect ed man i s t he apex of t he
Evol ut i onary Pyrami d, and t hi s by a necessary
sequence. "
Let us t race t hi nki ng man t hrough t he fi ve
evol ut i onary st eps t hrough whi ch we bel i eve he has
t ravel ed, begi nni ng wi t h t he very l owest ; namel y -
1. The Mi neral Peri od. Here we fi nd l i fe i n i t s
l owest form, l yi ng mot i onl ess and i nert ; a mass of
mi neral subst ances, wi t h no power t o move.
2. Then comes t he Veget able Peri od. Here we fi nd
l i fe i n a more act i ve form, wi t h i nt el l i gence suffi ci ent
t o gat her food, grow and reproduce, but st i l l unabl e t o
move from i t s fi xed moori ngs.
3. Then comes t he Ani mal Peri od. Here we fi nd
l i fe i n a st i l l hi gher and more i nt el l i gent form, wi t h
abi l i t y t o move from pl ace t o pl ace.
4. Then comes t he Human or Thi nki ng Man
Peri od, where we fi nd l i fe i n i t s hi ghest known form;
t he hi ghest , because man can t hi nk, and because
t hought i s t he hi ghest known form of organi zed
- 21 -



SALESMANSHIP con-
sists very largely in
KNOWING and in
SHOWING the pros-
pective buyer the real
merits of the goods or
service you are trying
to sell.


- 22 -
energy. In t he real m of t hought man knows no
l i mi t at i ons. He can send hi s t hought s t o t he st ars wi t h
t he qui ckness of a fl ash of l i ght ni ng. He can gat her
fact s and assembl e t hem i n new and varyi ng
combi nat i ons. He can creat e hypot heses and t ransl at e
t hem i nt o physi cal real i t y, t hrough t hought . He can
reason bot h i nduct i vel y and deduct i vel y.
5. Then comes t he Spi ri t ual Peri od. On t hi s pl ane
t he l ower forms of l i fe, descri bed i n t he previ ousl y
ment i oned four peri ods, converge and become
i nfi ni t ude i n nat ure. At t hi s poi nt t hi nki ng man has
unfol ded, expanded and grown unt i l he has proj ect ed
hi s t hi nki ng abi l i t y i nt o i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence. As yet ,
t hi nki ng man i s but an i nfant i n t hi s fi ft h peri od, for
he has not l earned how t o appropri at e t o hi s own use
t hi s i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence cal l ed Spi ri t . Moreover, wi t h
a few rare except i ons, man has not yet recogni zed
t hought as t he connect i ng l i nk whi ch gi ves hi m access
t o t he power of i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence. These except i ons
have been such men as Moses, Sol omon, Chri st , Pl at o,
Ari st ot l e, Socrat es, Confuci us and a comparat i vel y
smal l number of ot hers of t hei r t ype. Si nce t hei r t i me
we have had many who part l y uncovered t hi s great
t rut h; yet t he t rut h, i t sel f, i s as avai l abl e now as i t
was t hen.
To make use of creat i ve t hought , one must work
very l argel y on fai t h, whi ch i s t he chi ef reason why
more of us do not i ndul ge i n t hi s sort of t hought . The
most i gnorant of t he race can t hi nk i n t erms of
deduct i ve reasoni ng, i n connect i on wi t h mat t ers of a
purel y physi cal and mat eri al nat ure, but t o go a st ep
hi gher and t hi nk i n t erms of i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence i s
anot her quest i on. The average man i s t ot al l y at sea t he
- 23 -
moment he get s beyond t hat whi ch he can comprehend
wi t h t he ai d of hi s fi ve physi cal senses of seei ng,
heari ng, feel i ng, smel l i ng and t ast i ng. Inf i ni t e
i nt el l i gence works t hrough none of t hese agenci es and
we cannot i nvoke i t s ai d t hrough any of t hem.
How, t hen, may one appropri at e t he power of
i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence? i s but a nat ural quest i on.
And t he answer i s:
Through creat i ve t hought !
To make cl ear t he exact manner i n whi ch t hi s i s
done I wi l l now cal l your at t ent i on t o some of t he
precedi ng l essons of t hi s course t hrough whi ch you
have been prepared t o underst and t he meani ng of
creat i ve t hought .
In t he second l esson, and t o some ext ent i n
pract i cal l y every ot her l esson t hat fol l owed i t , up t o
t hi s one, you have observed t he frequent i nt roduct i on
of t he t erm "Aut o-suggest i on. " (Suggest i on t hat you
make t o yoursel f. ) We now come back t o t hat t erm
agai n, because Aut o-suggest i on i s t he t el egraph l i ne,
so t o speak, over whi ch you may regi st er i n your
subconsci ous mi nd a descri pt i on or pl an of t hat whi ch
you wi sh t o creat e or acqui re i n physi cal form.
It i s a process you can easi l y l earn t o use.
The sub-consci ous mi nd i s t he i nt ermedi ary
bet ween t he consci ous t hi nki ng mi nd and i nf i ni t e
i nt el l i gence, and you can i nvoke t he ai d of i nf i ni t e
i nt el l i gence onl y t hrough t he medi um of t he sub-
consci ous mi nd, by gi vi ng i t cl ear i nst ruct i ons as t o
what you want . Here you become fami l i ar wi t h t he
psychol ogi cal reason for a def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
If you have not al ready seen t he i mport ance of
creat i ng a def i ni t e chi ef ai m as t he obj ect of your l i fe-
- 24 -
work, you wi l l undoubt edl y do so before t hi s l esson
shal l have been mast ered.
Knowi ng, from my own experi ence as a begi nner
i n t he st udy of t hi s and rel at ed subj ect s, how l i t t l e I
underst ood such t erms as "Sub-consci ous Mi nd" and
"Aut o-suggest i on" and "Creat i ve Thought , " I have
t aken t he l i bert y, t hroughout t hi s course, of descri bi ng
t hese t erms t hrough every concei vabl e si mi l e and
i l l ust rat i on, wi t h t he obj ect of maki ng t hei r meani ng
and t he met hod of t hei r appl i cat i on so cl ear t hat no
st udent of t hi s course can possi bl y fai l t o underst and.
Thi s account s for t he repet i t i on of t erms whi ch you
wi l l observe t hroughout t he course, and at t he same
t i me serves as an apol ogy t o t hose st udent s who have
al ready advanced far enough t o grasp t he meani ng of
much t hat t he begi nner wi l l not underst and at fi rst
readi ng.
The sub-consci ous mi nd has one out st andi ng
charact eri st i c t o whi ch I wi l l now di rect your
at t ent i on; namel y, i t records t he suggest i ons whi ch
you send i t t hrough Aut o-suggest i on, and i nvokes t he
ai d of i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence i n t ransl at i ng t hese
suggest i ons i nt o t hei r nat ural physi cal f orm, t hrough
nat ural means whi ch are i n no way out of t he
ordi nary. If i s i mport ant t hat you underst and t he
foregoi ng sent ence, for, i f you fai l t o underst and i t ,
you are l i kel y t o fai l , al so, t o underst and t he
i mport ance of t he very foundat i on upon whi ch t hi s
ent i re course i s bui l t - t hat f oundat i on bei ng t he
pri nci pl e of i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence, whi ch may be
reached and appropri at ed at wi l l t hrough ai d of t he
l aw of t he "Mast er Mi nd" descri bed i n t he
Int roduct ory Lesson.
- 25 -
St udy careful l y, t hought ful l y and wi t h medi t at i on,
t he ent i re precedi ng paragraph.
The sub-consci ous mi nd has anot her out st andi ng
charact eri st i c - i t accept s and act s upon al l
suggest i ons t hat reach i t , whet her t hey are
const ruct i ve or dest ruct i ve, and whet her t hey come
from t he out si de or from your own consci ous mi nd.
You can see, t herefore, how essent i al i t i s for you
t o observe t he l aw of evi dence and careful l y fol l ow
t he pri nci pl es l ai d down i n t he begi nni ng of t hi s
l esson, i n t he sel ect i on of t hat whi ch you wi l l pass on
t o your sub-consci ous mi nd t hrough Aut o-suggest i on.
You can see why one must search di l i gent l y for fact s,
and why one cannot afford t o l end a recept i ve ear t o
t he sl anderer and t he scandal monger - for t o do so i s
t he equi val ent of feedi ng t he sub-consci ous mi nd wi t h
food t hat i s poi son and rui nous t o creat i ve t hought .
The sub-consci ous mi nd may be l i kened t o t he
sensi t i ve pl at e of a camera on whi ch t he pi ct ure of any
obj ect pl aced before t he camera wi l l be recorded. The
pl at e of t he camera does not choose t he sort of pi ct ure
t o be recorded on i t , i t records anyt hi ng whi ch reaches
i t t hrough t he l ens. The consci ous mi nd may be
l i kened t o t he shut t er whi ch shut s off t he l i ght from
t he sensi t i zed pl at e, permi t t i ng not hi ng t o reach t he
pl at e for record except t hat whi ch t he operat or wi shes
t o reach i t . The l ens of t he camera may be l i kened t o
Aut o-suggest i on, for i t i s t he medi um whi ch carri es
t he i mage of t he obj ect t o be regi st ered, t o t he
sensi t i zed pl at e of t he camera. And i nf i ni t e
i nt el l i gence may be l i kened t o t he one who devel ops
t he sensi t i zed pl at e, aft er a pi ct ure has been recorded
on i t , t hus bri ngi ng t he pi ct ure i nt o physi cal real i t y.
- 26 -
The ordi nary camera i s a spl endi d i nst rument wi t h
whi ch t o compare t he whol e process of creat i ve
t hought . Fi rst comes t he sel ect i on of t he obj ect t o be
exposed before t he camera. Thi s represent s one' s
def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe. Then comes t he act ual
operat i on of recordi ng a cl ear out l i ne of t hat purpose,
t hrough t he l ens of Aut o-suggest i on, on t he sensi t i zed
pl at e of t he sub-consci ous mi nd. Here i nf i ni t e
i nt el l i gence st eps i n and devel ops t he out l i ne of t hat
purpose i n a physi cal form appropri at e t o t he nat ure of
t he purpose. The part whi ch you must pl ay i s cl ear!
You sel ect t he pi ct ure t o be recorded (def i ni t e
chi ef ai m). Then you fi x your consci ous mi nd upon
t hi s purpose wi t h such i nt ensi t y t hat i t communi cat es
wi t h t he sub-consci ous mi nd, t hrough Aut o-
suggest i on, and regi st ers t hat pi ct ure. You t hen begi n
t o wat ch for and t o expect mani fest at i ons of physi cal
real i zat i on of t he subj ect of t hat pi ct ure.
Bear i n mi nd t he fact t hat you do not si t down and
wai t , nor do you go t o bed and sl eep, wi t h t he
expect at i on of awaki ng t o fi nd t hat i nf i ni t e
i nt el l i gence has showered you wi t h t he obj ect of your
def i ni t e chi ef ai m. You go ri ght ahead, i n t he usual
way, doi ng your dai l y work i n accordance wi t h t he
i nst ruct i ons l ai d down i n Lesson Ni ne of t hi s course,
wi t h f ul l f ai t h and conf i dence t hat nat ural ways and
means f or t he at t ai nment of t he obj ect of your def i ni t e
purpose wi l l open t o you at t he proper t i me and i n a
sui t abl e manner.
The way may not open suddenl y, from t he fi rst
st ep t o t he l ast , but i t may open one st ep at a t i me.
Therefore, when you are consci ous of an opport uni t y
- 27 -



ANY man may become
great by doing the
common-place things of
life in a great spirit, with
a genuine desire to be of
helpful service to others,
regardless of his calling.


- 28 -
t o t ake t he fi rst st ep, t ake i t wi t hout hesi t at i on, and do
t he same when t he second, and t he t hi rd, and al l
subsequent st eps, essent i al for t he at t ai nment of t he
obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m, are mani fest ed t o
you.
Inf i ni t e i nt el l i gence wi l l not bui l d you a home
and del i ver t hat home t o you, ready t o ent er; but
i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence wi l l open t he way and provi de t he
necessary means wi t h whi ch you may bui l d your own
house.
Inf i ni t e i nt el l i gence wi l l not command t he cashi er
of your bank t o pl ace a defi ni t e sum of money t o your
credi t , j ust because you suggest ed t hi s t o your
subconsci ous mi nd; but i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence wi l l open
t o you t he way i n whi ch you may earn or borrow t hat
money and pl ace i t t o your own credi t .
Inf i ni t e i nt el l i gence wi l l not t hrow out t he present
i ncumbent of t he Whi t e House and make you Presi dent
i n hi s pl ace; but i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence woul d most
l i kel y proceed, under t he proper ci rcumst ances, t o
i nfl uence you t o prepare yoursel f t o fi l l t hat posi t i on
wi t h credi t and t hen hel p you t o at t ai n i t t hrough t he
regul ar met hod of procedure.
Do not rel y upon t he performance of mi racl es for
t he at t ai nment of t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m;
rel y upon t he power of i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence t o gui de
you, t hrough nat ural channel s, and wi t h t he ai d of
nat ural l aws, for i t s at t ai nment . Do not expect i nf i ni t e
i nt el l i gence t o bri ng t o you t he obj ect of your def i ni t e
chi ef ai m; i nst ead, expect i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence t o
di rect you t oward t hat obj ect .
As a begi nner, do not expect i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence
t o move qui ckl y i n your behal f; but , as you become
- 29 -
more adept i n t he use of t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-
suggest i on, and as you devel op t he f ai t h and
underst andi ng requi red for i t s qui ck real i zat i on, you
can creat e a def i ni t e chi ef ai m and wi t ness i t s
i mmedi at e t ransl at i on i nt o physi cal real i t y. You di d
not wal k t he fi rst t i me you t ri ed, but now, as an adul t
(an adept at wal ki ng), you wal k wi t hout effort . You
al so l ook down at t he l i t t l e chi l d as i t wobbl es around,
t ryi ng t o wal k, and l augh at i t s effort s. As a begi nner
i n t he use of creat i ve t hought , you may be compared
t o t he l i t t l e chi l d who i s l earni ng t o t ake i t s fi rst st ep.
I have t he best of reasons for knowi ng t hat t hi s
compari son i s accurat e, but I wi l l not st at e t hem. I
wi l l l et you fi nd out your own reason, i n your own
way.
Keep i n mi nd, al ways, t he pri nci pl e of evol ut i on
t hrough t he operat i on of whi ch everyt hi ng physi cal i s
et ernal l y reachi ng upward and t ryi ng t o compl et e t he
cycl e bet ween f i ni t e and i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gences.
Man, hi msel f, i s t he hi ghest and most not ewort hy
exampl e of t he worki ng of t he pri nci pl e of evol ut i on.
Fi rst , we fi nd hi m down i n t he mi neral s of t he eart h,
where t here i s l i fe but no i nt el l i gence. Next , we fi nd
hi m rai sed, t hrough t he growt h of veget at i on
(evol ut i on), t o a much hi gher form of l i fe, where he
enj oys suffi ci ent i nt el l i gence t o feed hi msel f. Next ,
we fi nd hi m funct i oni ng i n t he ani mal peri od, where
he has a comparat i vel y hi gh degree of i nt el l i gence,
wi t h abi l i t y t o move around from pl ace t o pl ace.
Last l y, we fi nd hi m ri sen above t he l ower speci es of
t he ani mal ki ngdom, t o where he funct i ons as a
t hi nki ng ent i t y, wi t h abi l i t y t o appropri at e and use
i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence.
- 30 -
Observe t hat he di d not reach t hi s hi gh st at e al l at
one bound. He cl i mbed - st ep by st ep, perhaps t hrough
many rei ncarnat i ons.
Keep t hi s i n mi nd and you wi l l underst and why
you cannot reasonabl y expect i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence t o
ci rcumvent t he nat ural l aws and t urn man i nt o t he
st orehouse of al l knowl edge and al l power unt i l he has
prepared hi msel f t o use t hi s knowl edge and power
wi t h hi gher t han fi ni t e i nt el l i gence.
If you want a fai r exampl e of what may happen t o
a man who suddenl y comes i nt o cont rol of power,
st udy some newl y-ri ch or someone who has i nheri t ed a
fort une. Money-power i n t he hands of John D.
Rockefel l er i s not onl y i n safe hands, but i t i s i n
hands where i t i s servi ng manki nd t hroughout t he
worl d, bl ot t i ng out i gnorance, dest royi ng cont agi ous
di sease and servi ng i n a t housand ot her ways of whi ch
t he average i ndi vi dual knows not hi ng.
But pl ace John D. Rockefel l er' s fort une i n t he
hands of some young l ad who has not yet fi ni shed
hi gh school and you mi ght have anot her st ory t o t el l ,
t he det ai l s of whi ch your own i magi nat i on and your
knowl edge of human nat ure wi l l suppl y.
I wi l l have more t o say on t hi s subj ect i n Lesson
Fourt een.
If you have ever done any farmi ng, you
underst and t hat cert ai n preparat i ons are necessary
before a crop can be produced from t he ground. You
know, of course, t hat grai n wi l l not grow i n t he
woods, t hat i t requi res sunshi ne and rai n for i t s
growt h. Li kewi se, you underst and t hat t he farmer must
pl ow t he soi l and properl y pl ant t he grai n.
Aft er al l t hi s has been done, he t hen wai t s on
- 31 -
Nat ure t o do her share of t he work; and she does i t i n
due t i me, wi t hout out si de hel p.
Thi s i s a perfect si mi l e whi ch i l l ust rat es t he
met hod t hrough whi ch one may at t ai n t he obj ect of
one' s def i ni t e chi ef ai m. Fi rst comes t he prepari ng of
t he soi l t o recei ve t he seed, whi ch i s represent ed by
f ai t h and i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence and underst andi ng of t he
pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on and t he sub-consci ous
mi nd t hrough whi ch t he seed of a def i ni t e purpose
may be pl ant ed. Then comes a peri od of wai t i ng and
worki ng for t he real i zat i on of t he obj ect of t hat
purpose. Duri ng t hi s peri od, t here must be cont i nuous,
i nt ensi fi ed f ai t h, whi ch serves as t he sunshi ne and t he
rai n, wi t hout whi ch t he seed wi l l wi t her and di e i n t he
ground. Then comes real i zat i on, harvest -t i me.
And a wonderful harvest can be brought fort h.
I am ful l y consci ous of t he fact t hat much of t hat
whi ch I am st at i ng wi l l not be underst ood by t he
begi nner, at t he fi rst readi ng, for I have i n mi nd my
own experi ences at t he st art . However, as t he
evol ut i onary process carri es on i t s work (and i t wi l l
do so; make no mi st ake about t hi s) al l t he pri nci pl es
descri bed i n t hi s and i n al l ot her l essons of t hi s
course, wi l l become as fami l i ar t o you as di d t he
mul t i pl i cat i on t abl e aft er you had mast ered i t ; and,
what i s of great er i mport ance st i l l , t hese pri nci pl es
wi l l work wi t h t he same unvaryi ng cert ai nt y as does
t he pri nci pl e of mul t i pl i cat i on.
Each l esson of t hi s course has provi ded you wi t h
def i ni t e i nst ruct i ons t o fol l ow. The i nst ruct i ons have
been si mpl i fi ed as far as possi bl e, so anyone can
underst and t hem. Not hi ng has been l eft t o t he st udent
except t o fol l ow t he i nst ruct i ons and suppl y t he f ai t h
- 32 -
i n t hei r soundness wi t hout whi ch t hey woul d be
usel ess.
In t hi s l esson you are deal i ng wi t h four maj or
fact ors t o whi ch I woul d agai n di rect your at t ent i on
wi t h t he request t hat you fami l i ari ze yoursel f wi t h
t hem. They are:
Aut o-suggest i on, t he Sub-consci ous Mi nd,
Creat i ve Thought and Infi ni t e Int el l i gence.
These are t he four roadways over whi ch you must
t ravel i n your upward cl i mb i n quest of knowl edge.
Observe t hat you cont rol t hree of t hese. Observe, al so
- and t hi s i s especi al l y emphasi zed - t hat upon t he
manner i n whi ch you t raverse t hese t hree roadways
wi l l depend t he t i me and pl ace at whi ch t hey wi l l
converge i nt o t he fourt h, or i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence.
You underst and what i s meant by t he t erms
Aut osuggest i on and Sub-consci ous Mi nd. Let us make
sure t hat you underst and, al so, what i s meant by t he
t erm Creat i ve Thought . Thi s means t hought of a
posi t i ve, non-dest ruct i ve, creat i ve nat ure. The obj ect
of Lesson Ei ght , on Sel f-cont rol , was t o prepare you
t o underst and and successful l y appl y t he pri nci pl e of
Creat i ve Thought . If you have not mast ered t hat
l esson you are not ready t o make use of Creat i ve
Thought i n t he at t ai nment of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
Let me repeat a si mi l e al ready used by sayi ng t hat
your sub-consci ous mi nd i s t he fi el d or t he soi l i n
whi ch you sow t he seed of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
Creat i ve Thought i s t he i nst rument wi t h whi ch you
keep t hat soi l fert i l i zed and condi t i oned t o awaken
t hat seed i nt o growt h and mat uri t y. Your subconsci ous
mi nd wi l l not germi nat e t he seed of your def i ni t e chi ef
ai m nor wi l l i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence t ransl at e t hat
- 33 -



REMEMBER that your
real wealth can be
measured, not by what
you have, but, by what
you are.



- 34 -
purpose i nt o physi cal real i t y i f you fi l l your mi nd
wi t h hat red, and envy, and j eal ousy, and sel fi shness
and greed. These negat i ve or dest ruct i ve t hought s are
t he weeds whi ch wi l l choke out t he seed of your
def i ni t e purpose.
Creat i ve t hought pre-supposes t hat you wi l l keep
your mi nd i n a st at e of expect ancy of at t ai nment of
t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m; t hat you wi l l
have ful l f ai t h and confi dence i n i t s at t ai nment i n due
course and i n due order.
If t hi s l esson does t hat whi ch i t was i nt ended t o
do, i t wi l l bri ng you a ful l er and deeper real i zat i on of
t he t hi rd l esson of t hi s course, on Sel f-confi dence. As
you begi n t o l earn how t o pl ant t he seed of your
desi res i n t he fert i l e soi l of your sub-consci ous mi nd,
and how t o fert i l i ze t hat seed unt i l i t spri ngs i nt o l i fe
and act i on, you wi l l t hen have reason, i ndeed, t o
bel i eve i n yoursel f.
And, aft er you have reached t hi s poi nt i n t he
process of your evol ut i on, you wi l l have suffi ci ent
knowl edge of t he real source from whi ch you are
drawi ng your power, t o gi ve ful l credi t t o i nf i ni t e
i nt el l i gence for al l t hat you had previ ousl y credi t ed t o
your Sel f-confi dence.

Aut o-suggest i on i s a powerful weapon wi t h whi ch
one may ri se t o hei ght s of great achi evement , when i t
i s used const ruct i vel y. Used i n a negat i ve manner,
however, i t may dest roy al l possi bi l i t y of success, and
i f so used cont i nuousl y i t wi l l act ual l y dest roy heal t h.
Careful compari son of t he experi ences of l eadi ng
physi ci ans and psychi at ri st s di scl osed t he st art l i ng i n-
- 35 -
format i on t hat approxi mat el y sevent y-fi ve per cent of
t hose who are i l l are sufferi ng from hypochondri a,
whi ch i s a morbi d st at e of mi nd causi ng usel ess
anxi et y about one' s heal t h.
St at ed i n pl ai n l anguage, t he hypochondri ac i s a
person who bel i eves he or she i s sufferi ng wi t h some
sort of i magi nary di sease, and oft en t hese unfort unat es
bel i eve t hey have every di sease of whi ch t hey ever
heard t he name.
Hypochondri acal condi t i ons are general l y super-
i nduced by aut o-i nt oxi cat i on, or poi soni ng t hrough
fai l ure of t he i nt est i nal syst em t o t hrow off t he wast e
mat t er. The person who suffers wi t h such a t oxi c
condi t i on i s not onl y unabl e t o t hi nk wi t h accuracy,
but suffers from al l sort s of pervert ed, dest ruct i ve,
i l l usory t hought s. Many si ck peopl e have t onsi l s
removed, or t eet h pul l ed, or t he appendi x t aken out ,
when t hei r t roubl e coul d have been removed wi t h an
i nt ernal bat h and a bot t l e of Ci t rat e of Magnesi a (wi t h
due apol ogi es t o my fri ends, t he physi ci ans, one of t he
l eadi ng of whom gave me t hi s i nformat i on).
Hypochondri a i s t he begi nni ng of most cases of
i nsani t y!
Dr. Henry R. Rose i s aut hori t y for t he fol l owi ng
t ypi cal exampl e of t he power of Aut o-suggest i on:
"If my wi fe di es I wi l l not bel i eve t here i s a
God Hi s wi fe was i l l wi t h pneumoni a, and t hi s i s t he
way he greet ed me when I reached hi s home. She had
sent for me because t he doctor had t ol d her she coul d
not recover. (Most doct ors know bet t er t han t o make a
st at ement such as t hi s i n t he presence of a pat i ent . )
She had cal l ed her husband and t wo sons t o her
bedsi de and bi dden t hem good-by. Then she asked t hat
- 36 -
I, her mi ni st er, be sent for. I found t he husband i n t he
front room sobbi ng and t he sons doi ng t hei r best t o
brace her up. When I went i nt o her room she was
breat hi ng wi t h di ffi cul t y, and t he t rai ned nurse t ol d
me she was very l ow.
"I soon found t hat Mrs. N_ had sent for me t o
l ook aft er her t wo sons aft er she was gone. Then I sai d
t o her: You must n' t gi ve up. YOU ARE NOT GOING
TO DIE! You have al ways been a st rong and heal t hy
woman and I do not bel i eve God want s you t o di e and
l eave your boys t o me or anyone el se.
"I t al ked t o her al ong t hi s l i ne and t hen read t he
103d Psal m and made a prayer i n whi ch I prepared her
t o get wel l rat her t han t o ent er et erni t y. I t ol d her t o
put her fai t h i n God and t hrow her mi nd and wi l l
agai nst every t hought of dyi ng. Then I l eft her,
sayi ng, I wi l l come agai n aft er t he church servi ce,
and I wi l l t hen fi nd you much bet t er.
"Thi s was on Sunday morni ng. I cal l ed t hat
aft ernoon. Her husband met me wi t h a smi l e. He sai d
t hat t he moment I had gone hi s wi fe cal l ed hi m and
t he boys i nt o t he room and sai d: Dr. Rose says t hat I
am not goi ng t o di e; t hat I am goi ng t o get wel l , and I
am.
"She di d get wel l . But what di d i t ? Two t hi ngs
Aut o-suggest i on, superi nduced by t he suggest i on I had
gi ven her, and fai t h on her part . I came j ust i n t he
ni ck of t i me, and so great was her fai t h i n me t hat I
was abl e t o i nspi re fai t h i n hersel f. It was t hat fai t h
t hat t i pped t he scal es and brought her t hrough t he
pneumoni a. No medi ci ne can cure pneumoni a. The
physi ci ans admi t t hat . There are cases of pneumoni a,
perhaps, t hat not hi ng can cure. We al l sadl y agree t o
- 37 -
t hat , but t here are t i mes, as i n t hi s case, when t he
mi nd, i f worked upon and worked wi t h i n j ust t he
ri ght way, wi l l t urn t he t i de. Whi l e t here i s l i fe t here
i s hope; but hope must rul e supreme and do t he good
t hat hope was i nt ended t o do.
"Here i s anot her remarkabl e case showi ng t he
power of t he human mi nd when used const ruct i vel y. A
physi ci an asked me t o see Mrs. H_. He sai d t here was
not hi ng organi cal l y wrong wi t h her, but she j ust
woul dn' t eat . Havi ng made up her mi nd t hat she coul d
not ret ai n anyt hi ng on her st omach, she had qui t
eat i ng, and was sl owl y st arvi ng hersel f t o deat h. I
went t o see her and found, fi rst , t hat she had no
rel i gi ous bel i ef. She had l ost her fai t h i n God. I al so
found t hat she had no confi dence i n her power t o
ret ai n food. My fi rst effort was t o rest ore her fai t h i n
t he Al mi ght y and t o get her t o bel i eve t hat He was
wi t h her and woul d gi ve her power. Then I t ol d her
t hat she coul d eat anyt hi ng she want ed. True, her
confi dence i n me was great and my st at ement
i mpressed her. She began t o eat from t hat day! She
was out of her bed i n t hree days, for t he fi rst t i me i n
weeks. She i s a normal , heal t hy and happy woman
t oday.
"What di d i t ? The same forces as t hose descri bed
i n t he precedi ng case; out si de suggest i on (whi ch she
accept ed i n fai t h and appl i ed, t hrough sel f-suggest i on)
and i nward confi dence.
"There are t i mes when t he mi nd i s si ck and i t
makes t he body si ck. At such t i mes i t needs a st ronger
mi nd t o heal i t by gi vi ng i t di rect i on and especi al l y by
gi vi ng i t confi dence and fai t h i n i t sel f. Thi s i s cal l ed
suggest i on. It i s t ransmi t t i ng your confi dence and
- 38 -
power t o anot her, and wi t h such force as t o make t he
ot her bel i eve as you wi sh and do as you wi l l . It need
not be hypnot i sm. You can get wonderful resul t s wi t h
t he pat i ent wi de awake and perfect l y rat i onal . The
pat i ent must bel i eve i n you and you must underst and
t he worki ngs of t he human mi nd i n order t o meet t he
argument s and quest i ons of t he pat i ent . Each one of us
can be a heal er of t hi s sort and t hus hel p our fel l ow
men.
"It i s t he dut y of every person t o read some of t he
best books on t he forces of t he human mi nd and l earn
what amazi ng t hi ngs t he mi nd can do t o keep peopl e
wel l and happy. We see t he t erri bl e t hi ngs t hat wrong
t hi nki ng does t o peopl e, even goi ng t o such l engt hs as
t o make t hem posi t i vel y i nsane. It i s hi gh t i me we
found out t he good t hi ngs t he mi nd can do, not onl y t o
cure ment al di sorders, but physi cal di seases as wel l "
You shoul d del ve deeper i nt o t hi s subj ect .
I do not say t he mi nd can cure everyt hi ng. There
i s no rel i abl e evi dence t hat cert ai n forms of cancer
have been cured by t hi nki ng or fai t h or any ment al or
rel i gi ous process. If you woul d be cured of cancer you
must t ake i t at t he very begi nni ng and t reat i t
surgi cal l y. There i s no ot her way, and i t woul d be
cri mi nal t o suggest t hat t here i s. But t he mi nd can do
much wi t h so many t ypes of human i ndi sposi t i on and
di sease t hat we ought t o rel y upon i t more oft en t han
we do.
Napol eon, duri ng hi s campai gn i n Egypt , went
among hi s sol di ers who were dyi ng by t he hundreds of
t he bl ack pl ague. He t ouched one of t hem and l i ft ed a
second, t o i nspi re t he ot hers not t o be afrai d, for t he
- 39 -


WE climb to heaven
mostly on the ruins of our
cherished plans, finding
our failures were but
friendly guide-posts that
led us onward and up-
ward to success.



- 40 -
awful di sease seemed t o spread as much by t he ai d of
t he i magi nat i on as i n any ot her way. Goet he t el l s us
t hat he hi msel f went where t here was mal i gnant fever
and never cont ract ed i t because he put fort h hi s wi l l .
These gi ant s among men knew somet hi ng WE ARE
SLOWLY BEGINNING TO FIND OUT - t he power of
Aut o-suggest i on! Thi s means t he i nfl uence we have
upon oursel ves by bel i evi ng we cannot cat ch a di sease
or be si ck. There i s somet hi ng about t he operat i on of
t he aut omat i c or sub-consci ous mi nd by whi ch i t ri ses
above di sease germs and bi ds defi ance t o t hem when
we resol ve not t o l et t he t hought of t hem fri ght en us,
or when we go i n and out among t he si ck, even t he
cont agi ousl y si ck, wi t hout t hi nki ng anyt hi ng about i t .
"Imagi nat i on wi l l ki l l a cat , " so runs t he ol d
adage. It cert ai nl y wi l l ki l l a man, or, on t he ot her
hand, i t wi l l hel p hi m ri se t o hei ght s of achi evement
of t he most ast oundi ng nat ure, provi di ng he uses i t as
t he basi s of sel f-confi dence. There are aut hent i c cases
on record of men havi ng act ual l y di ed because t hey
i magi ned t hey were cut by a kni fe across t he j ugul ar
vei n, when i n real i t y a pi ece of i ce was used and wat er
was al l owed t o dri p so t hey coul d hear i t and i magi ne
t hei r bl ood was runni ng out . They had been
bl i ndfol ded before t he experi ment was begun. No
mat t er how wel l you may be when you st art for work
i n t he morni ng, i f everyone you meet shoul d say t o
you, "How i l l you l ook; you shoul d see a doct or, " i t
wi l l not be l ong before you begi n t o feel i l l , and i f
t hi s keeps up a few hours you wi l l arri ve at home i n
t he eveni ng as l i mp as a rag and ready for a doct or.
Such i s t he power of t he i magi nat i on or Aut o-
suggest i on.
- 41 -
The i magi nat i ve facul t y of t he human mi nd i s a
marvel ous pi ece of ment al machi nery, but i t may, and
usual l y does, pl ay queer t ri cks on us unl ess we keep
const ant l y on guard and cont rol i t .
If you al l ow your i magi nat i on t o "expect t he
worst " i t wi l l pl ay havoc wi t h you. Young medi cal
st udent s not i nfrequent l y become fri ght ened and
bel i eve t hey have every di sease on t he medi cal
cal endar, as t he resul t of medi cal l ect ures and cl ass-
room di scussi ons of t he vari ous di seases.
As has been st at ed, hypochondri a may oft en be
superi nduced by t oxi c poi soni ng, t hrough i mproper
el i mi nat i on of t he wast e mat t er of t he body; al so, i t
may be brought on by fal se al arm, t hrough i mproper
use of t he i magi nat i on. In ot her words, t he
hypochondri acal condi t i on may have as i t s cause a
real physi cal basi s, or i t may ari se ent i rel y as t he
resul t of al l owi ng t he i magi nat i on t o run wi l d.
Physi ci ans are pret t y wel l agreed upon t hi s poi nt !
Dr. Schofi el d descri bes t he case of a woman who
had a t umor. They pl aced her on t he operat i ng t abl e
and gave her anest het i cs, when l o! t he t umor
i mmedi at el y di sappeared, and no operat i on was
necessary. But when she came back t o consci ousness
t he t umor ret urned. The physi ci an t hen l earned t hat
she had been l i vi ng wi t h a rel at i ve who had a real
t umor, and t hat her i magi nat i on was so vi vi d t hat she
had i magi ned t hi s one upon hersel f. She was pl aced on
t he operat i ng t abl e agai n, gi ven anest het i cs and t hen
she was st rapped around t he mi ddl e so t hat t he t umor
coul d not art i fi ci al l y ret urn. When she revi ved she
was t ol d t hat a successful operat i on had been
performed but t hat i t woul d be necessary t o wear t he
- 42 -
bandage for several days. She bel i eved t he doct or, and
when t he bandage was fi nal l y removed t he t umor di d
not ret urn. No operat i on what ever had been
performed. She had si mpl y rel i eved her sub-consci ous
mi nd of t he t hought t hat she had a t umor and her
i magi nat i on had not hi ng t o work upon save t he i dea of
heal t h, and, as she had never real l y been si ck, of
course she remai ned normal .
The mi nd may be cured of i magi nary i l l s i n
exact l y t he same manner t hat i t became di seased wi t h
t hose i l l s, by Aut o-suggest i on. The best t i me t o work
on a faul t y i magi nat i on i s at ni ght , j ust as you are
ready t o go t o sl eep, for t hen t he aut omat i c or sub-
consci ous mi nd has everyt hi ng i t s own way, and t he
t hought s or suggest i ons you gi ve i t j ust as your
consci ous or "day" mi nd i s about t o go off dut y wi l l
be t aken up and worked on duri ng t he ni ght .
Thi s may seem i mpossi bl e, but you can easi l y t est
t he pri nci pl e by t he fol l owi ng procedure: You wi sh t o
get up at seven o' cl ock t omorrow morni ng, or at some
hour ot her t han your regul ar t i me t o awaken. Say t o
yoursel f, as you are about ready t o go t o sl eep, "I
must ari se at seven o' cl ock t omorrow wi t hout fai l . "
Repeat t hi s several t i mes, at t he same t i me i mpressi ng
t he fact upon your mi nd t hat you must act ual l y ari se at
t he preci se moment ment i oned. Turn t hi s t hought over
t o your sub-consci ous mi nd wi t h absol ut e confi dence
t hat you wi l l awaken at seven o' cl ock, and when t hat
hour arri ves your sub-consci ous mi nd wi l l awaken
you. Thi s t est has been successful l y made hundreds of
t i mes. The sub-consci ous mi nd wi l l awaken you, at
any hour you demand, j ust as i f someone came t o your
bed and t apped you on t he shoul der. But you must
- 43 -
gi ve t he command i n no uncert ai n or i ndefi ni t e t erms.
Li kewi se, t he sub-consci ous mi nd may be gi ven
any ot her sort of orders and i t wi l l carry t hem out as
readi l y as i t wi l l awaken you at a gi ven hour. For
exampl e, gi ve t he command, as you are about t o go t o
sl eep each ni ght , for your sub-consci ous mi nd t o
devel op sel f-confi dence, courage, i ni t i at i ve or any
ot her qual i t y, and i t wi l l do your bi ddi ng.
If t he i magi nat i on of man can creat e i magi nary
i l l s and send one t o bed wi t h t hose i l l s, i t can al so,
and j ust as easi l y, remove t he cause of t hose i l l s.

Man i s a combi nat i on of chemi cal equi val ent s t he
val ue of whi ch i s sai d t o be about t went y-si x dol l ars,
wi t h t he except i on, of course, of t hat st upendous
power cal l ed t he human mi nd.
In t he aggregat e t he mi nd seems t o be a
compl i cat ed machi ne, but i n real i t y; as far as t he
manner i n whi ch i t may be used i s concerned, i t i s t he
nearest t hi ng t o perpet ual mot i on t hat i s known. It
works aut omat i cal l y when we are asl eep; i t works bot h
aut omat i cal l y and i n conj unct i on wi t h t he wi l l , or
vol unt ary sect i on, when we are awake.
The mi nd i s deservi ng of t he mi nut est possi bl e
anal ysi s i n t hi s l esson because t he mi nd i s t he energy
wi t h whi ch al l t hi nki ng i s done. To l earn how t o
THINK ACCURATELY, t he t eachi ng of whi ch i s t he
sol e obj ect of t hi s l esson, one must t horoughl y
underst and:
Fi rst : That t he mi nd can be cont rol l ed, gui ded
and di rect ed t o creat i ve, const ruct i ve ends.
- 44 -
Second: That t he mi nd can be di rect ed t o
dest ruct i ve ends, and, t hat i t may, vol unt ari l y, t ear
down and dest roy unl ess i t i s wi t h pl an and
del i berat i on cont rol l ed and di rect ed const ruct i vel y.
Thi rd: That t he mi nd has power over every cel l of
t he body, and can be made t o cause every cel l t o do i t s
i nt ended work perfect l y, or i t may, t hrough negl ect or
wrong di rect i on, dest roy t he normal funct i onary
purposes of any or al l cel l s.
Fourt h: That al l achi evement of man i s t he resul t
of t hought , t he part whi ch hi s physi cal body pl ays
bei ng of secondary i mport ance, and i n many i nst ances
of no i mport ance what soever except as a housi ng pl ace
for t he mi nd.
Fi f t h: That t he great est of al l achi evement s,
whet her i n l i t erat ure, art , fi nance, i ndust ry,
commerce, t ransport at i on, rel i gi on, pol i t i cs or
sci ent i fi c di scoveri es, are usual l y t he resul t s of i deas
concei ved i n one man' s brai n but ACTUALLY
TRANSFORMED INTO REALITY BY OTHER MEN,
t hrough t he combi ned use of t hei r mi nds and bodi es.
(Meani ng t hat t he concept i on of an i dea i s of great er
i mport ance t han t he t ransformat i on of t hat i dea i nt o
more mat eri al form, because rel at i vel y few men can
concei ve useful i deas, whi l e t here are hundreds of
mi l l i ons who can devel op an i dea and gi ve i t mat eri al
form aft er i t has been concei ved. )
Si xt h: The maj ori t y of al l t hought s concei ved i n
t he mi nds of men are not ACCURATE, bei ng more i n
t he nat ure of "opi ni ons" or "snap-j udgment s. "
When Al exander t he Great si ghed because he had
no more worl ds (as he bel i eved) t hat coul d be
conquered he was i n a frame of mi nd si mi l ar t o t hat of
- 45 -


WHEN a man really finds
himself, at the top of the
Ladder of Success, he is
never alone, because no
man can climb to genuine
success without taking
others along with him.


- 46 -
t he present -day "Al exanders" of sci ence, i ndust ry,
i nvent i on, et c. , whose "accurat e t hought s" have
conquered t he ai r and t he sea, expl ored pract i cal l y
every square mi l e of t he l i t t l e eart h on whi ch we l i ve,
and wrest ed from Nat ure t housands of "secret s" whi ch,
a few generat i ons ago, woul d have been set down as
"mi racl es" of t he most ast oundi ng and i mponderabl e
sort .
In al l t hi s di scovery and mast ery of mere physi cal
subst ances i s i t not st range, i ndeed, t hat we have
pract i cal l y negl ect ed and overl ooked t he most
marvel ous of al l powers, t he human mi nd!
Al l sci ent i fi c men who have made a st udy of t he
human mi nd readi l y agree on t hi s - t hat t he surface
has not yet been scrat ched i n t he st udy of t he
wonderful power whi ch l i es dormant i n t he mi nd of
man, wai t i ng, as t he oak t ree sl eeps i n t he acorn, t o be
aroused and put t o work. Those who have expressed
t hemsel ves on t he subj ect are of t he opi ni on t hat t he
next great cycl e of di scovery l i es i n t he real m of t he
human mi nd.
The possi bl e nat ure of t hese di scoveri es has been
suggest ed, i n many di fferent ways, i n pract i cal l y
every l esson of t hi s course, part i cul arl y i n t hi s and t he
fol l owi ng l essons of t he course.
If t hese suggest i ons appear t o l ead t he st udent of
t hi s phi l osophy i nt o deeper wat er t han he or she i s
accust omed t o, bear i n mi nd t he fact t hat t he st udent
has t he pri vi l ege of st oppi ng at any dept h desi red,
unt i l ready, t hrough t hought and st udy, t o go furt her.
The aut hor of t hi s course has found i t necessary
t o t ake t he l ead, and t o keep far enough ahead, as i t
were, t o i nduce t he st udent t o go at l east a few paces
ahead of t he normal average range of human t hought .
- 47 -
It i s not expect ed t hat any begi nner wi l l , at fi rst , t ry
t o assi mi l at e and put i nt o use al l t hat has been
i ncl uded i n t hi s phi l osophy. But , i f t he net resul t of
t he course i s not hi ng more t han t o sow t he seed of
const ruct i ve t hought i n t he mi nd of t he st udent t he
aut hor' s work wi l l have been compl et ed. Ti me, pl us
t he st udent ' s own desi re for knowl edge, wi l l do t he
rest .
Thi s i s an appropri at e pl ace t o st at e frankl y t hat
many of t he suggest i ons passed on t hrough t hi s course
woul d, i f l i t eral l y fol l owed, l ead t he st udent far
beyond t he necessary bounds and present needs of
what i s ordi nari l y cal l ed busi ness phi l osophy. St at ed
di fferent l y, t hi s course goes more deepl y i nt o t he
funct i oni ng processes of t he human mi nd t han i s
necessary as far as t he use of t hi s phi l osophy as a
means of achi evi ng busi ness or fi nanci al success i s
concerned.
However, i t i s presumed t hat many st udent s of
t hi s course wi l l wi sh t o go more deepl y i nt o t he st udy
of mi nd power t han may be requi red for purel y
mat eri al achi evement , and t he aut hor has had i n mi nd
t hese st udent s t hroughout t he l abor of organi zi ng and
wri t i ng t hi s course.

SUMMARY OF PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN
ACCURATE THINKING

We have di scovered t hat t he body of man i s not
si ngul ar, but pl ural - t hat i t consi st s of bi l l i ons on t op
of bi l l i ons of l i vi ng, i nt el l i gent , i ndi vi dual cel l s
whi ch carry on a very defi ni t e, wel l organi zed work of
bui l di ng, devel opi ng and mai nt ai ni ng t he human body.
We have di scovered t hat t hese cel l s are di rect ed,
i n t hei r respect i ve dut i es, by t he sub-consci ous or
- 48 -
aut omat i c act i on of t he mi nd; t hat t he subconsci ous
sect i on of t he mi nd can be, t o a very l arge ext ent ,
cont rol l ed and di rect ed by t he consci ous or vol unt ary
sect i on of t he mi nd.
We have found t hat any i dea or t hought whi ch i s
hel d i n t he mi nd, t hrough repet i t i on, has a t endency t o
di rect t he physi cal body t o t ransform such t hought or
i dea i nt o i t s mat eri al equi val ent . We have found t hat
any order t hat i s PROPERLY gi ven t o t he
subconsci ous sect i on of t he mi nd (t hrough t he l aw of
Aut o-suggest i on) wi l l be carri ed out unl ess i t i s
si det racked or count ermanded by anot her and st ronger
order. We have found t hat t he sub-consci ous mi nd
does not quest i on t he source from whi ch i t recei ves
orders, nor t he soundness of t hose orders, but i t wi l l
proceed t o di rect t he muscul ar syst em of t he body t o
carry out any order i t recei ves.
Thi s expl ai ns t he necessi t y for guardi ng cl osel y
t he envi ronment from whi ch we recei ve suggest i ons,
and by whi ch we are subt l y and qui et l y i nfl uenced at
t i mes and i n ways of whi ch we do not t ake cogni zance
t hrough t he consci ous mi nd.
We have found t hat every movement of t he human
body i s cont rol l ed by ei t her t he consci ous or t he
subconsci ous sect i on of t he mi nd; t hat not a muscl e
can be moved unt i l an order has been sent out by one
or t he ot her of t hese t wo sect i ons of t he mi nd, for t he
movement .
When t hi s pri nci pl e i s t horoughl y underst ood we
underst and, al so, t he powerful effect of any i dea or
t hought whi ch we creat e t hrough t he facul t y of
IMAGINATION and hol d i n t he consci ous mi nd unt i l
t he sub-consci ous sect i on of t he mi nd has t i me t o t ake
- 49 -
over t hat t hought and begin t he work of t ransformi ng
i t i nt o i t s mat eri al count erpart . When we underst and
t he pri nci pl e t hrough whi ch any i dea i s fi rst pl aced i n
t he consci ous mi nd, and hel d t here unt i l t he
subconsci ous sect i on of t he mi nd pi cks i t up and
appropri at es i t , we have a pract i cal worki ng
knowl edge of t he Law of Concent rat i on, covered by
next l esson (and, i t mi ght be added, we have al so a
t horough underst andi ng of t he reason why t he Law of
Concent rat i on i s necessari l y a part of t hi s
phi l osophy).
When we underst and t hi s worki ng rel at i onshi p
bet ween t he i magi nat i on, t he consci ous mi nd and t he
sub-consci ous sect i on of t he mi nd, we can see t hat t he
very fi rst st ep i n t he achi evement of any def i ni t e chi ef
ai m i s t o creat e a defi ni t e pi ct ure of t hat whi ch i s
desi red. Thi s pi ct ure i s t hen pl aced i n t he consci ous
mi nd, t hrough t he Law of Concent rat i on, and hel d
t here (t hrough t he formul as descri bed i n next l esson)
unt i l t he sub-consci ous sect i on of t he mi nd pi cks i t up
and t ransl at es i t i nt o i t s ul t i mat e and desi red form.
Surel y t hi s pri nci pl e has been made cl ear. It has
been st at ed and rest at ed, over and over, not onl y for
t he purpose of t horoughl y descri bi ng i t , but , of great er
i mport ance, t o IMPRESS UPON THE MIND OF THE
STUDENT THE PART IT PLAYS IN ALL HUMAN
ACHIEVEMENT.

THE VALUE OF ADOPTING A CHIEF AIM

Thi s l esson on Accurat e Thought not onl y
descri bes t he real purpose of a def i ni t e chi ef ai m, but
i t expl ai ns i n si mpl e t erms t he pri nci pl es t hrough
whi ch such an ai m or purpose may be real i zed. We
- 50 -
fi rst creat e t he obj ect i ve t oward whi ch we are
st ri vi ng, t hrough t he i magi nat i ve facul t y of t he mi nd,
t hen t ransfer an out l i ne of t hi s obj ect i ve t o paper by
wri t i ng out a defi ni t e st at ement of i t i n t he nat ure of a
def i ni t e chi ef ai m. By dai l y reference t o t hi s wri t t en
st at ement t he i dea or t hi ng ai med for i s t aken up by
t he consci ous mi nd and handed over t o t he sub-
consci ous mi nd, whi ch, i n t urn, di rect s t he energi es of
t he body t o t ransform t he desi re i nt o mat eri al form.

DESIRE

St rong, deepl y root ed desi re i s t he st art i ng poi nt
of al l achi evement . Just as t he el ect ron i s t he l ast uni t
of mat t er di scerni bl e t o t he sci ent i st , DESIRE i s t he
seed of al l achi evement ; t he st art i ng pl ace, back of
whi ch t here i s not hi ng, or at l east t here i s not hi ng of
whi ch we have any knowl edge.
A def i ni t e chi ef ai m, whi ch i s onl y anot her name
for DESIRE, woul d be meani ngl ess unl ess based upon
a deepl y seat ed, st rong desi re for t he obj ect of t he
chi ef ai m. Many peopl e "wi sh" for many t hi ngs, but a
wi sh i s not t he equi val ent of a st rong DESIRE, and
t herefore wi shes are of l i t t l e or no val ue unl ess t hey
are cryst al l i zed i nt o t he more defi ni t e form of
DESIRE.
It i s bel i eved by men who have devot ed years of
research t o t he subj ect , t hat al l energy and mat t er
t hroughout t he uni verse respond t o and are cont rol l ed
by t he Law of At t ract i on whi ch causes el ement s and
forces of a si mi l ar nat ure t o gat her around cert ai n
cent ers of at t ract i on. It i s t hrough t he operat i on of
t hi s same uni versal Law of At t ract i on t hat const ant ,
- 51 -

WM.WRIGLEY, Jr.., has
amassed a tremendous
fortune by concentrating all
his efforts on the
maufacture and distribution
of the "best" package of
chewing gum, proving, once
more, that the seed of
success lies wrapped up in
the little things of life.
- 52 -
deepl y seat ed, st rong DESIRE at t ract s t he physi cal
equi val ent or count erpart of t he t hi ng desi red, or t he
means of securi ng i t .
We have l earned, t hen, i f t hi s hypot hesi s i s
correct , t hat al l cycl es of human achi evement work
somewhat aft er t hi s fashi on: Fi rst , we pi ct ure i n our
consci ous mi nds, t hrough a def i ni t e chi ef ai m (based
upon a st rong desi re), some obj ect i ve; we t hen focus
our consci ous mi nd upon t hi s obj ect i ve, by const ant
t hought of i t and bel i ef i n i t s at t ai nment , unt i l t he
subconsci ous sect i on of t he mi nd t akes up t he pi ct ure
or out l i ne of t hi s obj ect i ve and i mpel s us t o t ake t he
necessary physi cal act i on t o t ransform t hat pi ct ure
i nt o real i t y.

SUGGESTION AND AUTO-SUGGESTION

Through t hi s and ot her l essons of t he Law of
Success course t he st udent has l earned t hat sense
i mpressi ons ari si ng out of one' s envi ronment , or from
st at ement s or act i ons of ot her peopl e, are cal l ed
suggest i ons, whi l e sense i mpressi ons t hat we pl ace i n
our own mi nds are pl aced t here by sel f-suggest i on, or
Aut osuggest i on.
Al l suggest i ons comi ng from ot hers, or from
envi ronment , i nfl uence us onl y aft er we have accept ed
t hem and passed t hem on t o t he sub-consci ous mi nd,
t hrough t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on, t hus i t i s
seen t hat suggest i on becomes, and must become,
Aut osuggest i on before i t i nfl uences t he mi nd of t he
one recei vi ng i t .
St at ed i n anot her way, no one may i nfl uence
anot her wi t hout t he consent of t he one i nfl uenced, as
- 53 -
t he i nfl uenci ng i s done t hrough one' s own power of
Aut o-suggest i on.
The consci ous mi nd st ands, duri ng t he hours
when one i s awake, as a sent i nel , guardi ng t he sub-
consci ous mi nd and wardi ng off al l suggest i ons whi ch
t ry t o reach i t from t he out si de, unt i l t hose
suggest i ons have been exami ned by t he consci ous
mi nd, passed upon and accept ed. Thi s i s Nat ure' s way
of safeguardi ng t he human bei ng agai nst i nt ruders who
woul d ot herwi se t ake cont rol of any mi nd desi red at
wi l l .
It i s a wi se arrangement .

THE VALUE OF AUTO-SUGGESTION IN AC-
COMPLISHING THE OBJECT OF YOUR
DEFINITE CHIEF AIM

One of t he great est uses t o whi ch one may di rect
t he power of Aut o-suggest i on i s t hat of maki ng i t hel p
accompl i sh t he obj ect of one' s def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n
l i fe.
The procedure t hrough whi ch t hi s may be
accompl i shed i s very si mpl e. Whi l e t he exact formul a
has been st at ed i n Lesson Two, and referred t o i n
many ot her l essons of t he course, t he pri nci pl e upon
whi ch i t i s based wi l l be here, agai n, descri bed, vi z. :
Wri t e out a cl ear, conci se st at ement of t hat whi ch
you i nt end t o accompl i sh, as your def i ni t e chi ef ai m,
coveri ng a peri od of, l et us say, t he next fi ve years.
Make at l east t wo copi es of your st at ement , one t o be
pl aced where you can read i t several t i mes a day,
whi l e you are at work, and t he ot her t o be pl aced i n
t he room where you sl eep, where i t can be read
several t i mes each eveni ng before you go t o sl eep and
j ust aft er you ari se i n t he morni ng.
The suggest i ve i nfl uence of t hi s procedure (i m-
- 54 -
pract i cal t hough i t may seem) wi l l soon i mpress t he
obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m on your sub-
consci ous mi nd and, as i f by a st roke of magi c, you
wi l l begi n t o observe event s t aki ng pl ace whi ch wi l l
l ead you nearer and nearer t he at t ai nment of t hat
obj ect .
From t he very day t hat you reach a defi ni t e
deci si on i n your own mi nd as t o t he preci se t hi ng,
condi t i on or posi t i on i n l i fe t hat you deepl y desi re,
you wi l l observe, i f you read books, newspapers and
magazi nes, t hat i mport ant news i t ems and ot her dat a
beari ng on t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m wi l l
begi n t o come t o your at t ent i on; you wi l l observe,
al so, t hat opport uni t i es wi l l begi n t o come t o you t hat
wi l l , i f embraced, l ead you nearer and nearer t he
covet ed goal of your desi re. No one knows bet t er t han
t he aut hor of t hi s course how i mpossi bl e and
i mpract i cal t hi s may seem t o t he person who i s not
i nformed on t he subj ect of mi nd operat i on; however,
t hi s i s not an age favorabl e t o t he doubt er or t he
skept i c, and t he best t hi ng for any person t o do i s t o
experi ment wi t h t hi s pri nci pl e unt i l i t s pract i cal i t y has
been est abl i shed.
To t he present generat i on i t may seem t hat t here
are no more worl ds t o conquer i n t he fi el d of
mechani cal i nvent i on, but every t hi nker (even t hose
who are not accurat e t hi nkers) wi l l concede t hat we
are j ust ent eri ng a new era of evol ut i on, experi ment
and anal ysi s as far as t he powers of t he human mi nd
are concerned.
The word "i mpossi bl e" means l ess now t han ever
before i n t he hi st ory of t he human race. There are
some who have act ual l y removed t hi s word from t hei r
vocabul ari es, bel i evi ng t hat man can do anyt hi ng he
can i magi ne and BELIEVE HE CAN DO!
- 55 -
We have l earned, for sure, t hat t he uni verse i s
made up of t wo subst ances: mat t er and energy.
Through pat i ent sci ent i fi c research we have
di scovered what we bel i eve t o be good evi dence t hat
everyt hi ng t hat i s or ever has been i n t he way of
mat t er, when anal yzed t o t he fi nest poi nt , can be
t raced back t o t he el ect ron, whi ch i s not hi ng but a
form of energy. On t he ot her hand, every mat eri al
t hi ng t hat man has creat ed began i n t he form of
energy, t hrough t he seed of an i dea t hat was rel eased
t hrough t he i magi nat i ve facul t y of t he human mi nd. In
ot her words, t he begi nni ng of every mat eri al t hi ng i s
energy and t he endi ng of i t i s energy.
Al l mat t er obeys t he command of one form or
anot her of energy. The hi ghest known form of energy
i s t hat whi ch funct i ons as t he human mi nd. The human
mi nd, t herefore, i s t he sol e di rect i ng force of
everyt hi ng man creat es, and what he may creat e wi t h:
t hi s force i n t he fut ure, as compared wi t h t hat whi ch
he has creat ed wi t h i t i n t he past , wi l l make hi s past
achi evement s seem pet t y and smal l .
We do not have t o wai t for fut ure di scoveri es i n
connect i on wi t h t he powers of t he human mi nd for
evi dence t hat t he mi nd i s t he great est force known t o
manki nd. We know, now, t hat any i dea, ai m or
purpose t hat i s fi xed i n t he mi nd and hel d t here wi t h a
wi l l t o achi eve or at t ai n i t s physi cal or mat eri al
equi val ent , put s i nt o mot i on powers t hat cannot be
conquered.
Buxt on sai d: "The l onger I l i ve t he more cert ai n I
am t hat t he great di fference bet ween men, bet ween t he
feebl e and t he powerful , t he great and t he
i nsi gni fi cant , i s energy - i nvi nci bl e det ermi nat i on - a
- 56 -
purpose once fi xed, and t hen deat h or vi ct ory. That
qual i t y wi l l do anyt hi ng t hat can be done i n t hi s worl d
- and no t al ent s, no ci rcumst ances, no opport uni t i es
wi l l make a t wo-l egged creat ure a man wi t hout i t . "
Donal d G. Mi t chel l has wel l sai d: "Resol ve i s
what makes a man mani fest . Not puny resol ve; not
crude det ermi nat i ons; not errant purposes - but t hat
st rong and i ndefat i gabl e wi l l whi ch t reads down
di ffi cul t i es and danger, as a boy t reads down t he
heavi ng frost -l ands of wi nt er, whi ch ki ndl es hi s eye
and brai n wi t h proud pul se beat t oward t he
unat t ai nabl e. WILL MAKES MEN GIANTS!"
The great Di srael i sai d: "I have brought mysel f,
by l ong medi t at i on, t o t he convi ct i on t hat a human
bei ng wi t h a set t l ed purpose must accompl i sh i t , and
t hat not hi ng can resi st a wi l l whi ch wi l l st ake even
exi st ence upon i t s ful fi l l ment .
Si r John Si mpson sai d: "A passi onat e DESIRE
and an unweari ed wi l l can perform i mpossi bi l i t i es, or
what may seem t o be such t o t he col d, t i mi d and
feebl e.
And John Fost er adds hi s t est i mony when he says:
"It i s wonderful how even t he casual t i es of l i fe seem
t o bow t o a spi ri t t hat wi l l not bow t o t hem, and yi el d
t o subserve a desi gn whi ch t hey may, i n t hei r fi rst
apparent t endency, t hreat en t o frust rat e. When a fi rm,
deci si ve spi ri t i s recogni zed, i t i s curi ous t o see how
t he space cl ears around a man and l eaves hi m room
and freedom. "
Abraham Li ncol n sai d of General Grant : "The
great t hi ng about Grant i s hi s cool persi st ency of
purpose. He i s not easi l y exci t ed, and he has got t he
- 57 -



THE most successful
physicians are those
who mix hope and
faith with the med-
icines they prescribe.



- 58 -
gri p of a bul l -dog. When he once get s hi s t eet h i n,
not hi ng can shake hi m off. "
It seems appropri at e t o st at e here t hat a st rong
desi re, t o be t ransformed i nt o real i t y, must be backed
wi t h persi st ency unt i l i t i s t aken over by t he
subconsci ous mi nd. It i s not enough t o feel very
deepl y t he desi re for achi evement of a def i ni t e chi ef
ai m, for a few hours or a few days, and t hen forget al l
about t hat desi re. The desi re must be pl aced i n t he
mi nd and hel d t here, wi t h PERSISTENCE THAT
KNOWS NO DEFEAT, unt i l t he aut omat i c or sub-
consci ous mi nd t akes i t over. Up t o t hi s poi nt you
must st and back of t he desi re and push i t ; beyond t hi s
poi nt t he desi re wi l l st and back of you and push you
on t o achi evement .
Persi st ence may be compared t o t he droppi ng of
wat er whi ch fi nal l y wears away t he hardest st one.
When t he fi nal chapt er of your l i fe shal l have been
compl et ed i t wi l l be found t hat your persi st ence, or
l ack of t hi s st erl i ng qual i t y, pl ayed an i mport ant part
i n ei t her your success or your fai l ure.
Thi s aut hor wat ched t he Tunney-Dempsey fi ght ,
i n Chi cago. He al so st udi ed t he psychol ogy l eadi ng up
t o and surroundi ng t hei r previ ous bout . Two t hi ngs
hel ped Tunney defeat Dempsey, on bot h occasi ons,
despi t e t he fact t hat Dempsey i s t he st ronger of t he
t wo men, and, as many bel i eve, t he bet t er fi ght er.
And t hese t wo t hi ngs, whi ch spel l ed Dempsey' s
doom, were, fi rst , hi s own l ack of sel f-confi dence -
t he fear t hat Tunney mi ght defeat hi m; and, second,
Tunny' s compl et e sel f-rel i ance and hi s bel i ef t hat he
woul d whi p Dempsey.
Tunney st epped i nt o t he ri ng, wi t h hi s chi n i n t he
- 59 -
ai r, an at mosphere of sel f-assurance and cert ai nt y
wri t t en i n hi s every movement . Dempsey wal ked i n,
wi t h a sort of uncert ai n st ri de, eyi ng Tunney i n a
manner t hat pl ai nl y queri ed, "I wonder what you' l l do
t o me?"
Dempsey was whi pped, i n hi s own mi nd, before
he ent ered t he ri ng. Press agent s and propagandi st s
had done t he t ri ck, t hanks t o t he superi or t hi nki ng
abi l i t y of hi s opponent , Tunney.
And so t he st ory goes, from t he l owest and most
brut al of occupat i ons, pri ze-fi ght i ng, on up t o t he
hi ghest and most commendabl e professi ons. Success i s
won by t he man who underst ands how t o use hi s power
of t hought .
Throughout t hi s course much st ress has been l ai d
upon t he i mport ance of envi ronment and habi t out of
whi ch grow t he st i mul i t hat put t he "wheel s" of t he
human mi nd i nt o operat i on. Fort unat e i s t he person
who has found how t o arouse or st i mul at e hi s or her
mi nd so t hat t he powers of t hat mi nd wi l l funct i on
const ruct i vel y, as t hey may be made t o do when
pl aced back of any st rong, deepl y seat ed desi re.
Accurat e t hi nki ng i s t hi nki ng t hat makes
i nt el l i gent use of al l t he powers of t he human mi nd,
and does not st op wi t h t he mere exami nat i on,
cl assi fi cat i on and arrangi ng of i deas. Accurat e t hought
creat es i deas and i t may be made t o t ransform t hese
i deas i nt o t hei r most profi t abl e, const ruct i ve form.

The st udent wi l l perhaps be bet t er prepared t o
anal yze, wi t hout a feel i ng of skept i ci sm and doubt ,
t he pri nci pl es l ai d down i n t hi s l esson i f t he fact i s
- 60 -
kept i n mi nd t hat t he concl usi ons and hypot heses here
enumerat ed are not sol el y t hose of t he aut hor. I have
had t he benefi t of cl ose co-operat i on from some of t he
l eadi ng i nvest i gat ors i n t he fi el d of ment al
phenomena, and concl usi ons reached, as st at ed i n t hi s
ent i re course, are t hose of many di fferent mi nds.

In t he l esson on Concent rat i on, you wi l l be
furt her i nst ruct ed i n t he met hod of appl yi ng t he
pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on. In fact , t hroughout t he
course, t he pri nci pl e of gradual unfol dment has been
fol l owed, paral l el i ng t hat of t he pri nci pl e of evol ut i on
as nearl y as possi bl e. The fi rst l esson l ai d t he
foundat i on for t he second, and t he second prepared t he
way for t he t hi rd, and so on. I have t ri ed t o bui l d t hi s
course j ust as Nat ure bui l ds a man - by a seri es of
st eps each of whi ch l i ft s t he st udent j ust anot her st ep
hi gher and nearer t he apex of t he pyrami d whi ch t he
course, as a whol e, represent s.
The purpose i n bui l di ng t hi s course i n t he manner
out l i ned i s one t hat cannot be descri bed i n words, but
t hat purpose wi l l become obvi ous and cl ear t o you as
soon as you shal l have mast ered t he course, for i t s
mast ery wi l l open t o you a source of knowl edge whi ch
cannot be i mpart ed by one man t o anot her, but i s
at t ai nabl e onl y by educi ng, drawi ng out and
expandi ng, f rom wi t hi n one' s own mi nd. The reason
t hi s knowl edge cannot be i mpart ed by one t o anot her
i s t he same as t hat whi ch makes i t i mpossi bl e for one
person t o descri be col ors t o a bl i nd person who has
never seen col ors.
The knowl edge of whi ch I wri t e became obvi ous
- 61 -
t o me onl y aft er I had di l i gent l y and fai t hful l y
fol l owed t he i nst ruct i ons whi ch I have l ai d down i n
t hi s course for your gui dance and enl i ght enment ;
t herefore, I speak from experi ence when I say t hat
t here are no i l l ust rat i ons, si mi l es or words wi t h whi ch
t o descri be t hi s knowl edge adequat el y. It can onl y be
i mpart ed from wi t hi n.
Wi t h t hi s vague "hi nt " as t o t he reward whi ch
awai t s al l who earnest l y and i nt el l i gent l y search for
t he hi dden passageway t o knowl edge t o whi ch I refer,
we wi l l now di scuss t hat phase of accurat e t hought
whi ch wi l l t ake you as hi gh as you can go-except
t hrough t he di scovery and use of t he secret
passageway t o whi ch I have al l uded.
Thought s are t hi ngs!
It i s t he bel i ef of many t hat every compl et ed
t hought st art s an unendi ng vi brat i on wi t h whi ch t he
one who rel eases i t wi l l have t o cont end at a l at er
t i me; t hat man, hi msel f, i s but t he physi cal refl ect i on
of t hought t hat was put i nt o mot i on by i nf i ni t e
i nt el l i gence.
"And t he Word was made fl esh, and dwel t among
us, (and we behel d hi s gl ory, t he gl ory as of t he onl y
begot t en of t he Fat her, ) ful l of grace and t rut h. " (St .
John i , 13. )
The onl y hope hel d out t o manki nd i n t he ent i re
Bi bl e i s of a reward whi ch may be at t ai ned i n no way
except by const ruct i ve t hought . Thi s i s a st art l i ng
st at ement , but i f you are even an el ement ary st udent
and i nt erpret er of t he Bi bl e you underst and t hat i t i s a
t rue st at ement .
If t he Bi bl e i s pl ai n on any one poi nt above al l
ot hers, i t i s on t he fact t hat t hought i s t he begi nni ng
of al l t hi ngs of a mat eri al nat ure.
- 62 -
At t he begi nni ng of every l esson of t hi s course
you wi l l observe t hi s mot t o:
"You can do i t i f you BELIEVE you can!"
Thi s sent ence i s based upon a great t rut h whi ch i s
pract i cal l y t he maj or premi se of t he ent i re Bi bl e
t eachi ng. Observe t he emphasi s whi ch i s pl aced upon
t he word BELIEVE. Back of t hi s word "bel i eve" l i es
t he power wi t h whi ch you can vi t al i ze and gi ve l i fe t o
t he suggest i ons t hat you pass on t o your sub-consci ous
mi nd, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on, wi t h
t he ai d of t he l aw of t he Mast er Mi nd. Do not mi ss
t hi s poi nt . You cannot afford t o mi ss i t , as i t i s t he
very begi nni ng, t he mi ddl e and t he end of al l t he
power you wi l l ever have.
Al l t hought i s creat i ve! However, not al l t hought
i s const ruct i ve or posi t i ve. If you t hi nk t hought s of
mi sery and povert y and see no way t o avoi d t hese
condi t i ons, t hen your t hought s wi l l creat e t hose very
condi t i ons and curse you wi t h t hem. But reverse t he
order, and t hi nk t hought s of a posi t i ve, expect ant
nat ure and your t hought s wi l l creat e t hose condi t i ons.
Thought magnet i zes your ent i re personal i t y and
at t ract s t o you t he out ward, physi cal t hi ngs t hat
harmoni ze wi t h t he nat ure of your t hought s. Thi s has
been made cl ear i n pract i cal l y every l esson precedi ng
t hi s one, yet i t i s repeat ed here, and wi l l be repeat ed
many t i mes more i n t he l essons t hat fol l ow. The
reason for t hi s const ant repet i t i on i s t hat nearl y al l
begi nners i n t he st udy of mi nd operat i on overl ook t he
i mport ance of t hi s fundament al and et ernal t rut h.
When you pl ant a def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n your
subconsci ous mi nd you must fert i l i ze i t wi t h ful l
bel i ef t hat i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence wi l l st ep i n and mat ure
- 63 -


FIRST acquire patience
and perseverance,
then make up your
mind what else you
want, and you will be
almost sure to get it.



- 64 -
t hat purpose i nt o real i t y i n exact accordance wi t h t he
nat ure of t he purpose. Anyt hi ng short of such bel i ef
wi l l bri ng you di sappoi nt ment .
When you suggest a def i ni t e chi ef ai m whi ch
embodi es some defi ni t e desi re, i n your sub-consci ous
mi nd, you must accompany i t wi t h such f ai t h and
bel i ef i n t he ul t i mat e real i zat i on of t hat purpose t hat
you can act ual l y see yoursel f i n possessi on of t he
obj ect of t he purpose. Conduct yoursel f i n t he exact
manner i n whi ch you woul d i f you were al ready i n
possessi on of t he obj ect of your defi ni t e purpose, from
t he moment you suggest i t t o your sub-consci ous
mi nd.
Do not quest i on; do not wonder i f t he pri nci pl es
of Aut o-suggest i on wi l l work; do not doubt , but
bel i eve!
Surel y t hi s poi nt has been suffi ci ent l y
emphasi zed t o i mpress upon your mi nd i t s i mport ance.
Posi t i ve bel i ef i n t he at t ai nment of your def i ni t e
purpose i s t he very germ wi t h whi ch you fert i l i ze t he
"egg of your t hought " and i f you fai l t o gi ve i t t hi s
fert i l i zat i on, you mi ght as wel l expect an unfert i l i zed
hen-egg t o produce a chi cken as t o expect t he
at t ai nment of t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m.

You never can t el l what a t hought wi l l do
In bri ngi ng you hat e or l ove;
For t hought s are t hi ngs, and t hei r ai ry wi ngs
Are swi ft er t han a carri er dove.
They fol l ow t he l aw of t he uni verse, -
Each t hought creat es i t s ki nd,
And t hey speed o' er t he t rack t o bri ng you back
What ever went out from your mi nd.

Thought s are t hi ngs! Thi s i s a great t rut h whi ch,
- 65 -
when you underst and i t , wi l l bri ng you as cl ose t o t he
door of t hat secret passage-way t o knowl edge,
previ ousl y ment i oned, as i s possi bl e for anot her
person t o bri ng you. When you grasp t hi s fundament al
t rut h you wi l l soon fi nd t hat door and open i t .
The power t o t hi nk as you wi sh t o t hi nk i s t he
onl y power over whi ch you have absol ut e cont rol .
Pl ease read and st udy t he foregoi ng sent ence unt i l
you grasp i t s meani ng. If i t i s wi t hi n your power t o
cont rol your t hought s t he responsi bi l i t y t hen rest s
upon you as t o whet her your t hought s wi l l be of t he
posi t i ve or t he negat i ve t ype, whi ch bri ngs t o mi nd
one of t he worl d' s most famous poems:

Out of t he ni ght t hat covers me,
Bl ack as t he pi t from pol e t o pol e,
I t hank what ever gods may be
For my unconquerabl e soul .

In t he fel l cl ut ch of ci rcumst ance
I have not wi nced or cri ed al oud.
Under t he bl udgeoni ngs of chance
My head i s bl oody, but unbowed.

Beyond t hi s pl ace of wrat h and t ears
Looms but t he horror of t he shade,
And yet t he menace of t he years
Fi nds, and shal l fi nd, me unafrai d.

It mat t ers not how st rai t t he gat e,
How charged wi t h puni shment s t he scrol l ,
I am t he mast er of my fat e,
I am t he capt ai n of my soul .
-Henl ey
- 66 -
Henl ey di d not wri t e t hi s poem unt i l aft er he had
di scovered t he door t o t hat secret passage-way whi ch I
have ment i oned.
You are t he "mast er of your fat e" and t he "capt ai n
of your soul , " by reason of t he fact t hat you cont rol
your own t hought s, and, wi t h t he ai d of your t hought s,
you may creat e what ever you desi re.

As we approach t he cl ose of t hi s l esson, l et us
pul l asi de t he curt ai n t hat hangs over t he gat eway
cal l ed deat h and t ake a l ook i nt o t he Great Beyond.
Behol d a worl d peopl ed wi t h bei ngs who funct i on
wi t hout t he ai d of physi cal bodi es. Look cl osel y and,
whet her for weal or for woe, observe t hat you l ook at
a worl d peopl ed wi t h bei ngs of your own creat i on,
whi ch correspond exact l y t o t he nat ure of your own
t hought s as you expressed t hem before deat h. There
t hey are, t he chi l dren of your own heart and mi nd,
pat t erned aft er t he i mage of your own t hought s.
Those whi ch were born of your hat red and envy
and j eal ousy and sel fi shness and i nj ust i ce t oward your
fel l ow men wi l l not make very desi rabl e nei ghbors,
but you must l i ve wi t h t hem j ust t he same, for t hey are
your chi l dren and you cannot t urn t hem out .
You wi l l be unfort unat e, i ndeed, i f you fi nd t here
no chi l dren whi ch were born of l ove, and j ust i ce, and
t rut h, and ki ndness t oward ot hers.
In t he l i ght of t hi s al l egori cal suggest i on, t he
subj ect of accurat e t hought t akes on a new and a much
more i mport ant aspect , doesn' t i t ?
If t here i s a possi bi l i t y t hat every t hought you
rel ease duri ng t hi s l i fe wi l l st ep out , i n t he form of a
- 67 -
l i vi ng bei ng, t o greet you aft er deat h, t hen you need
no furt her reason for guardi ng al l your t hought s more
careful l y t han you woul d guard t he food t hat you feed
your physi cal body.
I refer t o t hi s suggest i on as "al l egori cal " for a
reason t hat you wi l l underst and onl y aft er you shal l
have passed t hrough t he door of t hat secret passage-
way t o knowl edge t hat I have heret ofore ment i oned.
To ask me how I know t hese t hi ngs, before you
pass t hrough t hat door, woul d be as usel ess as i t
woul d be for a man who has never seen wi t h hi s
physi cal eyes t o ask me what t he col or red l ooks l i ke.
I am not urgi ng you t o accept t hi s vi ewpoi nt . I am
not even argui ng i t s soundness. I am merel y ful fi l l i ng
my dut y and di schargi ng my responsi bi l i t y by gi vi ng
you t he suggest i on. You must carry i t out t o a poi nt at
whi ch you can accept or rej ect i t , i n your own way, ,
and of your own vol i t i on.
The t erm "accurat e t hought " as used i n t hi s l esson
refers t o t hought whi ch i s of your own creat i on.
Thought t hat comes t o you from ot hers, t hrough ei t her
suggest i on or di rect st at ement , i s not accurat e t hought
wi t hi n t he meani ng and purpose of t hi s l esson,
al t hough i t may be t hought t hat i s based upon fact s.
I have now carri ed you t o t he apex of t he pyrami d
of t hi s l esson on accurat e t hought . I can t ake you no
furt her. However, you have not gone t he ent i re
di st ance; you have but st art ed. From here on you must
be your own gui de, but , i f you have not whol l y mi ssed
t he great t rut h upon whi ch t he l esson i s founded, yarn
wi l l not have di ffi cul t y i n fi ndi ng your own way.
Let me caut i on you, however, not t o become di s-
- 68 -
courage i f t he fundament al t rut h of t hi s l esson does
not dawn upon you at fi rst readi ng. It may requi re
weeks or even mont hs of medi t at i on for you t o
comprehend ful l y t hi s t rut h, but i t i s wort h worki ng
for.
The pri nci pl es l ai d down i n t he begi nni ng of t hi s
l esson you can easi l y underst and and accept , because
t hey are of t he most el ement ary nat ure. However, as
you began t o fol l ow t he chai n of t hought al ong t oward
t he cl ose of t he l esson, you perhaps found yoursel f
bei ng carri ed i nt o wat ers t oo deep for you t o fat hom.
Perhaps I can t hrow one fi nal ray of l i ght on t he
subj ect by remi ndi ng you t hat t he sound of every
voi ce, and of every not e of musi c, and of every ot her
nat ure t hat i s bei ng rel eased at t he t i me you are
readi ng t hese l i nes i s fl oat i ng t hrough t he et her ri ght
where you are. To hear t hese sounds you need but t he
ai d of a modern radi o out fi t . Wi t hout t hi s equi pment
as a suppl ement t o your own sense of heari ng you are
powerl ess t o hear t hese sounds.
Had t hi s same st at ement been made t went y years
ago, you woul d have bel i eved t he one who made i t t o
be i nsane or a fool . But you now accept t he st at ement
wi t hout quest i on, because you know i t i s t rue.
Thought i s a much hi gher and more perfect l y
organi zed form of energy t han i s mere sound;
t herefore, i t i s not beyond t he bounds of reason t o
suppose t hat every t hought now bei ng rel eased and
every t hought t hat has ever been rel eased i s al so i n
t he et her (or somewhere el se) and may be i nt erpret ed
by t hose who have t he equi pment wi t h whi ch t o do i t .
And, what sort of equi pment i s necessary? you
ask.
That wi l l be answered when you shal l have passed
t hrough t he door t hat l eads t o t he secret passage-way
- 69 -


SOME men die too soon
from over-eating, others
die from strong drink,
while still others just
wither up and die because
they have nothing else to
do.



- 70 -
t o knowl edge. It cannot be answered before. The
passage-way can be reached onl y t hrough t he medi um
of your own t hought s. Thi s i s one reason why al l t he
great phi l osophers of t he past admoni shed man t o
know hi msel f. "Know t hysel f" i s and has been t he cry
of t he ages. The l i fe of Chri st was one uni nt errupt ed
promi se of hope and possi bi l i t y based ent i rel y upon
t he knowl edge whi ch al l may di scover who search
wi t hi n t hei r own bei ngs.
One of t he unanswerabl e myst eri es of God' s work
i s t he fact t hat t hi s great di scovery i s al ways sel f-
di scovery. The t rut h for whi ch man i s et ernal l y
searchi ng i s wrapped up i n hi s own bei ng; t herefore, i t
i s frui t l ess t o search far afi el d i n t he wi l derness of
l i fe or i n t he heart s of ot her men t o fi nd i t . To do so
bri ngs you no nearer t hat whi ch you are seeki ng, but
t akes you furt her away from i t .
And, i t may be - who knows but you? - t hat even
now, as you fi ni sh t hi s l esson, you are nearer t he door
t hat l eads t o t he secret passage-way t o knowl edge t han
you have ever been before.
Wi t h your mast ery of t hi s l esson wi l l come a
ful l er underst andi ng of t he pri nci pl e referred t o i n t he
Int roduct ory Lesson as t he "Mast er Mi nd. " Surel y you
now underst and t he reason for fri endl y co-operat i ve
al l i ance bet ween t wo or more peopl e. Thi s al l i ance
"st eps up" t he mi nds of t hose who part i ci pat e i n i t ,
and permi t s t hem t o cont act t hei r t hought -power wi t h
i nfi ni t e i nt el l i gence.
Wi t h t hi s st at ement t he ent i re Int roduct ory
Lesson shoul d have a new meani ng for you. Thi s
l esson has fami l i ari zed you wi t h t he mai n reason why
you shoul d make use of t he l aw of t he Mast er Mi nd by
- 71 -
showi ng you t he hei ght t o whi ch t hi s l aw may be made
t o carry al l who underst and and use i t .
By t hi s t i me you shoul d underst and why a few
men have ri sen t o great height s of power and fort une,
whi l e ot hers al l around t hem remai ned i n povert y and
want . If you do not now underst and t he cause for t hi s,
you wi l l by t he t i me you mast er t he remai ni ng l essons
of t hi s course.
Do not become di scouraged i f compl et e
underst andi ng of t hese pri nci pl es does not fol l ow your
fi rst readi ng of t hi s l esson. Thi s i s t he one l esson of
t he ent i re course whi ch cannot be ful l y assi mi l at ed by
t he begi nner t hrough one readi ng. It wi l l gi ve up i t s
ri ch t reasures of knowl edge onl y t hrough t hought ,
refl ect i on and medi t at i on. For t hi s reason you are
i nst ruct ed t o read t hi s l esson at l east four t i mes, at
i nt erval s of one week apart .
You are al so i nst ruct ed t o read, agai n, t he
Int roduct ory Lesson, t hat you may more accurat el y
and defi ni t el y underst and t he l aw of t he Mast er Mi nd
and t he rel at i onshi p bet ween t hi s l aw and t he subj ect s
covered by t hi s l esson on accurat e t hought .
The Mast er Mi nd i s t he pri nci pl e t hrough whi ch
you may become an accurat e t hi nker!
Is not t hi s st at ement bot h pl ai n and si gni f i cant ?
- 72 -
FAILURE

An Af t er- t he- Lesson Vi si t Wi t h t he Aut hor



The Great Success Lessons That Can Be
Learned From Reverses.

AN al l -wi se Provi dence has arranged t he affai rs of
manki nd so t hat every person who comes i nt o t he age
of reason must bear t he cross of FAILURE i n one form
or anot her.
You see, i n t he pi ct ure at t he t op of t hi s page, t he
heavi est and most cruel of al l t he crosses, POVERTY!
Hundreds of mi l l i ons of peopl e l i vi ng on t hi s
eart h t oday fi nd i t necessary t o st ruggl e under t he
burden of t hi s cross i n order t o enj oy t he t hree bare
necessi t i es of l i fe, a pl ace t o sl eep, somet hi ng t o eat
and cl ot hes t o wear.
Carryi ng t he cross of POVERTY i s no j oke!
But , i t seems si gni fi cant t hat t he great est and
most successful men and women who ever l i ved found
i t necessary t o carry t hi s cross before t hey "arri ved. "

FAILURE i s general l y accept ed as a curse. But
few peopl e ever underst and t hat fai l ure i s a curse onl y
- 73 -
when i t i s accept ed as such. But few ever l earn t he
t rut h t hat FAILURE i s sel dom permanent .
Go back over your own experi ences for a few
years and you wi l l see t hat your fai l ures general l y
t urned out t o be bl essi ngs i n di sgui se. Fai l ure t eaches
men l essons whi ch t hey woul d never l earn wi t hout i t .
Moreover, i t t eaches i n a l anguage t hat i s uni versal .
Among t he great l essons t aught by fai l ure i s t hat of
HUMILITY.
No man may become great wi t hout feel i ng hi msel f
humbl e and i nsi gni fi cant when compared t o t he worl d
about hi m and t he st ars above hi m and t he harmony
wi t h whi ch Nat ure does her work.
For every ri ch man' s son who becomes a useful ,
const ruct i ve worker i n behal f of humani t y, t here are
ni net y-ni ne ot hers renderi ng useful servi ce who come
up t hrough POVERTY and mi sery. Thi s seems more
t han a coi nci dence!

Most peopl e who bel i eve t hemsel ves t o be
fai l ures are not fai l ures at al l . Most condi t i ons whi ch
peopl e l ook upon as fai l ure are not hi ng more t han
t emporary defeat .
If you pi t y yoursel f and feel t hat you are a
fai l ure, t hi nk how much worse off you woul d be i f you
had t o change pl aces wi t h ot hers who have real cause
for compl ai nt .
In t he ci t y of Chi cago l i ves a beaut i ful young
woman. Her eyes are a l i ght bl ue. Her compl exi on i s
ext remel y fai r. She has a sweet charmi ng voi ce. She i s
educat ed and cul t ured. Three days aft er graduat i ng i n
- 74 -
one of t he col l eges of t he East she di scovered t hat she
had negro bl ood i n her vei ns.
The man t o whom she was engaged refused t o
marry her. The negroes do not want her and t he whi t es
wi l l not associ at e wi t h her. Duri ng t he remai nder of
her l i fe she must bear t he brand of permanent
FAILURE.
Remember, t hi s i s PERMANENT fai l ure!
As t hi s essay i s bei ng wri t t en news comes of a
beaut i ful gi rl baby who was born t o an unwed gi rl and
t aken i nt o an orphanage, t here t o be brought up
mechani cal l y, wi t hout ever knowi ng t he i nfl uence of a
mot her' s l ove. Al l t hrough l i fe t hi s unfort unat e chi l d
must bear t he brunt of anot her' s mi st ake whi ch can
never be correct ed.
How fort unat e are YOU, no mat t er what may be
your i magi nary fai l ures, t hat you are not t hi s chi l d.
If you have a st rong body and a sound mi nd you
have much for whi ch you ought t o be t hankful .
Mi l l i ons of peopl e al l about you have no such
bl essi ngs.

Careful anal ysi s of one hundred men and women
whom t he worl d has accept ed as bei ng "great " shows
t hat t hey were compel l ed t o undergo hardshi p and
t emporary defeat and fai l ure such as YOU probabl y
have never known and never wi l l know.
Woodrow Wi l son went t o hi s grave al t oget her t oo
soon, t he vi ct i m of cruel sl ander and di sappoi nt ment ,
bel i evi ng, no doubt , t hat he was a FAILURE. TIME,
t he great mi racl e worker t hat ri ght s al l wrongs and
t urns fai l ure i nt o success, wi l l pl ace t he name of
- 75 -
Woodrow Wi l son at t he t op of t he page of t he real l y
great .
Few now l i vi ng have t he vi si on t o see t hat out of
Wi l son' s "FAILURE" wi l l come, event ual l y, such a
powerful demand for uni versal peace t hat war wi l l be
an i mpossi bi l i t y.
Li ncol n di ed wi t hout knowi ng t hat hi s
"FAILURE" gave sound foundat i on t o t he great est
nat i on on t hi s eart h.
Col umbus di ed, a pri soner i n chai ns, wi t hout ever
knowi ng t hat hi s "FAILURE" meant t he di scovery of
t he great nat i on whi ch Li ncol n and Wi l son hel ped t o
preserve, wi t h t hei r "FAILURES. "
Do not use t he word FAILURE carel essl y.
Remember, carryi ng a burdensome cross
t emporari l y i s not FAILURE. If you have t he real seed
of success wi t hi n you, a l i t t l e adversi t y and t emporary
defeat wi l l onl y serve t o nut ure t hat seed and cause i t
t o burst fort h i nt o mat uri t y.
When Di vi ne Int el l i gence want s a great man or
woman t o render some needed servi ce i n t he worl d,
t he fort unat e one i s t est ed out t hrough some form of
FAILURE. If you are undergoi ng what you bel i eve t o
be fai l ure, have pat i ence; you may be passi ng t hrough
your t est i ng t i me.
No capabl e execut i ve woul d sel ect , as hi s
l i eut enant s, t hose whom he had not t est ed for
rel i abi l i t y, l oyal t y, perseverance and ot her essent i al
qual i t i es.
Responsi bi l i t y, and al l t hat goes wi t h i t i n t he
way of remunerat i on, al ways gravi t at es t o t he person
who wi l l not accept t emporary defeat as permanent
fai l ure.
- 76 -
"The t est of a man i s t he f i ght he makes,
The gr i t t hat he dai l y shows;
The way he st ands on hi s f eet and t akes
Fat e' s numer ous bumps and bl ows,
A cowar d can smi l e when t her e' s naught t o f ear ,
When not hi ng hi s pr ogr ess bar s;
But i t t akes a man t o st and up and cheer
Whi l e some ot her f el l ow st ar s.

"I t i sn' t t he vi ct or y, af t er al l ,
But t he f i ght t hat a br ot her makes;
The man who, dr i ven agai nst t he wal l ,
St i l l st ands up er ect and t akes
The bl ows of f at e wi t h hi s head hel d hi gh:
Bl eedi ng, and br ui sed, and pal e,
I s t he man who' l l wi n i n t he by and by,
For he i sn' t af r ai d t o f ai l .

"I t ' s t he bumps you get , and t he j ol t s you get ,
And t he shocks t hat your cour age st ands,
The hour s of sor r ow and vai n r egr et ,
The pr i ze t hat escapes your hands,
That t est your met t l e and pr ove your wor t h;
I t i sn' t t he bl ows you deal ,
But t he bl ows you t ake on t he good ol d ear t h,
That show i f your st uf f i s r eal . "

Fai l ure oft en pl aces one i n a posi t i on where
unusual effort must be fort hcomi ng. Many a man has
wrung vi ct ory from defeat , fi ght i ng wi t h hi s back t o
t he wal l , where he coul d not ret reat .
Caesar had l ong wi shed t o conquer t he Bri t i sh. He
qui et l y sai l ed hi s sol di er-l aden shi ps t o t he Bri t i sh
i sl and, unl oaded hi s t roops and suppl i es, t hen gave t he
order t o burn al l t he shi ps. Cal l i ng hi s sol di ers about
hi m he sai d: "Now i t i s wi n or peri sh. We have no
choi ce. "
- 77 -
They won! Men usual l y wi n when t hey make up
t hei r mi nds t o do so.
Burn your bri dges behi nd you and observe how
wel l you work when you KNOW THAT YOU HAVE
NO RETREAT.
A st reet car conduct or got a l eave of absence
whi l e he t ri ed out a posi t i on i n a great mercant i l e
busi ness. "If I do not succeed i n hol di ng my new
posi t i on, " he remarked t o a fri end, "I can al ways come
back t o t he ol d j ob. "
At t he end of t he mont h he was back, compl et el y
cured of al l ambi t i on t o do anyt hi ng except work on a
st reet car. Had he resi gned i nst ead of aski ng for a
l eave of absence he mi ght have made good i n t he new
j ob.

The Thi rt een Cl ub movement , whi ch i s now
spreadi ng over t he ent i re count ry, was born as t he
resul t of a shocki ng di sappoi nt ment experi enced by i t s
founder. That shock was suffi ci ent t o open t he mi nd t o
a broader and more comprehensi ve vi ew of t he needs
of t he age, and t hi s di scovery l ed t o t he creat i on of
one of t he most out st andi ng i nfl uences of t hi s
generat i on.
The Fi ft een Laws of Success, upon whi ch t hi s
course i s based, grew out of t went y years of hardshi p
and povert y and fai l ure such as rarel y come t o one
person i n an ent i re l i fet i me.
Surel y t hose of you who have fol l owed t hi s seri es
of l essons from t he begi nni ng must have read bet ween
t he l i nes and back of t hem a st ory of st ruggl e whi ch
has meant sel f-di sci pl i ne and sel f-di scovery such as
- 78 -
never woul d have been known wi t hout t hi s hardshi p.

St udy t he roadway of l i fe, i n t he pi ct ure at t he
begi nni ng of t hi s essay, and observe t hat everyone
who t ravel s t hat road carri es a cross. Remember, as
you t ake i nvent ory of your own burdens, t hat Nat ure' s
ri chest gi ft s go t o t hose who meet FAILURE wi t hout
fl i nchi ng or whi ni ng.
Nat ure' s ways are not easi l y underst ood. If t hey
were, no one coul d be t est ed for great responsi bi l i t y,
wi t h FAILURE!

"When Nat ur e want s t o make a man,
And shake a man,
And wake a man;
When Nat ur e want s t o make a man
To do t he Fut ur e' s wi l l ;
When she t r i es wi t h al l her ski l l
And she year ns wi t h al l her soul
To cr eat e hi m l ar ge and whol e
Wi t h what cunni ng she pr epar es hi m!
How she goads and never spar es hi m!
How she whet s hi m, and she f r et s hi m,
And i n pover t y beget s hi m. . . .
How she of t en di sappoi nt s
How she of t en anoi nt s,
Wi t h what wi sdom she wi l l hi de hi m,
Never mi ndi ng what bet i de hi m
Though hi s geni us sob wi t h sl i ght i ng
And hi s pr i de may not f or get !
Bi ds hi m st r uggl e har der yet .
Makes hi m l onel y
So t hat onl y
God' s hi gh messages shal l r each hi m,
So t hat she may sur el y t each hi m
What t he Hi er ar chy pl anned.
- 79 -
- 80 -
Though he may not under st and
Gi ves hi m passi ons t o command.
How r emor sel essl y she spur s hi m
Wi t h t er r i f i c ar dor st i r s hi m
When she poi gnant l y pr ef er s hi m!

* * *

Lo, t he cr i si s! Lo, t he shout
That must cal l t he l eader out .
When t he peopl e need sal vat i on
Dot h he come t o l ead t he nat i on. . . .
Then dot h Nat ur e show her pl an
When t he wor l d has f ound - A MAN! "

There i s no FAILURE. That whi ch l ooks t o be
fai l ure i s usual l y not hi ng but t emporary defeat . Make
sure t hat you do not accept i t as PERMANENT!

T
T
H
H
E
E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
U
U
C
C
C
C
E
E
S
S
S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL









Pri nted i n the U. S. A.


- 2 -







Lesson Twelve
CONCENTRATION



- 3 -



THERE is a sure way
to avoid criticism: be
nothing and do
nothing. Get a job as a
street sweeper and kill
off ambition. The
remedy never fails.


- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Twelve
CONCENTRATION



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

THIS l esson occupi es a key-st one posi t i on i n t hi s
course, for t he reason t hat t he psychol ogi cal l aw upon
whi ch i t i s based i s of vi t al i mport ance t o every ot her
l esson of t he course.
Let us defi ne t he word concent rat i on, as i t i s here
used, as fol l ows:
"Concent rat i on i s t he act of f ocusi ng t he mi nd
upon a gi ven desi re unt i l ways and means f or i t s
real i zat i on have been worked out and successf ul l y put
i nt o operat i on. "
Two i mport ant l aws ent er i nt o t he act of
concent rat i ng t he mi nd on a gi ven desi re. One i s t he
l aw of Aut o-suggest i on and t he ot her i s t he l aw of
habi t . The former havi ng been ful l y descri bed i n a
previ ous l esson of t hi s course, we wi l l now bri efl y
descri be t he l aw of habi t .
Habi t grows out of envi ronment - out of doi ng t he
same t hi ng i n t he same way over and over agai n - out
of repet i t i on - out of t hi nki ng t he same t hought s over
- 5 -
and over - and, when once formed, i t resembl es a
cement bl ock t hat has hardened i n t he mol d - i n t hat i t
i s hard t o break.
Habi t i s t he basi s of al l memory t rai ni ng, a fact
whi ch you may easi l y demonst rat e i n rememberi ng t he
name of a person whom you have j ust met , by
repeat i ng t hat name over and over unt i l you have fi xed
i t permanent l y and pl ai nl y i n your mi nd.
"The force of educat i on i s so great t hat we may
mol d t he mi nds and manners of t he young i nt o
what ever shape we pl ease and gi ve t he i mpressi ons of
such habi t s as shal l ever aft erwards remai n. " -
At t erbury.
Except on rare occasi ons when t he mi nd ri ses
above envi ronment , t he human mi nd draws t he
mat eri al out of whi ch t hought i s creat ed, from t he
surroundi ng envi ronment , and habi t cryst al l i zes t hi s
t hought i nt o a: permanent fi xt ure and st ores i t away i n
t he subconsci ous mi nd where i t becomes a vi t al part
of our personal i t y whi ch si l ent l y i nfl uences our
act i ons, forms our prej udi ces and our bi ases, and
cont rol s our opi ni ons.
A great phi l osopher had i n mi nd t he power of
habi t when he sai d: "We fi rst endure, t hen pi t y, and
fi nal l y embrace, " i n speaki ng of t he manner i n whi ch
honest men come t o i ndul ge i n cri me.
Habi t may be l i kened t o t he grooves on a
phonograph record, whi l e t he mi nd may be l i kened t o
t he needl e poi nt t hat fi t s i nt o t hat groove. When any
habi t has been wel l formed (by repet i t i on of t hought
or act i on) t he mi nd at t aches i t sel f t o and fol l ows t hat
habi t as cl osel y as t he phonograph needl e fol l ows t he
groove i n t he wax record, no mat t er what may be t he
nat ure of t hat habi t .
- 6 -
We begi n t o see, t herefore, t he i mport ance of
sel ect i ng our envi ronment wi t h t he great est of care,
because envi ronment i s t he ment al feedi ng ground out
of whi ch t he food t hat goes i nt o our mi nds i s
ext ract ed.
Envi ronment very l argel y suppl i es t he food and
mat eri al s out of whi ch we creat e t hought , and habi t
cryst al l i zes t hese i nt o permanency. You of course
underst and t hat "envi ronment " i s t he sum t ot al of
sources t hrough whi ch you are i nfl uenced by and
t hrough t he ai d of t he fi ve senses of seei ng, heari ng,
smel l i ng, t ast i ng and feel i ng.
"Habi t i s force whi ch i s general l y recogni zed by
t he average t hi nki ng person, but whi ch i s commonl y
vi ewed i n i t s adverse aspect t o t he excl usi on of i t s
favorabl e phase. It has been wel l sai d t hat al l men are
t he creat ures of habi t , and t hat habi t i s a cabl e; we
weave a t hread of i t each day and i t becomes so st rong
t hat we cannot break i t .
"If i t be t rue t hat habi t becomes a cruel t yrant ,
rul i ng and compel l i ng men agai nst t hei r wi l l , desi re,
and i ncl i nat i on - and t hi s i s t rue i n many cases - t he
quest i on nat ural l y ari ses i n t he t hi nki ng mi nd whet her
t hi s mi ght y force cannot be harnessed and cont rol l ed
i n t he servi ce of men, j ust as have ot her forces of
Nat ure. If t hi s resul t can be accompl i shed, t hen man
may mast er habi t and set i t t o work, i nst ead of bei ng a
sl ave t o i t and servi ng i t fai t hful l y t hough
compl i ni ngs. And t he modern psychol ogi st s t el l us i n
no uncert ai n t ones t hat habi t may cert ai nl y be t hus
mast ered, harnessed and set t o work, i nst ead of bei ng
al l owed t o domi nat e one' s act i ons and charact er. And
t housands of peopl e have appl i ed t hi s new knowl edge
and have t urned t he force of habi t i nt o new channel s,
- 7 -
and have compel l ed i t t o work t hei r machi nery of
act i on, i nst ead of bei ng al l owed t o run t o wast e, or
el se permi t t ed t o sweep away t he st ruct ures t hat men
have erect ed wi t h care and expense, or t o dest roy
fert i l e ment al fi el ds.
"A habi t i s a ment al pat h over whi ch our act i ons
have t ravel ed for some t i me, each passi ng maki ng t he
pat h a l i t t l e deeper and a l i t t l e wi der. If you have t o
wal k over a fi el d or t hrough a forest , you know how
nat ural i t i s for you t o choose t he cl earest pat h i n
preference t o t he l ess worn ones, and great l y i n
preference t o st eppi ng out across t he fi el d or t hrough
t he woods and maki ng a new pat h. And t he l i ne of
ment al act i on i s preci sel y t he same. It i s movement
al ong t he l i nes of l east resi st ance - passage over t he
wel l -worn pat h. Habi t s are creat ed by repet i t i on and
are formed i n accordance t o a nat ural l aw, observabl e
i n al l ani mat e t hi ngs and some woul d say i n i nani mat e
t hi ngs as wel l . As an i nst ance of t he l at t er, i t i s
poi nt ed out t hat a pi ece of paper once fol ded i n a
cert ai n way wi l l fol d al ong t he same l i nes t he next
t i me. And al l users of sewi ng machi nes, or ot her
del i cat e pi eces of machi nery, know t hat as a machi ne
or i nst rument i s once broken i n so wi l l i t t end t o run
t hereaft er. The same l aw i s al so observabl e i n t he case
of musi cal i nst rument s. Cl ot hi ng or gl oves form i nt o
creases accordi ng t o t he person usi ng t hem, and t hese
creases once formed wi l l al ways be i n effect ,
not wi t hst andi ng repeat ed pressi ngs. Ri vers and
st reams of wat er cut t hei r courses t hrough t he l and,
and t hereaft er fl ow al ong t he habi t -course. The l aw i s
i n operat i on everywhere.
"These i l l ust rat i ons wi l l hel p you t o form t he i dea
- 8 -
of t he nat ure of habi t , and wi l l ai d you i n formi ng new
ment al pat hs - new ment al creases. And - remember
t hi s al ways - t he best (and one mi ght say t he onl y)
way i n whi ch ol d habi t s may be removed i s t o form
new habi t s t o count eract and repl ace t he undesi rabl e
ones. Form new ment al pat hs over whi ch t o t ravel , and
t he ol d ones wi l l soon become l ess di st i nct and i n t i me
wi l l pract i cal l y fi l l up from di suse. Every t i me you
t ravel over t he pat h of t he desi rabl e ment al habi t , you
make t he pat h deeper and wi der, and make i t so much
easi er t o t ravel i t t hereaft er. Thi s ment al pat h-maki ng
i s a very i mport ant t hi ng, and I cannot urge upon you
t oo st rongl y t he i nj unct i on t o st art t o work maki ng t he
desi rabl e ment al pat hs over whi ch you wi sh t o t ravel .
Pract i ce, pract i ce, pract i ce - be a good pat h-maker. "
The fol l owi ng are t he rul es of procedure t hrough
whi ch you may form t he habi t s you desi re:
Fi rst : At t he begi nni ng of t he format i on of a new
habi t put force and ent husi asm i nt o your expressi on.
Feel what you t hi nk. Remember t hat you are t aki ng t he
fi rst st eps t oward maki ng t he new ment al pat h; t hat i t
i s much harder at fi rst t han i t wi l l be aft erwards.
Make t he pat h as cl ear and as deep as you can, at t he
begi nni ng, so t hat you can readi l y see i t t he next t i me
you wi sh t o fol l ow i t .
Second: Keep your at t ent i on fi rml y concent rat ed
on t he new pat h-bui l di ng, and keep your mi nd away
from t he ol d pat hs, l est you i ncl i ne t oward t hem.
Forget al l about t he ol d pat hs, and concern yoursel f
onl y wi t h t he new ones t hat you are bui l di ng t o order.
Thi rd: Travel over your newl y made pat hs as
oft en as possi bl e. Make opport uni t i es for doi ng so,
- 9 -



IT IS A STRIKING
COINCIDENCE THAT
"AMERICAN" ENDS
WITH "I CAN."




- 10 -
wi t hout wai t i ng for t hem t o ari se t hrough l uck or
chance. The oft ener you go over t he new pat hs t he
sooner wi l l t hey become wel l worn and easi l y
t ravel ed. Creat e pl ans for passi ng over t hese new
habi t -pat hs, at t he very st art .
Fourt h: Resi st t he t empt at i on t o t ravel over t he
ol der, easi er pat hs t hat you have been usi ng i n t he
past . Every t i me you resi st a t empt at i on, t he st ronger
do you become, and t he easi er wi l l i t be for you t o do
so t he next t i me. But every t i me you yi el d t o t he
t empt at i on, t he easi er does i t become t o yi el d agai n,
and t he more di ffi cul t i t becomes t o resi st t he next
t i me. You wi l l have a fi ght on at t he st art , and t hi s i s
t he cri t i cal t i me. Prove your det ermi nat i on,
persi st ency and wi l l -power now, at t he very
begi nni ng.
Fi f t h: Be sure t hat you have mapped out t he ri ght
pat h, as your def i ni t e chi ef ai m, and t hen go ahead
wi t hout fear and wi t hout al l owi ng yoursel f t o doubt .
"Pl ace your hand upon t he pl ow, and l ook not
backward. " Sel ect your goal , t hen make good, deep,
wi de ment al pat hs l eadi ng st rai ght t o i t .
As you have al ready observed, t here i s a cl ose
rel at i onshi p bet ween habi t and Aut o-suggest i on (sel f-
suggest i on). Through habi t , an act repeat edl y
performed i n t he same manner has a t endency t o
become Permanent , and event ual l y we come t o
perform t he act aut omat i cal l y or unconsci ousl y. In
pl ayi ng a pi ano, for exampl e, t he art i st can pl ay a
fami l i ar pi ece whi l e hi s or her consci ous mi nd i s on
some ot her subj ect .
Aut o-suggest i on i s t he t ool wi t h whi ch we di g a
ment al pat h; Concent rat i on i s t he hand t hat hol ds t hat
t ool ; and Habi t i s t he map or bl uepri nt whi ch t he
- 11 -
ment al pat h fol l ows. An i dea or desi re, t o be
t ransformed i nt o t erms of act i on or physi cal real i t y,
must be hel d i n t he consci ous mi nd f ai t hf ul l y and
persi st ent l y unt i l habi t begi ns t o gi ve i t permanent
form.
Let us t urn our at t ent i on, now, t o envi ronment .
As we have al ready seen, we absorb t he mat eri al
for t hought from our surroundi ng envi ronment . The
t erm "envi ronment " covers a very broad fi el d. It
consi st s of t he books we read, t he peopl e wi t h whom
we associ at e, t he communi t y i n whi ch we l i ve, t he
nat ure of t he work i n whi ch we are engaged, t he
count ry or nat i on i n whi ch we resi de, t he cl ot hes we
wear, t he songs we si ng, and, most i mport ant of al l ,
t he rel i gi ous and i nt el l ect ual t rai ni ng we recei ve
pri or t o t he age of f ourt een years.
The purpose of anal yzi ng t he subj ect of
envi ronment i s t o show i t s di rect rel at i onshi p t o t he
personal i t y we are devel opi ng, and t he i mport ance of
so guardi ng i t t hat i t s i nfl uence wi l l gi ve us t he
mat eri al s out of whi ch we may at t ai n our def i ni t e chi ef
ai m i n l i fe.
The mi nd feeds upon t hat whi ch we suppl y i t , or
t hat whi ch i s forced upon i t , t hrough our envi ronment ;
t herefore, l et us sel ect our envi ronment , as far as
possi bl e, wi t h t he obj ect of suppl yi ng t he mi nd wi t h
sui t abl e mat eri al out of whi ch t o carry on i t s work of
at t ai ni ng our def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
If your envi ronment i s not t o your l i ki ng, change
i t !
The fi rst st ep i s t o creat e i n your own mi nd an
exact , cl ear and wel l rounded out pi ct ure of t he
envi ronment i n whi ch you bel i eve you coul d best
at t ai n your def i ni t e chi ef ai m, and t hen concent rat e
- 12 -
your mi nd upon t hi s pi ct ure unt i l you t ransform i t i nt o
real i t y.
In Lesson Two, of t hi s course, you l earned t hat
t he fi rst st ep you must t ake, i n t he accompl i shment of
any desi re, i s t o creat e i n your mi nd a dear, wel l
defi ned pi ct ure of t hat whi ch you i nt end t o
accompl i sh. Thi s i s t he fi rst pri nci pl e t o be observed
i n your pl ans for t he achi evement of success, and i f
you fai l or negl ect t o observe i t , you cannot succeed,
except by chance.
Your dai l y associ at es const i t ut e one of t he most
i mport ant and i nfl uent i al part s of your envi ronment ,
and may work for your progress or your ret rogressi on,
accordi ng t o t he nat ure of t hose associ at es. As far as
possi bl e, you shoul d sel ect as your most i nt i mat e dai l y
associ at es t hose who are i n sympat hy wi t h your ai ms
and i deal s - especi al l y t hose represent ed by your
def i ni t e chi ef ai m - and whose ment al at t i t ude i nspi res
you wi t h ent husi asm, sel f-confi dence, det ermi nat i on
and ambi t i on.
Remember t hat every word spoken wi t hi n your
heari ng, every si ght t hat reaches your eyes, and every
sense i mpressi on t hat you recei ve t hrough any of t he
fi ve senses, i nfl uences your t hought as surel y as t he
sun ri ses i n t he east and set s i n t he west . Thi s bei ng
t rue, can you not see t he i mport ance of cont rol l i ng, as
far as possi bl e, t he envi ronment i n whi ch you l i ve and
work? Can you not see t he i mport ance of readi ng
books t hat deal wi t h subj ect s whi ch are di rect l y
rel at ed t o your def i ni t e chi ef ai m? Can you not see t he
i mport ance of t al ki ng wi t h peopl e who are i n
sympat hy wi t h your ai ms, and, who wi l l encourage
you and spur you on t oward t hei r at t ai nment ?
We are l i vi ng i n what we cal l a "t went i et h
- 13 -
cent ury ci vi l i zat i on. " The l eadi ng sci ent i st s of t he
worl d are agreed t hat Nat ure has been mi l l i ons of
years i n creat i ng, t hrough t he process of evol ut i on,
our present ci vi l i zed envi ronment .
How many hundreds of cent uri es t he so-cal l ed
Indi ans had l i ved upon t he Nort h Ameri can cont i nent ,
wi t hout any appreci abl e advance t oward modem
ci vi l i zat i on, as we underst and i t , we have no way of
ascert ai ni ng. Thei r envi ronment was t he wi l derness,
and t hey made no at t empt what soever t o change or
i mprove t hat envi ronment ; t he change t ook pl ace onl y
aft er new races from afar came over and f orced upon
t hem t he envi ronment of progressi ve ci vi l i zat i on i n,
whi ch we are l i vi ng t oday.
Observe what has happened wi t hi n t he short
peri od of t hree cent uri es. Hunt i ng grounds have been
t ransformed i nt o great ci t i es, and t he Indi an has t aken
on educat i on and cul t ure, i n many i nst ances, t hat
equal t he accompl i shment of hi s whi t e brot hers. (In
Lesson Fi ft een, we di scuss t he effect s of envi ronment
from a worl dwi de vi ewpoi nt , and descri be, i n det ai l ,
t he pri nci pal of soci al heredi t y whi ch i s t he chi ef
source t hrough whi ch t he effect s of envi ronment may
be i mposed upon t he mi nds of t he young. )
The cl ot hes you wear i nfl uence you; t herefore,
t hey const i t ut e a part of your envi ronment . Soi l ed or
shabby cl ot hes depress you and l ower your sel f-
confi dence, whi l e cl ean cl ot hes, of an appropri at e
st yl e, have j ust t he opposi t e effect .
It i s a wel l known fact t hat an observant person
can accurat el y anal yze a man by seei ng hi s work-
bench, desk or ot her pl ace of empl oyment . A wel l
organi zed desk i ndi cat es a wel l organi zed brai n. Show
- 14 -
me t he merchant ' s st ock of goods and I wi l l t el l you
whet her he has an organi zed or di sorgani zed brai n, as
t here i s a cl ose rel at i onshi p bet ween one' s ment al
at t i t ude and one' s physi cal envi ronment .
The effect s of envi ronment so vi t al l y i nfl uence
t hose who work i n fact ori es, st ores and offi ces, t hat
empl oyers are gradual l y real i zi ng t he i mport ance of
creat i ng an envi ronment t hat i nspi res and encourages
t he workers.
One unusual l y progressi ve l aundryman, i n t he
ci t y of Chi cago, has pl ai nl y out done hi s compet i t ors,
by i nst al l i ng i n hi s work-room a pl ayer-pi ano, i n
charge of a neat l y dressed young woman who keeps i t
goi ng duri ng t he worki ng hours. Hi s l aundrywomen
are dressed i n whi t e uni forms, and t here i s no
evi dence about t he pl ace t hat work i s drudgery.
Through t he ai d of t hi s pl easant envi ronment , t hi s
l aundryman t urns out more work, earns more profi t s,
and pays bet t er wages t han hi s compet i t ors can pay.
Thi s bri ngs us t o an appropri at e pl ace at whi ch t o
descri be t he met hod t hrough whi ch you may appl y t he
pri nci pl es di rect l y and i ndi rect l y rel at ed t o t he subj ect
of concent rat i on.
Let us cal l t hi s met hod t he -
MAGIC KEY TO SUCCESS!
In present i ng you wi t h t hi s "Magi c Key" l et me
fi rst expl ai n t hat i t i s no i nvent i on or di scovery of
mi ne.
It i s t he same key t hat i s used, i n one form or
anot her, by t he fol l owers of New Thought and al l
ot her sect s whi ch are founded upon t he posi t i ve
phi l osophy of opt i mi sm.
Thi s Magi c Key const i t ut es an i rresi st i bl e power
whi ch al l who wi l l may use.
- 15 -



THE person who receives
no pay for his services
except that which comes
in the pay envelope is
underpaid, no matter how
much money that en-
velope may contain.


- 16 -
It wi n unl ock t he door t o ri ches!
It wi l l unl ock t he door t o fame!
And, i n many i nst ances, i t wi l l unl ock t he door t o
physi cal heal t h.
It wi l l unl ock t he door t o educat i on and l et you
i nt o t he st orehouse of al l your l at ent abi l i t y. It wi l l
act as a pass-key t o any posi t i on i n l i fe for whi ch you
are fi t t ed.
Through t he ai d of t hi s Magi c Key we have
unl ocked t he secret doors t o al l of t he worl d' s great
i nvent i ons.
Through i t s magi c powers al l of our great
geni uses of t he past have been devel oped.
Suppose you are a l aborer, i n a meni al posi t i on,
and desi re a bet t er pl ace i n l i fe. The Magi c Key wi l l
hel p you at t ai n i t ! Through i t s use Carnegi e,
Rockefel l er, Hi l l , Harri man, Morgan and scores of
ot hers of t hei r t ype have accumul at ed vast fort unes of
mat eri al weal t h.
It wi l l unl ock pri son doors and t urn human
derel i ct s i nt o useful , t rust wort hy human bei ngs. It wi l l
t urn fai l ure i nt o success and mi sery i nt o happi ness.
You ask - "What i s t hi s Magi c Key?"
And I answer wi t h one word - concent rat i on!
Now l et me defi ne concent rat i on i n t he sense t hat
i t i s here used. Fi rst , I wi sh i t t o be cl earl y underst ood
t hat I have no reference t o occul t i sm, al t hough I wi l l
admi t t hat al l t he sci ent i st s of t he worl d have fai l ed t o
expl ai n t he st range phenomena produced t hrough t he
ai d of concent rat i on.
Concent rat i on, i n t he sense i n whi ch i t i s here
used, means t he abi l i t y, t hrough fi xed habi t and
pract i ce, t o keep your mi nd on one subj ect unt i l you
- 17 -
have t horoughl y fami l i ari zed yoursel f wi t h t hat
subj ect and mast ered i t . It means t he abi l i t y t o cont rol
your at t ent i on and f ocus i t on a gi ven probl em unt i l
you have sol ved i t .
It means t he abi l i t y t o t hrow off t he effect s of
habi t s whi ch you wi sh t o di scard, and t he power t o
bui l d new habi t s t hat are more t o your l i ki ng. It means
compl et e sel f -mast ery.
St at i ng i t i n anot her way, concent rat i on i s t he
abi l i t y t o t hi nk as you wi sh t o t hi nk; t he abi l i t y t o
cont rol your t hought s and di rect t hem t o a def i ni t e
end; and t he abi l i t y t o organi ze your knowl edge i nt o a
pl an of act i on t hat i s sound and workabl e.
You can readi l y see t hat i n concent rat i ng your
mi nd upon your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe, you must
cover many cl osel y rel at ed subj ect s whi ch bl end i nt o
each ot her and compl et e t he mai n subj ect upon whi ch
you are concent rat i ng.
Ambi t i on and desi re are t he chi ef fact ors whi ch
ent er i nt o t he act of successful concent rat i on. Wi t hout
t hese fact ors t he Magi c Key i s usel ess, and t he mai n
reason why so few peopl e make use of t hi s key i s t hat
most peopl e l ack ambi t i on, and desi re not hi ng i n
part i cul ar.
Desi re what ever you may, and i f your desi re i s
wi t hi n reason and i f i t i s st rong enough t he Magi c Key
of concent rat i on wi l l hel p you at t ai n i t . There are
l earned men of sci ence who woul d have us bel i eve
t hat t he wonderful power of prayer operat es t hrough
t he pri nci pl e of concent rat i on on t he at t ai nment of a
deepl y seat ed desi re.
Not hi ng was ever creat ed by a human bei ng whi ch
was not fi rst creat ed i n t he i magi nat i on, t hrough
- 18 -
desi re, and t hen t ransformed i nt o real i t y t hrough
concent rat i on.
Now, l et us put t he Magi c Key t o a t est , t hrough
t he ai d of a defi ni t e formul a.
Fi rst , you must put your foot on t he neck of
skept i ci sm and doubt ! No unbel i ever ever enj oyed t he
benefi t s of t hi s Magi c Key. You must bel i eve i n t he
t est t hat you are about t o make.
We wi l l assume t hat you have t hought somet hi ng
about becomi ng a successful wri t er, or a powerful
publ i c speaker, or a successful busi ness execut i ve, or
an abl e fi nanci er. We wi l l t ake publ i c speaki ng as t he
subj ect of t hi s t est , but remember t hat you must
fol l ow i nst ruct i ons t o t he l et t er.
Take a pl ai n sheet of paper, ordi nary l et t er si ze,
and wri t e on i t t he fol l owi ng:

I am goi ng t o become a powerf ul publ i c speaker
because t hi s wi l l enabl e me t o render t he worl d usef ul
servi ce t hat i s needed - and because i t wi l l yi el d me a
f i nanci al ret urn t hat wi l l provi de me wi t h t he
necessary mat eri al t hi ngs of l i f e.
I wi l l concent rat e my mi nd upon t hi s desi re f or
t en mi nut es dai l y, j ust bef ore ret i ri ng at ni ght and j ust
af t er ari si ng i n t he morni ng, f or t he purpose of
det ermi ni ng j ust how I shal l proceed t o t ransf orm i t
i nt o real i t y.
I know t hat I can become a powerf ul and
magnet i c speaker, t heref ore I wi l l permi t not hi ng t o
i nt erf ere wi t h my doi ng so.

(Si gned.

Si gn t hi s pl edge, t hen proceed t o do as you have
- 19 -
pl edged your word t hat you woul d do. Keep i t up unt i l
t he desi red resul t s have been real i zed.
Now, when you come t o do your concent rat i ng,
t hi s i s t he way t o go about i t : Look ahead one, t hree,
fi ve or even t en years, and see yoursel f as t he most
powerful speaker of your t i me. See, i n your
i magi nat i on, an appropri at e i ncome. See yoursel f i n
your own home t hat you have purchased wi t h t he
proceeds from your effort s as a speaker or l ect urer.
See yoursel f i n possessi on of a ni ce bank account as a
reserve for ol d age. See yoursel f as a person of
i nfl uence, due t o your great abi l i t y as a publ i c
speaker. See yoursel f engaged i n a l i fe-cal l i ng i n
whi ch you wi l l not fear t he l oss of your posi t i on.
Pai nt t hi s pi ct ure cl earl y, t hrough t he powers of
your i magi nat i on, and l o! i t wi l l soon become
t ransformed i nt o a beaut i ful pi ct ure of deepl y seat ed
desi re. Use t hi s desi re as t he chi ef obj ect of your
concent rat i on and observe what happens.
You now have t he secret of t he Magi c Key!
Do not underest i mat e t he power of t he Magi c Key
because i t di d not come t o you cl ot hed i n myst i ci sm,
or because i t i s descri bed i n l anguage whi ch al l who
wi l l may underst and. Al l great t rut hs are si mpl e i n
fi nal anal ysi s, and easi l y underst ood; i f t hey are not
t hey are not great t rut hs.
Use t hi s Magi c Key wi t h i nt el l i gence, and onl y
for t he at t ai nment of wort hy ends, and i t wi l l bri ng
you enduri ng happi ness and success. Forget t he
mi st akes you have made and t he fai l ures you-have
experi enced. Qui t l i vi ng i n t he past , for do you not
know t hat your yest erdays never ret urn? St art al l over
agai n, i f your previ ous effort s have not t urned out
- 20 -
wel l , and make t he next fi ve or t en years t el l a st ory
of success t hat wi l l sat i sfy your most l oft y ambi t i ons.
Make a name for yoursel f and render t he worl d a
great servi ce, t hrough ambi t i on, desi re and
concent rat ed ef f ort !
You can do i t i f you BELIEVE you can!
Thus endet h t he Magi c Key.

The presence of any i dea or t hought i n your
consci ousness t ends t o produce an "associ at ed" feel i ng
and t o urge you t o appropri at e or correspondi ng
act i on. Hol d a deepl y seat ed desi re i n your
consci ousness, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of concent rat i on,
and i f you do i t wi t h ful l fai t h i n i t s real i zat i on your
act at t ract s t o your ai d powers whi ch t he ent i re
sci ent i fi c worl d has fai l ed t o underst and or expl ai n
wi t h a reasonabl e hypot hesi s.
When you become fami l i ar wi t h t he powers of
concent rat i on you wi l l t hen underst and t he reason for
choosi ng a def i ni t e chi ef ai m as t he fi rst st ep i n t he
at t ai nment of enduri ng success.
Concent rat e your mi nd upon t he at t ai nment of t he
obj ect of a deepl y seat ed desi re and very soon you
wi l l become a l ode-st one t hat at t ract s, t hrough t he ai d
of forces whi ch no man can expl ai n, t he necessary
mat eri al count erpart s of t hat desi re, a st at ement of
fact whi ch paves t he way for t he descri pt i on of a
pri nci pl e whi ch const i t ut es t he most i mport ant part of
t hi s l esson, i f not , i n fact , t he most i mport ant part of
t he ent i re course, vi z. :

When t wo or more peopl e al l y t hemsel ves, i n a
spi ri t of perf ect harmony, f or t he purpose of at t ai ni ng
- 21 -


YOU have a tremendous
advantage over the
person who slanders you
or does you a wilful
injustice; you have it
within your power to
FORGIVE that person.



- 22 -
a def i ni t e end, i f t hat al l i ance i s f ai t hf ul l y observed
by al l of whom i t i s composed, t he al l i ance bri ngs, t o
each of t hose of whom i t i s composed, power t hat i s
superhuman and seemi ngl y i rresi st i bl e i n nat ure.

Back of t he foregoi ng st at ement i s a l aw, t he
nat ure of whi ch sci ence has not yet det ermi ned, and i t
i s t hi s l aw t hat I have had i n mi nd i n connect i on wi t h
my repeat ed st at ement s concerni ng t he power of
organi zed ef f ort whi ch you wi l l not i ce t hroughout t hi s
course.
In chemi st ry we l earn t hat t wo or more el ement s
may be so compounded t hat t he resul t i s somet hi ng
ent i rel y di fferent i n nat ure, from any of t he i ndi vi dual
el ement s. For exampl e, ordi nary wat er, known i n
chemi st ry under t he formul a of H
2
O, i s a compound
consi st i ng of t wo at oms of hydrogen and one at om of
oxygen, but wat er i s nei t her hydrogen nor oxygen.
Thi s "marryi ng" of el ement s creat es an ent i rel y
di f f erent subst ance f rom t hat of ei t her of i t s
component part s.
The same l aw t hrough whi ch t hi s t ransformat i on
of physi cal el ement s t akes pl ace may be responsi bl e
for t he seemi ngl y superhuman powers resul t i ng from
t he al l i ance of t wo or more peopl e, i n a perf ect st at e
of harmony and underst andi ng, for t he at t ai nment of a
gi ven end.
Thi s worl d, and al l mat t er of whi ch t he ot her
pl anet s consi st , i s made up of el ect rons (an el ect ron
bei ng t he smal l est known anal yzabl e uni t of mat t er,
and resembl i ng, i n nat ure, what we cal l el ect ri ci t y, or
a form of energy). On t he ot her hand, t hought , and
t hat whi ch we cal l t he "mi nd, " i s al so a form of
energy; i n fact i t i s t he hi ghest form of energy known.
- 23 -
Thought , i n ot her words, i s organi zed energy, and i t i s
not i mprobabl e t hat t hought i s exact l y t he same sort of
energy as t hat whi ch we generat e wi t h an el ect ri c
dynamo, al t hough of a much more hi ghl y organi zed
form.
Now, i f al l mat t er, i n fi nal anal ysi s, consi st s of
groups of el ect rons, whi ch are not hi ng more t han a
form of energy whi ch we cal l el ect ri ci t y, and i f t he
mi nd i s not hi ng but a form of hi ghl y organi zed
el ect ri ci t y, do you not see how i t i s possi bl e t hat t he
l aws whi ch affect mat t er may al so govern t he mi nd?
And i f combi ni ng t wo or more el ement s of mat t er,
i n t he proper proport i on and under t he ri ght
condi t i ons, wi l l produce somet hi ng ent i rel y di fferent
from t hose ori gi nal el ement s (as i n t he case of H
2
O),
do you not see how i t i s possi bl e so t o combi ne t he
energy of t wo or more mi nds t hat t he resul t wi l l be a
sort of composi t e mi nd t hat i s t ot al l y di fferent from
t he i ndi vi dual mi nds of whi ch i t consi st s?
You have undoubt edl y not i ced t he manner i n
whi ch; you are i nfl uenced whi l e i n t he presence of
ot her peopl e. Some peopl e i nspi re you wi t h opt i mi sm
and ent husi asm. Thei r very presence seems t o
st i mul at e your own mi nd t o great er act i on, and, t hi s
not onl y "seems" t o be t rue, but i t i s t rue. You have
not i ced t hat t he presence of ot hers had a t endency t o
l ower your vi t al i t y and depress you; a t endency whi ch
I can assure you was very real !
What , do you i magi ne, coul d be t he cause of t hese
changes t hat come over us when we come wi t hi n a
cert ai n range of ot her peopl e, unl ess i t i s t he change
resul t i ng from t he bl endi ng or combi ni ng of t hei r
mi nds wi t h our own, t hrough t he operat i on of a l aw
- 24 -
t hat i s not very wel l underst ood, but resembl es (i f, i n
fact , i t i s not t he same l aw) t he l aw t hrough whi ch t he
combi ni ng of t wo at oms of hydrogen and one at om of
oxygen produces wat er.
I have no sci ent i fi c basi s for t hi s hypot hesi s, but
I have gi ven i t many years of seri ous t hought and
al ways I come t o t he concl usi on t hat i t i s at l east a
sound hypot hesi s, al t hough I have no possi bl e way, as
yet , of reduci ng i t t o a provabl e hypot hesi s.
You need no proof, however, t hat t he presence of
some peopl e i nspi res you, whi l e t he presence of ot hers
depresses you, as you know t hi s t o be a fact . Now i t
st ands t o reason t hat t he person who i nspi res you and
arouses your mi nd t o a st at e of great er act i vi t y gi ves
you more power t o achi eve, whi l e t he person whose
presence depresses you and l owers your vi t al i t y, or
causes you t o di ssi pat e i t i n usel ess, di sorgani zed
t hought , has j ust t he opposi t e effect on you. You can
underst and t hi s much wi t hout t he ai d of a hypot hesi s
and wi t hout furt her proof t han t hat whi ch you have
experi enced t i me aft er t i me.
Come back, now, t o t he ori gi nal st at ement t hat :
"When t wo or more peopl e al l y t hemsel ves, i n a
spi ri t of perf ect harmony, for t he purpose of at t ai ni ng
a defi ni t e end, i f t hat al l i ance i s f ai t hf ul l y observed by
al l of whom i t i s composed, t he al l i ance bri ngs, t o
each of t hose of whom i t i s composed, power t hat i s
superhuman and seemi ngl y i rresi st i bl e i n nat ure. "
St udy, cl osel y, t he emphasi zed part of t he
foregoi ng st at ement , for t here you wi l l fi nd t he
"ment al formul a" whi ch, i f not fai t hful l y observed,
dest roys t he effect of t he whol e.
One at om of hydrogen combi ned wi t h one at om of
- 25 -
oxygen wi l l not produce wat er, nor wi l l an al l i ance i n
name onl y, t hat i s not accompani ed by "a spi ri t of
perf ect harmony" (bet ween t hose formi ng t he
al l i ance), produce "power t hat i s superhuman and
seemi ngl y i rresi st i bl e i n nat ure. "
I have i n mi nd a fami l y of mount ai n-fol k who, for
more t han si x generat i ons, have l i ved i n t he
mount ai nous sect i on of Kent ucky. Generat i on aft er
generat i on of t hi s fami l y came and went wi t hout any
not i ceabl e i mprovement of a ment al nat ure, each
generat i on fol l owi ng i n t he foot st eps of i t s ancest ors.
They made t hei r l i vi ng from t he soi l , and as far as
t hey knew, or cared, t he uni verse consi st ed of a l i t t l e
spot of t erri t ory known as Let cher Count y. They
marri ed st ri ct l y i n t hei r own "set , " and i n t hei r own
communi t y.
Fi nal l y, one of t he members of t hi s fami l y st rayed
away from t he fl ock, so t o speak, and marri ed a wel l
educat ed and hi ghl y cul t ured woman from t he
nei ghbor-st at e of Vi rgi ni a. Thi s woman was one of
t hose t ypes of ambi t i ous peopl e who had l earned t hat
t he uni verse ext ended beyond t he border l i ne of
Let cher Count y, and covered, at l east , t he whol e of
t he sout hern st at es. She had heard of chemi st ry, and of
bot any, and of bi ol ogy, and of pat hol ogy, and of
psychol ogy, and of many ot her subj ect s t hat were of
i mport ance i n t he fi el d of educat i on. When her
chi l dren began t o come al ong t o t he age of
underst andi ng, she t al ked t o t hem of t hese subj ect s;
and t hey, i n t urn, began t o show a keen i nt erest i n
t hem.
One of her chi l dren i s now t he presi dent of a
great educat i onal i nst i t ut i on, where most of t hese
subj ect s, and many ot hers of equal i mport ance, are
- 26 -
t aught . Anot her one of t hem i s a promi nent l awyer,
whi l e st i l l anot her i s a successful physi ci an.
Her husband (t hanks t o t he i nfl uence of her mi nd)
i s a wel l known dent al surgeon, and t he fi rst of hi s
fami l y, for si x generat i ons, t o break away from t he
t radi t i ons by whi ch t he fami l y had been bound.
The bl endi ng of her mi nd wi t h hi s gave hi m t he
needed st i mul us t o spur hi m on and i nspi red hi m wi t h
ambi t i on such as he woul d never have known wi t hout
her i nf l uence.
For many years I have been st udyi ng t he
bi ographi es of t hose whom t he worl d cal l s great , and
i t seems t o me more t han a mere coi nci dence t hat i n
every i nst ance where t he fact s were avai l abl e t he
person who was real l y responsi bl e for t he great ness
was i n t he background, behi nd t he scenes, and sel dom
heard of by t he hero-worshi pi ng publ i c. Not
i nfrequent l y i s t hi s "hi dden power" a pat i ent l i t t l e
wi fe who has i nspi red her husband and urged hi m on
t o great achi evement , as was t rue i n t he case I have
j ust descri bed.
Henry Ford i s one of t he modem mi racl es of t hi s
age, and I doubt t hat t hi s count ry, or any ot her, ever
produced an i ndust ri al geni us of hi s equal . If t he f act s
were known (and perhaps t hey are known) t hey mi ght
t race t he cause of Mr. Ford' s phenomenal
achi evement s t o a woman of whom t he publ i c hears
but l i t t l e - hi s wi f e!
We read of Ford' s achi evement s and of hi s
enormous i ncome and i magi ne hi m t o be bl essed wi t h
mat chl ess abi l i t y; and he i s - abi l i t y of whi ch t he
worl d woul d never have heard had i t not been for t he
modi fyi ng i nfl uence of hi s wi fe, who has co-operat ed
- 27 -



DEFEAT, like a headache,
warns us that something
has gone wrong. If we are
intelligent we look for the
cause and profit by the
experience.



- 28 -
wi t h hi m, duri ng al l t he years of hi s st ruggl e, "i n a
spi ri t of perf ect harmony, f or t he purpose of at t ai ni ng
a def i ni t e end. "
I have i n mi nd anot her geni us who i s wel l known
t o t he ent i re ci vi l i zed worl d, Thomas A. Edi son. Hi s
i nvent i ons are so wel l known t hat t hey need not be
named. Every t i me you press a but t on and t urn on an
el ect ri c l i ght , or hear a phonograph pl ayi ng, you
shoul d t hi nk of Edi son, for i t was he who perfect ed
bot h t he i ncandescent l i ght and t he modem
phonograph. Every t i me you see a movi ng pi ct ure you
shoul d t hi nk of Edi son, for i t was hi s geni us, more
t han t hat of any ot her person, who made t hi s great
ent erpri se possi bl e.
But , as i n t he case of Henry Ford, back of Mr.
Edi son st ands one of t he most remarkabl e women i n
Ameri ca - hi s wi fe! No one out si de of t he Edi son
fami l y, and perhaps a very few i nt i mat e personal
fri ends of t hei rs, knows t o what ext ent her i nfl uence
has made Edi son' s achi evement s possi bl e. Mrs. Edi son
once t ol d me t hat Mr. Edi son' s out st andi ng qual i t y,
t he one whi ch, above al l ot hers, was hi s great est asset ,
was t hat of -
Concent rat i on!
When Mr. Edi son st art s a l i ne of experi ment or
research or i nvest i gat i on; he never "l et s go" unt i l he
ei t her fi nds t hat for whi ch he i s l ooki ng or exhaust s
every possi bl e effort t o do so.
Back of Mr. Edi son st and t wo great powers; one
i s concent rat i on and t he ot her i s Mrs. Edi son!
Ni ght aft er ni ght Mr. Edi son has worked wi t h
such ent husi asm t hat he requi red but t hree or four
hours of sl eep. (Observe what was sai d about t he
- 29 -
sust ai ni ng effect s of ent husi asm i n Lesson Seven of
t hi s course. )
Pl ant a t i ny appl e seed i n t he ri ght sort of soi l , at
t he ri ght t i me of t he year, and gradual l y i t wi l l burst
fort h i nt o a t i ny spri g, and t hen i t wi l l expand and
grow i nt o an appl e t ree. That t ree does not come from
t he soi l , nor does i t come from t he el ement s of t he ai r,
but f rom bot h of t hese sources, and t he man has not
yet l i ved who coul d expl ai n t he l aw t hat at t ract s from
t he ai r and t he soi l t he combi nat i on of cel l s of whi ch
t hat appl e t ree consi st s.
The t ree does not come out of t he t i ny appl e seed,
but , t hat seed i s t he begi nni ng of t he t ree.
When t wo or more peopl e al l y t hemsel ves, "i n a
spi ri t o f perf ect harmony, f or t he purpose of at t ai ni ng
a def i ni t e end, " t he end, i t sel f, or t he desi re back of
t hat end, may be l i kened t o t he appl e seed, and t he
bl endi ng of t he forces of energy of t he t wo or more
mi nds may be l i kened t o t he ai r and t he soi l out of
whi ch come t he el ement s t hat form t he mat eri al
obj ect s of t hat desi re.
The power back of t he at t ract i on and combi nat i on
of t hese forces of t he mi nd can no more be expl ai ned
t han can t he power back of t he combi nat i on of
el ement s out of whi ch an appl e t ree "grows. "
But t he al l -i mport ant t hi ng i s t hat an appl e t ree
wi l l "grow" from a seed t hus properl y pl ant ed, an
great achi evement wi l l fol l ow t he syst emat i c bl endi ng
of t wo or more mi nds wi t h a defi ni t e obj ect i n vi ew.
In Lesson Thi rt een you wi l l see t hi s pri nci pl e of
al l i ed effort carri ed t o proport i ons whi ch al most
st agger t he i magi nat i on of al l who have not t rai ned
t hemsel ves t o t hi nk i n t erms of organi zed t hought !
Thi s course, i t sel f, i s a very concret e i l l ust rat i on
- 30 -
of t he pri nci pl e underl yi ng t hat whi ch we have t ermed
organi zed ef f ort , but you wi l l observe t hat i t requi res
t he ent i re si xt een l essons t o compl et e t he descri pt i on
of t hi s pri nci pl e. Omi t a si ngl e one of t he si xt een
l essons and t he omi ssi on woul d affect t he whol e as t he
removal of one l i nk woul d affect t he whol e of a chai n.
As I have al ready st at ed i n many di fferent ways,
and for t he purpose of emphasi s, I now repeat : t here i s
a wel l founded hypot hesi s t hat when one concent rat es
one' s mi nd upon a gi ven subj ect , fact s of a nat ure t hat
i s cl osel y rel at ed t o t hat subj ect wi l l "pour" i n from
every concei vabl e source. The t heory i s t hat a deepl y
seat ed desi re, when once pl ant ed i n t he ri ght sort of
"ment al soi l , " serves as a cent er of at t ract i on or
magnet t hat at t ract s t o i t everyt hi ng t hat harmoni zes
wi t h t he nat ure of t he desi re.
Dr. El mer Gat es, of Washi ngt on, D. C. , i s perhaps
one of t he most compet ent psychol ogi st s i n t he worl d.
He i s recogni zed bot h i n t he fi el d of psychol ogy and
i n ot her di rect l y and i ndi rect l y rel at ed fi el ds of
sci ence, t hroughout t he worl d, as bei ng a man of t he
hi ghest sci ent i fi c st andi ng.
Come wi t h me, for a moment , and st udy hi s
met hods!
Aft er Dr. Gat es has fol l owed a l i ne of
i nvest i gat i on as far as possi bl e t hrough t he usual
channel s of research, and has avai l ed hi msel f of al l
t he recorded fact s at hi s command, on a gi ven subj ect ,
he t hen t akes a penci l and a t abl et and "si t s" for
furt her i nformat i on, by concent rat i ng hi s mi nd on t hat
subj ect unt i l t hought s rel at ed t o i t begi n t o FLOW IN
UPON HIM. He wri t es down t hese t hought s, as t hey
- 31 -
come (from he knows not where). He t ol d me t hat
many of hi s most i mport ant di scoveri es came t hrough
t hi s met hod. It was more t han t went y years ago t hat I
fi rst t al ked wi t h Dr. Gat es on t hi s subj ect . Si nce t hat
t i me, t hrough t he di scovery of t he radi o pri nci pl e, we
have been provi ded wi t h a reasonabl e hypot hesi s
t hrough whi ch t o expl ai n t he resul t s of t hese
"si t t i ngs, " vi z. :
The et her, as we have di scovered t hrough t he
modern radi o apparat us, i s i n a const ant st at e of
agi t at i on. Sound waves are fl oat i ng t hrough t he et her
at al l t i mes, but t hese waves cannot be det ect ed,
beyond a short di st ance from t hei r source, except by
t he ai d of properl y at t uned i nst rument s.
Now, i t seems reasonabl e t o suppose t hat t hought ,
bei ng t he most hi ghl y organi zed form of energy
known, i s const ant l y sendi ng waves t hrough t he et her,
but t hese waves, l i ke t hose of sound, can onl y be
det ect ed and correct l y i nt erpret ed by a properl y
at t uned mi nd.
There i s no doubt t hat when Dr. Gat es sat down i n
a room and pl aced hi msel f i n a qui et , passi ve st at e of
mi nd, t he domi nat i ng t hought s i n hi s mi nd served as a
magnet i c force t hat at t ract ed t he rel at ed or si mi l ar
t hought waves of ot hers as t hey passed t hrough t he
et her about hi m.
Taki ng t he hypot hesi s j ust a st ep furt her, i t has
occurred t o me many t i mes si nce t he di scovery of t he
modern radi o pri nci pl e, t hat every t hought t hat has
ever been rel eased i n organi zed f orm, f rom t he mi nd
of any human bei ng, i s st i l l i n exi st ence i n t he f orm of
a wave i n t he et her, and i s const ant l y passi ng around
and around i n a great endl ess ci rcl e; t hat t he act of
concent rat i ng one' s mi nd upon a gi ven subj ect wi t h
- 32 -
i nt ensi t y sends out t hought waves whi ch reach and
bl end wi t h t hose of a rel at ed or si mi l ar nat ure, t hereby
est abl i shi ng a di rect l i ne of communi cat i on bet ween
t he one doi ng t he concent rat i ng and t he t hought s of a
si mi l ar nat ure whi ch have been previ ousl y set i nt o
mot i on.
Goi ng st i l l a st ep furt her, may i t not be possi bl e
for one so t o at t une hi s mi nd and harmoni ze t he rat e
of vi brat i on of t hought wi t h t he rat e of vi brat i on of
t he et her t hat al l knowl edge t hat has been accumul at ed
t hrough t he organi zed t hought s of t he past i s
avai l abl e?
Wi t h t hese hypot heses i n mi nd, go back t o Lesson
Two, of t hi s course, and st udy Carnegi e' s descri pt i on
of t he "mast er mi nd" t hrough whi ch he accumul at ed
hi s great fort une.
When Carnegi e formed an al l i ance bet ween more
t han a score of careful l y sel ect ed mi nds, he creat ed,
by t hat means of compoundi ng mi nd power, one of t he
st rongest i ndust ri al forces t hat t he worl d has ever
wi t nessed. Wi t h a few not abl e (and very di sast rous)
except i ons, t he men const i t ut i ng t he "mast er mi nd"
whi ch Carnegi e creat ed t hought and act ed as one!
And, t hat "mast er mi nd" (composed of many
i ndi vi dual mi nds) was concent rat ed upon a si ngl e
purpose, t he nat ure of whi ch i s fami l i ar t o everyone
who knew Mr. Carnegi e; part i cul arl y t hose who were
compet i ng wi t h hi m i n t he st eel busi ness.
If you have fol l owed Henry Ford' s record, even
sl i ght l y, you undoubt edl y have observed t hat
concent rat ed ef f ort has been one of t he out st andi ng
feat ures of hi s career. Nearl y t hi rt y years ago he
adopt ed a pol i cy of st andardi zat i on as t o t he general
- 33 -


IS it not strange that the
word "Boomerang" has been
in the dictionary all these
years without its having
become generally known
that a "Boomerang" is an
instrument which comes
back and may wound the
hand that throws it?

- 34 -
t ype of aut omobi l e t hat he woul d bui l d, and he
consi st ent l y mai nt ai ned t hat pol i cy unt i l . t he change
i n publ i c demand forced hi m, i n 1927, t o change i t .
A few years ago, I met t he former chi ef engi neer
of t he Ford pl ant , and he t ol d me of an i nci dent t hat
happened duri ng t he earl y st ages of Mr. Ford' s
aut omobi l e experi ence whi ch very cl earl y poi nt s t o
concent rat ed ef f ort as bei ng one of hi s promi nent
fundament al s of economi c phi l osophy.
On t hi s occasi on t he engi neers of t he Ford pl ant
had gat hered i n t he engi neeri ng offi ce for t he purpose
of di scussi ng a proposed change i n t he desi gn of t he
rear axl e const ruct i on of t he Ford aut omobi l e. Mr.
Ford st ood around and l i st ened t o t he di scussi on unt i l
each man had had hi s "say, " t hen he wal ked over t o
t he t abl e, t apped t he drawi ng of t he proposed axl e
wi t h hi s fi nger, and sai d:
"Now l i st en! t he axl e we are usi ng does t he work
for whi ch i t was i nt ended, and does i t wel l , and t here' s
goi ng t o be no more change i n t hat axl e!"
He t urned and wal ked away, and from t hat day
unt i l t hi s t he rear axl e const ruct i on of t he Ford
aut omobi l e has remai ned subst ant i al l y t he same. It i s
not i mprobabl e t hat Mr. Ford' s success i n bui l di ng and
market i ng aut omobi l es has been due, very l argel y, t o
hi s pol i cy of consi st ent l y concent rat i ng hi s effort s
back of one pl an, wi t h but one def i ni t e purpose i n
mi nd at a t i me.
A few years ago I read Edward Bok' s book, The
Man From Mai ne, whi ch i s t he bi ography of hi s
fat her-i n-l aw, Mr. Cyrus H. K. Curt i s, t he owner of
t he Sat urday Eveni ng Post , t he Ladi es' Home j ournal ,
and several ot her publ i cat i ons. Al l t hrough t he book
- 35 -
I not i ced t hat t he out st andi ng feat ure of Mr. Curt i s'
phi l osophy was t hat of concent rat i on of effort back of
a def i ni t e purpose.
Duri ng t he earl y days of hi s ownershi p of t he
Sat urday Eveni ng Post , when he was pouri ng money
i nt o a l osi ng vent ure by t he hundreds of t housands of
dol l ars, i t requi red concent rat ed ef f ort t hat was
backed by courage such as but few men possess, t o
enabl e hi m t o "carry on. "
Read The Man From Mai ne. It i s a spl endi d
l esson on t he subj ect of concent rat i on, and support s,
t o t he smal l est det ai l , t he fundament al s upon whi ch
t hi s l esson i s based.
The Sat urday Eveni ng Post i s now one of t he most
profi t abl e magazi nes i n t he worl d, but i t s name woul d
have been l ong si nce forgot t en had not Mr. Curt i s
concent rat ed hi s at t ent i on and his fort une on t he one
def i ni t e purpose of maki ng i t a great magazi ne.

We have seen what an i mport ant part envi ronment
and habi t pl ay i n connect i on wi t h t he subj ect of
concent rat i on. We shal l now di scuss, bri efl y, a t hi rd
subj ect whi ch i s no l ess rel at ed t o t he subj ect of
concent rat i on t han are t he ot her t wo, namel y, memory.
The pri nci pl es t hrough whi ch an accurat e,
unfal t eri ng memory may be t rai ned are few, and
comparat i vel y si mpl e; vi z. :
1. Ret ent i on: The recei vi ng of a sense i mpressi on
t hrough one or more of t he fi ve senses, and t he
recordi ng of t hi s i mpressi on, i n orderl y fashi on, i n t he
mi nd. Thi s process may be l i kened t o t he recordi ng of
s pi ct ure on t he sensi t i zed pl at e of a camera or kodak.
- 36 -
2. Recal l : The revi vi ng or recal l i ng i nt o t he
consci ous mi nd of t hose sense i mpressi ons whi ch have
been recorded i n t he sub-consci ous mi nd. Thi s process
may be compared t o t he act of goi ng t hrough a card
i ndex and pul l i ng out a card on whi ch i nformat i on had
been previ ousl y recorded.
3. Recogni t i on: The abi l i t y t o recogni ze a sense
i mpressi on when i t i s cal l ed i nt o t he consci ous mi nd,
and t o i dent i fy i t as bei ng a dupl i cat e of t he ori gi nal
i mpressi on, and t o associ at e i t wi t h t he ori gi nal source
from whi ch i t came when i t was fi rst recorded. Thi s
process enabl es us t o di st i ngui sh bet ween "memory"
and "i magi nat i on. "
These are t he t hree pri nci pl es t hat ent er i nt o t he
act of rememberi ng. Now l et us make appl i cat i on of
t hese pri nci pl es and det ermi ne how t o use t hem
effect i vel y, whi ch may be done as fol l ows:
Fi rst : When you wi sh t o be sure of your abi l i t y t o
recal l a sense i mpressi on, such as a name, dat e or
pl ace, be sure t o make t he i mpressi on vi vi d by
concent rat i ng your at t ent i on upon i t t o t he fi nest
det ai l . An effect i ve way t o do t hi s i s t o repeat , several
t i mes, t hat whi ch you wi sh t o remember. Just as a
phot ographer must gi ve an "exposure" proper t i me t o
record i t sel f on t he sensi t i zed pl at e of t he camera, so
must we gi ve t he sub-consci ous mi nd t i me t o record
properl y and cl earl y any sense i mpressi on t hat we
wi sh t o be abl e t o recal l wi t h readi ness.
Second: Associ at e t hat whi ch you wi sh t o
remember wi t h some ot her obj ect , name, pl ace or dat e
wi t h whi ch you are qui t e fami l i ar, and whi ch you can
easi l y recal l when you wi sh, as, for exampl e, t he name
of your home t own, your cl ose fri end, t he dat e of your
- 37 -
bi rt h, et c. , for your mi nd wi l l t hen fi l e away t he sense
i mpressi on t hat you wi sh t o be abl e t o recal l , wi t h t he
one t hat you can easi l y recal l , so t hat when bri ngi ng
fort h one i nt o t he consci ous mi nd i t bri ngs, al so, t he
ot her one wi t h i t .
Thi rd: Repeat t hat whi ch you wi sh t o remember, a
number of t i mes, at t he same t i me concent rat i ng your
mi nd upon i t , j ust as you woul d fi x your mi nd on a
cert ai n hour at whi ch you wi shed t o ari se i n t he
morni ng, whi ch, as you know, i nsures your awakeni ng
at t hat preci se hour. The common fai l i ng of not bei ng
abl e t o remember t he names of ot her peopl e, whi ch
most of us have, i s due ent i rel y t o t he fact t hat we do
not properl y record t he name i n t he fi rst pl ace. When
you are i nt roduced t o a person whose name you wi sh
t o be abl e t o recal l at wi l l , repeat t hat name four or
fi ve t i mes, fi rst maki ng sure t hat you underst ood t he
name correct l y. If t he name i s si mi l ar t o t hat of some
person whom you know wel l , associ at e t he t wo names
t oget her, t hi nki ng of bot h as you repeat t he name of
t he one whose name you wi sh t o be abl e t o recal l .
If someone gi ves you a l et t er t o be mai l ed, l ook
at t he l et t er, t hen i ncrease i t s si ze, i n your
i magi nat i on, and see i t hangi ng over a l et t er-box. Fi x
i n your mi nd a l et t er approxi mat el y t he si ze of a door,
and associ at e i t wi t h a l et t er box, and you wi l l observe
t hat t he fi rst l et t er box you pass on t he st reet wi l l
cause you t o recal l t hat bi g, odd-l ooki ng l et t er, whi ch
you have i n your pocket .
Suppose t hat you were i nt roduced t o a l ady whose
name was El i zabet h Shearer, and you wi shed t o be
abl e t o recal l her name at wi l l . As you repeat her
name associ at e wi t h i t a l arge pai r of sci ssors, say t en
- 38 -
feet i n l engt h, and Queen El i zabet h, and you wi l l
observe t hat t he recal l i ng of ei t her t he l arge pai r of
sci ssors or t he name of Queen El i zabet h wi l l hel p you
recal l , al so, t he name of El i zabet h Shearer.
If you wi sh t o be abl e t o remember t he name of
Ll oyd Kei t h, j ust repeat t he name several t i mes and
associ at e wi t h i t t he name of Ll oyd George and
Kei t h' s Theat er, ei t her of whi ch you can easi l y recal l
at wi l l .
The l aw of associ at i on i s t he most i mport ant
feat ure of a wel l t rai ned memory, yet i t i s a very
si mpl e l aw. Al l you have t o do t o make use of i t i s t o
record t he name of t hat whi ch you wi sh t o remember
wi t h t he name of t hat whi ch you can readi l y
remember, and t he recal l i ng of one bri ngs wi t h i t t he
ot her.
Nearl y t en years ago a fri end gave me hi s
resi dence t el ephone number, i n Mi l waukee,
Wi sconsi n, and al t hough I di d not wri t e i t down I
remember i t t oday as wel l as I di d t he day he gave i t
t o me. Thi s i s t he way t hat I recorded i t :
The number and exchange were Lakevi ew 2651.
At t he t i me he gave me t he number we were
st andi ng at t he rai l road st at i on, i n si ght of Lake
Mi chi gan; t herefore, I used t he l ake as an associ at ed
obj ect wi t h whi ch t o fi l e t he name of t he t el ephone
exchange. It so happened t hat t he t el ephone number
was made up of t he age of my brot her, who was 26,
and my fat her, who was 51, t herefore I associ at ed
t hei r names wi t h t he number, t hus i nsuri ng i t s recal l .
To recal l t he t el ephone exchange and number,
t herefore, I had onl y t o t hi nk of Lake Mi chi gan, my
brot her and my fat her.
An acquai nt ance of mi ne found hi msel f t o be
sufferi ng from what i s ordi nari l y cal l ed a "wanderi ng
- 39 -


DO you see that "lucky"
fellow over there who holds
a position through "pull"?
Let me whisper a secret in
your ear - Fate is standing
in wait for him just around
the corner, with a stuffed
club, and it is not stuffed
with cotton.

- 40 -
mi nd. " He was becomi ng "absent -mi nded" and unabl e
t o remember. Let hi m t el l you, i n hi s own words
whi ch fol l ow, how he overcame t hi s handi cap:
"I am fi ft y years ol d. For a decade I have been a
depart ment manager i n a l arge fact ory. At fi rst my
dut i es were easy, t hen t he fi rm had a rapi d expansi on
of busi ness whi ch gave me added responsi bi l i t i es.
Several of t he young men i n my depart ment devel oped
unusual energy and abi l i t y - at l east one of t hem had
hi s eye on my j ob.
"I had reached t he age i n l i fe when a man l i kes t o
be comfort abl e and, havi ng been wi t h t he company a
l ong t i me, I fel t t hat I coul d safel y set t l e back i nt o an
easy bert h. The effect of t hi s ment al at t i t ude was wel l
ni gh di sast rous t o my posi t i on.
"About t wo years ago I not i ced t hat my power of
concent rat i on was weakeni ng and my dut i es were
becomi ng i rksome. I negl ect ed my correspondence
unt i l I l ooked wi t h dread upon t he formi dabl e pi l e of
l et t ers; report s accumul at ed and subordi nat es were
i nconveni enced by t he del ay. I sat at my desk wi t h my
mi nd wanderi ng el sewhere.
"Ot her ci rcumst ances showed pl ai nl y t hat my
mi nd was not on my work; I forgot t o at t end an
i mport ant meet i ng of t he offi cers of t he company. One
of t he cl erks under me caught a bad mi st ake made i n
an est i mat e on ' a carl oad of goods, and, of course, saw
t o i t t hat t he manager l earned of t he i nci dent .
"I was t horoughl y al armed at t he si t uat i on! and
asked for a week' s vacat i on t o t hi nk t hi ngs over. I was
det ermi ned t o resi gn, or fi nd t he t roubl e and remedy
i t . A few days of earnest i nt rospect i on at an out -of-
t he-way mount ai n resort convi nced me t hat I was
- 41 -
sufferi ng from a pl ai n case of mi nd wanderi ng. I was
l acki ng i n concent rat i on; my physi cal and ment al
act i vi t i es at t he desk had become desul t ory. I was
carel ess and shi ft l ess and negl ect ful - al l because my
mi nd was not al ert l y on t he j ob. When I had di agnosed
my case wi t h sat i sfact i on t o mysel f I next sought t he
remedy. I needed a compl et e new set of worki ng
habi t s, and I made a resol ve t o acqui re t hem.
"Wi t h paper and penci l I out l i ned a schedul e t o
cover t he worki ng day: fi rst , t he morni ng mai l ; t hen,
t he orders t o be fi l l ed; di ct at i on; conference wi t h
subordi nat es and mi scel l aneous dut i es; endi ng wi t h a
cl ean desk before I l eft .
"' How i s habi t f ormed?' I asked mysel f ment al l y.
`By repet i t i on, ' came back t he answer. `But I have
been doi ng t hese t hi ngs over and over t housands of
t i mes, ' t he ot her fel l ow i n me prot est ed. `True, but not
i n orderl y concent rat ed fashi on, ' repl i ed t he echo.
"I ret urned t o t he offi ce wi t h mi nd i n l eash, but
rest l ess, and pl aced my new worki ng schedul e i n force
at once. I performed t he same dut i es wi t h t he same
zest and as nearl y as possi bl e at t he same t i me every
day. When my mi nd st art ed t o sl i p away I qui ckl y
brought i t back.
"From a ment al st i mul us, creat ed by wi l l -power, I
progressed i n habi t bui l di ng. Day aft er day, I
pract i ced concent rat i on of t hought . When I found
repet i t i on becomi ng comfort abl e, t hen I knew t hat I
had won. "
Your abi l i t y t o t rai n your memory, or t o devel op
any desi red habi t , i s a mat t er, sol el y, of bei ng abl e t o
f i x your at t ent i on on a given subj ect unt i l t he out l i ne
- 42 -
of t hat subj ect has been t horoughl y i mpressed upon
t he "sensi t i zed pl at e" of your mi nd.
Concent rat i on, i t sel f, i s not hi ng but a mat t er of
cont rol of t he at t ent i on!
You wi l l observe t hat by readi ng a l i ne of pri nt
wi t h whi ch you are not fami l i ar, and whi ch you have
never seen before, and t hen cl osi ng your eyes, you can
see t hat l i ne as pl ai nl y as t hough you were l ooki ng at
i t on t he pri nt ed page. In real i t y, you are "l ooki ng at
i t , " not on t he pri nt ed page, but on t he sensi t i zed pl at e
of your own mi nd. If you t ry t hi s experi ment and i t
does not work t he fi rst t i me i t i s because you di d not
concent rat e your at t ent i on on t he l i ne cl osel y enough!
Repeat t he performance a few t i mes and fi nal l y you
wi l l succeed.
If you wi sh t o memori ze poet ry, for exampl e, you
can do so very qui ckl y by t rai ni ng yoursel f t o fi x your
at t ent i on on t he l i nes so cl osel y t hat you can shut
your eyes and see t hem i n your mi nd as pl ai nl y as you
see t hem on t he pri nt ed page.
So i mport ant i s t hi s subj ect of cont rol of
at t ent i on t hat I feel i mpel l ed t o emphasi ze i t i n such a
way t hat you wi l l not pass i t by l i ght l y. I have
reserved reference t o t hi s i mport ant subj ect unt i l t he
l ast , as a cl i max t o t hi s l esson, for t he reason t hat I
consi der i t , by far, t he most i mport ant part of t he
l esson.
The ast oundi ng resul t s experi enced by t hose who
make a pract i ce of "cryst al -gazi ng" are due, ent i rel y,
t o t hei r abi l i t y t o f i x at t ent i on upon a gi ven subj ect
for an unbroken peri od far beyond t he ordi nary.
Cryst al -gazi ng i s not hi ng but concent rat ed
at t ent i on!
I have al ready hi nt ed at t hat whi ch I wi l l now
- 43 -
st at e as my bel i ef, namel y, t hat i t i s possi bl e, t hrough
t he ai d of concent rat ed at t ent i on, for one so t o at t une
one' s mi nd t o t he vi brat i on of t he et her t hat al l t he
secret s i n t he worl d of unfat homed and unchart ed
ment al phenomena may become as open books whi ch
may be read at wi l l .
What a t hought t hi s i s t o ponder over!
I am of t he opi ni on, and not wi t hout subst ant i al
evi dence t o support me, t hat i t i s possi bl e for one t o
devel op t he abi l i t y of f i xi ng t he at t ent i on so hi ghl y
t hat one may "t une i n" and underst and t hat whi ch i s i n
t he mi nd of any person. But t hi s i s not al l , nor i s i t
t he most i mport ant part of a hypot hesi s at whi ch I
have arri ved aft er many years of careful research, for
I am sat i sfi ed t hat one may j ust as easi l y go a st ep
furt her and "t une i n" on t he uni versal mi nd i n whi ch
al l knowl edge i s st ored where i t may be appropri at ed
by al l who mast er t he art of comi ng aft er i t .
To a hi ghl y ort hodox mi nd t hese st at ement s may
seem very i rrat i onal ; but , t o t he st udent (and, so far,
t here are but few peopl e i n t he worl d who are more
t han mere st udent s, of an el ement ary grade, of t hi s
subj ect ) who has st udi ed t hi s subj ect wi t h any
appreci abl e degree of underst andi ng, t hese hypot heses
seem not onl y possi bl e, but absol ut el y probabl e.
But put t he hypot hesi s t o a t est of your own!
You can sel ect no bet t er subj ect upon whi ch t o t ry
an experi ment t han t hat whi ch you have sel ect ed as
your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe.
Memori ze your def i ni t e chi ef ai m so you can
repeat i t wi t hout l ooki ng at t he wri t t en page, t hen
make a pract i ce of f i xi ng your at t ent i on on i t at l east
t wi ce a day, proceedi ng as fol l ows:
- 44 -
Go i nt o some qui et pl ace where you wi l l not be
di st urbed; si t down and compl et el y rel ax your mi nd
and your body; t hen cl ose your eyes and pl ace your
fi ngers i n your ears, t hereby excl udi ng t he ordi nary
sound waves and al l of t he l i ght waves. In t hat
posi t i on repeat your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe, and as
you do so see yoursel f, i n your i magi nat i on, i n ful l
possessi on of t he obj ect of t hat ai m. If a part of your
ai m i s t he accumul at i on of money, as i t undoubt edl y
i s, t hen see yoursel f i n possessi on of t hat money. If a
part of t he obj ect of your def i ni t e ai m i s t he
ownershi p of a home, t hen see a pi ct ure of t hat home,
i n your i magi nat i on, j ust as you expect t o see i t i n
real i t y. If a part of your def i ni t e ai m i s t o become a
powerful and i nfl uent i al publ i c speaker, t hen see
yoursel f before an enormous audi ence, and f eel
yoursel f pl ayi ng upon t he emot i ons of t hat audi ence as
a great vi ol i ni st woul d pl ay upon t he st ri ngs of t he
vi ol i n.
As you approach t he end of t hi s l esson, t here are
t wo t hi ngs whi ch you mi ght do, vi z.
Fi rst : You mi ght begi n, now, t o cul t i vat e t he
abi l i t y t o f i x at t ent i on, at wi l l , on a gi ven subj ect ,
wi t h a feel i ng t hat t hi s abi l i t y, when ful l y devel oped,
woul d bri ng you t he obj ect of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m
i n l i fe; or,
Second: You mi ght t i l t your nose i n t he ai r and
wi t h t he smi l e of a cyni c say t o yoursel f - "Bosh" and
t hereby mark yoursel f a f ool !
Take your choi ce!
Thi s l esson was not wri t t en as an argument , nor
as t he subj ect of a debat e. It i s your pri vi l ege t o
accept i t , i n whol e or i n part , or rej ect i t , j ust as you
pl ease.
- 45 -


Fish don' t bite just for the
wishin' ,
Keep a-pullin' !
Change your bait and
keep on fishin' ;
Keep a-pullin' !
Luck ain' t nailed, to any
spot;
Men you envy, like as not,
Envy you your job and
lot!
Keep a-pullin'

- 46 -
But at t hi s pl ace I wi sh t o st at e, however, t hat
t hi s i s not an age of cyni ci sm or doubt . An age t hat
has conquered t he ai r above us and t he sea beneat h us,
t hat has enabl ed us t o harness t he ai r and t urn i t i nt o a
messenger t hat wi l l carry t he sound of our voi ce hal f-
way around t he eart h i n t he fract i onal part of a
second, cert ai nl y i s not an age t hat l ends
encouragement t o t he "doubt i ng Thomases" or t he "I-
don' t -bel i eve-i t Joneses. "
The human fami l y has passed t hrough t he "St one
Age" and t he "Iron Age" and t he "St eel Age, " and
unl ess I have great l y mi si nt erpret ed t he t rend of t he
t i mes i t i s now ent eri ng t he "Mi nd Power Age, " whi ch
wi l l ecl i pse, i n st upendous achi evement , al l t he ot her
"ages" combi ned.
Learn t o f i x your at t ent i on on a gi ven subj ect , at
wi l l , f or what ever l engt h of t i me you choose, and you
wi l l have l earned t he secret passage-way t o power and
pl ent y!
Thi s i s concent rat i on!
You wi l l underst and, from t hi s l esson, t hat t he
obj ect of formi ng an al l i ance bet ween t wo or more
peopl e, and t hereby creat i ng a "Mast er Mi nd, " i s t o
appl y t he Law of Concent rat i on more effect i vel y t han
i t coul d be appl i ed t hrough t he effort s of but one
person.
The pri nci pl e referred t o as t he "Mast er Mi nd" i s
not hi ng more nor l ess t han group concent rat i on of
mi nd power upon t he at t ai nment of a defi ni t e obj ect or
end. Great er power comes t hrough group mi nd
concent rat i on because of t he "st eppi ng up" process
Produced t hrough t he react i on of one mi nd upon
anot her or ot hers.
- 47 -
PERSUASION VS. FORCE

Success, as has been st at ed i n dozens of di fferent
ways t hroughout t hi s course, i s very l argel y a mat t er
of t act ful and harmoni ous negot i at i on wi t h ot her
peopl e. General l y speaki ng, t he man who underst ands
how t o "get peopl e t o do t hi ngs" he want s done may
succeed i n any cal l i ng.
As a fi t t i ng cl i max for t hi s l esson, on t he Law of
Concent rat i on, we shal l descri be t he pri nci pl es
t hrough whi ch men are i nfl uenced; t hrough whi ch
cooperat i on i s gai ned; t hrough whi ch ant agoni sm i s
el i mi nat ed and fri endl i ness devel oped.
Force somet i mes get s what appear t o be
sat i sfact ory resul t s, but force, al one, never has bui l t
and never can bui l d enduri ng success.
The worl d war has done more t han anyt hi ng
whi ch has happened i n t he hi st ory of t he worl d t o
show us t he fut i l i t y of force as a means of i nfl uenci ng
t he human mi nd. Wi t hout goi ng i nt o det ai l s or
recount i ng t he i nst ances whi ch coul d be ci t ed, we al l
know t hat force was t he foundat i on upon whi ch
German phi l osophy has been bui l t duri ng t he past
fort y years. The doct ri ne t hat mi ght makes ri ght was
gi ven a worl dwi de t ri al and i t fai l ed.
The human body can be i mpri soned or cont rol l ed
by physi cal force, but i t i s not so wi t h t he human
mi nd. No man on eart h can cont rol t he mi nd of a
normal , heal t hy person i f t hat person chooses t o
exerci se hi s God-gi ven ri ght t o cont rol hi s own mi nd.
The maj ori t y of peopl e do not exerci se t hi s ri ght .
They go t hrough t he worl d, t hanks t o our faul t y
educat i onal syst em, wi t hout havi ng di scovered t he
- 48 -
st rengt h whi ch l i es dormant i n t hei r own mi nds. Now
and t hen somet hi ng happens, more i n t he nat ure of an
acci dent t han anyt hi ng el se, whi ch awakens a person
and causes hi m t o di scover where hi s real st rengt h l i es
and how t o use i t i n t he devel opment of i ndust ry or
one of t he professi ons. Resul t : a geni us i s born!
There i s a gi ven poi nt at whi ch t he human mi nd
st ops ri si ng or expl ori ng unl ess somet hi ng out of t he
dai l y rout i ne happens t o "push" i t over t hi s obst acl e.
In some mi nds t hi s poi nt i s very l ow and i n ot hers i t i s
very hi gh. In st i l l ot hers i t vari es bet ween l ow and
hi gh. The i ndi vi dual who di scovers a way t o st i mul at e
hi s mi nd art i fi ci al l y, arouse i t and cause i t t o go
beyond t hi s average st oppi ng poi nt frequent l y, i s sure
t o be rewarded wi t h fame and fort une i f hi s effort s are
of a const ruct i ve nat ure.
The educat or who di scovers a way t o st i mul at e
any mi nd and cause i t t o ri se above t hi s average
st oppi ng poi nt wi t hout any bad react i onary effect s,
wi l l confer a bl essi ng on t he human race second t o
none i n t he hi st ory of t he worl d. We, of course, do not
have reference t o physi cal st i mul ant s or narcot i cs.
These wi l l al ways arouse t he mi nd for a t i me, but
event ual l y t hey rui n i t ent i rel y. We have reference t o
a purel y ment al st i mul ant , such as t hat whi ch comes
t hrough i nt ense i nt erest , desi re, ent husi asm, l ove, et c. ,
t he fact ors out of whi ch a "Mast er Mi nd" may be
devel oped.
The person who makes t hi s di scovery wi l l do
much t oward sol vi ng t he cri me probl em. You can do
al most anyt hi ng wi t h a person when you l earn how t o
i nfl uence hi s mi nd. The mi nd may be l i kened t o a
great fi el d. It i s a very fert i l e fi el d whi ch al ways
produces a crop aft er t he ki nd of seed whi ch i s sown
- 49 -
i n i t . The probl em, t hen, i s t o l earn how t o sel ect t he
ri ght sort of seed and how t o sow t hat seed so t hat i t
t akes root and grows qui ckl y. We are sowi ng seed i n
our mi nds dai l y, hourl y, nay, every second, but we are
doi ng i t promi scuousl y and more or l ess
unconsci ousl y. We must l earn t o do i t aft er a careful l y
prepared pl an, accordi ng t o a wel l l ai d out desi gn!
Haphazardl y sown seed i n t he human mi nd bri ngs back
a haphazard crop! There i s no escape from t hi s resul t .
Hi st ory i s ful l of not abl e cases of men who have
been t ransformed from l aw-abi di ng, peaceful ,
const ruct i ve ci t i zens t o rovi ng, vi ci ous cri mi nal s. We
al so have t housands of cases wherei n men of t he l ow,
vi ci ous, so-cal l ed cri mi nal t ype have been t ransformed
i nt o const ruct i ve, l aw-abi di ng ci t i zens. In every one
of t hese cases t he t ransformat i on of t he human bei ng
t ook pl ace i n t he mi nd of t he man. He creat ed i n hi s
own mi nd, for one reason or anot her, a pi ct ure of
what , he desi red and t hen proceeded t o t ransform t hat
pi ct ure i nt o real i t y. As a mat t er of fact , i f a pi ct ure
of; any envi ronment , condi t i on or t hi ng be pi ct ured i n
t he human mi nd and i f t he mi nd be focused or
concent rat ed on t hat pi ct ure l ong enough and
persi st ent l y enough, and backed up wi t h a st rong
desi re for t he t hi ng pi ct ured, i t i s but a short st ep
from t he pi ct ure, t o t he real i zat i on of i t i n physi cal or
ment al form.
The worl d war brought out many st art l i ng
t endenci es of t he human mi nd whi ch corroborat e t he
work whi ch t he psychol ogi st has carri ed on i n hi s
research i nt o t he worki ngs of t he mi nd. The fol l owi ng
account of a rough, uncout h, unschool ed,
undi sci pl i ned young mount ai neer i s an excel l ent case
i n poi nt :
- 50 -
FOUGHT FOR HIS RELIGION; NOW GREAT
WAR HERO

Rot ari ans Pl an t o Present Farm t o Arvi n York,
Unl et t ered Tennessee Squi rrel Hunt er

BY GEORGE W. DI XON

How Arvi n Cul l om York, an unl et t ered Tennessee
squi rrel hunt er, became t he foremost hero of t he
Ameri can Expedi t i onary Forces i n France, forms a
romant i c chapt er i n t he hi st ory of t he worl d war.
York i s a nat i ve of Fent ress Count y. He was born
and reared among t he hardy mount ai neers of t he
Tennessee woods. There i s not even a rai l road i n
Fent ress Count y. Duri ng hi s earl i er years he was
reput ed t o be a desperat e charact er. He was what was
known as a gunman. He was a dead shot wi t h a
revol ver, and hi s prowess wi t h t he ri fl e was known far
and wi de among t he pl ai n peopl e of t he Tennessee
hi l l s.
One day a rel i gi ous organi zat i on pi t ched i t s t ent
i n t he communi t y i n whi ch York and hi s parent s l i ved.
It was a st range sect t hat came t o t he mount ai ns
l ooki ng for convert s, but t he met hods of t he evangel s
of t he new cul t were ful l of fi re and emot i onal i sm.
They denounced t he si nner, t he vi l e charact er and t he
man who t ook advant age of hi s nei ghbor. They poi nt ed
t o t he rel i gi on of t he Mast er as an exampl e t hat al l
shoul d fol l ow.

ALVIN GETS RELIGION

Al vi n Cul l om York st art l ed hi s nei ghbors one
ni ght by fl i ngi ng hi msel f down at t he mourners'
- 51 -


HERE are twelve good rea-
sons for Failure. The first
one is the avowed intention
of doing no more than one
is paid to do, and the
person who makes this
avowal may see the other
eleven by stepping before a
looking-glass.


- 52 -
bench. Ol d men st i rred i n t hei r seat s and women
craned t hei r necks, as York wrest l ed wi t h hi s si ns i n
t he shadows of t he Tennessee mount ai ns.
York became an ardent apost l e of t he new
rel i gi on. He became an exhort er, a l eader i n t he
rel i gi ous l i fe of t he communi t y and, al t hough hi s
marksmanshi p was as deadl y as ever, no one feared
hi m who wal ked i n t he pat h of ri ght eousness.
When t he news of t he war reached t hat remot e
sect i on of Tennessee and t he mount ai neers were t ol d
t hat t hey were goi ng t o be "conscri pt ed, " York grew
sul l en and di sagreeabl e. He di dn' t bel i eve i n ki l l i ng
human bei ngs, even i n war. Hi s Bi bl e t aught hi m,
"Thou shal t not ki l l . " To hi s mi nd t hi s was l i t eral and
fi nal . He was branded as a "consci ent i ous obj ect or. "
The draft offi cers ant i ci pat ed t roubl e. They knew
t hat hi s mi nd was made up, and t hey woul d have t o
reach hi m i n some manner ot her t han by t hreat s of
puni shment .

WAR IN A HOLY CAUSE

They went t o York wi t h a Bi bl e and showed hi m
t hat t he war was i n a hol y cause - t he cause of l i bert y
and human freedom. They poi nt ed out t hat men l i ke
hi msel f were cal l ed upon by t he Hi gher Powers t o
make t he worl d free; t o prot ect i nnocent women and
chi l dren from vi ol at i on; t o make l i fe wort h l i vi ng for
t he poor and oppressed; t o overcome t he "beast "
pi ct ured i n t he Scri pt ures, and t o make t he worl d free
for t he devel opment of Chri st i an i deal s and Chri st i an
manhood and womanhood. It was a fi ght bet ween t he
host s of ri ght eousness and t he hordes of Sat an. The
- 53 -
devi l was t ryi ng t o conquer t he worl d t hrough hi s
chosen agent s, t he Kai ser and hi s general s.
York' s eyes bl azed wi t h a fi erce l i ght . Hi s bi g
hands cl osed l i ke a vi se. Hi s st rong j aws snapped.
"The Kai ser, " he hi ssed bet ween hi s t eet h, "t he beast !
t he dest royer of women and chi l dren! I' l l show hi m
where he bel ongs i f I ever get wi t hi n gunshot of hi m!"
He caressed hi s ri fl e, ki ssed hi s mot her good-by
and t ol d her he woul d see her agai n when t he Kai ser
had been put out of busi ness.
He went t o t he t rai ni ng camp and dri l l ed wi t h
scrupul ous care and st ri ct obedi ence t o orders.
Hi s ski l l at t arget pract i ce at t ract ed at t ent i on. Hi s
comrades were puzzl ed at hi s hi gh scores. They had
not reckoned t hat a backwoods squi rrel hunt er woul d
make fi ne mat eri al for a sni per i n t he front -l i ne
t renches.
York' s part i n t he war i s now hi st ory. General
Pershi ng has desi gnat ed hi m as t he foremost
i ndi vi dual hero of t he war. He won every decorat i on,
i ncl udi ng t he Congressi onal Medal , t he Croi x de
Guerre, t he Legi on of Honor. He faced t he Germans
wi t hout fear of deat h. He was fi ght i ng t o vi ndi cat e hi s
rel i gi on, for t he sanct i t y of t he home; t he l ove of
women and chi l dren; t he preservat i on of t he i deal s of
Chri st i ani t y and t he l i bert i es of t he poor and
oppressed. Fear was not i n hi s code or hi s vocabul ary.
Hi s cod dari ng el ect ri fi ed more t han a mi l l i on men
and set t he worl d t o t al ki ng about t hi s st range,
unl et t ered hero from t he hi l l s of Tennessee.
Here we have a case of a young mount ai neer who,
had he been approached from j ust a sl i ght l y di fferent
angl e, undoubt edl y woul d have resi st ed conscri pt i on
- 54 -
and, l i kel y as not , woul d have become so embi t t ered
t oward hi s count ry t hat he woul d have become an
out l aw, l ooki ng for an opport uni t y t o st ri ke back at
t he fi rst chance.
Those who approached hi m knew somet hi ng of
t he pri nci pl es t hrough whi ch t he human mi nd works.
They knew how t o manage young York by fi rst
overcomi ng t he resi st ance t hat he had worked up i n
hi s own mi nd. Thi s i s t he very poi nt at whi ch
t housands of men, t hrough i mproper underst andi ng of
t hese pri nci pl es, are arbi t rari l y cl assed as cri mi nal s
and t reat ed as dangerous, vi ci ous peopl e. Through
suggest i on t hese peopl e coul d have been handl ed as
effect i vel y as young York was handl ed, and devel oped
i nt o useful , product i ve human bei ngs.
In your search for ways and means of
underst andi ng and mani pul at i ng your own mi nd so you
can persuade i t t o creat e t hat whi ch you desi re i n l i fe,
l et us remi nd you t hat , wi t hout a si ngl e except i on,
anyt hi ng whi ch i rri t at es you and arouses you t o anger,
hat red, di sl i ke, or cyni ci sm, i s dest ruct i ve and very
bad for you.
You can never get t he maxi mum or even a f ai r
average of const ruct i ve act i on out of your mi nd unt i l
you have l earned t o cont rol i t and keep i t f rom
becomi ng st i mul at ed t hrough anger or f ear!
These t wo negat i ves, anger and fear, are
posi t i vel y dest ruct i ve t o your mi nd, and as l ong as
you al l ow t hem t o remai n you can be sure of resul t s
whi ch are unsat i sfact ory and away bel ow what you are
capabl e of produci ng.
In our di scussi on of envi ronment and habi t we
l earned t hat t he i ndi vi dual mi nd i s amenabl e t o t he
- 55 -
suggest i ons of envi ronment ; t hat t he mi nds of t he
i ndi vi dual s of a crowd bl end wi t h one anot her
conformi ng t o t he suggest i on of t he prevai l i ng
i nfl uence of t he l eader or domi nat i ng fi gure. Mr. J. A.
Fi sk gi ves us an i nt erest i ng account of t he i nfl uence
of ment al suggest i on i n t he revi val meet i ng, whi ch
bears out t he st at ement t hat t he crowd mi nd bl ends
i nt o one, as fol l ows:

MENTAL SUGGESTION IN THE REVIVAL

Modern psychol ogy has fi rml y est abl i shed t he
fact t hat t he great er part of t he phenomena of t he
rel i gi ous "revi val " are psychi cal rat her t han spi ri t ual
i n t hei r nat ure, and abnormal l y psychi cal at t hat . The
l eadi ng aut hori t i es recogni ze t he fact t hat t he ment al
exci t ement at t endant upon t he emot i onal appeal s of
t he "revi val i st " must be cl assi fi ed wi t h t he
phenomena, of hypnot i c suggest i on rat her t han wi t h
t hat of t rue, rel i gi ous experi ence. And t hose who have
made a cl ose st udy of t he subj ect bel i eve t hat i nst ead
of such exci t ement t endi ng t o el evat e t he mi nd and
exal t t he spi ri t of t he i ndi vi dual , i t serves t o weaken
and degrade t he mi nd and prost i t ut e t he spi ri t by
draggi ng i t i n t he mud of abnormal psychi c frenzy and
emot i onal excess. In fact , by some careful observers,
fami l i ar wi t h t he respect i ve phenomena, t he rel i gi ous
"revi val " meet i ng i s cl assed wi t h t he publ i c hypnot i c
"ent ert ai nment " as a t ypi cal exampl e of psychi c
i nt oxi cat i on and hyst eri cal excess.
Davi d St arr Jordan, chancel l or emeri t us of Lel and
St anford Uni versi t y, says: "Whi sky, cocai ne and
al cohol bri ng t emporary i nsani t y, and so does a
revi val of rel i gi on. " The l at e Professor Wi l l i am
- 56 -
James, of Harvard Uni versi t y, t he emi nent
psychol ogi st , says: "Rel i gi ous revi val i sm i s more
dangerous t o t he l i fe of soci et y t han drunkenness. "
It shoul d be unnecessary t o st at e t hat i n t hi s
l esson t he t erm "revi val " i s used i n t he narrower
si gni fi cat i on i ndi cat i ng t he t ypi cal rel i gi ous emot i onal
exci t ement known by t he t erm i n quest i on, and i s not
i nt ended t o appl y t o t he ol der and respect ed rel i gi ous
experi ence desi gnat ed by t he same t erm, whi ch was so
hi ghl y revered among t he Puri t ans, Lut herans and
ot hers i n t he past . A st andard reference work speaks
of t he general subj ect of t he "revi val " as fol l ows:
"Revi val s occur i n al l rel i gi ons. When one t akes
pl ace a l arge number of persons who have been
comparat i vel y dead or i ndi fferent t o spi ri t ual
consi derat i ons si mul t aneousl y or i n qui ck successi on
become al i ve t o t hei r i mport ance, al t er spi ri t ual l y and
moral l y, and act wi t h exceedi ng zeal i n convert i ng
ot hers t o t hei r vi ews. A Mohammedan revi val t akes
t he form of a ret urn t o t he st ri ct doct ri nes of t he
Koran, and a desi re t o propagat e t hem by t he sword. A
Chri st i an mi nori t y l i vi ng i n t he pl ace i s i n danger of
bei ng massacred by t he revi val i st s. Pent ecost al
effusi on of t he Hol y Spi ri t produced a revi val wi t hi n
t he i nfant church, fol l owed by numerous conversi ons
from out si de. Revi val s, t hough not cal l ed by t hat
name, occurred at i nt erval s from apost ol i c t i mes t i l l
t he Reformat i on, t he revi val i st s bei ng somet i mes so
unsympat het i cal l y t reat ed t hat t hey l eft t he church and
formed sect s, whi l e, i n ot her cases, and not abl y i n
t hose of t he founders of t he monast i c orders, t hey
were ret ai ned and act ed on t he church as a whol e. The
spi ri t ual i mpul se whi ch l ed t o t he Reformat i on, and
- 57 -


NOTHING is so con-
tagious as enthusiasm.
It is the real allegory of
the tale of Orpheus. It
moves stones, it charms
brutes. Enthusiasm is
the genius of sincerity
and truth accomplishes
no victories without it.
-Bulwer.
- 58 -
t he ant agoni st i c one whi ch produced or at t ended t he
ri se of t he Soci et y of Jesus, were bot h revi val i st . It i s,
however, t o sudden i ncrease of spi ri t ual act i vi t y
wi t hi n t he Prot est ant churches t hat t he t erm revi val
i s chi efl y confi ned. The ent erpri se of t he Wesl eys and
Whi t efi el d i n t hi s count ry and Engl and from 1738
onward was t horoughl y revi val i st . Si nce t hen,
vari ous revi val s have from t i me t o t i me occurred, and
nearl y al l denomi nat i ons ai m at t hei r product i on. The
means adopt ed are prayer for t he Hol y Spi ri t ,
meet i ngs cont i nued ni ght aft er ni ght , oft en t o a l at e
hour, st i rri ng addresses, chi efl y from revi val i st
l aymen, and aft er-meet i ngs t o deal wi t h t hose
i mpressed. Ul t i mat el y i t has been found t hat some of
t hose apparent l y convert ed have been st eadfast , ot hers
have fal l en back, whi l e deadness proport i oned t o t he
previ ous exci t ement t emporari l y prevai l s. Somet i mes
exci t abl e persons at revi val meet i ngs ut t er pi erci ng
cri es, or even fal l prost rat e.
"These morbi d mani fest at i ons are now
di scouraged, and have i n consequence become more
rare. "
In order t o underst and t he pri nci pl e of t he
operat i on of ment al suggest i on i n t he revi val meet i ng,
we must fi rst underst and somet hi ng of what i s known
as t he psychol ogy of t he crowd. Psychol ogi st s are
aware t hat t he psychol ogy of a crowd, consi dered as a
whol e, di ffers mat eri al l y from t hat of t he separat e
i ndi vi dual s composi ng t hat crowd. There i s a crowd of
separat e i ndi vi dual s, and a composi t e crowd i n whi ch
t he emot i onal nat ures of t he uni t s seem t o bl end and
fuse. The change from t he fi rst -named crowd t o t he
second ari ses from t he i nfl uence of earnest at t ent i on,
or deep emot i onal appeal s or common i nt erest . When
- 59 -
t hi s change occurs t he crowd becomes a composi t e
i ndi vi dual , t he degree of whose i nt el l i gence and
emot i onal cont rol i s but l i t t l e above t hat of i t s
weakest member. Thi s fact , st art l i ng as i t may appear
t o t he average reader, i s wel l known and i s admi t t ed
by t he l eadi ng psychol ogi st s of t he day; and many
i mport ant essays and books have been wri t t en
t hereupon. The predomi nant charact eri st i cs of t hi s
"composi t e-mi ndedness" of a crowd are t he evi dences
of ext reme suggest i bi l i t y, response t o appeal s of
emot i on, vi vi d i magi nat i on, and act i on ari si ng from
i mi t at i on - al l of whi ch are ment al t rai t s uni versal l y
mani fest ed by pri mi t i ve man. In short , t he crowd
mani fest s at avi sm, or reversi on t o earl y raci al t rai t s.
Di al s, i n hi s Psychol ogy of t he Aggregat e Mi nd
of an Audi ence, hol ds t hat t he mi nd of an assembl age
l i st eni ng t o a powerful speaker undergoes a curi ous
process cal l ed "fusi on, " by whi ch t he i ndi vi dual s i n
t he audi ence, l osi ng t hei r personal t rai t s for t he t i me
bei ng, t o a great er or l ess degree, are reduced, as i t
were, t o a si ngl e i ndi vi dual , whose charact eri st i cs are
t hose of an i mpul si ve yout h of t went y, i mbued i n
general wi t h hi gh i deal s, but sacki ng i n reasoni ng.
power and wi l l . Tarde, t he French psychol ogi st ,
advances si mi l ar vi ews.
Professor Joseph Jast row, i n hi s Fact and Fabl e i n
Psychol ogy, says:
"In t he product i on of t hi s st at e of mi nd a fact or
as yet unment i oned pl ays a l eadi ng rl e, t he power of
ment al cont agi on. Error, l i ke t rut h, fl ouri shes i n
crowds. At t he heart of sympat hy each fi nds a home. . .
No form of cont agi on i s so i nsi di ous i n i t s out set , so
di ffi cul t t o check i n i t s advance, so cert ai n t o l eave
- 60 -
germs t hat may at any moment reveal t hei r perni ci ous
power, as a ment al cont agi on - t he cont agi on of fear,
of pani c, of fanat i ci sm, of l awl essness, of
superst i t i on, of error. In bri ef, we must add t o t he
many fact ors whi ch cont ri but e t o decept i on, t he
recogni zed l oweri ng of cri t i cal abi l i t y, of t he power of
accurat e observat i on, i ndeed, of rat i onal i t y, whi ch
merel y bei ng one of a crowd i nduces. The conj urer
fi nds i t easy t o perform t o a l arge audi ence, because,
among ot her reasons, i t i s easi er t o arouse t hei r
admi rat i on and sympat hy, easi er t o make t hem forget
t hemsel ves and ent er i nt o t he uncri t i cal spi ri t of
wonderl and. It woul d seem t hat i n some respect s t he
cri t i cal t one of an assembl y, l i ke t he st rengt h of a
chai n, i s t hat of i t s weakest member. "
Professor Le Bon, i n hi s The Crowd, says:
"The sent i ment s and i deas of al l t he persons i n
t he gat heri ng t ake one and t he same di rect i on, and
t hei r consci ous personal i t y vani shes. A col l ect i ve
mi nd i s formed, doubt l ess t ransi t ory, by present i ng
very cl earl y marked charact eri st i cs. The gat heri ng has
become what , i n t he absence of a bet t er expressi on, I
wi l l cal l an organi zed crowd, or, i f t he t erm be
consi dered preferabl e, a psychol ogi cal crowd. It forms
a si ngl e bei ng, and i s subj ect ed t o t he l aw of t he
ment al uni t y of crowds. . . . The most st ri ki ng pecul i ari t y
present ed by a psychol ogi cal crowd i s t he fol l owi ng:
Whoever be t he i ndi vi dual s t hat compose i t , however
l i ke or unl i ke be t hei r mode of l i fe, t hei r occupat i on,
t hei r charact er, or t hei r i nt el l i gence, t he fact t hat t hey
have been t ransformed i nt o a crowd put s t hem i n
Possessi on of a sort of col l ect i ve mi nd whi ch makes
t hem feel , t hi nk and act i n a manner qui t e di fferent
- 61 -
from t hat i n whi ch each i ndivi dual of t hem woul d feel ,
t hi nk and act were he i n a st at e of i sol at i on. There are
cert ai n i deas and feel i ngs whi ch do not come i nt o
bei ng, or do not t ransform t hemsel ves i nt o act s,
except i n t he case of t he i ndi vi dual s formi ng a
crowd. In crowds i t i s st upi di t y and not mot her wi t
t hat i s accumul at ed. In t he col l ect i ve mi nd t he
i nt el l ect ual apt i t udes of t he i ndi vi dual s, and i n
consequence t hei r i ndi vi dual i t y, i s weakened. The
most careful observat i ons seem t o prove t hat an
i ndi vi dual i mmerged for some l engt h of t i me i n a
crowd i n act i on soon fi nds hi msel f i n a speci al st at e,
whi ch most resembl es t he st at e of fasci nat i on i n whi ch
t he hypnot i zed i ndi vi dual fi nds hi msel f. The
consci ous personal i t y has ent i rel y vani shed, wi l l and
di scernment are l ost . Al l feel i ngs and t hought s are
bent i n t he di rect i on det ermi ned by t he
hypnot i zer. Under t he i nfl uence of a suggest i on he
wi l l undert ake t he accompl i shment of cert ai n act s wi t h
i rresi st i bl e i mpet uosi t y. Thi s i mpet uosi t y i s t he more
i rresi st i bl e i n t he case of crowds, from t he fact t hat ,
t he suggest i on bei ng t he same for al l t he i ndi vi dual s
of t he crowd, i t gai ns i n st rengt h by reci proci t y.
Moreover, by t he mere fact t hat he forms part of an
organi zed crowd, a man descends several rungs i n t he
l adder of ci vi l i zat i on. Isol at ed, he may be a cul t ured
i ndi vi dual ; i n a crowd, he i s a barbari an - t hat i s, a
creat ure act i ng by i nst i nct . He possesses t he
spont anei t y, t he vi ol ence, t he feroci t y, and al so t he
ent husi asm and heroi sm of pri mi t i ve bei ngs, whom he
furt her t ends t o resembl e by t he faci l i t y wi t h whi ch he
al l ows hi msel f t o be i nduced t o commi t act s cont rary
t o hi s most obvi ous i nt erest s and hi s best known
habi t s. An i ndi vi dual i n a crowd i s a grai n of sand
- 62 -
ami d ot her grai ns of sand, whi ch t he wi nd st i rs up at
wi l l . "
Professor Davenport , i n hi s Pri mi t i ve Trai t s i n
Rel i gi ous Revi val s, says:
"The mi nd of t he crowd i s st rangel y l i ke t hat of
pri mi t i ve man. Most of t he peopl e i n i t may be far
from pri mi t i ve i n emot i on, i n t hought , i n charact er;
nevert hel ess, t he resul t t ends al ways t o be t he same.
St i mul at i on i mmedi at el y beget s act i on. Reason i s i n
abeyance. The cool , rat i onal speaker has l i t t l e chance
besi de t he ski l l ful emot i onal orat or. The crowd t hi nks
i n i mages, and speech must t ake t hi s form t o be
accessi bl e t o i t . The i mages are not connect ed by any
nat ural bond, and t hey t ake each ot her' s pl ace l i ke t he
sl i des of a magi c l ant ern. It fol l ows from t hi s, of
course, t hat appeal s t o t he i magi nat i on have
paramount i nfl uence. The crowd i s uni t ed and
governed by emot i on rat her t han by reason. Emot i on i s
t he nat ural bond, for men di ffer much l ess i n t hi s
respect t han i n i nt el l ect . It i s al so t rue t hat i n a crowd
of a t housand men t he amount of emot i on act ual l y
generat ed and exi st i ng i s far great er t han t he sum
whi ch mi ght concei vabl y be obt ai ned by addi ng
t oget her t he emot i ons of t he i ndi vi dual s t aken by
t hemsel ves. The expl anat i on of t hi s i s t hat t he
at t ent i on of t he crowd i s al ways di rect ed ei t her by t he
ci rcumst ances of t he occasi on or by t he speaker t o
cert ai n common i deas - as ' sal vat i on' i n rel i gi ous
gat heri ngs. . . . and every i ndi vi dual i n t he gat heri ng i s
st i rred wi t h emot i on, not onl y because t he i dea or t he
shi bbol et h st i rs hi m, but al so because he i s consci ous
t hat every ot her i ndi vi dual i n t he gat heri ng bel i eves i n
t he i dea or t he shi bbol et h, and i s st i rred by i t , t oo.
- 63 -


SOME men are successful
as long as someone else
stands back of them and
encourages them, and
some men are successful
in spite of Hell!
Take your choice.



- 64 -
And t hi s enormousl y i ncreases t he vol ume of hi s own
emot i on and consequent l y t he t ot al vol ume of emot i on
i n t he crowd. As i n t he case of t he pri mi t i ve mi nd,
i magi nat i on has unl ocked t he fl oodgat es of emot i on,
whi ch on occasi on may become wi l d ent husi asm or
demoni ac frenzy.
The st udent of suggest i on wi l l see t hat not onl y
are t he emot i onal members of a revi val audi ence
subj ect t o t he effect of t he "composi t e-mi ndedness"
ari si ng from t he "psychol ogy of t he crowd" and are
t hereby weakened i n resi st i ve power, but t hat t hey are
al so brought under t he i nfl uence of t wo ot her very
pot ent forms of ment al suggest i on. Added t o t he
powerful suggest i on of aut hori t y exerci sed by t he
revi val i st , whi ch i s exert ed t o i t s ful l est al ong l i nes
very si mi l ar t o t hat of t he professi onal hypnot i st , i s
t he suggest i on of i mi t at i on exert ed upon each
i ndi vi dual by t he combi ned force of t he bal ance of t he
crowd.
As Durkhei m observed i n hi s psychol ogi cal
i nvest i gat i ons, t he average i ndi vi dual i s "i nt i mi dat ed
by t he mass" of t he crowd around hi m, or before hi m,
and experi ences t hat pecul i ar psychol ogi cal i nfl uence
exert ed by t he mere number of peopl e as agai nst hi s
i ndi vi dual sel f. Not onl y does t he suggest i bl e person
fi nd i t easy t o respond t o t he aut hori t at i ve suggest i ons
of t he preacher and t he exhort at i ons of hi s hel pers,
but he i s al so brought under t he di rect fi re of t he
i mi t at i ve suggest i ons of t hose on al l si des who are
experi enci ng emot i onal act i vi t i es and who are
mani fest i ng t hem out wardl y. Not onl y does t he voi ce
of t he shepherd urge forward, but t he t i nkl e of t he
bel l wet her' s bel l i s al so heard, and t he i mi t at i ve
t endency of t he fl ock, whi ch causes one sheep t o j ump
- 65 -
because one ahead of hi m does so (and so on unt i l t he
l ast sheep has j umped), needs but t he force of t he
exampl e of a l eader t o st art i nt o mot i on t he ent i re
fl ock. Thi s i s not an exaggerat i on - human bei ngs, i n
t i mes of pani c, fri ght , or deep emot i on of any ki nd,
mani fest t he i mi t at i ve t endency of t he sheep, and t he
t endency of cat t l e and horses t o "st ampede" under
i mi t at i on.
To t he st udent experi enced i n t he experi ment al
work of t he psychol ogi cal l aborat ory t here i s t he very
cl osest anal ogy observed i n t he respect i ve phenomena
of t he revi val and hypnot i c suggest i on. In bot h cases
t he at t ent i on and i nt erest i s at t ract ed by t he unusual
procedure; t he el ement of myst ery and awe i s i nduced
by words and act i ons cal cul at ed t o i nspi re t hem; t he
senses are t i red by monot onous t al k i n an i mpressi ve
and aut hori t at i ve t one; and fi nal l y t he suggest i ons are
proj ect ed i n a commandi ng, suggest i ve manner
fami l i ar t o al l st udent s of hypnot i c suggest i on. The
subj ect s i n bot h cases are prepared for t he fi nal
suggest i ons and commands, by previ ousl y gi ven mi nor
suggest i ons, such as: "St and up, " or "Look t hi s way, "
et c. , i n t he case of t he hypnot i st ; and by: "Al l t hose
who t hi nk so-and-so, st and up, " and "Al l who are
wi l l i ng t o become bet t er, st and up, " et c. , i n t he case
of t he revi val i st . The i mpressi onabl e subj ect s are t hus
accust omed t o obedi ence t o suggest i on by easy st ages.
And, fi nal l y, t he commandi ng suggest i on: "Come ri ght
up - ri ght up - t hi s way - ri ght up - come, I say, come,
come, COME! " et c. , whi ch t akes t he i mpressed ones
ri ght off t hei r feet and rushes t hem t o t he front , are,
al most preci sel y t he same i n t he hypnot i c experi ment
or sance, on t he one hand, and t he sensat i onal
revi val , on t he ot her. Every good revi val i st woul d
- 66 -
make a good hypnot i c operat or, and every good
hypnot i c operat or woul d make a good revi val i st i f hi s
mi nd were t urned i n t hat di rect i on.
In t he revi val , t he person gi vi ng t he suggest i ons
has t he advant age of breaki ng down t he resi st ance of
hi s audi ence by arousi ng t hei r sent i ment s and
emot i ons. Tal es depi ct i ng t he i nfl uence of mot her,
home and heaven; songs l i ke "Tel l Mot her, I' l l Be
There"; and personal appeal s t o t he revered
associ at i ons of one' s past and earl y l i fe t end t o reduce
one t o t he st at e of emot i onal response, and render hi m
most suscept i bl e t o st rong, repeat ed suggest i ons al ong
t he same l i ne. Young peopl e and hyst eri cal women are
especi al l y suscept i bl e t o t hi s form of emot i onal
suggest i on. Thei r feel i ngs are st i rred, and t he wi l l i s
i nfl uenced by t he preachi ng, t he songs, and t he
personal appeal s of t he co-workers of t he revi val i st .
The most sacred sent i ment al memori es are
reawakened for t he moment and ol d condi t i ons of
mi nd are rei nduced. "Where Is My Wanderi ng Boy
Toni ght ?" bri ngs fort h t ears t o many a one t o whom
t he memory of t he mot her i s sacred, and t he preachi ng
t hat t he mot her i s dwel l i ng i n a st at e of bl i ss beyond
t he ski es, from whi ch t he unconvert ed chi l d i s cut off
unl ess he professes fai t h, serves t o move many t o
act i on for t he t i me bei ng. The el ement of fear i s al so
i nvoked i n t he revi val - not so much as formerl y, i t i s
t rue, but st i l l t o a consi derabl e ext ent and more
subt l y. The fear of a sudden deat h i n an unconvert ed
condi t i on i s hel d over t he audi ence, and, "Why not
now - why not t oni ght ?" i s asked hi m, accompani ed by
t he hymn; "Oh, Why Do You Wai t , Dear Brot her?" As
Davenport says:
- 67 -
"It i s wel l known t hat t he empl oyment of
symbol i c i mages i mmensel y i ncreases t he emot i on of
an audi ence. The vocabul ary of revi val s abounds i n
t hem - t he cross, t he crown, t he angel band, hel l ,
heaven. Now vi vi d i magi nat i on and st rong feel i ng and
bel i ef are st at es of mi nd favorabl e t o suggest i on as
wel l as t o i mpul si ve act i on. It i s al so t rue t hat t he
i nfl uence of a crowd l argel y i n sympat hy wi t h t he
i deas suggest ed i s t horoughl y coerci ve or i nt i mi dat i ve
upon t he i ndi vi dual si nner. There i s consi derabl e
professed conversi on whi ch resul t s i n t he begi nni ng
from l i t t l e more t han t hi s form of soci al pressure, and
whi ch may never devel op beyond i t . Fi nal l y, t he
i nhi bi t i on of al l ext raneous i deas i s encouraged i n
revi val assembl i es bot h by prayer and speech. There
i s, t herefore, ext reme sensi t i veness t o suggest i on.
When t o t hese condi t i ons of negat i ve consci ousness on
t he part of an audi ence t here has been added a
conduct or of t he meet i ngs who has a hi gh hypnot i c
pot ent i al , such as Wesl ey or Fi nney, or who i s onl y a
t horoughl y persuasi ve and magnet i c personal i t y, such
as Whi t efi el d, t here may easi l y be an i nfl uence
exert ed upon cert ai n i ndi vi dual s of a crowd whi ch
cl osel y approaches t he abnormal or t horoughl y
hypnot i c. When t hi s poi nt i s not reached t here i s st i l l
a great amount of hi ghl y acut e t hough normal
suggest i bi l i t y t o be reckoned wi t h. "
The persons who show si gns of bei ng i nfl uenced
are t hen "l abored wi t h" by ei t her t he revi val i st or hi s
co-workers. They are urged t o surrender t hei r wi l l ,
and "Leave i t al l t o t he Lord. " They are t ol d t o "Gi ve
yoursel f t o God, now, ri ght now, t hi s mi nut e"; or t o
"Onl y bel i eve now, and you shal l be saved"; or "Won' t
you gi ve yoursel f t o Jesus?" et c. They are exhort ed
- 68 -
and prayed wi t h; arms are pl aced around t hei r
shoul ders, and every art of emot i onal persuasi ve
suggest i on i s used t o make t he si nner "gi ve up. "
St arbuck i n hi s The Psychol ogy of Rel i gi on
rel at es a number of i nst ances of t he experi ences of
convert ed persons at revi val s. One person wrot e as
fol l ows:
"My wi l l seemed whol l y at t he mercy of ot hers,
part i cul arl y of t he revi val i st M_. There was absol ut el y
no i nt el l ect ual el ement . It was pure feel i ng. There
fol l owed a peri od of ecst asy. I was bent on doi ng good
and was el oquent i n appeal i ng t o ot hers. The st at e of
moral exal t at i on di d not cont i nue. It was fol l owed by
a compl et e rel apse from ort hodox rel i gi on. "
Davenport has t he fol l owi ng t o say i n repl y t o t he
cl ai m t hat t he ol d met hods of i nfl uenci ng convert s at a
revi val have passed away wi t h t he crude t heol ogy of
t he past :
"I l ay part i cul ar st ress upon t hi s mat t er here,
because, whi l e t he empl oyment of i rrat i onal fear i n
revi val s has l argel y passed away, t he empl oyment of
t he hypnot i c met hod has not passed away. There has
rat her been a recrudescence and a consci ous
st rengt heni ng of i t because t he ol d prop of t error i s
gone. And i t cannot be t oo vi gorousl y emphasi zed t hat
such a force i s not a spi ri t ual force i n any hi gh and
cl ear sense at al l , but i s rat her uncanny and psychi c
and obscure. And t he met hod i t sel f needs t o be great l y
refi ned before i t can ever be of any spi ri t ual benefi t
what ever. It i s t horoughl y pri mi t i ve and bel ongs wi t h
t he ani mal and i nst i nct i ve means of fasci nat i on. In
t hi s bal d, crude form, t he fel i ne empl oys i t upon t he
hel pl ess bi rd and t he Indi an medi ci ne-man upon t he
- 69 -

YOU need have no fear of
competition from the person
who says, I' m not paid to
do this and I' ll not do it.
He will never be a
dangerous competitor for
your job. But watch out for
the fellow who remains at
his work until it is finished
and performs a little more
than is expected of him, for
he may challenge you at the
post and pass you at the
grand-stand.
- 70 -
ghost -dance vot ary. When used, as i t has oft en been,
upon l i t t l e chi l dren who are nat ural l y hi ghl y
suggest i bl e, i t has no j ust i fi cat i on what ever and i s
ment al l y and moral l y i nj uri ous i n t he hi ghest degree. I
do not see how vi ol ent emot i onal t hroes and t he use of
suggest i on i n i t s crude forms can be made servi ceabl e
even i n t he cases of hardened si nners, and cert ai nl y
wi t h l arge cl asses of t he popul at i on t he empl oyment of
t hi s means i s not hi ng but psychol ogi cal mal pract i ce.
We guard wi t h i nt el l i gent care agai nst quackery i n
physi ol ogi cal obst et ri cs. It woul d be wel l i f a st erner
t rai ni ng and prohi bi t i on hedged about t he spi ri t ual
obst et ri ci an, whose funct i on i t i s t o gui de t he far more
del i cat e process of t he new bi rt h. "
Some who favor t he met hods of t he revi val , but
who al so recogni ze t he fact t hat ment al suggest i on
pl ays a most i mport ant part i n t he phenomena t hereof,
hol d t hat t he obj ect i ons si mi l ar t o t hose here advanced
are not val i d agai nst t he met hods of t he revi val ,
i nasmuch as ment al suggest i on, as i s wel l known, may
be used f or good purposes as wel l as bad - for t he
benefi t and upl i ft i ng of peopl e as wel l as i n t he
opposi t e di rect i on. Thi s bei ng admi t t ed, t hese good
fol ks argue t hat ment al suggest i on i n t he revi val i s a
l egi t i mat e met hod or "weapon of at t ack upon t he
st ronghol d of t he devi l . " But t hi s argument i s found t o
be defect i ve when exami ned i n i t s effect s and
consequences. In t he fi rst pl ace, i t woul d seem t o
i dent i fy t he emot i onal , neurot i c and hyst eri cal ment al
st at es i nduced by revi val met hods wi t h t he spi ri t ual
upl i ft and moral regenerat i on whi ch i s t he
accompani ment of t rue rel i gi ous experi ence. It seeks
t o pl ace t he count erfei t on a par wi t h t he genui ne - t he
bal eful gl are of t he rays of t he psychi c moon wi t h t he
- 71 -
i nvi gorat i ng and ani mat i ng rays of t he spi ri t ual sun. It
seeks t o rai se t he hypnot i c phase t o t hat of t he
"spi ri t ual -mi ndedness" of man. To t hose who are
fami l i ar wi t h t he t wo cl asses of phenomena, t here i s a
di fference as wi de as t hat bet ween t he pol es exi st i ng
bet ween t hem.
As a st raw showi ng how t he wi nd of t he best
modern rel i gi ous t hought i s bl owi ng, we submi t t he
fol l owi ng, from t he vol ume ent i t l ed Rel i gi on and
Mi racl e, from t he pen of Rev. Dr. George A. Gordon,
past or emeri t us of t he New Ol d Sout h Church of
Bost on:
"For t hi s end professi onal revi val i sm, wi t h i t s
organi zat i ons, i t s st aff of report ers who make t he
fi gures sui t t he hopes of good men, t he syst em of
advert i sement s, and t he excl usi on or suppressi on of
al l sound cri t i cal comment , t he appeal s t o emot i on and
t he use of means whi ch have no vi si bl e connect i on
wi t h grace and cannot by any possi bi l i t y l ead t o gl ory,
i s ut t erl y i nadequat e. The worl d wai t s for t he vi si on,
t he passi on, t he si mpl i ci t y and t he st em t rut hful ness
of t he Hebrew prophet ; i t awai t s t he i mperi al breadt h
and moral energy of t he Chri st i an apost l e t o t he
nat i ons; i t awai t s t he t eacher who, l i ke Chri st , shal l
carry hi s doct ri ne i n a great mi nd and a great
charact er. "
Whi l e t here have undoubt edl y been many
i nst ances of persons at t ract ed ori gi nal l y by t he
emot i onal exci t ement of t he revi val , and aft erwards
l eadi ng wort hy rel i gi ous l i ves i n accordance wi t h t he
hi gher spi ri t ual nat ure, st i l l i n t oo many cases t he
revi val has exert ed but a t emporary effect for good
upon t he persons yi el di ng t o t he exci t ement , and aft er
t he st ress has passed has resul t ed i n creat i ng an
i ndi fference and even an aversi on for t rue rel i gi ous
- 72 -
feel i ng. The react i on i s oft en equal t o t he ori gi nal
act i on. The consequences of "backsl i di ng" are wel l
known i n al l churches, aft er a spi ri t ed revi val . In
ot hers t here i s merel y awakened a suscept i bi l i t y t o
emot i onal exci t ement , whi ch causes t he i ndi vi dual t o
undergo repeat ed st ages of "conversi on" at each
revi val , and a subsequent "backsl i di ng" aft er t he
i nfl uence of t he meet i ng i s wi t hdrawn.
Moreover, i t i s a fact known t o psychol ogi st s t hat
persons who have gi ven way t o t he emot i onal
exci t ement and excesses of t he t ypi cal revi val are
rendered aft erwards far more suggest i bl e and open t o
"i sms, " fads and fal se rel i gi ons t han before. The
peopl e f l ocki ng t o t he support of t he vari ous pseudo-
rel i gi ous advent urers and i mpost ors of t he age are
general l y f ound t o be t he same peopl e who were
previ ousl y t he most ardent and exci t abl e convert s of
t he revi val . The ranks of t he "Messi ahs, " "El i j ahs" and
"Prophet s of t he Dawn, " who have appeared i n great
numbers i n t hi s count ry and Engl and duri ng t he past
fi ft y years, have been recrui t ed al most excl usi vel y
from t hose who have previ ousl y "experi enced" t he
revi val fervor i n t he ort hodox churches. It i s t he ol d
st ory of t he t rai ni ng of t he hypnot i c subj ect .
Especi al l y harmful i s t hi s form of emot i onal
i nt oxi cat i on among young peopl e and women. It must
be remembered t hat t he peri od of adol escence i s one
i n whi ch t he ment al nat ure of t he i ndi vi dual i s
undergoi ng great changes. It i s a peri od not ed for
pecul i ar devel opment of t he emot i onal nat ure, t he sex
nat ure, and t he rel i gi ous nat ure. The exi st i ng
condi t i ons at t hi s peri od render t he psychi c
debauchery of t he revi val , sance or hypnot i c
exhi bi t i on part i cul arl y harmful . Excessi ve emot i onal
exci t ement , coupl ed wi t h myst ery, fear and awe, at
- 73 -
t hi s peri od of l i fe, oft en resul t s i n morbi d and
abnormal condi t i ons ari si ng i n aft er l i fe. As
Davenport wel l says: "It i s no t i me for t he shock of
fear or t he agony of remorse. The onl y resul t of such
mi sgui ded rel i gi ous zeal i s l i kel y t o be a
st rengt heni ng i n many cases of t hose t endenci es,
especi al l y i n femal es, t oward morbi di t y and hyst eri a,
t oward darkness and doubt . "
There are ot her fact s connect ed wi t h t he cl ose
rel at i on exi st i ng bet ween abnormal rel i gi ous
exci t ement and t he undue arousi ng of t he sexual
nat ure, whi ch are wel l known t o al l st udent s of t he
subj ect , but whi ch cannot be spoken of here. As a
hi nt , however, t he fol l owi ng, from Davenport , wi l l
serve i t s purpose: ". . . At t he age of pubert y t here i s an
organi c process at work whi ch pushes i nt o act i vi t y at
nearl y t he same t i me t he sexual and t he spi ri t ual .
There i s no proof, however, of t he causat i on of t he
l at t er by t he former. But i t does appear t o be t rue t hat
t he t wo are cl osel y associ at ed at t he poi nt i n t he
physi cal process where t hey branch i n di fferent
di rect i ons, t hat at t hat cri t i cal peri od any radi cal
exci t at i on of t he one has i t s i nf l uence upon t he ot her. "
A careful consi derat i on of t hi s i mport ant st at ement
wi l l serve t o expl ai n many t hi ngs t hat have sorel y
perpl exed many good peopl e i n t he past , i n connect i on
wi t h revi val exci t ement i n a t own, camp meet i ngs, et c.
Thi s apparent i nfl uence of t he devi l , whi ch so worri ed
our forefat hers, i s seen t o be but t he operat i on of
nat ural psychol ogi cal and physi ol ogi cal l aws. To
underst and i t i s t o have t he remedy at hand. "
But what do t he aut hori t i es say of t he revi val of
t he fut ure - t he new revi val - t he real revi val ? Let
- 74 -
Professor Davenport speak for t he cri t i cs - he i s wel l
adapt ed for t he t ask. He says:
"There wi l l be, I bel i eve, far l ess use of t he
revi val meet i ng as a crass coerci ve i nst rument for
overri di ng t he wi l l and overwhel mi ng t he reason of
t he i ndi vi dual man. The i nfl uence of publ i c rel i gi ous
gat heri ngs wi l l be more i ndi rect , more unobt rusi ve. It
wi l l be recogni zed t hat hypnot i zat i on and forced
choi ces weaken t he soul , and t here wi l l be no at t empt
t o press t o deci si on i n so great a mat t er under t he
spel l of exci t ement and contagi on and suggest i on. . . .
The convert s may be few. They may be many. They
wi l l be measured, not by t he capaci t y of t he preacher
for admi ni st rat i ve hypnot i sm, but rat her by t he
capaci t y for unsel fi sh fri endshi p of every Chri st i an
man and woman. But of t hi s I t hi nk we may be
confi dent - t he days of rel i gi ous effervescence and
passi onal unrest rai nt are dyi ng. The days of
i nt el l i gent , undemonst rat i ve and sel f-sacri fi ci ng pi et y
are dawni ng. To do j ust l y, t o l ove mercy, t o wal k
humbl y wi t h God - t hese remai n t he cardi nal t est s of
t he di vi ne i n man.
Rel i gi ous experi ence i s an evol ut i on. We go on
from t he rudi ment ary and t he pri mi t i ve t o t he rat i onal
and t he spi ri t ual . And, bel i eve Paul , t he mat ure frui t
of t he Spi ri t i s not t he subl i mi nal uprush, t he l apse of
i nhi bi t i on, but rat i onal l ove, j oy, peace, l ong-
sufferi ng, ki ndness, goodness, fai t hful ness, meekness
- sel f-cont rol . "

The Law of Concent rat i on i s one of t he maj or
pri nci pl es whi ch must be underst ood and appl i ed
i nt el l i gent l y by al l who woul d successful l y experi ment
- 75 -

UNTIL you have learned to
be tolerant with those who
do not always agree with
you - until you have
cultivated the habit of
saying some kind word of
those whom you do not
admire until you have
formed the habit of looking
for the good instead of the
bad there is in others, you
will be neither successful
nor happy.
- 76 -
wi t h t he pri nci pl e descri bed i n t hi s course as t he
"Mast er Mi nd. "
The foregoi ng comment s, by l eadi ng aut hori t i es
of t he worl d, wi l l gi ve you a bet t er underst andi ng of
t he Law of Concent rat i on as i t i s oft en used by t hose
who wi sh t o "bl end" or "fuse" t he mi nds of a crowd so
t hey wi l l funct i on as a si ngl e mi nd.
You are now ready for t he l esson on Co-
operat i on, whi ch wi l l t ake you furt her i nt o t he
met hods of appl yi ng t he psychol ogi cal l aws upon
whi ch t hi s phi l osophy of success i s based.
- 77 -
- 78 -


IF you hesitate or turn
backward while under
fire, you' re not a Fighter -
you' re a "Quitter"; and the
Devil, himself, hates the
person with a rubber
backbone. He smells bad
burning.


T
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E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
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C
C
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E
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S
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S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL









Pri nted i n the U. S. A.
- 2 -







Lesson Thirteen
CO-OPERATION



- 3 -




YOU have failed many
times? How fortunate!
You ought to know, by
now, some of the
things NOT to do.



- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Thirteen
CO-OPERATION



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

CO-OPERATION i s t he begi nni ng of al l organi zed
effort . As was st at ed i n t he second l esson of t hi s
course, Andrew Carnegi e accumul at ed a gi gant i c
fort une t hrough t he co-operat i ve effort s of a smal l
group of men numberi ng not more t han a score.
You, t oo, can l earn how t o use t hi s pri nci pl e.
There are t wo forms of Co-operat i on t o whi ch
your at t ent i on wi l l be di rect ed i n t hi s l esson; namel y:
Fi rst , t he Co-operat i on bet ween peopl e who group
t hemsel ves t oget her or form al l i ances for t he purpose
of at t ai ni ng a gi ven end, under t he pri nci pl es known
as t he Law of t he Mast er Mi nd.
Second, t he Co-operat i on bet ween t he consci ous
and t he subconsci ous mi nds, whi ch forms a reasonabl e
hypot hesi s of man' s abi l i t y t o cont act , communi cat e
wi t h and draw upon i nf i ni t e i nt el l i gence.
To one who has not gi ven seri ous t hought t o t hi s
subj ect , t he foregoi ng hypot hesi s may seem
unreasonabl e; but fol l ow t he evi dence of i t s
- 5 -
soundness, and st udy t he fact s upon whi ch t he
hypot hesi s i s based, and t hen draw your own
concl usi ons.
Let us begi n wi t h a bri ef revi ew of t he physi cal
const ruct i on of t he body:
"We know t hat t he whol e body i s t raversed by a
net work of nerves whi ch serve as t he channel s of
communi cat i on bet ween t he i ndwel l i ng spi ri t ual ego,
whi ch we cal l mi nd, and t he funct i ons of t he ext ernal
organi sm.
"Thi s nervous syst em i s dual . One syst em, known
as t he Sympat het i c, i s t he channel for al l t hose
act i vi t i es whi ch are not consci ousl y di rect ed by our
vol i t i on, such as t he operat i on of t he di gest i ve organs,
t he repai r of t he dai l y wear and t ear of t he t i ssues, and
t he l i ke.
"The ot her syst em, known as t he Vol unt ary or
Cerebro-spi nal syst em, i s t he channel t hrough whi ch
we recei ve consci ous percept i on from t he physi cal
senses and exerci se cont rol over t he movement s of t he
body. Thi s syst em has i t s cent er i n t he brai n, whi l e
t he ot her has i t s cent er i n t he gangl i oni c mass at t he
back of t he st omach known as t he sol ar pl exus, and
somet i mes spoken of as t he abdomi nal brai n. The
cerebro-spi nal syst em i s t he channel of our vol i t i onal
or consci ous ment al act i on, and t he sympat het i c
syst em i s t he channel of t hat ment al act i on whi ch
unconsci ousl y support s t he vi t al funct i ons of t he
body.
"Thus t he cerebro-spi nal syst em i s t he organ of
t he consci ous mi nd and t he sympat het i c i s t hat of t he
subconsci ous mi nd.
"But t he i nt eract i on of consci ous and sub-
consci ous mi nds requi res a si mi l ar i nt eract i on bet ween
t he correspondi ng syst ems of nerves, and one
- 6 -
conspi cuous connect i on by whi ch t hi s i s provi ded i s
t he "vagus" nerve. Thi s nerve passes out of t he
cerebral regi on as a port i on of t he vol unt ary syst em,
and t hrough i t we cont rol t he vocal organs; t hen i t
passes onward t o t he t horax, sendi ng out branches t o
t he heart and l ungs; and fi nal l y, passi ng t hrough t he
di aphragm, i t l oses t he out er coat i ng whi ch
di st i ngui shes t he nerves of t he vol unt ary syst em and
becomes i dent i fi ed wi t h t hose of t he sympat het i c
syst em, so f ormi ng a connect i ng l i nk bet ween t he t wo
and maki ng t he man physi cal l y a si ngl e ent i t y.
"Si mi l arl y di fferent areas of t he brai n i ndi cat e
t hei r connect i on wi t h t he obj ect i ve and subj ect i ve
act i vi t i es of t he mi nd respect i vel y, and, speaki ng i n a
general way, we may assi gn t he front al port i on of t he
brai n t o t he former, and t he post eri or port i on t o t he
l at t er, whi l e t he i nt ermedi at e port i on part akes of t he
charact er of bot h.
"The i nt ui t i onal facul t y has i t s correspondence i n
t he upper area of t he brai n, si t uat ed bet ween t he
front al and t he post eri or port i ons, and,
physi ol ogi cal l y speaki ng, i t i s here t hat i nt ui t i ve i deas
fi nd ent rance. These, at fi rst , are more or l ess
unformed and general i zed i n charact er, but are,
nevert hel ess, percei ved by t he consci ous mi nd;
ot herwi se, we shoul d not be aware of t hem at al l . Then
t he effort of Nat ure i s t o bri ng t hese i deas i nt o more
defi ni t e and usabl e shape, so t he consci ous mi nd l ays
hol d on t hem and i nduces a correspondi ng vi brat ory
current i n t he vol unt ary syst em of nerves, and t hi s i n
t urn i nduces a si mi l ar current i n t he i nvol unt ary
syst em, t hus handi ng t he i dea over t o t he subj ect i ve
mi nd. The vi brat ory current whi ch had fi rst descended
- 7 -
from t he apex of t he brai n t o t he front al brai n and t hus
t hrough t he vol unt ary syst em t o t he sol ar pl exus i s
now reversed and ascends from t he sol ar pl exus
t hrough t he sympat het i c syst em t o t he post eri or brai n,
t hi s ret urn current i ndi cat i ng t he act i on of t he
subj ect i ve mi nd. "
If we were t o remove t he surface port i on of t he
apex of t he brai n we shoul d fi nd i mmedi at el y bel ow i t
t he shi ni ng bel t of brai n subst ance cal l ed t he "corpus
cal l ous. " Thi s i s t he poi nt of uni on bet ween t he
subj ect i ve and obj ect i ve, and, as t he current ret urns
from t he sol ar pl exus t o t hi s poi nt , i t i s rest ored t o t he
obj ect i ve port i on of t he brai n i n a fresh form whi ch i t
has acqui red by t he si l ent al chemy of t he subj ect i ve
mi nd. Thus t he concept i on whi ch was at fi rst onl y
vaguel y recogni zed i s rest ored t o t he obj ect i ve mi nd
i n a defi ni t e and workabl e form, and t hen t he
obj ect i ve mi nd, act i ng t hrough t he front al brai n - t he
area of compari son and anal ysi s - proceeds t o work
upon a cl earl y percei ved i dea and t o bri ng out t he
pot ent i al i t i es t hat are l at ent i n i t . *
The t erm "subj ect i ve mi nd" i s t he same as t he
t erm "sub-consci ous mi nd, " and t he t erm "obj ect i ve
mi nd" i s t he same as t he t erm "consci ous mi nd. "
Pl ease underst and t hese di fferent t erms.
By st udyi ng t hi s dual syst em t hrough whi ch t he
body t ransmi t s energy, we di scover t he exact poi nt s at
whi ch t he t wo syst ems are connect ed, and t he manner
i n whi ch we may t ransmi t a t hought from t he
consci ous t o t he subconsci ous mi nd.
Thi s Co-operat i ve dual nervous syst em i s t he

*J udge T. Towar d, i n The Edi nbur gh Lect ur es on Ment al
Sci ence.

- 8 -
most i mport ant form of co-operat i on known t o man;
for i t i s t hrough t he ai d of t hi s syst em t hat t he
pri nci pl e of evol ut i on carri es on i t s work of
devel opi ng accurat e t hought , as descri bed i n Lesson
El even.
When you i mpress any i dea on your sub-consci ous
mi nd, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on, you
do so wi t h t he ai d of t hi s dual nervous syst em: and
when your sub-consci ous mi nd works out a defi ni t e
pl an of any desi re wi t h whi ch you i mpress i t , t he pl an
i s del i vered back t o your consci ous mi nd t hrough t hi s
same dual nervous syst em.
Thi s Co-operat i ve syst em of nerves l i t eral l y
const i t ut es a di rect l i ne of communi cat i on bet ween
your ordi nary consci ous mi nd and i nf i ni t e
i nt el l i gence.
Knowi ng, from my own previ ous experi ence as a
begi nner i n t he st udy of t hi s subj ect , how di ffi cul t i t
i s t o accept t he hypot hesi s here descri bed, I wi l l
i l l ust rat e t he soundness of t he hypot hesi s i n a si mpl e
way t hat you can bot h underst and and demonst rat e for
yoursel f.
Before goi ng t o sl eep at ni ght i mpress upon your
mi nd t he desi re t o ari se t he next morni ng at a gi ven
hour, say at four A. M. , and i f your i mpressi on i s
accompani ed by a posi t i ve det ermi nat i on t o ari se at
t hat hour, your sub-consci ous mi nd wi l l regi st er t he
i mpressi on and awaken you at preci sel y t hat t i me.
Now t he quest i on mi ght wel l be asked:
"If I ran i mpress my sub-consci ous mi nd wi t h t he
desi re t o ari se at a speci fi ed t i me and i t wi l l awaken
me at t hat t i me, why do I not form t he habi t of
i mpressi ng i t wi t h ot her and more i mport ant desi res?"
If you wi l l ask yoursel f t hi s quest i on, and i nsi st
upon an answer, you wi l l fi nd yoursel f very near, i f
- 9 -

YOU can not scare a man
who is at peace with God,
his fellow men and
himself. There is no room
for fear in such a man's
heart. When fear finds a
welcome there is
something that needs
awakening.


- 10 -
not on t he pat hway t hat l eads t o t he secret door t o
knowl edge, as descri bed i n Lesson El even.

We wi l l now t ake up t he subj ect of Co-operat i on
bet ween men who uni t e, or group t hemsel ves t oget her
for t he purpose of at t ai ni ng a gi ven end. In t he second
l esson of t hi s course we referred t o t hi s sort of
cooperat i on as organi zed ef f ort .
Thi s course t ouches some phase of co-operat i on
i n pract i cal l y every l esson. Thi s resul t was i nevi t abl e
for t he reason t hat t he obj ect of t he course i s t o hel p
t he st udent devel op power, and power i s devel oped
onl y t hrough organi zed ef f ort .
We are l i vi ng i n an age of co-operat i ve effort .
Nearl y al l successful busi nesses are conduct ed under
some form of co-operat i on. The same i s t rue i n t he
fi el d of i ndust ry and fi nance, as wel l as i n t he
professi onal fi el d.
Doct ors and l awyers have t hei r al l i ances for
mut ual ai d and prot ect i on i n t he form of Bar
Associ at i ons and Medi cal Associ at i ons.
The bankers have bot h l ocal and nat i onal
Associ at i ons for t hei r mut ual ai d and advancement .
The ret ai l merchant s have t hei r Associ at i ons for
t he same purpose.
The aut omobi l e owners have grouped t hemsel ves
i nt o Cl ubs and Associ at i ons.
The Pri nt ers have t hei r Associ at i ons; t he
pl umbers have t hei rs and t he coal deal ers have t hei rs.
Co-operat i on i s t he obj ect of al l t hese
Associ at i ons.
The l abori ng men have t hei r uni ons and t hose
who suppl y t he worki ng capi t al and superi nt end t he
- 11 -
effort s of l abori ng men have t hei r al l i ances, under
vari ous names.
Nat i ons have t hei r co-operat i ve al l i ances,
al t hough t hey do not appear t o have yet di scovered t he
ful l meani ng of co-operat i on. The at t empt of t he
l at e Presi dent Wi l son t o perfect t he League of
Nat i ons, fol l owed by t he effort s of t he l at e Presi dent
Hardi ng t o perfect t he same i dea under t he name of
t he Worl d Court , i ndi cat es t he t rend of t he t i mes i n
t he di rect i on of co-operat i on.
It i s sl owl y becomi ng obvi ous t o man t hat t hose
who most effi ci ent l y appl y t he pri nci pl e of co-
operat i ve effort survi ve l ongest , and, t hat t hi s
pri nci pl e appl i es from t he l owest form of ani mal l i fe
t o t he hi ghest form of human endeavor.
Mr. Carnegi e, and Mr. Rockefel l er, and Mr. Ford
have t aught t he busi ness man t he val ue of co-operat i ve
effort ; t hat i s, t hey have t aught al l who cared t o
observe, t he pri nci pl e t hrough whi ch t hey accumul at ed
vast fort unes.
Co-operat i on i s t he very foundat i on of al l
successful l eadershi p. Henry Fords most t angi bl e
asset i s t he wel l organi zed agency force t hat he has
est abl i shed. Thi s organi zat i on not onl y provi des hi m
wi t h an out l et for al l t he aut omobi l es he can
manufact ure, but , of great er i mport ance st i l l , i t
provi des hi m wi t h fi nanci al power suffi ci ent t o meet
any emergency t hat may ari se, a fact whi ch he has
al ready demonst rat ed on at l east one occasi on.
As a resul t of hi s underst andi ng of t he val ue of
t he co-operat i ve pri nci pl e Ford has removed hi msel f
from t he usual posi t i on of dependence upon fi nanci al
i nst i t ut i ons and at t he same t i me provi ded hi msel f
- 12 -
wi t h more commerci al power t han he can possi bl y use.
The Federal Reserve Bank Syst em i s anot her
exampl e of co-operat i ve effort whi ch pract i cal l y
i nsures t he Uni t ed St at es agai nst a money pani c.
The chai n-st ore syst ems const i t ut e anot her form
of commerci al co-operat i on t hat provi des advant age
t hrough bot h t he purchasi ng and t he di st ri but i ng end
of t he busi ness.
The modern depart ment st ore, whi ch i s t he
equi val ent of a group of smal l st ores operat i ng under
one roof, one management and one overhead expense,
i s anot her i l l ust rat i on of t he advant age of co-operat i ve
effort i n t he commerci al fi el d.
In Lesson Fi ft een you wi l l observe t he
possi bi l i t i es of co-operat i ve effort i n i t s hi ghest form
and at t he same t i me you wi l l see t he i mport ant part
t hat i t pl ays i n t he devel opment of power.
As you have al ready l earned, power i s organi zed
ef f ort . The t hree most i mport ant fact ors t hat ent er i nt o
t he process of organi zi ng effort are:
Concent rat i on,
Co-operat i on and
Co-ordi nat i on.

HOW POWER IS DEVELOPED THROUGH
CO-OPERATION

As we have al ready seen, power i s organi zed
effort or energy. Personal power i s devel oped by
devel opi ng, organi zi ng and co-ordi nat i ng t he facul t i es
of t he mi nd. Thi s may be accompl i shed by mast eri ng
and appl yi ng t he fi ft een maj or pri nci pl es upon whi ch
t hi s course i s founded. The necessary procedure
- 13 -
t hrough whi ch t hese pri nci pl es may be mast ered i s
t horoughl y descri bed i n t he si xt eent h l esson.
The devel opment of personal power i s but t he
fi rst st ep t o be t aken i n t he devel opment of t he
pot ent i al power t hat i s avai l abl e t hrough t he medi um
of al l i ed effort , or co-operat i on, whi ch may be cal l ed
group power.
It i s a wel l known fact t hat al l men who have
amassed l arge fort unes have been known as abl e
organi zers. By t hi s i s meant t hat t hey possessed t he
abi l i t y t o enl i st t he co-operat i ve effort s of ot her men
who suppl i ed t al ent and abi l i t y whi ch t hey,
t hemsel ves, di d not possess.
The chi ef obj ect of t hi s course i s so t o unfol d t he
pri nci pl es of organi zed and co-operat i ve or al l i ed
effort t hat t he st udent wi l l comprehend t hei r
si gni fi cance and make t hem t he basi s of hi s
phi l osophy.
Take, as an exampl e, any busi ness or professi on
t hat you choose and you wi l l observe, by anal ysi s, t hat
i t i s l i mi t ed onl y by l ack of appl i cat i on of organi zed
and co-operat i ve effort . As an i l l ust rat i on, consi der
t he l egal professi on.
If a l aw fi rm consi st s of but one t ype of mi nd i t
wi l l be great l y handi capped, even t hough i t may be
made up of a dozen abl e men of t hi s part i cul ar t ype.
The compl i cat ed l egal syst em cal l s for a great er
vari et y of t al ent t han any one man coul d possi bl y
provi de.
It i s evi dent , t herefore, t hat mere organi zed effort
i s not suffi ci ent t o i nsure out st andi ng success; t he
organi zat i on must consi st of i ndi vi dual s each of whom
suppl i es some speci al i zed t al ent whi ch t he ot her
members of t he organi zat i on do not possess.
A wel l organi zed l aw fi rm woul d i ncl ude t al ent
- 14 -
t hat was speci al i zed i n t he preparat i on of cases; men
of vi si on and i magi nat i on who underst ood how t o
harmoni ze t he l aw and t he evi dence of a case under a
sound pl an. Men who have such abi l i t y are not al ways
possessed of t he abi l i t y t o t ry a case i n court ;
t herefore, men who are profi ci ent i n court procedure
must be avai l abl e. Carryi ng t he anal ysi s a st ep
furt her, i t wi l l be seen t hat t here are many di fferent
cl asses of cases whi ch cal l for men of vari ous t ypes of
speci al i zed abi l i t y i n bot h t he preparat i on and t he t ri al
of t hese cases. A l awyer who had prepared hi msel f as
a speci al i st i n corporat i on l aw mi ght be whol l y
unprepared t o handl e a case i n cri mi nal procedure.
In formi ng a l aw part nershi p, t he man who
underst ood t he pri nci pl es of organi zed, co-operat i ve
ef f ort , woul d surround hi msel f wi t h t al ent t hat was
speci al i zed i n every branch of l aw and l egal procedure
i n whi ch he i nt ended t o pract i ce. The man who had no
concept i on of t he pot ent i al power of t hese pri nci pl es
woul d probabl y sel ect hi s associ at es by t he usual hi t
or mi ss met hod, basi ng hi s sel ect i ons more upon
personal i t y or acquai nt anceshi p t han consi derat i on of
t he part i cul ar t ype of l egal t al ent t hat each possessed.
The subj ect of organi zed ef f ort has been covered
i n t he precedi ng l essons of t hi s course, but i t i s agai n
brought up i n connect i on wi t h t hi s l esson for t he
purpose of i ndi cat i ng t he necessi t y of formi ng
al l i ances or organi zat i ons consi st i ng of i ndi vi dual s
who suppl y al l of t he necessary t al ent t hat may be
needed f or t he at t ai nment of t he obj ect i n mi nd.
In nearl y al l commerci al undert aki ngs, t here i s a
need for at l east t hree cl asses of t al ent ; namel y,
buyers, sal esmen and t hose who are fami l i ar wi t h
- 15 -

A GOOD stock of self-
confidence and a new suit
of clothes will help you
land a position without
"pull," but remember that
nothing will go so far
toward helping you hold it
as will push, enthusiasm
and determination to do
more than that for which
you are paid.
- 16 -
fi nance. It wi l l be readi l y seen t hat when t hese t hree
cl asses of men organi ze and co-ordi nat e t hei r effort s
t hey avai l t hemsel ves, t hrough t hi s form of co-
operat i on, of power whi ch no si ngl e i ndi vi dual of t he
group possesses.
Many a busi ness fai l s because al l of t he men back
of i t are sal esmen, or fi nanci al men or buyers. By
nat ure, t he most abl e sal esmen are opt i mi st i c,
ent husi ast i c and emot i onal ; whi l e abl e fi nanci al men,
as a rul e, are unemot i onal , del i berat e and
conservat i ve. Bot h cl asses are essent i al t o t he success
of a commerci al ent erpri se; but ei t her cl ass wi l l prove
t oo much of a l oad for any busi ness, wi t hout t he
modi fyi ng i nfl uence of t he ot her cl ass.
It i s general l y conceded t hat James J. Hi l l was t he
most effi ci ent rai l road bui l der t hat Ameri ca ever
produced; but i t i s equal l y wel l known t hat he was not
a ci vi l engi neer, nor a bri dge bui l der, nor a
l ocomot i ve engi neer, nor a mechani cal engi neer, nor a
chemi st , al t hough t hese hi ghl y speci al i zed cl asses of
t al ent are essent i al i n rai l road bui l di ng. Mr. Hi l l
underst ood t he pri nci pl es of organi zed ef f ort and co-
operat i on; t herefore, he surrounded hi msel f wi t h men
who possessed al l t hi s necessary abi l i t y whi ch he
l acked.
The modern depart ment st ore i s a spl endi d
exampl e of organi zed, co-operat i ve ef f ort .
Each merchandi si ng depart ment i s under t he
management of one who underst ands t he purchasi ng
and market i ng of t he goods carri ed i n t hat depart ment .
Back of al l t hese depart ment managers i s a
general st aff consi st i ng of speci al i st s i n buyi ng,
sel l i ng, fi nanci ng, and t he management of uni t s, or
groups, of peopl e. Thi s form of organi zed ef f ort
pl aces back of each depart ment bot h buyi ng and
- 17 -
sel l i ng power such as t hat depart ment coul d not afford
i f i t were separat ed from t he group and had t o be
operat ed under i t s own overhead, i n a separat e
l ocat i on.
The Uni t ed St at es of Ameri ca i s one of t he ri chest
and most powerf ul nat i ons of t he worl d. Upon
anal ysi s, i t wi l l be seen t hat t hi s enormous power has
grown out of t he co-operat i ve effort s of t he st at es of
t he Uni on.
It was for t he purpose of savi ng t hi s power t hat
t he i mmort al Li ncol n made up hi s mi nd t o erase t he
Mason and Di xon l i ne. The savi ng of t he Uni on was of
far great er concern t o hi m t han was t he freedom of t he
sl aves of t he Sout h. Had t hi s not been so, t he present
st at us of t he Uni t ed St at es as a power among t he
nat i ons of t he worl d woul d be far di fferent from what
i t i s.
It was t hi s same pri nci pl e of co-operat i ve effort
t hat Woodrow Wi l son had i n mi nd when he creat ed hi s
pl an for a League of Nat i ons. He foresaw t he need of
such a pl an as a medi um for prevent i ng war bet ween
nat i ons; j ust as Li ncol n foresaw i t as a medi um for
harmoni zi ng t he effort s of t he peopl e of t he Uni t ed
St at es, t hereby preservi ng t he Uni on.
Thus i t i s seen t hat t he pri nci pl e of organi zed, co-
operat i ve effort t hrough t he ai d of whi ch t he
i ndi vi dual may devel op personal power, i s t he
sel fsame pri nci pl e t hat must be empl oyed i n
devel opi ng group power.
Andrew Carnegi e easi l y domi nat ed t he st eel
busi ness duri ng hi s act i ve connect i on wi t h t hat
i ndust ry, for t he reason t hat he t ook advant age of t he
pri nci pl e of organi zed, co-operat i ve effort by
surroundi ng hi msel f wi t h hi ghl y speci al i zed fi nanci al
men, chemi st s, sal es managers, buyers of raw
- 18 -
mat eri al s, t ransport at i on expert s and ot hers whose
servi ces were essent i al t o t hat i ndust ry. He organi zed
t hi s group of co-operat ors i nt o what he cal l ed a
"Mast er Mi nd. "
Any great uni versi t y affords an excel l ent exampl e
of t he necessi t y of organi zed, co-operat i ve effort . The
professorat e i s made up of men and women of hi ghl y
speci al i zed, t hough vast l y di fferent , abi l i t y. One
depart ment i s presi ded over by expert s i n l i t erat ure;
anot her depart ment by expert mat hemat i ci ans; anot her
depart ment by expert s i n chemi st ry; anot her
depart ment by expert s i n economi c phi l osophy;
anot her depart ment by expert s i n medi ci ne; anot her,
by expert s i n l aw, et c. The uni versi t y, as a whol e, i s
t he equi val ent of a group of col l eges each of whi ch i s
di rect ed by expert s i n i t s own l i ne, whose effi ci ency
i s great l y i ncreased t hrough al l i ed or co-operat i ve
effort t hat i s di rect ed by a si ngl e head.
Anal yze power, no mat t er where, or i n what form,
i t may be found, and you wi l l fi nd organi zat i on and
co-operat i on as t he chi ef fact ors back of i t . You wi l l
fi nd t hese t wo pri nci pl es i n evi dence i n t he l owest
form of veget at i on no l ess t han i n t he hi ghest form of
ani mal , whi ch i s man.

Off t he coast of Norway i s t he most famous and
i rresi st i bl e mael st rom i n t he worl d. Thi s great
whi rl pool of ceasel ess mot i on has never been known
t o gi ve UP any vi ct i m who was caught i n i t s ci rcl i ng
embrace of foami ng wat er.
No l ess sure of dest ruct i on are t hose unfort unat e
soul s who are caught i n t he great mael st rom of l i fe
t oward whi ch al l who do not underst and t he pri nci pl e
- 19 -
of organi zed, co-operat i ve effort are t ravel i ng. We are
l i vi ng i n a worl d i n whi ch t he l aw of t he survi val of
t he fi t t est i s everywhere i n evi dence. Those who are
fi t are t hose who have power, and power i s
organi zed ef f ort .
Unfort unat e i s t he person who ei t her t hrough
i gnorance, or because of egot i sm, i magi nes t hat he can
sai l t hi s sea of l i fe i n t he frai l bark of i ndependence.
Such a person wi l l di scover t hat t here are mael st roms
more dangerous t han any mere whi rl pool of unfri endl y
wat ers. Al l nat ural l aws and al l of Nat ure' s pl ans are
based upon harmoni ous, co-operat i ve effort , as al l
who have at t ai ned hi gh pl aces i n t he worl d have
di scovered.
Wherever peopl e are engaged i n unfri endl y
combat , no mat t er what may be i t s nat ure, or i t s cause,
one may observe t he nearness of one of t hese
mael st roms t hat awai t s t he combat ant s.
Success i n l i fe cannot be at t ai ned except t hrough
peaceful , harmoni ous, co-operat i ve effort . Nor can
success be at t ai ned si ngl e-handed or i ndependent l y.
Even t hough a man l i ve as a hermi t i n t he wi l derness,
far from al l si gns of ci vi l i zat i on, he i s, nevert hel ess,
dependent upon forces out si de of hi msel f for an
exi st ence. The more he becomes a part of ci vi l i zat i on
t he more dependent upon co-operat i ve effort he
becomes.
Whet her a man earns hi s l i vi ng by days' work or
from t he i nt erest on t he fort une he has amassed, bee
wi l l earn i t wi t h l ess opposi t i on t hrough fri endl y co-
operat i on wi t h ot hers. Moreover, t he man whose
phi l osophy i s based upon co-operat i on i nst ead of
compet i t i on wi l l not onl y acqui re t he necessi t i es and
t he l uxuri es of l i fe wi t h l ess effort , but he wi l l enj oy
- 20 -
an ext ra reward i n happi ness such as ot hers wi l l never
feel .
Fort unes t hat are acqui red t hrough co-operat i ve
effort i nfl i ct no scars upon t he heart s of t hei r owners,
whi ch i s more t han can be sai d of fort unes t hat are
acqui red t hrough confl i ct and compet i t i ve met hods
t hat border on ext ort i on.
The accumul at i on of mat eri al weal t h, whet her t he
obj ect i s t hat of bare exi st ence or l uxury, consumes
most of t he t i me t hat we put i nt o t hi s eart hl y st ruggl e.
If we cannot change t hi s mat eri al i st i c t endency of
human nat ure, we can, at l east , change t he met hod of
pursui ng i t by adopt i ng co-operat i on as t he basi s of
t he pursui t .
Co-operat i on offers t he t wo-fol d reward of
provi di ng one wi t h bot h t he necessi t i es and t he
l uxuri es of l i fe and t he peace of mi nd whi ch t he
covet ous never know. The avari ci ous and covet ous
person may amass a great fort une i n mat eri al weal t h;
t here i s no denyi ng t hi s fact ; but he wi l l have sol d hi s
soul for a mess of pot t age i n t he bargai n.
Let us keep i n mi nd t he fact t hat al l success i s
based upon power, and power grows out of knowl edge,
t hat has been organi zed and expressed i n t erms of
ACTION.
The worl d pays for but one ki nd of knowl edge,
and t hat i s t he ki nd whi ch i s expressed i n t erms of
const ruct i ve servi ce. In addressi ng t he graduat i ng
cl ass of a busi ness col l ege one of t he best known
bankers i n Ameri ca sai d:
"You ought t o feel proud of your di pl omas,
because t hey are evi dence t hat you have been
prepari ng yoursel ves for act i on i n t he great fi el d of
busi ness.
- 21 -

QUIBBLING" over salary "to
start with" has lost many a
man the big opportunity of
a life-time. If the position
you seek is one that you
know you can throw your
whole heart into, take it,
even if you have to work for
nothing until you deliver a
good sample of your
"goods." Thereafter you will
receive pay in proportion to
the quality and quantity of
the work you perform.

- 22 -
One of t he advant ages of a busi ness col l ege
t rai ni ng i s t hat i t prepares you for act i on! Not t o
bel i t t l e ot her met hods of educat i on, but t o exal t t he
modern busi ness col l ege met hod, I am remi nded t o say
t hat t here are some col l eges i n whi ch t he maj ori t y of
t he st udent s are prepari ng for pract i cal l y everyt hi ng
el se except act i on.
You came t o t hi s busi ness col l ege wi t h but one
obj ect i n vi ew, and t hat obj ect i s t o l earn t o render
servi ce and earn a l i vi ng. The l at est st yl e of cl ot hi ng
has been of l i t t l e i nt erest t o you because you have
been prepari ng yoursel f for work i n whi ch cl ot hes of
t he l at est st yl e wi l l pl ay no i mport ant part . You di d
not come here t o l earn how t o pour t ea at an aft ernoon
part y nor t o become mast ers at affect i ng fri endl i ness
whi l e i nwardl y feel i ng envy for t hose who wear fi ner
gowns and dri ve cost l y mot or cars - you came here t o
l earn how t o work!
In t he graduat i ng cl ass before whi ch t hi s man
spoke were t hi rt een boys, al l of whom were so poor
t hat t hey had barel y enough money wi t h whi ch t o pay
t hei r way. Some of t hem were payi ng t hei r own way
by worki ng before and aft er school hours.
That was t went y-fi ve years ago. Last summer, I
met t he presi dent of t he busi ness col l ege whi ch t hese
boys at t ended and he gave me t he hi st ory of each one
of t hem, from t he t i me t hat t hey graduat ed unt i l t he
t i me when I t al ked t o hi m. One of t hem i s t he
presi dent of one of t he bi g whol esal e drug compani es,
and a weal t hy man; one i s a successful l awyer; t wo
own l arge busi ness col l eges of t hei r own; one i s a
professor i n t he depart ment of economi cs i n one of t he
l argest uni versi t i es i n Ameri ca; one i s t he presi dent of
- 23 -
one of t he l arge aut omobi l e manufact uri ng compani es;
t wo are presi dent s of banks, and weal t hy men; one i s
t he owner of a l arge depart ment st ore; one i s t he vi ce-
presi dent of one of t he great rai l way syst ems of t he
count ry; one i s a wel l est abl i shed Cert i fi ed Publ i c
Account ant ; one i s dead; and t he t hi rt eent h i s
compi l i ng t hi s Readi ng Course on t he Law of Success.
El even successes out of a cl ass of t hi rt een boys i s
not a bad record, t hanks t o t he spi ri t of act i on
devel oped by t hat busi ness col l ege t rai ni ng.
It i s not t he school i ng you have had t hat count s;
i t i s t he ext ent t o whi ch you express t hat whi ch you
l earned from your school i ng t hrough wel l organi zed
and i nt el l i gent l y di rect ed act i on.
By no means woul d I bel i t t l e hi gher educat i on,
but I woul d offer hope and encouragement t o t hose
who have had no such educat i on, provi ded t hey
express t hat whi ch t hey know, be i t ever so l i t t l e, i n
i nt ensi ve act i on, al ong const ruct i ve l i nes.
One of t he great est Presi dent s who ever occupi ed
t he Whi t e House had but l i t t l e school i ng, but he di d
such a good j ob of expressi ng what knowl edge he
acqui red by t hat l i t t l e school i ng, t hrough properl y
di rect ed act i on, t hat hi s name has been i nseparabl y
woven i nt o t he hi st ory of t he Uni t ed St at es.
Every ci t y, t own and haml et has i t s popul at i on of
t hose wel l known charact ers cal l ed ne' er-do-wel l s,
and i f you wi l l anal yze t hese unfort unat e peopl e, you
wi l l observe t hat one of t hei r out st andi ng feat ures i s
procrast i nat i on.
Lack of act i on has caused t hem t o sl i p backward
unt i l t hey got i nt o a rut , where t hey wi l l remai n
- 24 -
unl ess, t hrough acci dent , t hey are forced out i nt o t he
open road of st ruggl e where unusual act i on wi l l
become necessary.
Don' t l et yoursel f get i nt o such a condi t i on.
Every offi ce, and every shop, and every bank, and
every st ore, and every ot her pl ace of empl oyment has
i t s out st andi ng vi ct i ms of procrast i nat i on who are
doi ng t he goose-st ep down t he dust y road of f ai l ure
because t hey have not devel oped t he habi t of
expressi ng t hemsel ves i n act i on.
You can pi ck out t hese unfort unat es al l about you
i f you wi l l begi n t o anal yze t hose wi t h whom you
come i n cont act each day. If you wi l l t al k t o t hem you
wi l l observe t hat t hey have bui l t up a fal se phi l osophy
somewhat of t hi s nat ure:
I am doi ng al l I am pai d t o do, and I am get t i ng
by.
Yes, t hey are get t i ng by - but t hat i s al l t hey
are get t i ng.
Some years ago, at a t i me when l abor was scarce
and wages unusual l y hi gh, I observed scores of abl e-
bodi ed men l yi ng about i n t he parks of Chi cago, doi ng
not hi ng. I became curi ous t o know what sort of an
al i bi t hey woul d offer for t hei r conduct , so I went out
one aft ernoon and i nt ervi ewed seven of t hem.
Wi t h t he ai d of a generous suppl y of ci gars and
ci garet t es and a l i t t l e l oose change I bought mysel f
i nt o t he confi dence of t hose whom I i nt ervi ewed and
t hereby gai ned a rat her i nt i mat e vi ew of t hei r
phi l osophy. Al l gave exact l y t he same reason for
bei ng t here, wi t hout empl oyment . They sai d: The
worl d wi l l not gi ve me a chance!!!
The excl amat i on poi nt s are my own.
- 25 -
Thi nk of i t - t he worl d woul d not gi ve t hem a
chance.
Of course t he worl d woul dn' t gi ve t hem a chance.
It never gi ves anyone a chance. A man who want s
a chance may creat e i t t hrough act i on, but i f he wai t s
for someone t o hand i t t o hi m on a si l ver pl at t er he
wi l l meet wi t h di sappoi nt ment .
I fear t hat t hi s excuse t hat t he worl d does not gi ve
a man a chance i s qui t e preval ent , and I st rongl y
suspect t hat i t i s one of t he commonest causes of
povert y and fai l ure.
The sevent h man t hat I i nt ervi ewed on t hat wel l -
spent aft ernoon was an unusual l y fi ne l ooki ng
speci men, physi cal l y. He was l yi ng on t he ground
asl eep, wi t h a newspaper over hi s face. When I l i ft ed
t he paper from hi s face, he reached up, t ook i t out of
my hands, put i t back over hi s face and went ri ght on
sl eepi ng.
Then I used a l i t t l e st rat egy by removi ng t he
paper from hi s face and pl aci ng i t behi nd me, where
he coul d not get i t . He t hen sat up on t he ground and I
i nt ervi ewed hi m. That fel l ow was a graduat e from t wo
of t he great uni versi t i es of t he east , wi t h a mast er' s
degree from one, and a Ph. D. from t he ot her.
Hi s st ory was pat het i c.
He had hel d j ob aft er j ob, but al ways hi s
empl oyer or hi s fel l ow empl oyee had i t i n for hi m.
He hadn' t been abl e t o make t hem see t he val ue of hi s
col l ege t rai ni ng. They woul dn' t gi ve hi m a chance.
Here was a man who mi ght have been at t he head
of some great busi ness, or t he out st andi ng fi gure i n
one of t he professi ons had he not bui l t hi s house upon
t he sands of procrast i nat i on and hel d t o t he fal se be-
- 26 -
l i ef t hat t he worl d shoul d pay hi m for what he knew!
Lucki l y, most col l ege graduat es do not bui l d upon
such fl i msy foundat i ons, because no col l ege on eart h
can crown wi t h success t he man who t ri es t o col l ect
for t hat whi ch he knows i nst ead of t hat whi ch he can
do wi t h what he knows.
The man t o whom I have referred was from one of
t he best known fami l i es of Vi rgi ni a. He t raced hi s
ancest ry back t o t he l andi ng of t he Mayfl ower. He
t hrew back hi s shoul ders, pounded hi msel f on t he
breast wi t h hi s fi st and sai d: Just t hi nk of i t , si r! I
am a son of one of t he fi rst fami l i es of ol d Vi rgi ni a!
My observat i ons l ead me t o bel i eve t hat bei ng t he
son of a fi rst fami l y i s not al ways fort unat e for
ei t her t he son or t he fami l y. Too oft en t hese sons of
fi rst fami l i es t ry t o sl i de home from t hi rd base on
t hei r fami l y names. Thi s may be onl y a pecul i ar not i on
of mi ne, but I have observed t hat t he men and women
who are doi ng t he worl d' s work have but l i t t l e t i me,
and l ess i ncl i nat i on, t o brag about t hei r ancest ry.
Not l ong ago I t ook a t ri p back t o sout hwest
Vi rgi ni a, where I was born. It was t he fi rst t i me I had
been t here i n over t went y years. It was a sad si ght t o
compare t he sons of some of t hose who were known as
"fi rst fami l i es" t went y years ago, wi t h t he sons of
t hose who were but pl ai n men who made i t t hei r
busi ness t o express t hemsel ves i n act i on of t he most
i nt ensi ve nat ure.
The compari son refl ect ed no credi t upon t he fi rst
fami l y boys! It i s wi t h no feel i ng of exal t at i on t hat I
express my grat i t ude for not havi ng been brought i nt o
t he worl d by parent s who bel onged t o t he fi rst
fami l y cl ass. That , of course, was not a mat t er of
- 27 -


HERE' S a good joke to play
on your employer: Get to
your work a little earlier
and leave a little later than
you are supposed to.
Handle his tools as if they
belonged to you. Go out of
your way to say a kind
word about him to your
fellow-workers. When there
is extra work that needs to
be done, volunteer to do it.
Do not show surprise when
he gets on to you and
offers you the head of the
department or a partnership
in the business, for this is
the best part of the joke.



- 28 -
choi ce wi t h me, and i f i t had been perhaps I, t oo,
woul d have sel ect ed parent s of t he fi rst fami l y t ype.
Not l ong ago I was i nvi t ed t o del i ver an address
i n Bost on, Mass. Aft er my work was fi ni shed, a
recept i on commi t t ee vol unt eered t o show me t he
si ght s of t he ci t y, i ncl udi ng a t ri p t o Cambri dge,
where we vi si t ed Harvard Uni versi t y. Whi l e t here, I
observed many sons of fi rst fami l i es - some of
whom were equi pped wi t h Packards. Twent y years ago
I woul d have fel t proud t o be a st udent at Harvard,
wi t h a Packard car, but t he i l l umi nat i ng effect of my
more mat ure years has l ed me t o t he concl usi on t hat
had I had t he pri vi l ege of goi ng t o Harvard I mi ght
have done j ust as wel l wi t hout t he ai d of a Packard.
I not i ced some Harvard boys who had no
Packards. They were worki ng as wai t ers i n a
rest aurant where I at e, and as far as I coul d see t hey
were mi ssi ng not hi ng of val ue because t hey owned no
Packards; nor di d t hey seem t o be sufferi ng by
compari son wi t h t hose who coul d boast of t he
ownershi p of parent s of t he fi rst fami l y t ype.
Al l of whi ch i s no refl ect i on upon Harvard
Uni versi t y - one of t he great uni versi t i es of t he worl d
- nor upon t he fi rst fami l i es who send boys t o
Harvard. To t he cont rary, i t i s i nt ended as a bi t of
encouragement t o t hose unfort unat es who, l i ke mysel f,
have but l i t t l e and know but l i t t l e, but express what
l i t t l e t hey know i n t erms of const ruct i ve, useful
act i on.
The psychol ogy of i nact i on i s one of t he chi ef
reasons why some t owns and ci t i es are dyi ng wi t h t he
dry-rot !
Take t he ci t y of X, for exampl e. You' l l recogni ze
t he ci t y by i t s descri pt i on, i f you are fami l i ar wi t h
- 29 -
t hi s part of t he count ry. Sunday bl ue-l aws have cl osed
up al l t he rest aurant s on Sunday. Rai l road t rai ns must
sl ow down t o t wel ve mi l es an hour whi l e passi ng
t hrough t he ci t y. Keep off t he grass si gns are
promi nent l y di spl ayed i n t he parks. Unfavorabl e ci t y
ordi nances of one sort or anot her have dri ven t he best
i ndust ri es t o ot her ci t i es. On every hand one may see
evi dence of rest rai nt . The peopl e of t he st reet s show
si gns of rest rai nt i n t hei r faces, and i n t hei r manner,
and i n t hei r wal k.
The mass psychol ogy of t he ci t y i s negat i ve.
The moment one get s off t he t rai n at t he depot ,
t hi s negat i ve at mosphere becomes depressi ngl y
obvi ous and makes one want t o t ake t he next t rai n out
agai n. The pl ace remi nds one of a grave-yard and t he
peopl e resembl e wal ki ng ghost s.
They regi st er no si gns of act i on!
The bank st at ement s of t he banki ng i nst i t ut i ons
refl ect t hi s negat i ve, i nact i ve st at e of mi nd. The st ores
refl ect i t i n t hei r show wi ndows and i n t he faces of
t hei r sal espeopl e. I went i nt o one of t he st ores t o buy
a pai r of hose. A young woman wi t h bobbed hai r who
woul d have been a fl apper i f she hadn' t been t oo
l azy, t hrew out a box of hose on t he count er. When I
pi cked up t he box, l ooked t he hose over and regi st ered
a l ook of di sapproval on my face, she l angui dl y
yawned:
They' re t he best you can get i n t hi s dump!
Dump! She must have been a mi nd reader, for
dump was t he word t hat was i n my mi nd before she
spoke. The st ore remi nded me of a rubbi sh dump; t he
ci t y remi nded me of t he same. I fel t t he st uff get t i ng
i nt o my own bl ood. The negat i ve psychol ogy of t he
- 30 -
peopl e was act ual l y reachi ng out and gat heri ng me i n.
Mai ne i s not t he onl y st at e t hat i s affl i ct ed wi t h a
ci t y such as t he one I have descri bed. I coul d name
ot hers, but I mi ght wi sh t o go i nt o pol i t i cs some day;
t herefore, I wi l l l eave i t t o you t o do your own
anal yzi ng and compari ng of ci t i es t hat are al i ve wi t h
act i on and t hose t hat are sl owl y dyi ng wi t h t he dry-rot
of i nact i on.
I know of some busi ness concerns t hat are i n t hi s
same st at e of i nact i on, but I wi l l omi t t hei r names.
You probabl y know some, t oo.
Many years ago Frank A. Vanderl i p, who i s one
of t he best known and most capabl e bankers i n
Ameri ca, went t o work for t he Nat i onal Ci t y Bank, of
New York Ci t y.
Hi s sal ary was above t he average from t he st art ,
for t he reason t hat he was capabl e and had a record of
successful achi evement t hat made hi m a val uabl e man.
He was assi gned t o a pri vat e offi ce t hat was
equi pped wi t h a fi ne mahogany desk and an easy
chai r. On t he t op of t he desk was an el ect ri c push
but t on t hat l ed t o a secret ary' s desk out si de.
The fi rst day went by wi t hout any work comi ng t o
hi s desk. The second, and t hi rd, and fourt h days went
by wi t hout any work. No one came i n or sai d anyt hi ng
t o hi m.
By t he end of t he week he began t o feel uneasy.
(Men of act i on al ways feel uneasy when t here i s no
work i n si ght . )
The fol l owi ng week Mr. Vanderl i p went i nt o t he
presi dent ' s offi ce and sai d, Look here, you are payi ng
- 31 -
me a bi g sal ary and gi vi ng me not hi ng t o do and i t i s
grat i ng on my nerves!
The presi dent l ooked up wi t h a l i vel y t wi nkl e i n
hi s keen eyes.
Now I have been t hi nki ng, Mr. Vanderl i p
cont i nued, whi l e si t t i ng i n t here wi t h not hi ng t o do,
of a pl an for i ncreasi ng t he busi ness of t hi s bank.
The presi dent assured hi m t hat bot h t hi nki ng
and pl ans were val uabl e, and asked hi m t o cont i nue
wi t h hi s i nt ervi ew.
I have t hought of a pl an, Mr. Vanderl i p went
on, t hat wi l l gi ve t he bank t he benefi t of my
experi ence i n t he bond busi ness. I propose t o creat e a
bond depart ment for t hi s bank and advert i se i t as a
feat ure of our busi ness.
What ! t hi s bank advert i se? queri ed t he
presi dent . Why, we have never advert i sed si nce we
began busi ness. We have managed t o get al ong
wi t hout i t .
Wel l , t hi s i s where you are goi ng t o begi n
advert i si ng, sai d Mr. Vanderl i p, and t he fi rst t hi ng
you are goi ng t o advert i se i s t hi s new bond depart ment
t hat I have pl anned.
Mr. Vanderl i p won! Men of act i on usual l y wi n -
t hat i s one of t hei r di st i nct i ve feat ures. The Nat i onal
Ci t y Bank al so won, because t hat i nt ervi ew was t he
begi nni ng of one of t he most progressi ve and
profi t abl e advert i si ng campai gns ever carri ed on by
any bank, wi t h t he resul t t hat t he Nat i onal Ci t y Bank
became one of t he most powerful fi nanci al i nst i t ut i ons
of Ameri ca.
There were ot her resul t s, al so, t hat are wort h
nami ng. Among t hem t he resul t t hat Mr. Vanderl i p
grew wi t h t he bank, as men of act i on usual l y grow i n
- 32 -
what ever t hey hel p t o bui l d, unt i l fi nal l y he became
t he presi dent of t hat great banki ng house.
In t he l esson on Imagi nat i on you l earned how t o
recombi ne ol d i deas i nt o new pl ans, but no mat t er how
pract i cal your pl ans may be t hey wi l l be usel ess i f
t hey are not expressed i n act i on. To dream dreams and
see vi si ons of t he person you woul d l i ke t o be or t he
st at i on i n l i fe you woul d l i ke t o obt ai n are admi rabl e
provi ded you t ransform your dreams and vi si ons i nt o
real i t y t hrough i nt ensi ve act i on.
There are men who dream, but do not hi ng more.
There are ot hers who t ake t he vi si ons of t he dreamers
and t ransl at e t hem i nt o st one, and marbl e, and musi c,
and good books, and rai l roads, and st eamshi ps. There
are st i l l ot hers who bot h dream and t ransform t hese
dreams i nt o real i t y. They are t he dreamer-doer t ypes.
There i s a psychol ogi cal as wel l as an economi c
reason why you shoul d form t he habi t of i nt ensi ve
act i on. Your body i s made up of bi l l i ons of t i ny cel l s
t hat are hi ghl y sensi t i ve and amenabl e t o t he i nfl uence
of your mi nd. If your mi nd i s of t he l et hargi c, i nact i ve
t ype, t he cel l s of your body become l azy and i nact i ve
al so. Just as t he st agnant wat er of an i nact i ve pond
becomes i mpure and unheal t hful , so wi l l t he cel l s of
an i nact i ve body become di seased.
Lazi ness i s not hi ng but t he i nfl uence of an
i nact i ve mi nd on t he cel l s of t he body. If you doubt
t hi s, t he next t i me you feel l azy t ake a Turki sh bat h
and have yoursel f wel l rubbed down, t hereby
st i mul at i ng t he cel l s of your body by art i fi ci al means,
and see how qui ckl y your l azi ness di sappears. Or, a
bet t er way t han t hi s, t urn your mi nd t oward some
game of whi ch you are fond and not i ce how qui ckl y
- 33 -


EVERY failure will teach
you a lesson that you need
to learn if you will keep
your eyes and ears open
and be willing to be taught.
Every adversity is usually a
blessing in disguise.
Without reverses and
temporary defeat, you
would never know the sort
of metal of which you are
made.



- 34 -
t he cel l s of your body wi l l respond t o your ent husi asm
and your l azy feel i ng wi l l di sappear.
The cel l s of t he body respond t o t he st at e of mi nd
i n exact l y t he same manner t hat t he peopl e of a ci t y
respond t o t he mass psychol ogy t hat domi nat es t he
ci t y. If a group of l eaders engage i n suffi ci ent act i on
t o gi ve a ci t y t he reput at i on of bei ng a l i ve-wi re
ci t y t hi s act i on i nfl uences al l who l i ve t here. The
same pri nci pl e appl i es t o t he rel at i onshi p bet ween t he
mi nd and t he body. An act i ve, dynami c mi nd keeps t he
cel l s of whi ch t he physi cal port i ons of t he body
consi st , i n a const ant st at e of act i vi t y.
The art i fi ci al condi t i ons under whi ch most
i nhabi t ant s of our ci t i es l i ve have l ed t o a physi cal
condi t i on known as aut o-i nt oxi cat i on, whi ch means
sel f-poi soni ng t hrough t he i nact i ve st at e of t he
i nt est i nes. Most headaches may be cured i n an hours
t i me by si mpl y cl eansi ng t he l ower i nt est i nes wi t h an
enema.
Ei ght gl asses of wat er a day and a reasonabl e
amount of physi cal act i on popul arl y known as
exerci se wi l l t ake t he pl ace of t he enema. Try i t for
a week and t hen you wi l l not have t o be urged t o keep
i t up, for you wi l l feel l i ke a new person, unl ess t he
nat ure of your work i s such t hat you get pl ent y of
physi cal exerci se and dri nk pl ent y of wat er i n t he
regul ar course of your dut i es.
On t wo pages of t hi s book enough sound advi ce
coul d be recorded t o keep t he average person heal t hy
and ready for act i on duri ng si xt een of t he t went y-four
hours of t he day, but t he advi ce woul d be so si mpl e
t hat most peopl e woul d not fol l ow i t .
The amount of work t hat I perform every day and
st i l l keep i n good physi cal condi t i on i s a source of
- 35 -
wonderment and myst ery t o t hose who know me
i nt i mat el y, yet t here i s no myst ery t o i t , and t he
syst em I fol l ow does not cost anyt hi ng.
Here i t i s, for your use i f you want i t :
Fi rst : I dri nk a cup of hot wat er when I fi rst get
up i n t he morni ng, before I have breakfast .
Second: My breakfast consi st s of rol l s made of
whol e wheat and bran, breakfast cereal , frui t , soft -
boi l ed eggs once i n a whi l e, and coffee. For l uncheon
I eat veget abl es (most any ki nd), whol e wheat bread
and a gl ass of but t ermi l k. Supper, a wel l cooked st eak
once or t wi ce a week, veget abl es, especi al l y l et t uce,
and coffee.
Thi rd: I wal k an average of t en mi l es a day: fi ve
mi l es i nt o t he count ry and fi ve mi l es back, usi ng t hi s
peri od for medi t at i on and t hought . Perhaps t he
t hi nki ng i s as val uabl e, as a heal t h bui l der, as t he
wal k.
Fourt h: I l i e across a st rai ght bot t om chai r, fl at
on my back, wi t h most of my wei ght rest i ng on t he
smal l of my back, wi t h my head and arms rel axed
compl et el y, unt i l t hey al most t ouch t he fl oor. Thi s
gi ves t he nervous energy of my body an opport uni t y t o
bal ance properl y and di st ri but e i t sel f, and t en mi nut es
i n t hi s posi t i on wi l l compl et el y rel i eve al l si gns of
fat i gue, no mat t er how t i red I may be.
Fi f t h: I t ake an enema at l east once every t en
days, and more oft en i f I feel t he need of i t , usi ng
wat er t hat i s a l i t t l e bel ow bl ood t emperat ure, wi t h a
t abl espoonful of sal t i n i t , chest and knee posi t i on.
Si xt h: I t ake a hot shower bat h, fol l owed
i mmedi at el y by a col d shower, every day, usual l y i n
t he morni ng when I fi rst get up.
- 36 -
These si mpl e t hi ngs I do for mysel f. Mot her
Nat ure at t ends t o everyt hi ng el se necessary for my
heal t h.
I cannot l ay t oo much st ress upon t he i mport ance
of keepi ng t he i nt est i nes cl ean, for i t i s a wel l known
fact t hat t he ci t y dwel l ers of t oday are l i t eral l y
poi soni ng t hemsel ves t o deat h by negl ect i ng t o
cl eanse t hei r i nt est i nes wi t h wat er. You shoul d not
wai t unt i l you are const i pat ed t o t ake an enema. When
you get t o t he st age of const i pat i on you are pract i cal l y
i l l and i mmedi at e rel i ef i s absol ut el y essent i al , but i f
you wi l l gi ve yoursel f t he proper at t ent i on regul arl y,
j ust as you at t end t o keepi ng t he out si de of your body
cl ean, you wi l l never be bot hered wi t h t he many
t roubl es whi ch const i pat i on bri ngs.
For more t han fi ft een years no si ngl e week ever
passed wi t hout my havi ng a headache. Usual l y I
admi ni st ered a dose of aspi ri n and got t emporary
rel i ef. I was sufferi ng wi t h aut o-i nt oxi cat i on and di d
not know i t , for t he reason t hat I was not const i pat ed.
When I found out what my t roubl e was I di d t wo
t hi ngs, bot h of whi ch I recommend t o you; namel y, I
qui t usi ng aspi ri n and I cut down my dai l y
consumpt i on of food nearl y one hal f.
Just a word about aspi ri n - a word whi ch t hose
who profi t by i t s sal e wi l l not l i ke - i t affords no
permanent cure of headache. Al l i t does mi ght be
compared t o a l i neman t hat cut s t he t el egraph wi re
whi l e t he operat or i s usi ng t hat wi re i n a cal l for ai d
from t he fi re depart ment t o save t he burni ng bui l di ng
i n whi ch he i s l ocat ed. Aspi ri n cut s or deadens t he
l i ne of nerve communi cat i on t hat runs from t he
st omach or t he i nt est i nal regi on, where aut o-
i nt oxi cat i on i s pouri ng poi son i nt o t he bl ood, t o t he
- 37 -
brai n, where t he effect of t hat poi son i s regi st eri ng i t s
cal l i n t he form of i nt ense pai n.
Cut t i ng t he t el egraph l i ne over whi ch a cal l for
t he fi re depart ment i s bei ng sent does not put out t he
fi re; nor does i t remove t he cause t o deaden, wi t h t he
ai d of a dose of aspi ri n, t he nerve l i ne over whi ch a
headache i s regi st eri ng a cal l for hel p.
You cannot be a person of act i on i f you permi t
yoursel f t o go wi t hout proper physi cal at t ent i on unt i l
aut o-i nt oxi cat i on t akes your brai n and kneads i t i nt o
an i noperat i ve mass t hat resembl es a bal l of put t y.
Nei t her can you be a person of act i on i f you eat t he
usual devi t al i zed concoct i on cal l ed "whi t e bread"
(whi ch has had al l t he real food val ue removed from
i t ) and t wi ce as much meat as your syst em can di gest
and properl y di spose of.
You cannot be a person of act i on i f you run t o t he
pi l l bot t l e every t i me you have, or i magi ne you have,
an ache or a pai n, or swal l ow an aspi ri n t abl et every
t i me your i nt est i nes cal l on your brai n for a douche
bag of wat er and a spoonful of sal t for cl eansi ng
purposes.
You cannot be a person of act i on i f you overeat
and under-exerci se.
You cannot be a person of act i on i f you read t he
pat ent medi ci ne bookl et s and begi n t o i magi ne
yoursel f ai l i ng wi t h t he sympt oms descri bed by t he
cl ever advert i sement wri t er who has reached your
pocket book t hrough t he power of suggest i on.
I have not t ouched a drug for more t han fi ve
years, and I have not been ei t her si ck or ai l i ng duri ng
t hat t i me, i n spi t e of t he fact t hat I perform more work
each day t han most men of my professi on. I have
- 38 -
ent husi asm, endurance and act i on because I eat t he
sort of si mpl e food t hat cont ai ns t he body-bui l di ng
el ement s t hat I requi re, and l ook aft er t he el i mi nat i ve
processes as careful l y as I bat he my body.
If t hese si mpl e and frank admi ssi ons appeal t o
you as bei ng based upon common sense, t ake t hem and
put t hem t o t he t est , and i f t hey serve you as wel l as
t hey are servi ng me, bot h of us wi l l have profi t ed by
t he courage I had t o summon t o l i st t hem as a part of
t hi s l esson.
Usual l y, when anyone except a physi ci an offers
suggest i ons on t he care of t he body, he i s i mmedi at el y
cat al ogued as a l ong-hai red crank, and I wi l l admi t
t hat t he anal ysi s i s oft en correct . In t hi s i nst ance, I
make no st ronger recommendat i ons t han t hi s:
That you t ry an enema t he next t i me you have a
headache, and i f any of t he ot her suggest i ons appeal
t o you gi ve t hem a t ri al unt i l you are sat i sfi ed t hat
t hey are ei t her sound or unsound.
Before l eavi ng t he subj ect , perhaps I shoul d
expl ai n t hat wat er whi ch i s barel y l uke-warm shoul d
be used for t he enema for t he reason t hat t hi s causes
t he muscl es of t he i nt est i nes t o cont ract , whi ch, i n
t urn, forces t he poi sonous mat t er out of t he pores of
t he mucous l i ni ngs. Thi s exerci ses t hose muscl es and
event ual l y, i t wi l l so devel op t hem t hat t hey wi l l do
t hei r work i n t he nat ural way, wi t hout t he ai d of t he
enema. A warm wat er enema i s very det ri ment al for
t he reason t hat i t rel axes t he muscl es of t he i nt est i nes,
whi ch, i n t i me, causes t hem t o cease funct i oni ng
al t oget her, produci ng what i s ordi nari l y referred t o as
t he enema habi t .
Wi t h due apol ogi es t o my fri ends, t he physi ci ans
- 39 -



AN occasional mis-
fortune is a good
thing. It reminds us
that no one has ab-
solute independence.


- 40 -
and ost eopat hs and chi ropract ors and ot her heal t h
bui l ders, I wi l l now i nvi t e you back t o t hat part of t he
subj ect of t hi s l esson over whi ch t here can be no
confl i ct of opi ni on as t o t he soundness of my counsel .

There i s anot her enemy whi ch you must conquer
before you can become a person of act i on, and t hat i s
t he worry habi t .
Worry, and envy, and j eal ousy, and hat red, and
doubt , and fear are al l st at es of mi nd whi ch are fat al
t o act i on.
Any of t hese st at es of mi nd wi l l i nt erfere wi t h,
and i n some i nst ances dest roy al t oget her, t he di gest i ve
process t hrough whi ch t he food i s assi mi l at ed and
prepared for di st ri but i on t hrough t he body. Thi s
i nt erference i s purel y physi cal , but t he damage does
not st op here, because t hese negat i ve st at es of mi nd
dest roy t he most essent i al fact or i n t he achi evement of
success; namel y, desi re t o achi eve.
In t he second l esson of t hi s course you l earned
t hat your def i ni t e chi ef ai m i n l i fe shoul d be support ed
by a burni ng desi re for i t s real i zat i on. You can have
no burni ng desi re for achi evement when you are i n a
negat i ve st at e of mi nd, no mat t er what t he cause of
t hat st at e of mi nd may be.
To keep mysel f i n a posi t i ve frame of mi nd I have
di scovered a very effect i ve gl oom-chaser. That may
not be a very di gni fi ed way of expressi ng my meani ng,
but si nce t he subj ect of t hi s l esson i s act i on and not
di gni t y I wi l l make i t serve. The gl oom-chaser t o
whi ch I refer i s a heart y l augh. When I feel out of
sort s or i ncl i ned t o argue wi t h somebody over
- 41 -
somet hi ng t hat i s not wort hy of di scussi on, I know
t hat I need my gl oom-chaser, and I proceed t o get
away where I wi l l di st urb no one and have a good
heart y l augh. If I can fi nd not hi ng real l y funny about
whi ch t o l augh I si mpl y have a forced l augh. The
effect i s t he same i n bot h cases.
Fi ve mi nut es of t hi s sort of ment al and physi cal
exerci se - for i t i s bot h - wi l l st i mul at e act i on t hat i s
free from negat i ve t endenci es.
Do not t ake my word for t hi s - t ry i t !
Not l ong ago I heard a phonograph record
ent i t l ed, as I recal l i t , The Laughi ng Fool , whi ch
shoul d be avai l abl e t o al l whose di gni t y forbi ds t hem
t o i ndul ge i n a heart y l augh for t hei r heal t h' s sake.
Thi s record was al l t hat i t s name i mpl i es. It was made
by a man and a woman; t he man was t ryi ng t o pl ay a
cornet and t he woman was l aughi ng at hi m. She
l aughed so effect i vel y t hat she fi nal l y made t he man
l augh, and t he suggest i on was so pronounced t hat al l
who heard i t usual l y j oi ned i n and had a good l augh,
whet her t hey fel t l i ke i t or not .
"As a man t hi nket h i n hi s heart , so i s he. "
You cannot t hi nk f ear and act courageousl y. You
cannot t hi nk hat red and act i n a ki ndl y manner t oward
t hose wi t h whom you associ at e. The domi nat i ng
t hought s of your mi nd - meani ng by t hi s, t he st rongest
and deepest and most frequent of your t hought s -
i nfl uence t he physi cal act i on of your body.
Every t hought put i nt o act i on by your brai n
reaches and i nfl uences every cel l i n your body. When
you t hi nk f ear your mi nd t el egraphs t hi s t hought down
t o t he cel l s t hat form t he muscl es of your l egs and
t el l s t hose muscl es t o get i nt o act i on and carry you
- 42 -
away as rapi dl y as t hey can. A man who i s afrai d runs
away because hi s l egs carry hi m, and t hey carry hi m
because t he f ear t hought i n hi s mi nd i nst ruct ed t hem
t o do so, even t hough t he i nst ruct i ons were gi ven
unconsci ousl y.
In t he fi rst l esson of t hi s course you l earned how
t hought t ravel s from one mi nd t o anot her, t hrough t he
pri nci pl e of t el epat hy. In t hi s l esson you shoul d go a
st ep furt her and l earn t hat your t hought s not onl y
regi st er t hemsel ves i n t he mi nds of ot her peopl e,
t hrough t he pri nci pl e of t el epat hy, but , what i s a
mi l l i on t i mes more i mport ant t o you t o underst and,
t hey regi st er t hemsel ves on t he cel l s of your own body
and af f ect t hose cel l s i n a manner t hat harmoni zes
wi t h t he nat ure of t he t hought s.
To underst and t hi s pri nci pl e i s t o underst and t he
soundness of t he st at ement : "As a man t hi nket h i n hi s
heart , so i s he. "
Act i on, i n t he sense t hat t he t erm i s used i n t hi s
l esson, i s of t wo forms. One i s physi cal and t he ot her
i s ment al . You can be very act i ve wi t h your mi nd
whi l e your body i s ent i rel y i nact i ve, except as t o t he
i nvol unt ary act i on of t he vi t al organs. Or you can be
very act i ve wi t h bot h body and mi nd.
In speaki ng of men of act i on, ei t her or bot h of
t wo t ypes may be referred t o. One i s t he care-t aker
t ype and t he ot her i s t he promot er or sal esman t ype.
Bot h of t hese t ypes are essent i al i n modem busi ness,
i ndust ry and fi nance. One i s known as a "dynamo"
whi l e t he ot her i s oft en referred t o as a "bal ance
wheel . "
Once i n a great whi l e you wi l l fi nd a man who i s
bot h a dynamo and a bal ance wheel , but such wel l
- 43 -
bal anced personal i t i es are rare. Most successful
busi ness organi zat i ons t hat assume great si ze are made
up of bot h of t hese t ypes.
The bal ance wheel who does not hi ng but
compi l e fact s and fi gures and st at i st i cs i s j ust as much
a man of act i on as t he man who goes upon t he
pl at form and sel l s an i dea t o a t housand peopl e by t he
sheer power of hi s act i ve personal i t y. To det ermi ne
whet her a man i s a man of act i on or not i t i s necessary
t o anal yze bot h hi s ment al and hi s physi cal habi t s.
In t he fi rst part of t hi s l esson I sai d t hat t he
worl d pays you for what you do and not for what you
know. That st at ement mi ght easi l y be mi sconst rued.
What t he worl d real l y pays you for i s what you do or
what you can get ot hers t o do.
A man who can i nduce ot hers t o co-operat e and
do effect i ve t eam-work, or i nspi re ot hers so t hat t hey
become more act i ve, i s no l ess a man of act i on t han
t he man who renders effect i ve servi ce i n a more di rect
manner.
In t he fi el d of i ndust ry and busi ness t here are
men who have t he abi l i t y so t o i nspi re and di rect t he
effort s of ot hers t hat al l under t hei r di rect i on
accompl i sh more t han t hey coul d wi t hout t hi s
di rect i ng i nfl uence. It i s a wel l known fact t hat
Carnegi e so abl y di rect ed t he effort s of t hose who
const i t ut ed hi s personal st aff t hat he made many
weal t hy men of t hose who woul d never have become
weal t hy wi t hout t he di rect i ng geni us of hi s brai n. The
same may be sai d of pract i cal l y al l great l eaders i n t he
fi el d of i ndust ry and busi ness - t he gai n i s not al l on
t he si de of t he l eaders. Those under t hei r di rect i on
oft en profi t most by t hei r l eadershi p.
- 44 -
It i s a common pract i ce for a cert ai n t ype of man
t o berat e hi s empl oyers because of t hei r opposi t e
st at i ons i n a fi nanci al sense. It i s usual l y t rue t hat
such men woul d be i nfi ni t el y worse off wi t hout t hese
empl oyers t han t hey are wi t h t hem.
In t he fi rst l esson of t hi s course t he val ue of
al l i ed effort was part i cul arl y emphasi zed for t he
reason t hat some men have t he vi si on t o pl an whi l e
ot hers have t he abi l i t y t o carry pl ans i nt o act i on
al t hough t hey do not possess t he i magi nat i on or t he
vi si on t o creat e t he pl ans t hey execut e.
It was hi s underst andi ng of t hi s pri nci pl e of al l i ed
effort t hat enabl ed Andrew Carnegi e t o surround
hi msel f wi t h a group of men t hat was made up of t hose
who coul d pl an and t hose who coul d execut e. Carnegi e
bad i n hi s group of assi st ant s some of t he most
effi ci ent sal esmen i n t he worl d, but i f hi s ent i re st aff
had been made up of men who coul d do not hi ng but
sel l he coul d never have accumul at ed t he fort une t hat
he di d. If hi s ent i re st aff had been made up of
sal esmen onl y he woul d have had act i on i n abundance,
but act i on, i n t he sense t hat i t i s used i n t hi s l esson,
must be i nt el l i gent l y gui ded.
One of t he best known l aw fi rms i n Ameri ca i s
made up of t wo l awyers, one of whom never appears
i n court . He prepares t he fi rm' s cases for t ri al and t he
ot her member of t he fi rm goes t o court and t ri es t hem.
Bot h are men of i nt ense act i on, but t hey express i t i n
di fferent ways.
There can be as much act i on i n preparat i on, i n
most undert aki ngs, as i n execut i on.
In fi ndi ng your own pl ace i n t he worl d, you
shoul d anal yze yoursel f and fi nd out whet her you are
- 45 -

THOUSANDS of people
walked over the great
Calumet Copper Mine
without discovering it. Just
one lone man got busy with
a pick and found it. You
may be standing on your
"Calumet Mine" right now,
without knowing it, in
whatever position you are
filling. Dig down and see
what is under the surface of
your position.


- 46 -
a "dynamo" or a "bal ance wheel , " and sel ect a def i ni t e
chi ef ai m for yoursel f t hat harmoni zes wi t h your
nat i ve abi l i t y. If you are i n busi ness wi t h ot hers, you
shoul d anal yze t hem as wel l as yoursel f, and endeavor
t o see t hat each person t akes t he part for whi ch hi s
t emperament and nat i ve abi l i t y best fi t hi m.
St at i ng i t anot her way, peopl e may be cl assi fi ed
under t wo headi ngs: one i s t he promot er and t he ot her
i s t he care-t aker. The promot er t ype makes an abl e
sal esman and organi zer. The care-t aker t ype makes an
excel l ent conserver of asset s aft er t hey have been
accumul at ed.
Pl ace t he care-t aker t ype i n charge of a set of
books and he i s happy, but pl ace hi m on t he out si de
sel l i ng and he i s unhappy and wi l l be a fai l ure at hi s
j ob. Pl ace t he promot er i n charge of a set of books and
he wi l l be mi serabl e. Hi s nat ure demands more i nt ense
act i on. Act i on of t he passi ve t ype wi l l not sat i sfy hi s
ambi t i ons, and i f he i s kept at work whi ch does not
gi ve hi m t he act i on hi s nat ure demands be wi l l be a
fai l ure. It very frequent l y t urns out t hat men who
embezzl e funds i n t hei r charge are of t he promot er
t ype and t hey woul d not have yi el ded t o t empt at i on
had t hei r effort s been confi ned t o t he work for whi ch
t hey are best fi t t ed.
Gi ve a man t he sort of work t hat harmoni zes wi t h
hi s nat ure and t he best t here i s i n hi m wi l l exert i t sel f.
One of t he out st andi ng t ragedi es of t he worl d i s t he
fact t hat most peopl e never engage i n t he work for
whi ch t hey are best fi t t ed by nat ure.
Too oft en t he mi st ake i s made, i n t he sel ect i on of
a l i fe-work, of engagi ng i n t he work whi ch seems t o
be t he most profi t abl e from a monet ary vi ewpoi nt ,
- 47 -
wi t hout consi derat i on of nat i ve abi l i t y. If money al one
brought success t hi s procedure woul d be al l ri ght , but
success i n i t s hi ghest and nobl est form cal l s for peace
of mi nd and enj oyment and happi ness whi ch come
onl y t o t he man who has found t he work t hat he l i kes
best .
The mai n purpose of t hi s course i s t o hel p you
anal yze yoursel f and det ermi ne what your nat i ve
abi l i t y best fi t s you t o do. You shoul d make t hi s
anal ysi s by careful l y st udyi ng t he chart t hat
accompani es t he Int roduct ory Lesson before you sel ect
your def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
We come, now, t o t he di scussi on of t he pri nci pl e
t hrough whi ch act i on may be devel oped. To
underst and how t o become act i ve requi res
underst andi ng of how not t o procrast i nat e.
These suggest i ons wi l l gi ve you t he necessary
i nst ruct i ons:
Fi rst : Form t he habi t of doi ng each day t he most
di st ast eful t asks fi rst . Thi s procedure wi l l be di ffi cul t
at fi rst , but aft er you have formed t he habi t you wi l l
t ake pri de i n pi t chi ng i nt o t he hardest and most
undesi rabl e part of your work fi rst .
Second: Pl ace t hi s si gn i n front of you where you
can see i t i n your dai l y work, and put a copy i n your
bedroom, where i t wi l l greet you as you ret i re and
when you ari se: Do not t el l t hem what you can do;
show t hem!
Thi rd: Repeat t he fol l owi ng words, al oud, t wel ve
t i mes each ni ght j ust before you go t o sl eep:
"Tomorrow I wi l l do everyt hi ng t hat shoul d be done,
when i t shoul d be done, and as i t shoul d be done. I
wi l l perform t he most di ffi cul t t asks fi rst because t hi s
- 48 -
wi l l dest roy t he habi t of procrast i nat i on and devel op
t he habi t of act i on i n i t s pl ace. "
Fourt h: Carry out t hese i nst ruct i ons wi t h fai t h i n
t hei r soundness and wi t h bel i ef t hat t hey wi l l devel op
act i on, i n body and i n mi nd, suffi ci ent t o enabl e you
t o real i ze your def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
The out st andi ng feat ure of t hi s course i s t he
si mpl i ci t y of t he st yl e i n whi ch i t i s wri t t en. Al l great
fundament al t rut hs are si mpl e, i n fi nal anal ysi s, and
whet her one i s del i veri ng an address or wri t i ng a
course of i nst ruct i on, t he purpose shoul d be t o convey
i mpressi ons and st at ement s of fact i n t he cl earest and
most conci se manner possi bl e.
Before cl osi ng t hi s l esson, permi t me t o go back
t o what was sai d about t he val ue of a heart y l augh as a
heal t hful st i mul ant t o act i on, and add t he st at ement
t hat si ngi ng produces t he same effect , and i n some
i nst ances i s far preferabl e t o l aughi ng.
Bi l l y Sunday i s one of t he most dynami c and
act i ve preachers i n t he worl d, yet i t has been sai d t hat
hi s sermons woul d l ose much of t hei r effect i veness i f
i t were not for t he psychol ogi cal effect of hi s song
servi ces.
It i s a wel l known fact t hat t he German army was
a wi nni ng army at t he begi nni ng, and l ong aft er t he
begi nni ng of t he worl d war; and i t has been sai d t hat
much of t hi s was due t o t he fact t hat t he German army
was a si ngi ng army. Then came t he khaki -cl ad
doughboys from Ameri ca, and t hey, t oo, were si ngers.
Back of t hei r si ngi ng was an enduri ng fai t h i n t he
cause for whi ch t hey were fight i ng. Soon t he Germans
began t o qui t si ngi ng, and as t hey di d so t he t i de of
war began t o t urn agai nst t hem.
- 49 -
If church at t endance had not hi ng el se t o
recommend i t , except t he psychol ogi cal effect of t he
song servi ce, t hat woul d be suffi ci ent , for no one can
j oi n i n t he si ngi ng of a beaut i ful hymn wi t hout feel i ng
bet t er for i t .
For many years I have observed t hat I coul d wri t e
more effect i vel y aft er havi ng part i ci pat ed i n a song
servi ce. Prove my st at ement t o your own sat i sfact i on
by goi ng t o church next Sunday morni ng and
part i ci pat i ng i n t he song servi ce wi t h al l t he
ent husi asm at your command.
Duri ng t he war I hel ped devi se ways and means of
speedi ng product i on i n i ndust ri al pl ant s t hat were
engaged i n manufact uri ng war suppl i es. By act ual t est ,
i n a pl ant empl oyi ng 3, 000 men and women, t he
product i on was i ncreased fort y-fi ve per cent i n l ess
t han t hi rt y days aft er we had organi zed t he workers
i nt o si ngi ng groups and i nst al l ed orchest ras and bands
t hat pl ayed at t en-mi nut e i nt erval s such st i rri ng songs
as Over There, and Di xi e; and There' l l Be a Hot
Ti me i n t he Ol d Town Toni ght . The workers caught
t he rhyt hm of t he musi c and speeded up t hei r work
accordi ngl y.
Properl y sel ect ed musi c woul d st i mul at e any cl ass
of workers t o great er act i on, a fact whi ch does not
seem t o be underst ood by al l who di rect t he effort s of
l arge numbers of peopl e.
In al l my t ravel s I have found but one busi ness
fi rm whose managers made use of musi c as a st i mul ant
for t hei r workers. Thi s was t he Fi l ene Depart ment
St ore, i n Bost on, Mass. Duri ng t he summer mont hs
t hi s st ore provi des an orchest ra t hat pl ays t he l at est
dance musi c for hal f an hour before openi ng t i me, i n
- 50 -
t he morni ng. The sal espeopl e use t he ai sl es of t he
st ore for danci ng and by t he t i me t he doors are t hrown
open t hey are i n an act i ve st at e of mi nd and body t hat
carri es t hem t hrough t he ent i re day.
Inci dent al l y, I have never seen more court eous or
effi ci ent sal espeopl e t han t hose empl oyed by t he
Fi l ene st ore. One of t he depart ment managers t ol d me
t hat every person i n hi s depart ment performed more
servi ce and wi t h l ess real effort , as a resul t of t he
morni ng musi c program.
A si ngi ng army i s a wi nni ng army, whet her on t he
fi el d of bat t l e, i n warfare, or behi nd t he count ers i n a
depart ment st ore. There i s a book ent i t l ed Si ngi ng
Through Li fe Wi t h God by George Whart on James,
whi ch I recommend t o al l who are i nt erest ed i n t he
psychol ogy of song.
If I were t he manager of an i ndust ri al pl ant i n
whi ch t he work was heavy and monot onous, I woul d
i nst al l some sort of musi cal program t hat woul d
suppl y every worker wi t h musi c. On l ower Broadway,
i n New York Ci t y, an i ngeni ous Greek has di scovered
bow t o ent ert ai n hi s cust omers and at t he same t i me
speed up t he work of hi s hel pers by t he use of a
phonograph. Every boy i n t he pl ace keeps t i me wi t h
t he musi c as he draws t he cl ot h across t he shoes, and
seems t o get consi derabl e fun out of hi s work i n doi ng
so. To speed up t he work t he propri et or has but t o
speed up t he phonograph.

Any form of group effort , where t wo or more
peopl ee form a co-operat i ve al l i ance for t he purpose
of accompl i shi ng a defi ni t e purpose, becomes more
powerful t han mere i ndi vi dual effort .
- 51 -

I DO not know for sure,
but I strongly suspect that
the person who performs
service that is greater in
quantity and better in
quality than that for
which he is paid, is
eventually paid for more
than he performs.


- 52 -
A foot bal l t eam may wi n consi st ent l y and
cont i nuousl y, by wel l co-ordi nat ed t eam-work, even
t hough t he members of t he t eam may be unfri endl y
and out of harmony i n many ways out si de of t hei r
act ual work on t he bal l ground.
A group of men composi ng a board of di rect ors
may di sagree wi t h one anot her; t hey may be
unfri endl y, and i n no way i n sympat hy wi t h one
anot her, and st i l l carry on a busi ness whi ch appears t o
be very successful .
A man and hi s wi fe may l i ve t oget her, accumul at e
a fai r si zed or even a great fort une, rear and educat e a
fami l y, wi t hout t he bond of harmony whi ch i s
essent i al for t he devel opment of a Mast er Mi nd.
But al l of t hese al l i ances mi ght be made more
powerful and effect i ve i f based upon a foundat i on of
perfect harmony, t hus permi t t i ng t he devel opment of a
suppl ement al power known as t he Mast er Mi nd.
Pl ai n co-operat i ve effort produces power; t here
can be no doubt about t hi s; but co-operat i ve effort
t hat i s based upon compl et e harmony of purpose
devel ops super-power.
Let every member of any cooperat i ve group set
hi s heart upon t he achi evement of t he same defi ni t e
end, i n a spi ri t of perfect harmony, and t he way has
been paved for t he devel opment of a Mast er Mi nd,
provi di ng al l members of t he group wi l l i ngl y
subordi nat e t hei r own personal i nt erest s for t he
at t ai nment of t he obj ect i ve for whi ch t he group i s
ai mi ng.
The Uni t ed St at es of Ameri ca has become one of
t he most powerful nat i ons on eart h, l argel y because of
t he hi ghl y organi zed co-operat i ve effort bet ween t he
st at es. It wi l l be hel pful t o remember t hat t hese
- 53 -
Uni t ed St at es were born as t he resul t of one of t he
most powerful Mast er Mi nds ever creat ed. The
members of t hi s Mast er Mi nd were t he si gners of t he
Decl arat i on of Independence.
The men who si gned t hat document ei t her
consci ousl y or unconsci ousl y put i nt o operat i on t he
power known as t he Mast er Mi nd, and t hat power
was suffi ci ent t o enabl e t hem t o defeat al l t he sol di ers
who were sent i nt o t he fi el d agai nst t hem. The men
who fought t o make t he Decl arat i on of Independence
endure di d not fi ght for money, al one; t hey fought for
a pri nci pl e - t he pri nci pl e of freedom, whi ch i s t he
hi ghest known mot i vat i ng force.
A great l eader, whet her i n busi ness, fi nance,
i ndust ry or st at esmanshi p, i s one who underst ands
how t o creat e a mot i vat i ng obj ect i ve whi ch wi l l be
accept ed wi t h ent husi asm by every member of hi s
group of fol l owers.
In pol i t i cs a l i ve i ssue i s everyt hi ng!
By l i ve i ssue i s meant some popul ar obj ect i ve
t oward t he at t ai nment of whi ch t he maj ori t y of t he
vot ers can be ral l i ed. These i ssues general l y are
broadcast i n t he form of snappy sl ogans, such as
Keep Cool wi t h Cool i dge, whi ch suggest ed t o t he
mi nds of t he vot ers t hat t o keep Cool i dge was t he
equi val ent of keepi ng prosperi t y. It worked!
Duri ng Li ncol n' s el ect i on campai gn t he cry was,
St and back of Li ncol n and preserve t he Uni on. It
worked.
Woodrow Wi l son' s campai gn managers, duri ng hi s
second campai gn, coi ned t he sl ogan, He kept us out
of war, and i t worked.
The degree of power creat ed by t he co-operat i ve
- 54 -
effort of any group of peopl e i s measured, al ways, by
t he nat ure of t he mot i ve whi ch t he group i s l abori ng t o
at t ai n. Thi s may be profi t abl y home i n mi nd by al l
who organi ze group effort for any purpose what soever.
Fi nd a mot i ve around whi ch men may be i nduced t o
ral l y i n a hi ghl y emot i onal i zed, ent husi ast i c spi ri t of
perfect harmony and you have found t he st art i ng poi nt
for t he creat i on of a Mast er Mi nd.
It i s a wel l known fact t hat men wi l l work harder
for t he at t ai nment of an i deal t han t hey wi l l for mere
money. In searchi ng for a mot i ve as t he basi s for
devel opi ng co-operat i ve group effort i t wi l l be
profi t abl e t o bear t hi s fact i n mi nd.
At t he t i me of t he wri t i ng of t hi s l esson t here i s
much adverse agi t at i on and general cri t i ci sm di rect ed
agai nst t he rai l roads of t he count ry. Who i s back of
t hi s agi t at i on t hi s aut hor does not know, but he does
know t hat t he very fact t hat such agi t at i on exi st s
coul d and shoul d be made t he mot i vat i ng force around
whi ch t he rai l road offi ci al s mi ght ral l y t he hundreds
of t housands of rai l road empl oyees who earn t hei r
l i vi ng by rai l roadi ng, t hereby creat i ng a power t hat
woul d effect i vel y el i mi nat e t hi s adverse cri t i ci sm.
The rai l roads are t he very back-bone of t he
count ry. Ti e up al l rai l road servi ce and t he peopl e of
t he l arger ci t i es woul d st arve before food coul d reach
t hem. In t hi s fact may be found a mot i ve around whi ch
a l arge maj ori t y of t he publ i c coul d be caused t o ral l y
i n support of any pl an for sel f-prot ect i on whi ch t he
rai l road offi ci al s mi ght wi sh t o carry out .
The power represent ed by al l of t he rai l road
empl oyees and a maj ori t y of t he publ i c who pat roni ze
t he rai l roads i s suffi ci ent t o prot ect t he rai l roads
- 55 -
agai nst al l manner of adverse l egi sl at i on and ot her
at t empt s t o depreci at e t hei r propert i es, but t he power
i s onl y pot ent i al unt i l i t i s organi zed and pl aced
defi ni t el y back of a speci fi c mot i ve.

Man i s a queer ani mal . Gi ve hi m a suffi ci ent l y
vi t al i zed mot i ve and t he man of but average abi l i t y,
under ordi nary ci rcumst ances, wi l l suddenl y devel op
superpower.
What man can and wi l l accompl i sh t o pl ease t he
woman of hi s choi ce (providi ng t he woman knows how
t o st i mul at e hi m t o act i on) bas ever been a source of
wonderment t o st udent s of t he human mi nd.
There are t hree maj or mot i vat i ng forces t o whi ch
man responds i n pract i cal l y al l of hi s effort s. These
are:
1. The mot i ve of sel f-preservat i on
2. The mot i ve of sexual cont act
3. The mot i ve of fi nanci al and soci al power.
St at ed more bri efl y, t he mai n mot i ves whi ch
i mpel men t o act i on are money, sex and sel f-
preservat i on. Leaders who are seeki ng a mot i vat i ng
force out of whi ch t o secure act i on from a fol l owi ng
may fi nd i t under one or more of t hese t hree
cl assi fi cat i ons.
As you have observed, t hi s l esson i s very cl osel y
rel at ed t o t he Int roduct ory Lesson and Lesson Two
whi ch cover t he Law of t he Mast er Mi nd. It i s
possi bl e for groups t o funct i on co-operat i vel y, wi t hout
t hereby creat i ng a Mast er Mi nd, as, for exampl e,
where peopl e co-operat e merel y out of necessi t y,
wi t hout t he spi ri t of harmony as t he basi s of t hei r
effort s. Thi s sort of co-operat i on may produce
- 56 -
consi derabl e power, but not hi ng t o compare wi t h t hat
whi ch i s possi bl e when every person i n an al l i ance
subordi nat es hi s or her own i ndi vi dual i nt erest s and
co-ordi nat es hi s or her effort s wi t h t hose of al l ot her
members of t he al l i ance, i n perfect harmony.
The ext ent t o whi ch peopl e may be i nduced t o co-
operat e, i n harmony, depends upon t he mot i vat i ng
force whi ch i mpel s t hem t o act i on. Perfect harmony
such as i s essent i al for creat i ng a Mast er Mi nd can be
obt ai ned onl y when t he mot i vat i ng force of a group i s
suffi ci ent t o cause each member of t he group
compl et el y t o forget hi s or her own personal i nt erest s
and work for t he good of t he group, or for t he sake of
at t ai ni ng some i deal i st i c, chari t abl e or phi l ant hropi c
obj ect i ve.
The t hree maj or mot i vat i ng forces of manki nd
have been here st at ed for t he gui dance of t he Leader
who wi shes t o creat e pl ans for securi ng cooperat i on
from fol l owers who wi l l t hrow t hemsel ves i nt o t he
carryi ng out of hi s pl ans i n a spi ri t of unsel fi shness
and perfect harmony.
Men wi l l not ral l y t o t he support of a l eader i n
such a spi ri t of harmony unl ess t he mot i ve t hat i mpel s
t hem t o do so i s one t hat wi l l i nduce t hem t o l ay asi de
al l t hought s of t hemsel ves.
We do wel l t hat whi ch we l ove t o do, and
fort unat e i s t he Leader who has t he good j udgment t o
bear t hi s fact i n mi nd and so l ay hi s pl ans t hat al l hi s
fol l owers are assi gned part s t hat harmoni ze wi t h t hi s
l aw.
The l eader who get s al l t here i s t o be had from
hi s fol l owers does so because he has set up i n t he
mi nd of each a suffi ci ent l y st rong mot i ve t o get each
t o subordi nat e hi s own i nt erest s and work i n a perfect
- 57 -


YOUR position is nothing
more than your opportunity
to show what sort of ability
you have. You will get out
of it exactly what you put
into it - no more and no
less. A "big" position is but
the sum total of numerous
"little" positions well filled.


- 58 -
spi ri t of harmony wi t h al l ot her members of t he group.
Regardl ess of who you are, or what your def i ni t e
chi ef ai m may be, i f you pl an t o at t ai n t he obj ect of
your chi ef ai m t hrough t he co-operat i ve effort s of
ot hers you must set up i n t he mi nds of t hose whose
cooperat i on you seek a mot i ve st rong enough t o i nsure
t hei r ful l , undi vi ded, unsel fi sh co-operat i on, for you
wi l l t hen be pl aci ng back of your pl ans t he power of
t he Law of t he Mast er Mi nd.



You are now ready t o t ake up Lesson Fourt een,
whi ch wi l l t each you how t o make worki ng capi t al out
of al l mi st akes, errors and fai l ures whi ch you have
experi enced, and al so how t o profi t by t he mi st akes
and fai l ures of ot hers.
The presi dent of one of t he great rai l way syst ems
of t he Uni t ed St at es sai d, aft er readi ng t he next
l esson, t hat t hi s l esson carri es a suggest i on whi ch, i f
heeded and underst ood, wi l l enabl e any person t o
become a mast er i n hi s chosen l i fe-work.
For reasons whi ch wi l l be pl ai n aft er you have
read t he next l esson, i t i s t he aut hor' s favori t e l esson
of t hi s course.
- 59 -
YOUR STANDING ARMY

An Af t er- t he- Lesson Vi si t Wi t h t he Aut hor



(These f i f t een sol di ers are l abel ed: Def i ni t e Chi ef
Ai m, Sel f -Conf i dence, Habi t of Savi ng, Imagi nat i on,
Ini t i at i ve and Leadershi p, Ent husi asm, Sel f -Cont rol ,
Doi ng More Than Pai d For, Pl easi ng Personal i t y,
Accurat e Thought , Concent rat i on, Co-operat i on,
Fai l ure, Tol erance, Gol den Rul e)

Power comes f rom organi zed ef f ort . You see i n t he
above pi ct ure t he f orces whi ch ent er i nt o al l
organi zed ef f ort . Mast er t hese f i f t een f orces and
you may have what ever you want i n l i f e. Ot hers
wi l l be hel pl ess t o def eat your pl ans. Make t hese
f i f t een f orces your own and you wi l l be an
accurat e t hi nker.

IN t he pi ct ure at t he t op of t hi s page you see t he
most powerful army on eart h! Observe t he emphasi s
on t he word POWERFUL.
Thi s army i s st andi ng at at t ent i on, ready t o do t he
bi ddi ng of any person who wi l l command i t . It i s
YOUR army i f you wi l l t ake charge of i t .
Thi s army wi l l gi ve you POWER suffi ci ent t o
- 60 -
mow down al l opposi t i on wi t h whi ch you meet . St udy
t he pi ct ure careful l y, t hen t ake i nvent ory of yoursel f
and fi nd out how many of t hese sol di ers you need.

If you are a normal person you l ong for mat eri al
success.
Success and POWER are al ways found t oget her.
You cannot be sure of success unl ess you have power.
You cannot have power unless you devel op i t t hrough
fi ft een essent i al qual i t i es.
Each of t hese fi ft een qual i t i es may be l i kened t o
t he commandi ng offi cer of a regi ment of sol di ers.
Devel op t hese qual i t i es i n your own mi nd and you wi l l
have POWER.
The most i mport ant of t he fi ft een commandi ng
offi cers i n t hi s army i s DEFINITE PURPOSE.
Wi t hout t he ai d of a defi ni t e purpose t he
remai nder of t he army woul d be usel ess t o you. Fi nd
out , as earl y i n l i fe as possi bl e, what your maj or
purpose i n l i fe shal l be. Unt i l you do t hi s you are
not hi ng but a dri ft er, subj ect t o cont rol by every st ray
wi nd of ci rcumst ance t hat bl ows i n your di rect i on.
Mi l l i ons of peopl e go t hrough l i fe wi t hout
knowi ng what i t i s t hey want .
Al l have a purpose, but onl y t wo out of every
hundred have a DEFINITE purpose. Before you deci de
whet her your purpose i s DEFINITE or not , l ook up t he
meani ng of t he word i n t he di ct i onary.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO THE PERSON
WHO KNOWS WHAT IT IS HE WANTS AND
MAKES UP HIS MIND TO ACQUIRE IT!
Col umbus had a DEFINITE PURPOSE and i t be-
- 61 -
came a real i t y. Li ncol n' s maj or DEFINITE PURPOSE
was t o free t he bl ack sl aves of t he Sout h and he t urned
t hat purpose i nt o real i t y. Roosevel t ' s maj or purpose,
duri ng hi s fi rst t erm of offi ce, was t o bui l d t he
Panama Canal . He l i ved t o see t hat purpose real i zed.
Henry Ford' s DEFINITE PURPOSE was t o bui l d t he
best popul ar pri ced aut omobi l e on eart h. That purpose,
backed persi st ent l y, has made hi m t he most powerful
man on eart h. Burbank' s DEFINITE PURPOSE was t o
i mprove pl ant l i fe. Al ready t hat purpose has made
possi bl e t he rai si ng of enough food on t en square
mi l es of l and t o feed t he ent i re worl d.

Twent y years ago Edwi n C. Barnes formed a
DEFINITE PURPOSE i n hi s mi nd. That purpose was
t o become t he busi ness part ner of Thomas A. Edi son.
At t he t i me hi s purpose was chosen Mr. Barnes had no
qual i fi cat i on ent i t l i ng hi m t o a part nershi p wi t h t he
worl d' s great est i nvent or. Despi t e t hi s handi cap he
became t he part ner of t he great Edi son. Fi ve years ago
he ret i red from act i ve busi ness, wi t h more money t han
he needs or can use, weal t h t hat he accumul at ed i n
part nershi p wi t h Edi son.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO THE MAN WITH
A DEFINITE PURPOSE!
Opport uni t y, capi t al , co-operat i on from ot her men
and al l ot her essent i al s for success gravi t at e t o t he
man who knows what he want s!
Vi t al i ze your mi nd wi t h a DEFINITE PURPOSE
and i mmedi at el y your mi nd becomes a magnet whi ch
at t ract s everyt hi ng t hat harmoni zes wi t h t hat purpose.
- 62 -
James J. Hi l l , t he great rai l road bui l der, was a
poorl y pai d t el egraph operat or. Moreover, he had
reached t he age of fort y and was st i l l t i cki ng away at
t he t el egraph key wi t hout any out ward appearances of
success.
Then somet hi ng of i mport ance happened! Of
i mport ance t o Hi l l and t o t he peopl e of t he Uni t ed
St at es. He formed t he DEFINITE PURPOSE of
bui l di ng a rai l road across t he great wast e desert of t he
West . Wi t hout reput at i on, wi t hout capi t al , wi t hout
encouragement from ot hers James J. Hi l l got t he
capi t al and bui l t t he great est of al l t he rai l road
syst ems of t he Uni t ed St at es.
Wool wort h was a poorl y pai d cl erk i n a general
st ore. In hi s mi nd' s eye he saw a chai n of novel t y
st ores speci al i zi ng on fi ve and t en cent sal es. That
chai n of st ores became hi s DEFINITE PURPOSE. He
made t hat purpose come t rue, and wi t h i t more
mi l l i ons t han he coul d use.
Cyrus H. K. Curt i s sel ect ed, as hi s DEFINITE
PURPOSE, t he publ i shi ng of t he worl d' s great est
magazi ne. St art i ng wi t h not hi ng but t he name
Sat urday Eveni ng Post , and opposed by fri ends and
advi sers who sai d It coul dn' t be done, he
t ransformed t hat purpose i nt o real i t y.
Mart i n W. Li t t l et on i s t he most hi ghl y pai d
l awyer i n t he worl d. It i s sai d t hat he wi l l accept no
ret ai ner under $50, 000. 00. When he was t wel ve years
ol d he had never been i nsi de of a school boom. He
went t o hear a l awyer defend a murderer. That speech
so i mpressed hi m t hat he grabbed hol d of hi s fat her' s
hand and sai d, Some day I am goi ng t o be t he best
- 63 -
l awyer i n t he Uni t ed St at es and make speeches l i ke
t hat man.
Fi ne chance for an i gnorant mount ai n yout h t o
become a great l awyer, someone mi ght say, but
remember t hat NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO THE
MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS AND
MAKES UP HIS MIND TO GET IT.

St udy each of t he fi ft een sol di ers shown i n
command of t he army i n t he pi ct ure at t he begi nni ng
of t hi s essay.
Remember, as you l ook at t he pi ct ure, t hat no one
of t hese sol di ers al one i s powerful enough t o i nsure
success. Remove a si ngl e one of t hem and t he ent i re
army woul d be weakened.
The powerful man i s t he man who has devel oped,
i n hi s own mi nd, t he ent i re fi ft een qual i t i es
represent ed by t he fi ft een commandi ng offi cers shown
i n t he pi ct ure. Before you can have power you must
have a DEFINITE PURPOSE; you must have SELF-
CONFIDENCE wi t h whi ch t o back up t hat purpose;
you must have INITIATIVE and LEADERSHIP wi t h
whi ch t o exerci se your sel f-confi dence; you must have
IMAGINATION i n creat i ng your defi ni t e purpose and
i n bui l di ng t he pl ans wi t h whi ch t o t ransform t hat
purpose i nt o real i t y and put your pl ans i nt o act i on.
You must mi x ENTHUSIASM wi t h your act i on or i t
wi l l be i nsi pi d and wi t hout ki ck. You must exerci se
SELF-CONTROL. You must form t he habi t of DOING
MORE THAN PAID FOR. You must cul t i vat e a
PLEASING PERSONALITY. You must acqui re t he
- 64 -
HABIT OF SAVING. You must become an
ACCURATE THINKER, rememberi ng, as you devel op
t hi s qual i t y, t hat accurat e t hought i s based upon
FACTS and not upon hearsay evi dence or mere
i nformat i on. You must form t he habi t of
CONCENTRATION by gi vi ng your undi vi ded
at t ent i on t o but one t ask at a t i me. You must acqui re
t he habi t of CO-OPERATION and pract i ce i t i n al l
your pl ans. You must profi t by FAILURE, your own
and t hat of ot hers. You must cul t i vat e t he habi t of
TOLERANCE. Last , but by no means t he l east
i mport ant , you must make t he GOLDEN RULE t he
foundat i on of al l you do t hat affect s ot her peopl e.
Keep t hi s pi ct ure where you can see i t each day
and, one by one, cal l t hese fi ft een sol di ers out of t he
l i ne and st udy t hem. Make sure t hat t he count erpart of
each i s devel oped i n your own mi nd.

Al l effi ci ent armi es are wel l di sci pl i ned!
The army whi ch you are bui l di ng i n your own
mi nd must , al so, be di sci pl i ned. It must obey your
command at every st ep,
When you cal l out of t he l i ne t he t hi rt eent h
sol di er, FAILURE, remember t hat not hi ng wi l l go as
far t oward devel opi ng di sci pl i ne as wi l l fai l ure and
t emporary defeat . Whi l e you are compari ng yoursel f
wi t h t hi s sol di er det ermi ne whet her or not you have
been profi t i ng by your own fai l ures and t emporary
defeat .
FAILURE comes t o al l at one t i me or anot her.
Make sure, when i t comes your way, t hat you wi l l
l earn somet hi ng of val ue from i t s vi si t . Make sure,
- 65 -
al so, t hat i t woul d not vi si t you i f t here was not room
for i t i n your make-up.
To make progress i n t hi s worl d you must rel y
sol el y upon t he forces wi t hi n your own mi nd for your
st art . Aft er t hi s st art has been made you may t urn t o
ot hers for ai d, but t he fi rst st ep must be t aken wi t hout
out si de ai d.
Aft er you have made t hi s st art , i t wi l l surpri se
you t o observe how many wi l l i ng peopl e you wi l l
encount er who wi l l vol unt eer t o assi st you.

Success i s made up of many fact s and fact ors,
chi efl y of t he fi ft een qual i t i es represent ed by t hese
fi ft een sol di ers. To enj oy a wel l bal anced and rounded
out success one must appropri at e as much or as l i t t l e
of each of t hese fi ft een qual i t i es as may be mi ssi ng i n
one' s own i nheri t ed abi l i t y.
When you came i nt o t hi s worl d you were endowed
wi t h cert ai n i nborn t rai t s, t he resul t of mi l l i ons of
years of evol ut i onary changes, t hrough t housands of
generat i ons of ancest ors.
Added t o t hese i nborn t rai t s you acqui red many
ot her qual i t i es, accordi ng t o t he nat ure of your
envi ronment and t he t eachi ng you recei ved duri ng
your earl y chi l dhood. You are t he sum t ot al of t hat
whi ch was born i n you and t hat whi ch you have pi cked
up from your experi ences, what you have t hought and
what you have been t aught , si nce bi rt h.
Through t he l aw of chance one i n a mi l l i on
peopl e wi l l recei ve, t hrough i nborn heredi t y and from
knowl edge acqui red aft er bi rt h, al l of t he fi ft een
qual i t i es named i n t he pi ct ure above.
- 66 -
Al l who are not fort unat e enough t o have t hus
acqui red t he essent i al s for SUCCESS must devel op
t hem wi t hi n t hemsel ves.
The fi rst st ep i n t hi s devel opment process i s t o
real i ze what qual i t i es are mi ssi ng i n your nat ural l y
acqui red equi pment . The second st ep i s t he st rongl y
pl ant ed DESIRE t o devel op yoursel f where you are
now defi ci ent .
Prayer somet i mes works, whi l e at ot her t i mes i t
does not work.
It al ways works when backed wi t h unqual i fi ed
FAITH. Thi s i s a t rut h whi ch no one wi l l deny, yet , i t
i s a t rut h whi ch no one can expl ai n. Al l we know i s
t hat prayer works when we BELIEVE i t wi l l work.
Prayer wi t hout FAITH i s not hi ng but an empt y
col l ect i on of words.
A DEFINITE PURPOSE may be t ransformed i nt o
real i t y onl y when one BELIEVES i t can be done.
Perhaps t he sel fsame l aw t hat t urns t he prayer based
upon FAITH i nt o real i t y t ransforms, al so, a DEFINITE
PURPOSE t hat i s founded upon bel i ef i nt o real i t y.
It can do no harm i f you make your DEFINITE
PURPOSE i n l i fe t he obj ect of your dai l y prayer. And,
as you pray remember t hat prayer based upon FAITH
al ways works.
Devel op i n your own mi nd al l of t he fi ft een
qual i t i es, from a DEFINITE PURPOSE t o t he
GOLDEN RULE, and you wi l l fi nd t he appl i cat i on of
FAITH i s not di ffi cul t .
Take i nvent ory of yoursel f. Fi nd out how many of
t he fi ft een qual i t i es you now possess. Add t o t hi s
i nvent ory t he mi ssi ng qual i t i es unt i l you have, i n your
- 67 -
- 68 -
mi nd, t he ent i re fi ft een. You wi l l t hen be ready t o
measure your success i n what ever t erms you DESIRE.
The qual i t i es represent ed by t he fi ft een sol di ers
shown i n t hi s pi ct ure are t he bri ck and t he mort ar and
t he bui l di ng mat eri al wi t h whi ch you must bui l d your
Templ e of Success. Mast er t hese fi ft een qual i t i es and
you may pl ay a perfect symphony of success i n any
undert aki ng, j ust as one who has mast ered t he
fundament al s of musi c may pl ay any pi ece at si ght .
Make t hese fi ft een qual i t i es your own and you
wi l l be an EDUCATED person, because you wi l l have
t he power t o get what ever you want i n l i fe wi t hout
vi ol at i ng t he ri ght s of ot hers.
Al l worl ds are man' s, t o conquer and t o rul e
Thi s i s t he gl ory of hi s l i fe.
But t hi s i t s i ron l aw: fi rst must he school
Hi msel f. Here ' gi ns and ends al l st ri fe.

T
T
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E
E

L
L
A
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F
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S
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E
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S
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S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL









Pri nted i n the U. S. A.


- 2 -







Lesson Fourteen
FAILURE



- 3 -
Yesterday is but a dream,
Tomorrow is only a
vision.
But today well lived
makes
Every yesterday a dream
of happiness,
And every tomorrow a
vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to
this day.
- From the Sanscrit.
- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Fourteen
FAILURE



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

UNDER ordi nary ci rcumst ances t he t erm fai l ure i s a
negat i ve t erm. In t hi s l esson, t he word wi l l be gi ven a
new meani ng, because t he word bas been a very much
mi sused one; and, for t hat reason, i t has brought
unnecessary gri ef and hardshi p t o mi l l i ons of peopl e.
In t he out set , l et us di st i ngui sh bet ween fai l ure
and t emporary defeat . Let us see i f t hat whi ch i s so
oft en l ooked upon as fai l ure i s not , i n real i t y, but
t emporary defeat . Moreover, l et us see i f t hi s
t emporary defeat i s not usual l y a bl essi ng i n di sgui se,
for t he reason t hat i t bri ngs us up wi t h a j erk and
redi rect s our energi es al ong di fferent and more
desi rabl e l i nes.
In Lesson Ni ne of t hi s course, we l earned t hat
st rengt h grows out of resi st ance; and we shal l l earn,
i n t hi s l esson, t hat sound charact er i s usual l y t he
handi work of reverses, and set -backs, and t emporary
defeat , whi ch t he uni nformed part of t he worl d cal l s
fai l ure.
- 5 -
Nei t her t emporary defeat nor adversi t y amount s
t o fai l ure i n t he mi nd of t he person who l ooks upon i t
as a t eacher t hat wi l l t each some needed l esson. As a
mat t er of fact , t here i s a great and l ast i ng l esson i n
every reverse, and i n every defeat ; and, usual l y, i t i s a
l esson t hat coul d he l earned i n no ot her way t han
t hrough defeat .
Defeat oft en t al ks t o us i n a dumb l anguage t hat
we do not underst and. If t hi s were not t rue, we woul d
not make t he same mi st akes over and over agai n
wi t hout profi t i ng by t he l essons t hat t hey mi ght t each
us. If i t were not t rue, we woul d observe more cl osel y
t he mi st akes whi ch ot her peopl e make and profi t by
t hem.
The mai n obj ect of t hi s l esson i s t o hel p t he
st udent underst and and profi t by t hi s dumb l anguage
i n whi ch defeat t al ks t o us.
Perhaps I can best hel p you t o i nt erpret t he
meani ng of defeat by t aki ng you back over some of my
own experi ences coveri ng a peri od of approxi mat el y
t hi rt y years. Wi t hi n t hi s peri od, I have come t o t he
t urni ng-poi nt , whi ch t he uni nformed cal l fai l ure,
seven di fferent t i mes. At each of t hese seven t urni ng-
poi nt s I t hought I had made a di smal fai l ure; hut now I
know t hat what l ooked t o be a fai l ure was not hi ng
more t han a ki ndl y, unseen hand, t hat hal t ed me i n my
chosen course and wi t h great wi sdom forced me t o
redi rect my effort s al ong more advant ageous
pat hways.
I arri ved at t hi s deci si on, however, onl y aft er I
had t aken a ret rospect i ve vi ew of my experi ences and
had anal yzed t hem i n t he l i ght of many years of sober
and medi t at i ve t hought .

- 6 -
FIRST TURNING-POINT

Aft er fi ni shi ng a course i n a busi ness col l ege, I
secured a posi t i on as st enographer and bookkeeper
whi ch I hel d for t he ensui ng fi ve years. As a resul t of
havi ng pract i ced t he habi t of performi ng more work
and bet t er work t han t hat for whi ch I was pai d, as
descri bed i n Lesson Ni ne of t hi s course, I advanced
rapi dl y unt i l I was assumi ng responsi bi l i t i es and
recei vi ng a sal ary far out of proport i on t o my age. I
saved my money; and my bank account amount ed t o
several t housand dol l ars. My reput at i on spread rapi dl y
and I found compet i t i ve bi dders for my servi ces.
To meet t hese offers from compet i t ors my
empl oyer advanced me t o t he posi t i on of General
Manager of t he mi nes where I was empl oyed. I was
qui ckl y get t i ng on t op of t he worl d, and I knew i t !
Ah! but t hat was t he sad part of my fat e - I knew
i t !
Then t he ki ndl y hand of Fat e reached out and
gave me a gent l e nudge. My empl oyer l ost hi s fort une
and I l ost my posi t i on. Thi s was my fi rst real defeat ;
and, even t hough i t came about as a resul t of causes
beyond my cont rol , I shoul d have l earned a l esson
from i t ; whi ch, of course, I di d, but not unt i l many
years l at er.

SECOND TURNING-POINT

My next posi t i on was t hat of Sal es Manager for a
l arge l umber manufact uri ng concern i n t he Sout h. I
knew not hi ng about l umber, and but l i t t l e about sal es
- 7 -
management ; but I had l earned t hat i t was benefi ci al
t o render more servi ce t han t hat for whi ch I was pai d;
and I had al so l earned t hat i t pai d t o t ake t he i ni t i at i ve
and fi nd out what ought t o be done wi t hout someone
t el l i ng me t o do i t . A good si zed bank account , pl us a
record of st eady advancement i n my previ ous posi t i on,
gave me al l t he sel f-confi dence I needed, wi t h some t o
spare, perhaps.
My advancement was rapi d, my sal ary havi ng
been i ncreased t wi ce duri ng t he fi rst year. I di d so
wel l i n t he management of sal es t hat my empl oyer
t ook me i nt o part nershi p wi t h hi m. We began t o make
money and I began t o see mysel f on t op of t he worl d
agai n!
To st and on t op of t he worl d gi ves one a
wonderful sensat i on; but i t i s a very dangerous pl ace
t o st and, unl ess one st ands very fi rml y, because t he
fal l i s so l ong and hard i f one shoul d st umbl e.
I was succeedi ng by l eaps and bounds!
Up t o t hat t i me i t had never occurred t o me t hat
success coul d be measured i n t erms ot her t han money
and aut hori t y. Perhaps t hi s was due t o t he fact t hat I
had more money t han I needed and more aut hori t y
t han I coul d manage safel y at t hat age.
Not onl y was I succeedi ng, from my vi ewpoi nt .
of success, but I knew I was engaged i n t he one and
onl y busi ness sui t ed t o my t emperament . Not hi ng
coul d have i nduced me t o change i nt o anot her l i ne of
endeavor. That i s - not hi ng except t hat whi ch
happened, whi ch f orced me t o change.
The unseen hand of Fat e al l owed me t o st rut
around under t he i nfl uence of my own vani t y unt i l I
had commenced t o feel my i mport ance. In t he l i ght of
my more sober years, I now wonder i f t he Unseen
- 8 -
Hand does not purposel y permi t us fool i sh human
bei ngs t o parade oursel ves before our own mi nors of
vani t y unt i l we come t o see how vul garl y we are
act i ng and become ashamed of oursel ves. At any rat e,
I seemed t o have a cl ear t rack ahead of me; t here was
pl ent y of coal i n t he bunker; t here was wat er i n t he
t ank; my hand was on t he t hrot t l e - I opened i t wi de
and sped al ong at a rapi d pace.
Al as! Fat e awai t ed me j ust around t he comer,
wi t h a st uffed cl ub t hat was not st uffed wi t h cot t on.
Of course I di d not see t he i mpendi ng crash unt i l i t
came. Mi ne was a sad st ory, but not unl i ke t hat whi ch
many anot her mi ght t el l i f he woul d be frank wi t h
hi msel f.
Li ke a st roke of l i ght ni ng out of a cl ear sky, t he
1907 pani c swept down upon me; and, overni ght , i t
rendered me an enduri ng servi ce by dest royi ng my
busi ness and rel i evi ng me of every dol l ar t hat I
possessed.
Thi s was my fi rst seri ous def eat ! I mi st ook i t ,
t hen, for fai l ure; but i t was not , and before I compl et e
t hi s l esson I wi l l t el l you why i t was not .

THIRD TURNING-POINT

It requi red t he 1907 pani c, and t he defeat t hat i t
brought me, t o di vert and redi rect my effort s from t he
l umber busi ness t o t he st udy of l aw. Not hi ng on eart h,
except defeat , coul d have brought about t hi s resul t ;
t hus, t he t hi rd t urni ng-poi nt of my l i fe was ushered i n
on t he wi ngs of t hat whi ch most peopl e woul d cal l
fai l ure, whi ch remi nds me t o st at e agai n t hat every
defeat t eaches a needed l esson t o t hose who are ready
and wi l l i ng t o be t aught .
- 9 -


ONE of the greatest
leaders who ever lived
stated the secret of his
leadership in six words,
as follows: Kindness is
more powerful than
compulsion.



- 10 -
When I ent ered l aw school , i t was wi t h t he fi rm
bel i ef t hat I woul d emerge doubl y prepared t o cat ch
up wi t h t he end of t he rai nbow and cl ai m my pot of
gol d; for I st i l l had no ot her concept i on of success
except t hat of money and power.
I at t ended l aw school at ni ght and worked as an
aut omobi l e sal esman duri ng t he day. My sal es
experi ence i n t he l umber busi ness was t urned t o good
advant age. I prospered rapidl y, doi ng so wel l (st i l l
feat uri ng t he habi t of performi ng more servi ce and
bet t er servi ce t han t hat for whi ch I was pai d) t hat t he
opport uni t y came t o ent er t he aut omobi l e
manufact uri ng busi ness. I saw t he need for t rai ned
aut omobi l e mechani cs, t herefore I opened an
educat i onal depart ment i n t he manufact uri ng pl ant and
began t o t rai n ordi nary machi ni st s i n aut omobi l e
assembl i ng and repai r work. The school prospered,
payi ng me over a t housand dol l ars a mont h i n net
profi t s.
Agai n I was begi nni ng t o near t he end of t he
rai nbow. Agai n I knew I had at l ast found my ni che i n
t he worl d' s work; t hat not hi ng coul d swerve me from
my course or di vert my at t ent i on from t he aut omobi l e
busi ness.
My banker knew t hat I was prosperi ng, t herefore
he l oaned me money wi t h whi ch t o expand. A pecul i ar
t rai t of bankers - a t rai t whi ch may be more or l ess
devel oped i n t he remai nder of us al so - i s t hat t hey
wi l l l oan us money wi t hout any hesi t at i on when we
are prosperous!
My banker l oaned me money unt i l I was
hopel essl y i n hi s debt , t hen he t ook over my busi ness
as cal ml y as i f i t had bel onged t o hi m, whi ch i t di d!
From t he st at i on of a man of affai rs who enj oyed
- 11 -
an i ncome of more t han a t housand dol l ars a mont h, I
was suddenl y reduced t o povert y.
Now, t went y years l at er, I t hank t he hand of Fat e
for t hi s forced change; but at t hat t i me I l ooked upon
t he change as not hi ng but f ai l ure.
The rai nbow' s end had di sappeared, and wi t h i t
t he proverbi al pot of gol d whi ch i s supposed t o be
found at i t s end. It was many years aft erwards t hat I
l earned t he t rut h t hat t hi s t emporary def eat was
probabl y t he great est si ngl e bl essi ng t hat ever came
my way, because i t forced me out of a busi ness t hat i n
no way hel ped me t o devel op knowl edge of sel f or of
ot hers, and di rect ed my effort s i nt o a channel whi ch
brought me a ri ch experi ence of whi ch I was i n need.
For t he fi rst t i me i n l i fe I began t o ask mysel f i f
i t were not possi bl e for one t o fi nd somet hi ng of val ue
ot her t han money and power at t he rai nbow' s end. Thi s
t emporary quest i oni ng at t i t ude di d not amount t o open
rebel l i on, mi nd you, nor di d I fol l ow i t far enough t o
get t he answer. It merel y came as a fl eet i ng t hought ,
as do so many ot her t hought s t o whi ch we pay no
at t ent i on, and passed out of my mi nd. Had I known as
much t hen as I now know about t he Law of
Compensat i on, and had I been abl e t o i nt erpret
experi ences as I can now i nt erpret t hem, I woul d have
recogni zed t hat event as a gent l e nudge from t he hand
of Fat e.
Aft er put t i ng up t he hardest fi ght of my l i fe, up
t o t hat t i me, I accept ed my t emporary defeat as f ai l ure
and t hus was ushered i n my next and fourt h t urni ng-
poi nt , whi ch gave me an opport uni t y t o put i nt o use
t he knowl edge of l aw t hat I had acqui red.
- 12 -
FOURTH TURNING-POINT

Because I was my wi fe' s husband and her peopl e
had i nfl uence I secured t he appoi nt ment as assi st ant t o
t he chi ef counsel for one of t he l argest coal compani es
i n t he worl d. My sal ary was great l y out of proport i on
t o t hose uusal l y pai d t o begi nners, and st i l l furt her out
of proport i on t o what I was wort h; but pul l was pul l ,
and I was t here j ust t he same. It happened t hat what I
l acked i n l egal ski l l I more t han made up t hrough t he
appl i cat i on of t he pri nci pl e of performi ng more
servi ce t han t hat for whi ch I was pai d, and by t aki ng
t he i ni t i at i ve and doi ng t hat whi ch shoul d have been
done wi t hout bei ng t ol d t o do i t .
I was hol di ng my posi t i on wi t hout di ffi cul t y. I
pract i cal l y had a soft bert h for l i fe had I cared t o keep
i t .
Wi t hout consul t at i on wi t h my fri ends, and
wi t hout warni ng, I resi gned!
Thi s was t he fi rst t urni ng-poi nt t hat was of my
own sel ect i on. It was not forced upon me. I saw t he
ol d man Fat e comi ng and beat hi m t o t he door. When
pressed for a reason for resi gni ng, I gave what seemed
t o me t o be a very sound one, but I bad t roubl e
convi nci ng t he fami l y ci rcl e t hat I had act ed wi sel y.
I qui t t hat posi t i on because t he work was t oo easy
and I was performi ng i t wi t h t oo l i t t l e effort . I saw
mysel f dri ft i ng i nt o t he habi t of i nert i a. I fel t mysel f
becomi ng accust omed t o t aki ng l i fe easi l y and I knew
t hat t he next st ep woul d be ret rogressi on. I bad so
many fri ends at court t hat t here was no part i cul ar
i mpel l i ng urge t hat made i t necessary for me t o keep
movi ng. I was among fri ends and rel at i ves, and I had a
posi t i on t hat I coul d keep as l ong as I wi shed i t ,
- 13 -
wi t hout exert i ng mysel f. I recei ved an i ncome t hat
provi ded me wi t h al l t he necessi t i es and some of t he
l uxuri es, i ncl udi ng a mot or car and enough gasol i ne t o
keep i t runni ng.
What more di d I need?
Not hi ng! I was begi nni ng t o say t o mysel f.
Thi s was t he at t i t ude t oward whi ch I fel t mysel f
sl i ppi ng. It was an at t i t ude whi ch, for some reason
t hat i s st i l l unknown t o me, st art l ed me so sharpl y t hat
I made what many bel i eved t o be an i rrat i onal move
by resi gni ng. However i gnorant I mi ght have been i n
ot her mat t ers at t he t i me, I have fel t t hankful ever
si nce for havi ng had sense enough t o real i ze t hat
st rengt h and growt h come onl y t hrough cont i nuous
effort and st ruggl e, t hat di suse bri ngs at rophy and
decay.
Thi s move proved t o be t he next most i mport ant
t urni ng-poi nt of my l i fe, al t hough i t was fol l owed by
t en years of effort whi ch brought al most every
concei vabl e gri ef t hat t he human heart can experi ence.
I qui t my j ob i n t he l egal fi el d, where I was get t i ng
al ong wel l , l i vi ng among fri ends and rel at i ves, where
I had what t hey bel i eved t o be an unusual l y bri ght and
promi si ng fut ure ahead of me. I am frank t o admi t t hat
i t has been an ever-i ncreasi ng source of wonderment
t o me as t o why and how I gat hered t he courage t o
make t he move t hat I di d. As far as I am abl e t o
i nt erpret t he event , I arri ved at my deci si on t o resi gn
more because of a hunch, or a sort of prompt i ng
whi ch I t hen di d not underst and, t han by l ogi cal
reasoni ng.
I sel ect ed Chi cago as my new fi el d of endeavor. I
di d t hi s because I bel i eved Chi cago t o be a pl ace
- 14 -
where one mi ght fi nd out i f one had t hose st erner
qual i t i es whi ch are so essent i al for survi val i n a worl d
of keen compet i t i on. I made up my mi nd t hat i f I
coul d gai n recogni t i on, i n any honorabl e sort of work,
i n Chi cago, i t woul d prove t hat I had t he sort of
mat eri al i n my make-up t hat mi ght be devel oped i nt o
real abi l i t y. That was a queer process of reasoni ng; at
l east i t was an unusual process for me t o i ndul ge i n at
t hat t i me, whi ch remi nds me t o st at e t hat we human
bei ngs oft en t ake unt o oursel ves credi t for i nt el l i gence
t o whi ch we are not ent i t l ed. I fear we t oo oft en
assume credi t for wi sdom and for resul t s t hat accrue
from causes over whi ch we have absol ut el y no cont rol .
Whi l e I do not mean t o convey t he i mpressi on
t hat I bel i eve al l of our act s t o be cont rol l ed by causes
beyond our power t o di rect , yet I st rongl y urge you t o
st udy and correct l y i nt erpret t hose causes whi ch mark
t he most vi t al t urni ng-poi nt s of your l i fe; t he poi nt s at
whi ch your effort s are di vert ed - from t he ol d i nt o
new channel s -i n spi t e of al l t hat you can do. At l east
ref rai n f rom accept i ng any def eat as f ai l ure unt i l you
shal l have had t i me t o anal yze t he f i nal resul t .
My fi rst posi t i on i n Chi cago was t hat of
advert i si ng manager of a l arge correspondence school .
I knew but l i t t l e about advert i si ng, but my previ ous
experi ence as a sal esman, pl us t he advant age gai ned
by renderi ng more servi ce t han t hat for whi ch I was
pai d, enabl ed me t o make an unusual showi ng.
The fi rst year I earned $5, 200. 00.
I was comi ng back by l eaps and bounds.
Gradual l y t he rai nbow' s end began t o ci rcl e around
me, and I saw, once more, t he shi ni ng pot of gol d
- 15 -



REMEMBER this,
when things go
against you, that of all
the expressions you
carry in your face the
light of joy shines
farthest out to sea.

- 16 -
al most wi t hi n my reach. Hi st ory i s ful l of evi dence
t hat a feast usual l y precedes a fami ne. I was enj oyi ng
a feast but di d not ant i ci pat e t he fami ne t hat was t o
fol l ow. I was get t i ng al ong so wel l t hat I t horoughl y
approved of mysel f.
Sel f-approval i s a dangerous st at e of mi nd.
Thi s i s a great t rut h whi ch many peopl e do not
l earn unt i l t he soft eni ng hand of Ti me has rest ed upon
t hei r shoul ders for t he bet t er part of a l i fe-t i me. Some
never do l earn i t , and t hose who do are t hose who
fi nal l y begi n t o underst and t he dumb l anguage of
defeat .
I am convi nced t hat one has but few, i f any, more
dangerous enemi es t o combat t han t hat of sel f-
approval . Personal l y I fear i t more t han defeat .
Thi s bri ngs me t o my fi ft h t urni ng-poi nt , whi ch
was al so of my own choi ce.

FIFTH TURNING-POINT

I had made such a good record as advert i si ng
manager of t he correspondence school t hat t he
presi dent of t he school i nduced me t o resi gn my
posi t i on and go i nt o t he candy manufact uri ng busi ness
wi t h hi m. We organi zed t he Bet sy Ross Candy
Company and I became i t s fi rst presi dent , t hus
begi nni ng t he next most i mport ant t urni ng-poi nt of my
l i fe.
The busi ness grew rapi dl y unt i l we had a chai n of
st ores i n ei ght een di fferent ci t i es. Agai n I saw my
rai nbow' s end al most wi t hi n my reach. I knew t hat I
had at l ast found t he busi ness i n whi ch I wi shed t o
remai n for l i fe. The candy busi ness was profi t abl e
and, because I l ooked upon money as bei ng t he onl y
- 17 -
evi dence of success, I nat ural l y bel i eved I was about
t o corner success.
Everyt hi ng went smoot hl y unt i l my busi ness
associ at e and a t hi rd man, whom we had t aken i nt o t he
busi ness, t ook a not i on t o gai n cont rol of my i nt erest
i n t he busi ness wi t hout payi ng for i t .
Thei r pl an was successful , i n a way, but I bal ked
more st i ffl y t han t hey had ant i ci pat ed I woul d;
t herefore, for t he purpose of gent l e persuasi on, t hey
had me arrest ed on a fal se charge and t hen offered t o
wi t hdraw t he charge on condi t i on t hat I t urn over t o
t hem my i nt erest i n t he busi ness.
I had commenced t o l earn, for t he fi rst t i me, t hat
t here was much cruel t y, and i nj ust i ce, and di shonest y
i n t he heart s of men.
When t he t i me for a prel i mi nary heari ng came,
t he compl ai ni ng wi t nesses were nowhere t o be found.
But I had t hem brought and forced t hem t o go on t he
wi t ness st and and t el l t hei r st ori es, whi ch resul t ed i n
my vi ndi cat i on, and a damage sui t agai nst t he
perpet rat ors of t he i nj ust i ce.
Thi s i nci dent brought about an i rreparabl e breach
bet ween my busi ness associ at es and mysel f, whi ch
fi nal l y cost me my i nt erest i n t he busi ness, but t hat
was but sl i ght when compared t o t hat whi ch i t cost my
associ at es; for t hey are st i l l payi ng, and no doubt wi l l
cont i nue t o pay as l ong as t hey l i ve.
My damage sui t was brought under what i s known
as a t ort act i on, t hrough whi ch damages were
cl ai med for mal i ci ous damage t o charact er. In Il l i noi s,
where t he act i on was brought , j udgment under a t ort
act i on gi ves t he one i n favor of whom t he j udgment i s
rendered t he ri ght t o have t he person agai nst whom i t
- 18 -
whom i t i s obt ai ned pl aced i n j ai l unt i l t he amount of
t he j udgment has been pai d.
In due t i me I got a heavy j udgment agai nst my
former busi ness associ at es. I coul d t hen have had bot h
of t hem pl aced behi nd t he bars.
For t he fi rst t i me i n my l i fe I was brought face t o
face wi t h t he opport uni t y t o st ri ke back at my enemi es
i n a manner t hat woul d hurt . I had i n my possessi on a
weapon wi t h t eet h i n i t - a weapon pl aced t here by
t he enemi es, t hemsel ves.
The feel i ng t hat swept over me was a queer one!
Woul d I have my enemi es j ai l ed, or woul d I t ake
advant age of t hi s opport uni t y t o ext end t hem mercy,
t hereby provi ng mysel f t o be made of a di fferent t ype
of mat eri al .
Then and t here was l ai d, i n my heart , t he
foundat i on upon whi ch t he Si xt eent h Lesson of t hi s
course i s bui l t , for I made up my mi nd t o permi t my
enemi es t o go free - as free as t hey coul d be made by
my havi ng ext ended t hem mercy and forgi veness.
But l ong before my deci si on had been reached t he
hand of Fat e had commenced t o deal roughl y wi t h
t hese mi sgui ded fel l ow men who had t ri ed, i n vai n, t o
dest roy me. Ti me, t he mast er worker, t o whi ch we
must al l submi t sooner or l at er, had al ready been at
work on my former busi ness associ at es, and i t had
deal t wi t h t hem l ess merci ful l y t han I had done. One
of t hem was l at er sent enced t o a l ong t erm i n t he
peni t ent i ary, for anot her cri me t hat he had commi t t ed
agai nst some ot her person, and t he ot her one had,
meanwhi l e, been reduced t o pauperi sm.
We can ci rcumvent t he l aws whi ch men pl ace
upon st at ut e books, but t he Law of Compensat i on
never!
- 19 -
The j udgment whi ch I obt ai ned agai nst t hese men
st ands on t he records of t he Superi or Court , of
Chi cago, as si l ent evi dence of vi ndi cat i on of my
charact er; but i t serves me i n a more i mport ant way
t han t hat - i t serves as a remi nder t hat I coul d forgi ve
enemi es who had t ri ed t o dest roy me, and for t hi s
reason, i nst ead of dest royi ng my charact er, I suspect
t hat t he i nci dent served t o st rengt hen i t .
Bei ng arrest ed seemed, at t he t i me, a t erri bl e
di sgrace, even t hough t he charge was fal se. I di d not
rel i sh t he experi ence, and I woul d not wi sh t o go
t hrough a si mi l ar experi ence agai n, but I am bound t o
admi t t hat i t was wort h al l t he gri ef i t cost me,
because i t gave me t he opport uni t y t o fi nd out t hat
revenge was not a part of my make-up.
Here I woul d di rect your at t ent i on t o a cl ose
anal ysi s of t he event s descri bed i n t hi s l esson, for i f
you observe careful l y you can see how t hi s ent i re
course of st udy has been evol ved out of t hese
experi ences. Each t emporary defeat l eft i t s mark upon
my heart and provi ded some part of t he mat eri al of
whi ch t hi s course has been bui l t .
We woul d cease t o fear or t o run away from
t ryi ng experi ences i f we observed, from t he
bi ographi es of men of dest i ny, t hat nearl y every one
of t hem was sorel y t ri ed and run t hrough t he mi l l of
merci l ess experi ence before he arri ved. Thi s l eads
me t o wonder i f t he band of Fat e does not t est t he
met al of whi ch we are made i n vari ous and sundry
ways before pl aci ng great responsi bi l i t i es upon our
shoul ders.
Before approachi ng t he next t urni ng-poi nt of my
l i fe, may I not cal l your at t ent i on t o t he si gni fi cant
fact t hat each t urni ng-poi nt carri ed me nearer and
- 20 -
nearer my rai nbow' s end, and brought me some useful
knowl edge whi ch became, l at er, a permanent part of
my phi l osophy of l i fe.

SIXTH TURNING-POINT

We come, now, t o t he t urni ng-poi nt whi ch
probabl y brought me nearer t he rai nbow' s end t han
any of t he ot hers had, because i t pl aced me i n a
posi t i on where I found i t necessary t o bri ng i nt o use
al l t he knowl edge I had acqui red up t o t hat t i me,
concerni ng pract i cal l y every subj ect wi t h whi ch I was
acquai nt ed, and gave me opport uni t y for sel f-
expressi on and devel opment such as rarel y comes t o a
man so earl y i n l i fe. Thi s t urni ng-poi nt came short l y
aft er my dreams of success i n t he candy busi ness had
been shat t ered, when I t urned my effort s t o t eachi ng
Advert i si ng and Sal esmanshi p as a depart ment of one
of t he col l eges of t he Mi ddl e West .
Some wi se phi l osopher has sai d t hat we never
l earn very much about a gi ven subj ect unt i l we
commence t eachi ng i t t o ot hers. My fi rst experi ence as
a t eacher proved t hi s t o be t rue. My school prospered
from t he very begi nni ng. I had a resi dent cl ass and
al so a correspondence school t hrough whi ch I was
t eachi ng st udent s i n nearl y every Engl i sh-speaki ng
count ry. Despi t e t he ravages of war, t he school was
growi ng rapi dl y and I agai n saw t he end of t he
rai nbow wi t hi n si ght .
Then came t he second mi l i t ary draft whi ch
pract i cal l y dest royed my school , as i t caught most of
t hose who were enrol l ed as st udent s. At one st roke I
charged off more t han $75, 000. 00 i n t ui t i on fees and
- 21 -


IT is far better to be
associated with a few
who are right than
with the mob which is
wrong, because right
is always the winner
in the end.

- 22 -
at t he same t i me cont ri but ed my own servi ce t o my
count ry.
Once more I was penni l ess!
Unfort unat e i s t he person who has never had t he
t hri l l of bei ng penni l ess at one t i me or anot her; for, as
Edward Bok has t rut hful l y st at ed, povert y i s t he
ri chest experi ence t hat can come t o a man; an
experi ence whi ch, however, he advi ses one t o get
away from as qui ckl y as possi bl e.
Agai n I was forced t o redi rect my effort s, but ,
before I proceed t o descri be t he next and l ast
i mport ant t urni ng-poi nt , I wi sh t o cal l your at t ent i on
t o t he fact t hat no si ngl e event descri bed up t o t hi s
poi nt i s, wi t hi n i t sel f, of any pract i cal si gni fi cance.
The si x t urni ng-poi nt s t hat I have bri efl y descri bed
meant not hi ng t o me, t aken si ngl y, and t hey wi l l mean
not hi ng t o you i f anal yzed si ngl y. But t ake t hese
event s col l ect i vel y and t hey form a very si gni fi cant
foundat i on for t he next t urni ng-poi nt , and const i t ut e
rel i abl e evi dence t hat we human bei ngs are const ant l y
undergoi ng evol ut i onary changes as a resul t of t he
experi ences of l i fe wi t h whi ch we meet , even t hough
no si ngl e experi ence may seem t o convey a defi ni t e,
usabl e l esson.
I feel i mpel l ed t o dwel l at l engt h on t he poi nt
whi ch I am here t ryi ng t o make cl ear, because I have
now reached t he poi nt i n my career at whi ch men go
down i n permanent defeat or ri se, wi t h renewed
energi es, t o hei ght s of at t ai nment of st upendous
proport i ons, accordi ng t o t he manner i n whi ch t hey
i nt erpret t hei r past experi ences and use t hose
experi ences as t he basi s of worki ng pl ans. If my st ory
st opped here i t woul d be of no val ue t o you, but t here
- 23 -
i s anot her and a more si gni fi cant chapt er yet t o be
wri t t en, coveri ng t he sevent h and most i mport ant of
al l t he t urni ng-poi nt s of my l i fe.
It must have been obvi ous t o you, al l t hrough my
descri pt i on of t he si x t urni ng-poi nt s al ready out l i ned,
t hat I had not real l y found my pl ace i n t he worl d. It
must have been obvi ous t o you t hat most , i f not al l , of
my t emporary defeat s were due mai nl y t o t he fact t hat
I had not yet di scovered t he work i nt o whi ch I coul d
t hrow my heart and soul . Fi ndi ng t he work for whi ch
one i s best fi t t ed and whi ch one l i kes best i s very
much l i ke fi ndi ng t he one person whom one l oves
best ; t here i s no rul e by whi ch t o make t he search, but
when t he ri ght ni che i s cont act ed one i mmedi at el y
recogni zes i t .

SEVENTH TURNING-POINT

Before I fi ni sh I wi l l descri be t he col l ect i ve
l essons t hat I l earned from each of t he seven t urni ng-
poi nt s of my l i fe, but fi rst l et me descri be t he sevent h
and l ast of t hese t urni ng-poi nt s. To do so, I must go
back t o t hat event ful day - November El even, Ni net een
Hundred and Ei ght een!
That was armi st i ce day, as everyone knows. The
war bad l eft me wi t hout a penny, as I have al ready
st at ed, but I was happy t o know t hat t he sl aught er had
ceased and reason was about t o recl ai m ci vi l i zat i on
once more.
As I st ood i n front of my offi ce wi ndow and
l ooked out at t he howl i ng mob t hat was cel ebrat i ng
t he end of t he war, my mi nd went back i nt o my
yest erdays, especi al l y t o t hat event ful day when t hat
- 24 -
ki nd ol d gent l eman l ai d hi s band on my shoul der and
t ol d me t hat i f I woul d acqui re an educat i on I coul d
make my mark i n t he worl d. I had been acqui ri ng t hat
educat i on wi t hout knowi ng i t . Over a peri od of more
t han t went y years I had been goi ng t o school i n t he
Uni versi t y of Hard Knocks, as you must have observed
from my descri pt i on of t he vari ous t urni ng-poi nt s of
my l i fe. As I st ood i n front of t hat wi ndow my ent i re
past , wi t h i t s bi t t er and i t s sweet , i t s ups and i t s
downs, passed before me i n revi ew.
The t i me had come f or anot her t urni ng-poi nt !
I sat down t o my t ypewri t er and, t o my
ast oni shment , my hands began t o pl ay a regul ar t une
upon t he key-board. I had never wri t t en so rapi dl y or
so easi l y before. I di d not pl an or t hi nk about t hat
whi ch I was wri t i ng - I j ust wrot e t hat whi ch came
i nt o my mi nd!
Unconsci ousl y, I was l ayi ng t he foundat i on for
t he most i mport ant t urni ng-poi nt of my l i fe; for, when
I had fi ni shed, I had prepared a document t hrough
whi ch I fi nanced a nat i onal magazi ne t hat gave me
cont act wi t h peopl e t hroughout t he Engl i sh-speaki ng
worl d. So great l y di d t hat document i nfl uence my own
career, and t he l i ves of t ens of t housands of ot her
peopl e, t hat I bel i eve i t wi l l be of i nt erest t o t he
st udent s of t hi s course; t herefore, I am reproduci ng i t ,
j ust as i t appeared i n Hi l l ' s Gol den Rul e magazi ne,
where i t was fi rst publ i shed, as fol l ows:

A PERSONAL VISIT WITH YOUR EDITOR

I am wri t i ng on Monday, November el event h,
1918. Today wi l l go down i n hi st ory as t he great est
hol i day.
On t he st reet , j ust out si de of my offi ce wi ndow,
- 25 -
t he surgi ng crowds of peopl e are cel ebrat i ng t he
downfal l of an i nfl uence t hat has menaced ci vi l i zat i on
for t he past four years.
The war i s over!
Soon our boys wi l l be comi ng back home from t he
bat t l efi el ds of France.
The l ord and mast er of Brut e Force i s not hi ng but
a shadowy ghost of t he past !
Two t housand years ago t he Son of man was an
out cast , wi t h no pl ace of abode. Now t he si t uat i on has
been reversed and t he devi l has no pl ace t o l ay hi s
head.
Let each of us t ake unt o hi msel f t he great l esson
t hat t hi s worl d war has t aught ; namel y, onl y t hat
whi ch i s based upon j ust i ce and mercy t oward al l - t he
weak and t he st rong, t he ri ch and t he poor, al i ke can
survi ve. Al l el se must pass on.
Out of t hi s war wi l l come a new i deal i sm - an
i deal i sm t hat wi l l be based upon t he Gol den Rul e
phi l osophy; an i deal i sm t hat wi l l gui de us, not t o see
how much we can do our fel l ow man for; but how
much we can do for hi m t hat wi l l amel i orat e hi s
hardshi ps and make hi m happi er as he t arri es by t he
waysi de of l i fe.
Emerson embodi ed t hi s i deal i sm i n hi s great
essay, t he Law of Compensat i on. Anot her great
Phi l osopher embodi ed i t i n t hese words, "What soever
a man sowet h, t hat shal l he al so reap. "
The t i me for pract i ci ng t he Gol den Rul e
phi l osophy i s upon us. In busi ness as wel l as i n soci al
rel at i onshi ps he who negl ect s or refuses t o use t hi s
phi l osophy as t he basi s of hi s deal i ngs wi l l but hast en
t he t i me of hi s fai l ure.
- 26 -
And, whi l e I am i nt oxi cat ed wi t h t he gl ori ous
news of t he war' s endi ng, i s i t not fi t t i ng t hat I shoul d
at t empt t o do somet hi ng t o hel p preserve for t he
generat i ons yet t o come, one of t he great l essons t o be
l earned from Wi l l i am Hohenzol l ern' s effort t o rul e t he
eart h by f orce?
I can best do t hi s by goi ng back t went y-t wo years
for my begi nni ng. Come wi t h me, won' t you?
It was a bl eak November morni ng, probabl y not
far from t he el event h of t he mont h, t hat I got my fi rst
j ob as a l aborer i n t he coal mi ne regi ons of Vi rgi ni a,
at wages of a dol l ar a day.
A dol l ar a day was a bi g sum i n t hose days;
especi al l y t o a boy of my age. Of t hi s, I pai d fi ft y
cent s a day for my board and room.
Short l y aft er I began work, t he mi ners became
di ssat i sfi ed and commenced t al ki ng about st ri ki ng. I
l i st ened eagerl y t o al l t hat was sai d. I was especi al l y
i nt erest ed i n t he organi zer who had organi zed t he
uni on. He was one of t he smoot hest speakers I bad
ever heard, and hi s words fasci nat ed me. He sai d one
t hi ng, i n part i cul ar, t hat I have never forgot t en; and,
i f I knew where t o fi nd hi m, I woul d l ook hi m up
t oday and t hank hi m warml y for sayi ng i t . The
phi l osophy whi ch I gat hered from hi s words has had a
most profound and enduri ng i nfl uence upon me.
Perhaps you wi l l say t hat most l abor agi t at ors are
not very sound phi l osophers; and I woul d agree wi t h
you i f you sai d so. Maybe t hi s one was not a sound
phi l osopher, but surel y t he phi l osophy he expounded
on t hi s occasi on was sound.
St andi ng on a dry goods box, i n t he corner of an
ol d shop where he was hol di ng a meet i ng, he sai d:
- 27 -


NO one is living aright
unless he so lives that
whoever meets him goes
away more confident
and joyous for the
contact.
-Lilian Whiting.


- 28 -
Men, we are t al ki ng about st ri ki ng. Before you
vot e I wi sh t o cal l your at t ent i on t o somet hi ng t hat
wi l l benefi t you i f you wi l l heed what I say.
You want more money for your work; and I wi sh
t o see you get i t , because I bel i eve you deserve i t .
May I not t el l you how t o get more money and
st i l l ret ai n t he good-wi l l of t he owner of t hi s mi ne?
We can cal l a st ri ke and probabl y force t hem t o
pay more money, but we cannot force t hem t o do t hi s
and l i ke i t . Before we cal l a st ri ke, l et us be fai r wi t h
t he owner of t he mi ne and wi t h oursel ves; l et us go t o
t he owner and ask hi m i f he wi l l di vi de t he profi t s of
hi s mi ne wi t h us fai rl y.
If he says `yes, ' as he probabl y wi l l , t hen l et us
ask hi m how much he made l ast mont h and, i f he wi l l
di vi de among us a fai r proport i on of any addi t i onal
profi t s he may make i f we al l j ump i n and hel p hi m
earn more next mont h.
He, bei ng human, l i ke each of us, wi l l no doubt
say Why, cert ai nl y boys; go t o i t and Il l di vi de
wi t h you. It i s but nat ural t hat he woul d say t hat ,
boys.
Aft er he agrees t o t he pl an, as I bel i eve he wi l l
i f we make hi m see t hat we are i n earnest , I want
every one of you t o come t o work wi t h a smi l e on your
face for t he next t hi rt y days. I want t o bear you
whi st l i ng a t une as you go i nt o t he mi nes. I want you
t o go at your work wi t h t he feel i ng t hat you are one of
t he part ners i n t hi s busi ness.
Wi t hout hurt i ng yoursel f you can do al most
t wi ce as much work as you are doi ng; and i f you do
more work, you are sure t o hel p t he owner of t hi s
mi ne make more money. And i f he makes more money
he wi l l be gl ad t o di vi de a part of i t wi t h you. He wi l l
- 29 -
do t hi s for sound busi ness reasons i f not out of a spi ri t
of fai r pl ay.
He wi l l ret al i at e as surel y as t here i s a God
above us. If he doesn' t , I' l l be personal l y responsi bl e
t o you, and i f you say so I' l l hel p bl ow t hi s mi ne i nt o
smi t hereens!
That ' s how much I t hi nk of t he pl an, boys! Are
you wi t h me?
They were, t o t he man!
Those words sank i nt o my heart as t hough t hey
had been burned t here wi t h a red-hot i ron.
The fol l owi ng mont h every man i n t he mi nes
recei ved a bonus of t went y per cent of hi s mont h' s
earni ngs. Every mont h t hereaft er each man recei ved a
bri ght red envel ope wi t h hi s part of t he ext ra earni ngs
i n i t . On t he out si de of t he envel ope were t hese
pri nt ed words:
Your part of t he prof i t s f rom t he work whi ch you
di d t hat you were not pai d t o do.
I have gone t hrough some pret t y t ough
experi ences si nce t hose days of t went y-odd years ago,
but I have al ways come out on t op - a l i t t l e wi ser, a
l i t t l e happi er, and a l i t t l e bet t er prepared t o be of
servi ce t o my fel l ow men, owi ng t o my havi ng appl i ed
t he pri nci pl e of performi ng more work t han I was
act ual l y pai d t o perform.
It may be of i nt erest t o you t o know t hat t he l ast
posi t i on I hel d i n t he coal busi ness was t hat of
Assi st ant t o t he Chi ef Counsel for one of t he l argest
compani es i n t he worl d. It i s a consi derabl e j ump from
t he posi t i on of common l aborer i n t he coal mi nes t o
t hat of Assi st ant t o t he Chi ef Counsel of one of t he
l argest compani es - a j ump t hat I never coul d have
- 30 -
made wi t hout t he ai d of t hi s pri nci pl e of performi ng
more work t han I was pai d t o perform.
I wi sh I had t he space i n whi ch t o t el l you of t he
scores of t i mes t hat t hi s i dea of performi ng more work
t han I was pai d t o perform has hel ped me over rough
spot s.
Many have been t he t i mes t hat I have pl aced an
empl oyer so deepl y i n my debt , t hrough t he ai d of t hi s
pri nci pl e, t hat I got what ever I asked for, wi t hout
hesi t at i on or qui bbl i ng; wi t hout compl ai nt or hard
feel i ngs; and, what i s more i mport ant , wi t hout t he
feel i ng t hat I was t aki ng unfai r advant age of my
empl oyer.
I bel i eve most earnest l y t hat anyt hi ng a man
acqui res from hi s fel l ow man wi t hout t he ful l consent
of t he one from whom i t i s acqui red, wi l l event ual l y
burn a hol e i n hi s pocket , or bl i st er t he pal ms of hi s
hands, t o say not hi ng of gnawi ng at hi s consci ence
unt i l hi s heart aches wi t h regret .
As I sai d i n t he begi nni ng, I am wri t i ng on t he
morni ng of t he El event h of November, whi l e t he
crowds are cel ebrat i ng t he great vi ct ory of ri ght over
wrong!
Therefore, i t i s but nat ural t hat I shoul d t urn t o
t he si l ence of my heart for some t hought t o pass on t o
t he worl d t oday - some t hought t hat wi l l hel p keep
al i ve i n t he mi nds of Ameri cans t he spi ri t of i deal i sm
for whi ch t hey have fought and i n whi ch t hey ent ered
t he worl d war.
I fi nd not hi ng more appropri at e t han t he
phi l osophy whi ch I have rel at ed, because I earnest l y
bel i eve i t was t he arrogant di sregard of t hi s
phi l osophy t hat brought Germany - t he Kai ser and hi s
- 31 -
peopl e t o gri ef. To get t hi s phi l osophy i nt o t he
heart s of t hose who need i t I shal l publ i sh a magazi ne
t o be cal l ed Hi l l ' s Gol den Rul e.
It t akes money t o publ i sh nat i onal magazi nes, and
I haven' t very much of i t at t hi s wri t i ng; but before
anot her mont h shal l have passed, t hrough t he ai d of
t he phi l osophy t hat I have t ri ed t o emphasi ze here, I
shal l fi nd someone who wi l l suppl y t he necessary
money and make i t possi bl e for me t o pass on t o t he
worl d t he si mpl e phi l osophy t hat l i ft ed me out of t he
di rt y coal mi nes and gave me a pl ace where I can be
of servi ce t o humani t y. The phi l osophy whi ch wi l l
rai se you, my dear reader, whoever you may be and
what ever you may be doi ng, i nt o what ever posi t i on i n
l i fe you may make up your mi nd t o at t ai n.
Every person has, or ought t o have, t he i nherent
desi re t o own somet hi ng of monet ary val ue. In at l east
a vague sort of way, every person who works for
ot hers (and t hi s i ncl udes pract i cal l y al l of us) l ooks
forward t o t he t i me when he wi l l have some sort of a
busi ness or a professi on of hi s own.
The best way t o real i ze t hat ambi t i on i s t o
perform more work t han one i s pai d t o perform. You
can get al ong wi t h but l i t t l e school i ng; you can get
al ong wi t h but l i t t l e capi t al ; you can overcome al most
any obst acl e wi t h whi ch you are confront ed, i f you are
honest l y and earnest l y wi l l i ng t o do t he best work of
whi ch you are capabl e, regardl ess of t he amount of
money you recei ve for i t . . . .

(Not e: It i s t he aft ernoon of November t he
t went y-fi rst , j ust t en days si nce I wrot e t he foregoi ng
- 32 -
edi t ori al . I have j ust read i t t o George B. Wi l l i ams, of
Chi cago, a man who came up from t he bot t om t hrough
t he ai d of t he phi l osophy of whi ch I have wri t t en, and
he has made t he publ i cat i on of Hi l l ' s Gol den Rul e
magazi ne possi bl e. )

It was i n t hi s somewhat dramat i c manner t hat a
desi re whi ch had l ai n dormant i n my mi nd for nearl y
t went y years became t ransl at ed i nt o real i t y. Duri ng al l
t hat t i me I had want ed t o become t he edi t or of a
newspaper. Back more t han t hi rt y years ago, when I
was a very smal l boy, I used t o ki ck t he press for
my fat her when he was publ i shi ng a smal l weekl y
newspaper, and I grew t o l ove t he smel l of pri nt er' s
i nk.
Perhaps t hi s desi re was subconsci ousl y gai ni ng
moment um al l t hose years of preparat i on, whi l e I was
goi ng t hrough t he experi ences out l i ned i n t he t urni ng-
poi nt s of my l i fe, unt i l i t had fi nal l y t o burst fort h i n
t erms of act i on; or i t may be t hat t here was anot her
pl an, over whi ch I had no cont rol , t hat urged me on
and on, never gi vi ng me any rest i n any ot her l i ne of
work, unt i l I began t he publ i cat i on of my fi rst
magazi ne. That poi nt can be passed for t he moment .
The i mport ant t hi ng t o whi ch I woul d di rect your
at t ent i on i s t he fact t hat I found my proper ni che i n
t he worl d' s work and I was very happy over i t
St rangel y enough, I ent ered upon t hi s work wi t h
never a t hought of l ooki ng for ei t her t he end of t he
rai nbow or t he proverbi al pot of gol d whi ch i s
supposed t o be found at i t s end. For t he fi rst t i me i n
my l i fe, I seemed t o real i ze, beyond room for doubt ,
- 33 -



TO give pleasure to a
single heart by a single
kind act is better than a
thousand head-bowings
in prayer.
-Saadi.



- 34 -
t hat t here was somet hi ng el se t o be sought i n l i fe t hat
was wort h more t han gol d; t herefore, I went at my
edi t ori al work wi t h but one mai n t hought i n mi nd -
and I pause whi l e you ponder over t hi s t hought
And t hat t hought was t o render t he worl d t he best
servi ce of whi ch I was capabl e, whet her my ef f ort s
brought me a penny i n ret urn or not !
The publ i cat i on of Hi l l ' s Gol den Rul e magazi ne
brought me i n cont act wi t h t he t hi nki ng cl ass of
peopl e al l over t he count ry. It gave me my bi g chance
t o be heard. The message of opt i mi sm and good-wi l l
among men t hat i t carri ed became so popul ar t hat I
was i nvi t ed t o go on a count ry-wi de speaki ng t our
duri ng t he earl y part of 1920, duri ng whi ch I had t he
pri vi l ege of meet i ng and t al ki ng wi t h some of t he
most progressi ve t hi nkers of t hi s generat i on. Cont act
wi t h t hese peopl e went a very l ong way t oward gi vi ng
me t he courage t o keep on doi ng t he good work t hat I
had st art ed. Thi s t our was a l i beral educat i on, wi t hi n
i t sel f, because i t brought me i n exceedi ngl y cl ose
cont act wi t h peopl e i n pract i cal l y al l wal ks of l i fe,
and gave me a chance t o see t hat t he Uni t ed St at es . of
Ameri ca was a pret t y l arge count ry.
Comes, now, a descri pt i on of t he cl i max of t he
sevent h t urni ng-poi nt of my l i fe.
Duri ng my speaki ng t our I was si t t i ng i n a
rest aurant i n Dal l as, Texas, wat chi ng t he hardest
downpour of rai n t hat I have ever seen. The wat er was
pouri ng down over t he pl at e-gl ass wi ndow i n t wo
great st reams, and Pl ayi ng backward and forward from
one of t hese st reams t o t he ot her were l i t t l e st reams,
maki ng what resembl ed a great l adder of wat er.
As I l ooked at t hi s unusual scene, t he t hought
- 35 -
fl ashed i nt o my mi nd t hat I woul d have a spl endi d
l ect ure i f I organi zed al l t hat I had l earned from t he
seven t urni ng-poi nt s of my l i fe and al l I had l earned
from st udyi ng t he l i ves of successful men, and offered
i t under t he t i t l e of t he Magi c Ladder t o Success.
On t he back of an envel ope I out l i ned t he fi ft een
poi nt s out of whi ch t hi s l ect ure was bui l t , and l at er I
worked t hese poi nt s i nt o a l ect ure t hat was l i t eral l y
bui l t from t he t emporary defeat s descri bed i n t he
seven t urni ng-poi nt s of my l i fe.
Al l t hat I l ay cl ai m t o knowi ng t hat i s of val ue i s
represent ed by t hese fi ft een poi nt s; and t he mat eri al
out of whi ch t hi s knowl edge was gat hered i s not hi ng
more or l ess t han t he knowl edge t hat was f orced upon
me t hrough experi ences whi ch have undoubt edl y been
cl assed, by some, as f ai l ures!
The readi ng course, of whi ch t hi s l esson i s a part ,
i s but t he sum t ot al of t hat whi ch I gat hered t hrough
t hese fai l ures. If t hi s course proves t o be of val ue t o
you, as I hope i t wi l l , you may gi ve t he credi t t o t hose
fai l ures descri bed i n t hi s l esson.
Perhaps you wi l l wi sh t o know what mat eri al ,
monet ary benefi t s I have gai ned from t hese t urni ng-
poi nt s, for you probabl y real i ze t hat we are l i vi ng i n
an age i n whi ch l i fe i s an i rksome st ruggl e for
exi st ence and none t oo pl easant for t hose who are
cursed wi t h povert y.
Al l ri ght ! I' l l be frank wi t h you.
To begi n wi t h, t he est i mat ed i ncome from t he sal e
of t hi s course i s al l t hat I need, and t hi s, despi t e t he
fact t hat I have i nsi st ed t hat my publ i shers appl y t he
Ford phi l osophy and sel l t he course at a popul ar pri ce
t hat i s wi t hi n t he reach of al l who want i t .
In addi t i on t o t he i ncome from t he sal e of t he
- 36 -
course (whi ch, pl ease bear i n mi nd, i s but t he sal e of
knowl edge I have gat hered t hrough fai l ure), I am
now engaged i n wri t i ng a seri es of i l l ust rat ed
edi t ori al s t hat i s t o be syndi cat ed and publ i shed i n t he
newspapers of t he count ry. These edi t ori al s are based
upon t hese same fi ft een poi nt s as out l i ned i n t hi s
course.
The est i mat ed net i ncome from t he sal e of t he
edi t ori al s i s more t han enough t o care for my needs.
In addi t i on t o t hi s I am now engaged i n
col l aborat i on wi t h a group of sci ent i st s, psychol ogi st s
and busi ness men, i n wri t i ng a post graduat e course
whi ch wi l l soon be avai l abl e t o al l st udent s who have
mast ered t hi s more el ement ary course, coveri ng not
onl y t he fi ft een l aws here out l i ned, from a more
advanced vi ewpoi nt , but i ncl udi ng st i l l ot her l aws
whi ch have but recent l y been di scovered.
I have ment i oned t hese fact s onl y because I know
what a common t hi ng i t i s for al l of us t o measure
success i n t erms of dol l ars, and t o refuse, as unsound,
al l phi l osophy t hat does not foot up a good bank
bal ance.
Pract i cal l y al l t he past years of my l i fe I have
been poor - exceedi ngl y poor - as far as bank bal ances
were concerned. Thi s condi t i on has been, very l argel y,
a mat t er of choi ce wi t h me, because I have been
put t i ng t he best of my t i me i nt o t he t oi l some j ob of
t hrowi ng off some of my i gnorance and gat heri ng i n
some of t he knowl edge of l i fe of whi ch I fel t mysel f
i n need.
From t he experi ences descri bed i n t hese seven
t urni ng-poi nt s of my l i fe, I have gat hered a few
gol den t hreads of knowl edge t hat I coul d have gai ned
i n no ot her way t han t hrough def eat !
My own experi ences have l ed me t o bel i eve t hat
- 37 -
t he dumb l anguage of def eat i s t he pl ai nest and most
effect i ve l anguage i n t he worl d, once one begi ns t o
underst and i t . I am al most t empt ed t o say t hat I
bel i eve i t t o be t he uni versal l anguage i n whi ch Nat ure
cri es out t o us when we wi l l l i st en t o no ot her
l anguage.
I am gl ad t hat I have experi enced much defeat !
It has had t he effect of t emperi ng me wi t h t he
courage t o undert ake t asks t hat I woul d never have
begun had I been surrounded by prot ect i ng i nfl uences.
Defeat i s a dest ruct i ve force onl y when i t i s
accept ed as fai l ure! When accept ed as t eachi ng some
needed l esson i t i s al ways a bl essi ng.
I used t o hat e my enemi es!
That was before I l earned how wel l t hey were
servi ng me by keepi ng me everl ast i ngl y on t he al ert
l est some weak spot i n my charact er provi de an
openi ng t hrough whi ch t hey mi ght damage me.
In vi ew of what I have l earned of t he val ue of
enemi es, i f I had none I woul d feel i t my dut y t o
creat e a few. They woul d di scover my defect s and
poi nt t hem out t o me, whereas my fri ends, i f t hey saw
my weaknesses at al l , woul d say not hi ng about t hem.
Of al l Joaqui n Mi l l er' s poems none expressed a
nobl er t hought t han di d t hi s one:

Al l honor t o hi m who shal l wi n a pri ze,
The worl d has cri ed for a t housand years;
But t o hi m who t ri es, and who fai l s, and di es,
I gi ve great honor, and gl ory, and t ears.

Gi ve gl ory and honor and pi t i ful t ears
To al l who fai l i n t hei r deeds subl i me;
Thei r ghost s are many i n t he van of years,
They were born wi t h Ti me, i n advance of Ti me.
- 38 -
Oh, great i s t he hem who wi ns a name;
But great er many, and many a t i me,
Some pal e-faced fel l ow who di es i n shame
And l et s God fi ni sh t he t hought subl i me.

And great i s t he man wi t h a sword undrawn,
And good i s t he man who refrai ns from wi ne;
But t he man who fai l s and yet st i l l fi ght s on,
In, he i s t he t wi n-brot her of mi ne.

There can be no fai l ure for t he man who st i l l
fi ght s on. A man has never fai l ed unt i l he accept s
t emporary defeat as fai l ure. There i s a wi de di fference
bet ween t emporary defeat and fai l ure; a di fference I
have t ri ed t o emphasi ze t hroughout t hi s l esson.
In her poem ent i t l ed When Nat ure Want s a Man,
Angel a Morgan expressed a great t rut h i n support of
t he t heory set out i n t hi s l esson, t hat adversi t y and
defeat are general l y bl essi ngs i n di sgui se.

When Nat ure want s t o dri l l a man,
And t hri l l a man,
And ski l l a man.
When Nat ure want s t o mol d a man
To pl ay t he nobl est part ;
When she yearns wi t h al l her heart
To creat e so great and bol d a man
That al l t he worl d shal l prai se
Wat ch her met hod, wat ch her ways!
How she rut hl essl y perfect s
Whom she royal l y el ect s;
How she hammers hi m and hurt s hi m,
And wi t h mi ght y bl ows convert s hi m
- 39 -

IF we could read the
secret history of our
enemies, we should
find in each man's life
sorrow and suffering
enough to disarm all
hostility.
-Longfellow.

- 40 -
Int o t ri al shapes of cl ay whi ch onl y Nat ure under-
st ands -
Whi l e hi s t ort ured heart i s cryi ng and he l i ft s be-
seechi ng hands!
How she bends, but never breaks,
When hi s good she undert akes. . . .
How she uses whom she chooses
And wi t h every purpose fuses hi m,
By every art i nduces hi m
To t ry hi s spl endor out
Nat ure knows what she' s about .

When Nat ure want s t o t ake a man,
And shake a man,
And wake a man;
When Nat ure want s t o make a man
To do t he Fut ure' s wi l l ;
When she t ri es wi t h al l her ski l l
And she yearns wi t h al l her soul
To creat e hi m l arge and whol e.
Wi t h what cunni ng she prepares hi m!
How she goads and never spares hi m,
How she whet s hi m, and she fret s hi m,
And i n povert y beget s hi m.
How she oft en di sappoi nt s
Whom she sacredl y anoi nt s,
Wi t h what wi sdom she wi l l hi de hi m,
Never mi ndi ng what bet i de hi m
Though hi s geni us sob wi t h sl i ght i ng and hi s
pri de may not forget !
Bi ds hi m st ruggl e harder yet .
Makes hi m l onel y
So t hat onl y
- 41 -
God' s hi gh messages shal l reach hi m,
So t hat she may surel y t each hi m
What t he Hi erarchy pl anned.
Though he may not underst and,
Gi ves hi m passi ons t o command.
How remorsel essl y she spurs hi m
Wi t h t erri fi c ardor st i rs hi m
When she poi gnant l y prefers hi m!

When Nat ure want s t o name a man
And fame a man
And t ame a man;
When Nat ure want s t o shame a man
To do hi s heavenl y best
When she t ri es t he hi ghest t est
That she reckoni ng may bri ng
When she want s a god or ki ng!
How she rei ns hi m and rest rai ns hi m
So hi s body scarce cont ai ns hi m
Whi l e she fi res hi m
And i nspi res hi m!
Keeps hi m yearni ng, ever burni ng for a
t ant al i zi ng goal -
Lures and l acerat es hi s soul .
Set s a chal l enge for hi s spi ri t ,
Draws i t hi gher when he' s near i t
Makes a j ungl e, t hat he cl ear i t ;
Makes a desert t hat he fear i t
And subdue i t i f he can
So dot h Nat ure make a man.
Then, t o t est hi s spi ri t ' s wrat h
Hurl s a mount ai n i n hi s pat h
Put s a bi t t er choi ce before hi m
- 42 -
And rel ent l essl y st ands o' er hi m.
Cl i mb, or peri sh! so she says.
Wat ch her purpose, wat ch her ways!

Nat ure' s pl an i s wondrous ki nd
Coul d we underst and her mi nd
Fool s are t hey who cal l her bl i nd.
When hi s feet are t orn and bl eedi ng
Yet hi s spi ri t mount s unheedi ng,
Al l hi s hi gher powers speedi ng,
Bl azi ng newer pat hs and fi ne;
When t he force t hat i s di vi ne
Leaps t o chal l enge every fai l ure and hi s ardor
st i l l i s sweet
And l ove and hope are burni ng i n t he presence of
defeat
Lo, t he cri si s! Lo, t he shout
That must cal l t he l eader out .
When t he peopl e need sal vat i on
Dot h he come t o l ead t he nat i on. . . .
Then dot h Nat ure show her pl an
When t he worl d has found - a MAN! *

I am convi nced t hat fai l ure i s Nat ures pl an
t hrough whi ch she hurdl e-j umps men of dest i ny and
prepares t hem t o do t hei r work. Fai l ure i s Nat ures
great crumbl e i n whi ch she burns t he dross from t he
human heart and so puri fi es t he met al of t he man t hat
i t can st and t he t est of hard usage.
I have found evi dence t o support t hi s t heory i n
t he st udy of t he records of scores of great men, from
Socrat es and Chri st on down t he cent uri es t o t he wel l

*Fr om ' For war d, Mar ch P' The J ohn Lane Company.
- 43 -
known men of achi evement of our modern t i mes. The
success of each man seemed t o be i n al most exact
rat i o t o t he ext ent of t he obst acl es and di ffi cul t i es he
had t o surmount .
No man ever arose from t he knock-out bl ow of
defeat wi t hout bei ng st ronger and wi ser for t he
experi ence. Defeat t al ks t o us i n a l anguage al l i t s
own; a l anguage t o whi ch we must l i st en whet her we
l i ke i t or not .
Of course one must have consi derabl e courage t o
l ook upon defeat as a bl essi ng i n di sgui se; but t he
at t ai nment of any posi t i on i n l i fe, t hat i s wort h
havi ng, requi res a l ot of sand, whi ch bri ngs t o mi nd
a poem t hat harmoni zes wi t h t he phi l osophy of t hi s
l esson.

I observed a l ocomot i ve i n t he rai l road yards one day,
It was wai t i ng i n t he roundhouse where t he l oco-
mot i ves st ay;
It was pant i ng for t he j ourney, i t was coal ed and ful l y
manned,
And i t had a box t he fi reman was fi l l i ng ful l of sand.

It appears t hat l ocomot i ves cannot al ways get a gri p
On t hei r sl ender i ron pavement , ' cause t he wheel s are
apt t o sl i p;
And when t hey reach a sl i ppery spot , t hei r t act i cs t hey
command,
And t o get a gri p upon t he rai l , t hey spri nkl e i t wi t h
sand.

It ' s about t he way wi t h t ravel al ong l i fe' s sl i ppery
t rack -
If your l oad i s rat her heavy, you' re al ways sl i ppi ng
back;
- 44 -
So, i f a common l ocomot i ve you compl et el y under-
st and,
You' l l provi de yoursel f i n st art i ng wi t h a good suppl y
of sand.

If your t rack i s st eep and hi l l y and you have a heavy
grade,
If t hose who' ve gone before you have t he rai l s qui t e
sl i ppery made,
If you ever reach t he summi t of t he upper t abl el and,
You' l l fi nd you' l l have t o do i t wi t h a l i beral use of
sand.

If you st ri ke some fri gi d weat her and di scover t o your
cost ,
That you' re l i abl e t o sl i p upon a heavy coat of frost ,
Then some prompt deci ded act i on wi l l be cal l ed i nt o
demand,
And you' l l sl i p way t o t he bot t om i f you haven' t any
sand.

You can get t o any st at i on t hat i s on l i fe' s schedul e
seen,
If t here' s fi re beneat h t he boi l er of ambi t i on' s st rong
machi ne,
And you' l l reach a pl ace cal l ed Fl usht own at a rat e of
speed t hat ' s grand,
If for al l t he sl i ppery pl aces you' ve a good suppl y of
sand.

It can do you no harm i f you memori ze t he poems
quot ed i n t hi s l esson and make t he phi l osophy upon
whi ch t hey are based a part of your own.
- 45 -

Tis the human touch in this
world that counts,
The touch of your hand and
mine,
Which means far more to
the fainting heart,
Than shelter and bread and
wine;
For shelter is gone when the
night is o er,
And bread lasts only a day,
But the touch of the hand
and the sound of the
voice,
Sing on in the soul alway.
- Spencer M. Tree
- 46 -
As I near t he end of t hi s l esson on Fai l ure, t here
comes t o mi nd a bi t of phi l osophy t aken from t he
works of t he great Shakespeare, whi ch I wi sh t o
chal l enge because I bel i eve i t t o be unsound. It i s
st at ed i n t he fol l owi ng quot at i on:

There i s a t i de i n t he affai rs of men
Whi ch, t aken at t he fl ood, l eads on t o fort une;
Omi t t ed, al l t he voyage of t hei r l i fe
Is bound i n shal l ows, and i n mi seri es.
On such a ful l sea are we now afl oat ;
And we must t ake t he current when i t serves,
Or l ose our vent ures.

Fear and admi ssi on of fai l ure are t he t i es whi ch
cause us t o be bound i n shal l ows, and i n mi seri es.
We can break t hese t i es and t hrow t hem off. Nay, we
can t urn t hem t o advant age and make t hem serve as a
t ow-l i ne wi t h whi ch t o pul l oursel ves ashore i f we
observe and profi t by t he l essons t hey t each.

Who ne' er has suffered, he has l i ved but hal f,
Who never fai l ed, he never st rove or sought ,
Who never wept i s st ranger t o a l augh,
And he who never doubt ed never t hought .

As I near t he end of t hi s, my favori t e l esson of
t hi s course, I cl ose my eyes for a moment and see
before me a great army of men and women whose
faces show t he l i nes of care and despai r.
Some are i n rags, havi ng reached t he l ast st age of
t hat l ong, l ong t rai l whi ch men cal l f ai l ure!
Ot hers are i n bet t er ci rcumst ances, but t he fear of
- 47 -
st arvat i on shows pl ai nl y on t hei r faces; t he smi l e of
courage has l eft t hei r l i ps; and t hey, t oo, seem t o have
gi ven up t he bat t l e.
The scene shi ft s!
I l ook agai n and I am carri ed backward i nt o t he
hi st ory of mans st ruggl e for a pl ace i n t he sun, and
t here I see, al so, t he fai l ures of t he past - fai l ures
t hat have meant more t o t he human race t han al l t he
so-cal l ed successes recorded i n t he hi st ory of t he
worl d.
I see t he homel y face of Socrat es as he st ood at
t he very end of t hat t rai l cal l ed fai l ure, wai t i ng, wi t h
upt urned eyes, t hrough t hose moment s whi ch must
have seemed l i ke an et erni t y, j ust before he drank t he
cup of heml ock t hat was forced upon hi m by hi s
t orment ors.
I see, al so, Chri st opher Col umbus, a pri soner i n
chai ns, whi ch was t he t ri but e pai d hi m for hi s
sacri fi ce i n havi ng set sai l on an unknown and
unchart ed sea, t o di scover an unknown cont i nent .
I see, al so, t he face of Thomas Pai ne, t he man
whom t he Engl i sh sought t o capt ure and put t o deat h
as t he real i nst i gat or of t he Ameri can Revol ut i on. I
see hi m l yi ng i n a fi l t hy pri son, i n France, as he
wai t ed cal ml y, under t he shadow of t he gui l l ot i ne, for
t he deat h whi ch he expect ed woul d be met ed out t o
hi m for hi s part i n behal f of humani t y.
And I see, al so, t he face of t he Man of Gal i l ee, as
he suffered on t he cross of Cal vary - t he reward he
recei ved for hi s effort s i n behal f of sufferi ng human
Fai l ures, al l !
Oh, t o be such a fai l ure. Oh, t o go down i n
hi st ory, as t hese men di d, as one who was brave
- 48 -
enough t o pl ace humani t y above t he i ndi vi dual and
pri nci pl e above pecuni ary gai n.
On such fai l ures rest t he hopes of t he worl d.

Oh, men, who are l abel ed fai l ures - up, ri se up!
agai n and do!
Somewhere i n t he worl d of act i on i s room; t here i s
room for you.
No fai l ure was eer recorded, i n t he annal s of t rut hful
men,
Except of t he craven-heart ed who fai l s, nor at t empt s
agai n.
The gl ory i s i n t he doi ng, and not i n t he t rophy won;
The wal l s t hat are l ai d i n darkness may l augh t o t he
ki ss of t he sun.
Oh, weary and worn and st ri cken, oh, chi l d of fat es
cruel gal es!
I si ng - t hat i t hapl y may cheer hi m - I si ng t o t he man
who fai l s.

Be t hankful for t he defeat whi ch men cal l fai l ure,
because i f you can survi ve i t and keep on t ryi ng i t
gi ves you a chance t o prove your abi l i t y t o ri se t o t he
hei ght s of achi evement i n your chosen fi el d of
endeavor.
No one has t he ri ght t o brand you as a fai l ure
except yoursel f.
If, i n a moment of despai r, you shoul d feel
i ncl i ned t o brand yoursel f as a fai l ure, j ust remember
t hose words of t he weal t hy phi l osopher, Croesus, who
was advi sor t o Cyrus, ki ng of t he Persi ans:

I am remi nded, O ki ng, and t ake t hi s l esson t o
heart , t hat t here i s a wheel on whi ch t he affai rs
- 49 -
of men revol ve and i t s mechani sm i s such t hat i t
prevent s any man from bei ng al ways fort unat e.

What a wonderful l esson i s wrapped up i n t hose
words - a l esson of hope and courage and promi se.
Who of us has not seen off days, when
everyt hi ng seemed t o go wrong? These are t he days
when we see onl y t he fl at si de of t he great wheel of
l i fe.
Let us remember t hat t he wheel i s al ways t urni ng.
If i t bri ngs us sorrow t oday, i t wi l l bri ng us j oy
t omorrow. Li fe i s a cycl e of varyi ng event s - fort unes
and mi sfort unes.
We cannot st op t hi s wheel of fat e from t urni ng,
but we can modi fy t he mi sfort une i t bri ngs us by
rememberi ng t hat good fort une wi l l fol l ow, j ust as
surel y as ni ght fol l ows day, i f we but keep fai t h wi t h
oursel ves and earnest l y and honest l y do our best .
In hi s great est hours of t ri al t he i mmort al Li ncol n
was heard, oft en, t o say: And t hi s, t oo, wi l l soon
pass.
If you are smart i ng from t he effect s of some
t emporary defeat whi ch you fi nd i t hard t o forget , l et
me recommend t hi s st i mul at i ng l i t t l e poem, by Wal t er
Mal one.

OPPORTUNITY

They do me wrong who say I come no more
When once I knock and fai l t o fi nd you i n;
For every day I st and out si de your door,
And bi d you wake, and ri se t o fi ght and wi n.
Wai l not for preci ous chances passed away;
Weep not for gol den ages on t he wane;
- 50 -
Each ni ght I burn t he records of t he day;
At sunri se every soul i s born agai n.
Laugh l i ke a boy at spl endors t hat have sped,
To vani shed j oys be bl i nd and deaf and dumb;
My j udgment s seal t he dead past wi t h i t s dead,
But never bi nd a moment yet t o come.

Though deep i n mi re wri ng not your hands and
weep,
I l end my arm t o al l who say, I can!
No shamefaced out cast ever sank so deep
But yet mi ght ri se and be agai n a man!
Dost t hou behol d t hy l ost yout h al l aghast ?
Dost reel from ri ght eous ret ri but i on' s bl ow?
Then t urn from bl ot t ed archi ves of t he past
And fi nd t he fut ure' s pages whi t e as snow.
Art t hou a mourner? Rouse t hee from t hy spel l ;
Art t hou a si nner? Si n may be forgi ven;
Each morni ng gi ves t hee wi ngs t o fl ee from hel l ,
Each ni ght a st ar t o gui de t hy feet t o heaven.
- 51 -
- 52 -


STRIVE not to banish
pain and doubt,
In pleasures noisy din;
The peace thou seekest
from without,
Is only found within.
-Cary


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IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.






COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL










Pri nted i n the U. S. A.


- 2 -







Lesson Fifteen
TOLERANCE



- 3 -



THERE are souls in
this world which have
the gift of finding joy
everywhere, and of
leaving it behind them
everywhere they go.
- Faber.


- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Fifteen
TOLERANCE



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

THERE are t wo si gni fi cant feat ures about i nt ol erance,
and your at t ent i on i s di rect ed t o t hese at t he begi nni ng
of t hi s l esson.
These feat ures are:
Fi rst : Int ol erance i s a form of i gnorance whi ch
must be mast ered before any form of enduri ng success
may be at t ai ned. It i s t he chi ef cause of al l wars. It
makes enemi es i n busi ness and i n t he professi ons. It
di si nt egrat es t he organi zed forces of soci et y i n a
t housand forms, and st ands, l i ke a mi ght y gi ant , as a
barri er t o t he abol i t i on of war. It det hrones reason and
subst i t ut es mob psychol ogy i n i t s pl ace.
Second: Int ol erance i s t he chi ef di si nt egrat i ng
force i n t he organi zed rel i gi ons of t he worl d, where i t
pl ays havoc wi t h t he great est power for good t here i s
on t hi s eart h; by breaki ng up t hat power i nt o smal l
sect s and denomi nat i ons whi ch spend as much effort
opposi ng each ot her as t hey do i n dest royi ng t he evi l s
of t he worl d.
But t hi s i ndi ct ment agai nst i nt ol erance i s general .
- 5 -
Let ' s see how i t affect s you, t he i ndi vi dual . It i s, of
course, obvi ous t hat anyt hi ng whi ch i mpedes t he
progress of ci vi l i zat i on st ands, al so, as a barri er t o
each i ndi vi dual ; and, st at i ng i t conversel y, anyt hi ng
t hat becl ouds t he mi nd of t he i ndi vi dual and ret ards
hi s ment al , moral and spi ri t ual devel opment , ret ards,
al so, t he progress of ci vi l i zat i on.
Al l of whi ch i s an abst ract st at ement of a great
t rut h; and, i nasmuch as abst ract st at ement s am nei t her
i nt erest i ng nor hi ghl y i nformat i ve, l et us proceed t o
i l l ust rat e more concret el y t he damagi ng effect s of
i nt ol erance.
I wi l l begi n t hi s i l l ust rat i on by descri bi ng an
i nci dent whi ch I have ment i oned qui t e freel y i n
pract i cal l y every publ i c address t hat I have del i vered
wi t hi n t he past fi ve years; but , i nasmuch as t he col d
pri nt ed page has a modi fyi ng effect whi ch makes
possi bl e t he mi si nt erpret at i on of t he i nci dent here
descri bed, I bel i eve i t necessary t o caut i on you not t o
read back of t he l i nes a meani ng whi ch I had no
i nt ent i on of pl aci ng t here. You wi l l do yoursel f an
i nj ust i ce i f you ei t her negl ect or i nt ent i onal l y refuse
t o st udy t hi s i l l ust rat i on i n t he exact words and wi t h
t he exact meani ng whi ch I have i nt ended t hose words
t o convey - a meani ng as cl ear as I know how t o make
t he Engl i sh l anguage convey i t .
As you read of t hi s i nci dent , pl ace yoursel f i n my
posi t i on and see i f you, al so, have not had a paral l el
experi ence, and, i f so, what l esson di d i t t each you?
One day I was i nt roduced t o a young man of
unusual l y fi ne appearance. Hi s cl ear eye, hi s warm
handcl asp, t he t one of hi s voi ce and t he spl endi d t ast e
wi t h whi ch he was groomed marked hi m as a young
- 6 -
man of t he hi ghest i nt el l ect ual t ype. He was of t he
t ypi cal young Ameri can col l ege st udent t ype, and as I
ran my eyes over hi m, hurri edl y st udyi ng hi s
personal i t y, as one wi l l nat ural l y do under such
ci rcumst ances, I observed a Kni ght s of Col umbus pi n
on hi s vest .
Inst ant l y, I rel eased hi s hand as i f i t were a pi ece
of i ce!
Thi s was done so qui ckl y t hat i t surpri sed bot h
hi m and me. As I excused mysel f and st art ed t o wal k
away, I gl anced down at t he Masoni c pi n t hat I wore
on my own vest , t hen t ook anot her l ook at hi s Kni ght s
of Col umbus pi n, and wondered why a coupl e of
t ri nket s such as t hese coul d di g such a deep chasm
bet ween men who knew not hi ng of each ot her.
Al l t he remai nder of t hat day I kept t hi nki ng of
t he i nci dent , because i t bot hered me. I had al ways
t aken consi derabl e pri de i n t he t hought t hat I was
t ol erant wi t h al l men; but here was a spont aneous
out burst of i nt ol erance whi ch proved t hat down i n my
sub-consci ous mi nd exi st ed a compl ex t hat was
i nfl uenci ng me t oward narrow-mi ndedness.
Thi s di scovery so shocked me t hat I began a
syst emat i c process of psycho-anal ysi s t hrough whi ch I
searched i nt o t he very dept hs of my soul for t he cause
of my rudeness.
I asked mysel f over and over agai n:
Why di d you abrupt l y rel ease t hat young man' s
hand and t urn away f rom hi m, when you knew not hi ng
about hi m?
Of course t he answer l ed me, al ways, back t o t hat
Kni ght s of Col umbus pi n t hat he wore. But t hat was
not a real answer and t herefore i t di d not sat i sfy me.
Then I began t o do some research work i n t he
- 7 -
fi el d of rel i gi on. I began t o st udy bot h Cat hol i ci sm
and Prot est ant i sm unt i l I had t raced bot h back t o t hei r
begi nni ng, a l i ne of procedure whi ch I must confess
brought me more underst andi ng of t he probl ems of l i fe
t han I had gat hered from al l ot her sources. For one
t hi ng i t di scl osed t he fact t hat Cat hol i ci sm and
Prot est ant i sm di ffer more i n f orm t han t hey do i n
ef f ect ; t hat bot h are founded on exact l y t he same
cause, whi ch i s Chri st i ani t y.
But t hi s was by no means al l , nor was i t t he most
i mport ant of my di scoveri es, for my research l ed, of
necessi t y, i n many di rect i ons, and forced me i nt o t he
fi el d of bi ol ogy where I l earned much t hat I needed t o
know about l i fe i n general and t he human bei ng i n
part i cul ar. My research l ed, al so, t o t he st udy of
Darwi n' s hypot hesi s of evol ut i on, as out l i ned i n hi s
Ori gi n of Speci es, and t hi s, i n t urn, l ed t o a much
wi der anal ysi s of t he subj ect of psychol ogy t han t hat
whi ch I had previ ousl y made.
As I began t o reach out i n t hi s di rect i on and t hat ,
for knowl edge, my mi nd began t o unfol d and broaden
wi t h such al armi ng rapi di t y t hat I pract i cal l y found i t
necessary t o -
Wi pe t he sl at e of what I bel i eved t o be my
previ ousl y gat hered knowl edge, and t o unl earn much
t hat I bad previ ousl y bel i eved t o be t rut h.
Comprehend t he meani ng of t hat whi ch I have
j ust st at ed!
Imagi ne yoursel f suddenl y di scoveri ng t hat most
of your phi l osophy of l i fe had been bui l t of bi as and
prej udi ce, maki ng i t necessary for you t o acknowl edge
t hat , far from bei ng a fi ni shed schol ar, you were
barel y qual i f i ed t o become an i nt el l i gent st udent !
- 8 -
That was exact l y t he posi t i on i n whi ch I found
mysel f, wi t h respect t o many of what I bel i eved t o be
sound fundament al s of l i fe; but of al l t he di scoveri es
t o whi ch t hi s research l ed, none was more i mport ant
t han t hat of t he rel at i ve i mport ance of physi cal and
soci al heredi t y, for i t was t hi s di scovery t hat
di scl osed t he cause for my act i on when I t urned away
from a man whom I di d not know, on t he occasi on t hat
I have descri bed.
It was t hi s di scovery t hat di scl osed t o me how and
where I acqui red my vi ews of rel i gi on, of pol i t i cs, of
economi cs and many ot her equal l y i mport ant subj ect s,
and I bot h regret and rej oi ce t o st at e t hat I f ound most
of my vi ews on t hese subj ect s wi t hout support by even
a reasonabl e hypot hesi s, much l ess sound fact s or
reason.
I t hen recal l ed a conversat i on bet ween t he l at e
Senat or Robert L. Tayl or and mysel f, i n whi ch we
were di scussi ng t he subj ect of pol i t i cs. It was a
fri endl y di scussi on, as we were of t he same pol i t i cal
fai t h, but t he Senat or asked me a quest i on for whi ch I
never forgave hi m unt i l I began t he research t o whi ch
I have referred.
I see t hat you are a very st aunch Democrat , sai d
he, and I wonder i f you know why you are?
I t hought of t he quest i on for a few seconds, t hen
bl urt ed out t hi s repl y:
I am a Democrat because my fat her was one, of
course!
Wi t h a broad gri n on hi s face t he Senat or t hen
nai l ed me wi t h t hi s rej oi nder:
Just as I t hought ! Now woul dn' t you be i n a bad
fi x i f your fat her had been a horse-t hi ef?
- 9 -


Hearts, like doors, can
ope with ease,
To very, very little keys;
And don' t forget that they
are these:
I thank you, sir, and
If you please.



- 10 -
It was many years l at er, aft er I began t he research
work herei n descri bed, t hat I underst ood t he real
meani ng of Senat or Tayl or' s j oke. Too oft en we hol d
opi ni ons t hat are based upon no sounder foundat i on
t han t hat of what someone el se bel i eves.

That you may have a det ai l ed i l l ust rat i on of t he
far-reachi ng effect s of one of t he i mport ant pri nci pl es
uncovered by t he i nci dent t o whi ch I have referred,
and -
That you may l earn how and where you acqui red
your phi l osophy of l i f e, i n general ;
That you may t race your prej udi ces and your
bi ases t o t hei r ori gi nal source;
That you may di scover, as I di scovered, how
l argel y you are t he resul t of t he t rai ni ng you recei ved
bef ore you reached t he age of f i f t een years-
I wi l l now quot e t he ful l t ext of a pl an whi ch I
submi t t ed t o Mr. Edward Bok' s Commi t t ee, The
Ameri can Peace Award, for t he abol i t i on of war. Thi s
pl an covers not onl y t he most i mport ant of t he
pri nci pl es t o whi ch I refer, but , as you wi l l observe, i t
shows how t he pri nci pl e of organi zed ef f ort , as
out l i ned i n Lesson Two of t hi s course, may be appl i ed
t o one of t he most i mport ant of t he worl d' s probl ems,
and at t he same t i me gi ves you a more comprehensi ve
i dea of how t o appl y t hi s pri nci pl e i n t he at t ai nment
of your def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
- 11 -
HOW TO ABOLISH WAR

The Background

Before offeri ng t hi s pl an for t he prevent i on of
war, i t seems necessary t o sket ch bri efl y a background
t hat wi l l cl earl y descri be t he pri nci pl e whi ch
const i t ut es t he warp and t he woof of t he pl an.
The causes of war may be properl y omi t t ed for
t he reason t hat t hey have but l i t t l e, i f any, rel at i on t o
t he pri nci pl e t hrough whi ch war may be prevent ed.
The begi nni ng of t hi s sket ch deal s wi t h t wo
i mport ant fact ors whi ch const i t ut e t he chi ef
cont rol l i ng forces of ci vi l i zat i on. One i s physi cal
heredi t y and t he ot her i s soci al heredi t y.
The si ze and form of t he body, t he t ext ure of t he
ski n, t he col or of t he eyes, and t he funct i oni ng power
of t he vi t al organs are al l t he resul t of physi cal
heredi t y; t hey are st at i c and fi xed and cannot be
changed, for t hey are t he resul t of a mi l l i on years of
evol ut i on; but by far t he most i mport ant part of what
we are i s t he resul t of soci al heredi t y, and came t o us
from t he effect s of our envi ronment and earl y t rai ni ng.
Our concept i on of rel i gi on, pol i t i cs, economi cs,
phi l osophy and ot her subj ect s of a si mi l ar nat ure,
i ncl udi ng war, i s ent i rel y t he resul t of t hose
domi nat i ng forces of our envi ronment and t rai ni ng.
The Cat hol i c i s a Cat hol i c because of hi s earl y
t rai ni ng, and t he Prot est ant i s a Prot est ant for t he
same reason; but t hi s i s hardl y st at i ng t he t rut h wi t h
suffi ci ent emphasi s, for i t mi ght be properl y sai d t hat
t he Cat hol i c i s a Cat hol i c and t he Prot est ant i s a
Prot est ant because he cannot hel p i t ! Wi t h but few
except i ons t he rel i gi on of t he adul t i s t he resul t of hi s
- 12 -
rel i gi ous t rai ni ng duri ng t he years bet ween four and
fourt een when hi s rel i gi on was f orced upon hi m by hi s
parent s or t hose who had cont rol of hi s school i ng.
A promi nent cl ergyman i ndi cat ed how wel l he
underst ood t he pri nci pl e of soci al heredi t y when he
sai d: Gi ve me t he cont rol of t he chi l d unt i l i t i s
t wel ve years ol d and you can t each i t any rel i gi on you
may pl ease aft er t hat t i me, for I wi l l have pl ant ed my
own rel i gi on so deepl y i n i t s mi nd t hat no power on
eart h coul d undo my work.
The out st andi ng and most promi nent of man' s
bel i efs are t hose whi ch were forced upon hi m, or
whi ch he absorbed of hi s own vol i t i on, under hi ghl y
emot i onal i zed condi t i ons, when hi s mi nd was
recept i ve. Under such condi t i ons t he evangel i st can
pl ant t he i dea of rel i gi on more deepl y and
permanent l y duri ng an hour' s revi val servi ce t han he
coul d t hrough years of t rai ni ng under ordi nary
condi t i ons, when t he mi nd was not i n an
emot i onal i zed st at e.
The peopl e of t he Uni t ed St at es have
i mmort al i zed Washi ngt on and Li ncol n because t hey
were t he l eaders of t he nat i on duri ng t i mes when t he
mi nds of t he peopl e were hi ghl y emot i onal i zed, as t he
resul t of cal ami t i es whi ch shook t he very foundat i on
of our count ry and vi t al l y affect ed t he i nt erest s of al l
t he peopl e. Through t he pri nci pl e of soci al heredi t y,
operat i ng t hrough t he school s (Ameri can hi st ory), and
t hrough ot her forms of i mpressi ve t eachi ng, t he
i mmort al i t y of Washi ngt on and Li ncol n i s pl ant ed i n
t he mi nds of t he young and i n t hat way kept al i ve.
The t hree great organi zed f orces t hrough whi ch
soci al heredi t y operat es are:
The school s, t he churches and t he publ i c press.
- 13 -
Any i deal t hat has t he act i ve co-operat i on of
t hese t hree forces may, duri ng t he bri ef peri od of one
generat i on, be f orced upon t he mi nds of t he young so
ef f ect i vel y t hat t hey cannot resi st i t .
In 1914 t he worl d awoke one morni ng t o fi nd
i t sel f afl ame wi t h warfare on a scal e previ ousl y
unheard of, and t he out st andi ng feat ure of i mport ance
of t hat worl d-wi de cal ami t y was t he hi ghl y organi zed
German armi es. For more t han t hree years t hese
armi es gai ned ground so rapi dl y t hat worl d domi nat i on
by Germany seemed cert ai n. The German mi l i t ary
machi ne operat ed wi t h effi ci ency such as had never
before been demonst rat ed i n warfare. Wi t h kul t ur as
her avowed i deal , modern Germany swept t he
opposi ng armi es before her as t hough t hey were
l eaderl ess, despi t e t he fact t hat t he al l i ed forces
out numbered her own on every front .
The capaci t y for sacri fi ce i n t he German sol di ers,
i n support of t he i deal of kul t ur, was t he
out st andi ng surpri se of t he war; and t hat capaci t y was
l argel y t he resul t of t he work of t wo men. Through t he
German educat i onal syst em, whi ch t hey cont rol l ed, t he
psychol ogy whi ch carri ed t he worl d i nt o war i n 1914
was creat ed i n t he defi ni t e form of kul t ur. These
men were Adal bert Fal k, Prussi an Mi ni st er of
Educat i on unt i l 1879, and t he German Emperor
Wi l l i am II.
The agency t hrough whi ch t hese men produced
t hi s resul t was soci al heredi t y: t he i mposi ng of an
i deal on t he mi nds of t he young, under hi ghl y
emot i onal i zed condi t i ons.
Kul t ur, as a nat i onal i deal , was fi xed i n t he
mi nds of t he young of Germany, begi nni ng fi rst i n t he
el ement ary school s and ext endi ng on up t hrough t he
- 14 -
hi gh school s and uni versi t i es. The t eachers and
prof essors were f orced t o i mpl ant t he i deal of
kul t ur i n t he mi nds of t he st udent s, and out of t hi s
t eachi ng, i n a si ngl e generat i on, grew t he capaci t y for
sacri fi ce of t he i ndi vi dual for t he i nt erest of t he
nat i on whi ch surpri sed t he modern worl d.
As Benj ami n Ki dd so wel l st at ed t he case: The
ai m of t he st at e of Germany was everywhere t o
ori ent at e publ i c opi ni on t hrough t he heads of bot h i t s
spi ri t ual and t emporal depart ment s, t hrough t he
bureaucracy, t hrough t he offi cers of t he army, t hrough
t he St at e di rect i on of t he press; and, l ast of al l ,
t hrough t he St at e di rect i on of t he ent i re t rade and
i ndust ry of t he nat i on, so as t o bri ng t he i deal i sm of
t he whol e peopl e t o a concept i on of and t o a support
of t he nat i onal pol i cy of modem Germany.
Germany cont rol l ed t he press, t he cl ergy and t he
school s; t herefore, i s i t any wonder t hat she grew an
army of sol di ers, duri ng one generat i on, whi ch
represent ed t o a man her i deal of kul t ur? Is i t any
wonder t hat t he German sol di ers faced cert ai n deat h
wi t h fearl ess i mpuni t y, when one st ops t o consi der t he
fact t hat t hey had been t aught , from earl y chi l dhood,
t hat t hi s sacri fi ce was a rare pri vi l ege?
Turn, now, from t hi s bri ef descri pt i on of t he
modus operandi t hrough whi ch Germany prepared her
peopl e for war, t o anot her st range phenomenon, Japan.
No west ern nat i on, wi t h t he except i on of Germany,
has so cl earl y mani fest ed i t s underst andi ng of t he far-
reachi ng i nfl uence of soci al heredi t y, as has Japan.
Wi t hi n a si ngl e generat i on Japan has advanced from
her st andi ng as a fourt h-rat e nat i on t o t he ranks of
nat i ons t hat are t he recogni zed powers of t he ci vi l i zed
- 15 -



IT takes but a second to
administer a rebuke, but
it may take a life-time
for the one who has
been rebuked to forget
it.

- 16 -
worl d. St udy Japan and you wi l l fi nd t hat she forces
upon t he mi nds of her young, t hrough exact l y t he
same agenci es empl oyed by Germany, t he i deal of
subordi nat i on of i ndi vi dual ri ght s for t he sake of
accumul at i on of power by t he nat i on.
In al l of her cont roversi es wi t h Chi na, compet ent
observers have seen t hat back of t he apparent causes
of t he cont roversi es was Japan' s st eal t hy at t empt t o
cont rol t he mi nds of t he young by cont rol l i ng t he
school s. If Japan coul d cont rol t he mi nds of t he young
of Chi na, she coul d domi nat e t hat gi gant i c nat i on
wi t hi n one generat i on.
If you woul d st udy t he effect of soci al heredi t y as
i t i s bei ng used for t he devel opment of a nat i onal
i deal by st i l l anot her nat i on of t he West , observe what
has been goi ng on i n Russi a si nce t he ascendency t o
power of t he sovi et government of Russi a whi ch i s
now pat t erni ng t he mi nds of t he young t o conform
wi t h a nat i onal i deal , t he nat ure o f whi ch i t requi res
no mast er anal yst t o i nt erpret . That i deal , when ful l y
devel oped duri ng t he mat uri t y of t he present
generat i on, wi l l represent exact l y t hat whi ch t he
sovi et government wi shes i t t o represent .
Of al l t he fl ood of propaganda concerni ng t he
sovi et government of Russi a t hat has been poured i nt o
t hi s count ry t hrough t he t ens of t housands of col umns
of newspaper space devot ed t o i t si nce t he cl ose of t he
war, t he fol l owi ng bri ef di spat ch i s by far t he most
si gni fi cant :
RUSS REDS ORDER BOOKS. Cont ract s bei ng
l et i n Germany for 20, 000, 000 vol umes. Educat i onal
propaganda i s ai med chi efl y at chi l dren.
(By GEORGE WI TTS)
- 17 -
Speci al Cabl e t o t he Chi cago Dai l y News
Forei gn Servi ce. Berl i n, Germany, November 9t h,
1920.
Cont ract s for pri nt i ng 20, 000, 000 books i n t he
Russi an l anguage, chi efl y for chi l dren, are bei ng
pl aced i n Germany on behal f of t he sovi et government
by Grschebi n, a wel l known Pet rograd publ i sher and a
fri end of Maxi m Gorky. Grschebi n fi rst went t o
Engl and, but was recei ved wi t h i ndi fference when he
broached t he subj ect t o t he Bri t i sh government . The
Germans, however, not onl y wel comed hi m eagerl y but
submi t t ed pri ces so l ow t hat t hey coul d not possi bl y be
underbi dden i n any ot her count ry. The Ul l st ei ns,
Berl i n newspaper and book publ i shers, have agreed t o
pri nt several mi l l i on of t he books at l ess t han cost .
Thi s shows what i s goi ng on over t here.
Far from bei ng shocked by t hi s si gni fi cant press
di spat ch, t he maj ori t y of t he newspapers of Ameri ca
di d not publ i sh i t , and t hose t hat di d gi ve i t space
pl aced i t i n an obscure part of t he paper, i n smal l
t ype. It s real si gni fi cance wi l l become more apparent
some t went y-odd years from now, when t he sovi et
government of Russi a wi l l have grown an army of
sol di ers who wi l l support , t o t he man, what ever
nat i onal i deal t he sovi et government set s up.
The possi bi l i t y of war exi st s as a st ern real i t y
t oday sol el y because t he pri nci pl e of soci al heredi t y
has not onl y been used as a sanct i oni ng force i n
support of war, but i t has act ual l y been used as a chi ef
agency t hrough whi ch t he mi nds of men have been
del i berat el y prepared for war. For evi dence wi t h
whi ch t o support t hi s st at ement , exami ne any nat i onal
or worl d hi st ory and observe how t act f ul l y and
- 18 -
ef f ect i vel y war has been gl ori f i ed and so descri bed
t hat i t not onl y di d not shock t he mi nd of t he st udent ,
but i t act ual l y est abl i shed a pl ausi bl e j ust i f i cat i on of
war.
Go i nt o t he publ i c squares of our ci t i es and
observe t he monument s t hat have been erect ed t o t he
l eaders of war. Observe t he post ure of t hese st at ues as
t hey st and as l i vi ng symbol s t o gl ori fy men who di d
not hi ng more t han l ead armi es on escapades of
dest ruct i on. Not i ce how wel l t hese st at ues of warri ors,
mount ed on chargi ng st eeds, serve as agenci es t hrough
whi ch t o st i mul at e t he mi nds of t he young and prepare
t hem for t he accept ance of war, not onl y as a
pardonabl e act , but as a di sti nct l y desi rabl e source of
at t ai nment of gl ory, fame and honor. At t he t i me of
t hi s wri t i ng some wel l meani ng l adi es are havi ng t he
i mage of Confederat e Sol di ers carved i n t he deat hl ess
grani t e on t he face of St one Mount ai n, i n Georgi a, i n
fi gures a hundred feet t al l , t hus seeki ng t o perpet uat e
t he memory of a l ost cause t hat never was a cause
and t herefore t he sooner forgot t en, t he bet t er.
If t hese references t o far-away Russi a, Japan and
Germany seem uni mpressi ve and abst ract , t hen l et us
st udy t he pri nci pl e of soci al heredi t y as i t i s now
funct i oni ng on a hi ghl y devel oped scal e here i n t he
Uni t ed St at es; for i t may be expect i ng t oo much of t he
average of our race t o suppose t hat t hey wi l l be
i nt erest ed i n t hat whi ch i s t aki ng pl ace out si de of t he
spot of ground t hat i s bounded on t he nort h by
Canada, on t he east by t he At l ant i c, on t he west by t he
Paci fi c and on t he sout h by Mexi co.
We, t oo, are set t i ng up i n t he mi nds of our young
a nat i onal i deal , and t hi s i deal i s bei ng so effect i vel y
devel oped, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of soci al heredi t y,
- 19 -
t hat i t has al ready become t he domi nat i ng i deal of t he
nat i on.
Thi s i deal i s t he desi re f or weal t h!
The fi rst quest i on we ask about a new
acquai nt ance i s not , Who are you? but , What have
you? And t he next quest i on we ask i s, How can we
get t hat whi ch you have?
Our i deal i s not measured i n t erms of warfare, but
i n t erms of fi nance and i ndust ry and busi ness. Our
Pat ri ck Henrys and our George Washi ngt ons and our
Abraham Li ncol n of a few generat i ons ago are now
represent ed by t he abl e l eaders who manage our st eel
mi l l s and our coal mi nes and our t i mber l ands and our
banki ng i nst i t ut i ons and our rai l roads.
We may deny t hi s i ndi ct ment i f we choose, but
t he fact s do not support t he deni al .
The out st andi ng probl em of t he Ameri can peopl e
t oday i s t he spi ri t of unrest upon t he part of t he
masses who fi nd t he st ruggl e for exi st ence becomi ng
harder and harder because t he most compet ent brai ns
of t he count ry are engaged i n t he hi ghl y compet i t i ve
at t empt t o accumul at e weal t h and t o cont rol t he
weal t h-produci ng machi nery of t he nat i on.
It i s not necessary t o dwel l at l engt h upon t hi s
descri pt i on of our domi nat i ng i deal , or t o offer
evi dence i n support of i t s exi st ence, for t he reason
t hat i t s exi st ence i s obvi ous and as wel l underst ood by
t he most i gnorant as i t i s by t hose who make a
pret ense of t hi nki ng accurat el y.
So deepl y seat ed has t hi s mad desi re for money
become t hat we are perfect l y wi l l i ng for t he ot her
nat i ons of t he worl d t o cut t hemsel ves t o pi eces i n
warfare so l ong as t hey do not i nt erfere wi t h our
- 20 -
scrambl e for weal t h; nor i s t hi s t he saddest part of t he
i ndi ct ment t hat we mi ght render agai nst oursel ves, for
we are not onl y wi l l i ng for ot her nat i ons t o engage i n
warfare, but t here i s consi derabl e reason t o bel i eve
t hat t hose of us who profi t by t he sal e of war suppl i es
act ual l y encourage t hi s warfare among ot her nat i ons.

THE PLAN

War grows out of t he desi re of t he i ndi vi dual t o
gai n advant age at t he expense of hi s fel l ow men, and
t he smol deri ng embers of t hi s desi re are fanned i nt o a
fl ame t hrough t he groupi ng of t hese i ndi vi dual s who
pl ace t he i nt erest s of t he group above t hose of ot her
groups.
War cannot be st opped suddenl y!
It can be el i mi nat ed only by educat i on, t hrough
t he ai d of t he pri nci pl e of subordi nat i on of t he
i ndi vi dual i nt erest s t o t he broader i nt erest s of t he
human race as a whol e.
Man' s t endenci es and act i vi t i es, as we have
al ready st at ed, grow out of t wo great forces. One i s
physi cal heredi t y, and t he ot her i s soci al heredi t y.
Through physi cal heredi t y, man i nheri t s t hose earl y
t endenci es t o dest roy hi s fel l ow man out of sel f-
prot ect i on. Thi s Pract i ce i s a hol dover from t he age
when t he st ruggl e for exi st ence was so great t hat onl y
t he physi cal l y st rong coul d survi ve.
Gradual l y men began t o l earn t hat t he i ndi vi dual
coul d survi ve under more favorabl e ci rcumst ances by
al l yi ng hi msel f wi t h ot hers, and out of t hat di scovery
grew our modern soci et y, t hrough whi ch groups of
peopl e have formed st at es, and t hese groups, i n t urn,
- 21 -



UNFORTUNATE, in-
deed, is the man who
becomes so used to
evil that it no longer
appears to be horrible.


- 22 -
have formed nat i ons. There i s but l i t t l e t endency
t oward warfare bet ween t he i ndi vi dual s of a part i cul ar
group or nat i on, for t hey have l earned, t hrough t he
pri nci pl e of soci al heredi t y, t hat t hey can best survi ve
by subordi nat i ng t he i nt erest of t he i ndi vi dual t o t hat
of t he group.
Now, t he probl em i s t o ext end t hi s pri nci pl e of
groupi ng so t hat t he nat i ons of t he worl d wi l l
subordi nat e t hei r i ndi vi dual i nt erest s t o t hose of t he
human race as a whol e.
Thi s can be brought about onl y t hrough t he
pri nci pl e of soci al heredi t y. By f orci ng upon t he mi nds
of t he young of al l races t he f act t hat war i s horri bl e
and does not serve ei t her t he i nt erest of t he i ndi vi dual
engagi ng i n i t or t he group t o whi ch t he i ndi vi dual
bel ongs.
The quest i on t hen ari ses, How can t hi s be
done? Before we answer t hi s quest i on, l et us agai n
defi ne t he t erm soci al heredi t y and fi nd out what i t s
possi bi l i t i es are.
Soci al heredi t y i s t he pri nci pl e t hrough whi ch t he
young of t he race absorb from t hei r envi ronment , and
part i cul arl y from t hei r earl i er t rai ni ng by parent s,
t eachers and rel i gi ous l eaders, t he bel i ef s and
t endenci es of t he adul t s who domi nat e t hem.
Any pl an t o abol i sh war, t o be successful ,
depends upon t he successful co-ordi nat i on of effort
bet ween al l t he churches and school s of t he worl d f or
t he avowed purpose of so f ert i l i zi ng t he mi nds of t he
young wi t h t he i dea of abol i shi ng war t hat , t he very
word war wi l l st ri ke t error i n t hei r heart s.
THERE IS NO OTHER WAY OF ABOLISHING
WAR!
- 23 -
The next quest i on t hat ari ses, How can t he
churches and school s of t he worl d be organi zed wi t h
t hi s hi gh i deal as an obj ect i ve? The answer i s t hat
not al l of t hem can be i nduced t o ent er i nt o such an
al l i ance, at one t i me; but a suffi ci ent number of t he
more i nfl uent i al ones can be i nduced, and t hi s, i n
t i me, wi l l l ead or f orce t he remai nder i nt o t he
al l i ance, as rapi dl y as publ i c opi ni on begi ns t o
demand i t .
Then comes t he quest i on, Who has suffi ci ent
i nfl uence t o cal l a conference of t he most powerful
rel i gi ous and educat i onal l eaders? The answer i s:
The Presi dent and Congress of t he Uni t ed St at es.
Such an undert aki ng woul d command t he support
of t he press on a scal e heret ofore unheard of, and
t hrough t hi s source al one t he propaganda woul d begi n
t o reach and fert i l i ze t he mi nds of t he peopl e i n every
ci vi l i zed count ry i n t he worl d, i n preparat i on for t he
adopt i on of t he pl an i n t he churches and school s
t hroughout t he worl d.
The pl an for t he abol i t i on of war mi ght be l i kened
t o a great dramat i c pl ay, wi t h t hese as t he chi ef
fact ors:
STAGE SETTING: At t he Capi t ol of t he Uni t ed
St at es.
STAR ACTORS: The Presi dent and members of
Congress.
MINOR ACTORS: The l eadi ng cl ergymen of al l
denomi nat i ons, and t he l eadi ng educat ors, al l on
t he st age by i nvi t at i on and at t he expense of t he
Uni t ed St at es government .
PRESS ROOM: Represent at i ves of t he news-gat heri ng
agenci es of t he worl d.
STAGE EQUIPMENT: A radi o broadcast i ng out fi t t hat
- 24 -
woul d di st ri but e t he ent i re proceedi ngs hal f way
round t he eart h.
TITLE OF THE PLAY: "Thou shal t not ki l l !"
OBJECT OF THE PLAY: The creat i on of a Worl d
Court , t o be made up of represent at i ves of al l
races, whose dut y i t woul d be t o hear evi dence
and adj udi cat e t he cases ari si ng out of
di sagreement bet ween nat i ons.
Ot her fact ors woul d ent er i nt o t hi s great worl d
drama, but t hey woul d be of mi nor i mport ance. The
mai n i ssues and t he most essent i al fact ors are here
enumerat ed.
One ot her quest i on remai ns, Who wi l l st art t he
machi nery of t he Uni t ed St at es government i nt o act i on
t o cal l t hi s conference? and t he answer i s:
Publ i c opi ni on, t hrough t he ai d of an abl e
organi zer and l eader, who wi l l organi ze and di rect t he
ef f ort s of a Gol den Rul e Soci et y, t he obj ect of whi ch
wi l l be t o move t he Presi dent and Congress i nt o
act i on.
No League of Nat i ons and no mere agreement
bet ween nat i ons can abol i sh war as l ong as t here i s t he
sl i ght est evi dence of sanct i on of war i n t he heart s of
t he peopl e. Uni versal peace bet ween nat i ons wi l l grow
out of a movement t hat wi l l be begun and carri ed on,
at fi rst , by a comparat i vel y smal l number of t hi nkers.
Gradual l y t hi s number wi l l grow unt i l i t wi l l be
composed of t he l eadi ng educat ors, cl ergymen and
publ i ci st s of t he worl d, and t hese, i n t urn, wi l l so
deepl y and permanent l y est abl i sh peace as a worl d
i deal t hat i t wi l l become a real i t y.
Thi s desi rabl e end may be at t ai ned i n a si ngl e
generat i on under t he ri ght sort of l eadershi p; but ,
more l i kel y, i t wi l l not be at t ai ned for many
generat i ons t o come, for t he reason t hat t hose who
- 25 -
have t he abi l i t y t o assume t hi s l eadershi p are t oo busy
i n t hei r pursui t of worl dl y weal t h t o make t he
necessary sacri fi ce for t he good of generat i ons yet
unborn.
War can be el i mi nat ed, not by appeal t o reason,
but by appeal t o t he emot i onal si de of humani t y. Thi s
appeal must be made by organi zi ng and hi ghl y
emot i onal i zi ng t he peopl e of t he di f f erent nat i ons of
t he worl d i n support of a uni versal pl an f or peace,
and t hi s pl an must be f orced upon t he mi nds of t he
oncomi ng generat i ons wi t h t he same di l i gent care t hat
we now f orce upon t he mi nds of our young t he i deal of
our respect i ve rel i gi ons.
It i s not st at i ng t he possi bi l i t i es t oo st rongl y t o
say t hat t he churches of t he worl d coul d est abl i sh
uni versal peace as an i nt ernat i onal i deal wi t hi n one
generat i on i f t hey woul d but di rect t oward t hat end
one-hal f of t he ef f ort whi ch t hey now empl oy i n
opposi ng one anot her.
We woul d st i l l be wi t hi n t he bounds of
conservat i sm i f we st at ed t hat t he Chri st i an churches,
al one, have suffi ci ent i nfl uence t o est abl i sh uni versal
peace as a worl d-wi de i deal , wi t hi n t hree generat i ons,
i f t he vari ous sect s woul d combi ne t hei r forces for t he
purpose.
That whi ch t he l eadi ng churches of al l rel i gi ous,
t he l eadi ng school s and t he publ i c press of t he worl d
coul d accompl i sh i n forci ng t he i deal of uni versal
peace upon bot h t he adul t and t he chi l d mi nd of t he
worl d wi t hi n a si ngl e generat i on, st aggers t he
i magi nat i on.
If t he organi zed rel i gi ons of t he worl d, as t hey
now exi st , wi l l not subordi nat e t hei r i ndi vi dual
i nt erest s and purposes t o t hat of est abl i shi ng
uni versal peace, t hen t he remedy l i es i n est abl i shi ng a
- 26 -
uni versal church of t he worl d t hat wi l l f unct i on
t hrough al l races and whose creed wi l l be based
ent i rel y upon t he one purpose of i mpl ant i ng i n t he
mi nds of t he young t he i deal of worl d-wi de peace.
Such a church woul d gradual l y at t ract a fol l owi ng
from t he rank and fi l e of al l ot her churches.
And i f t he educat i onal i nst i t ut i ons of t he worl d
wi l l not co-operat e i n fost eri ng t hi s hi gh i deal of
uni versal peace, t hen t he remedy l i es i n t he creat i on
of an ent i rel y new educat i onal syst em t hat wi l l
i mpl ant i n t he mi nds of t he young t he i deal of
uni versal peace.
And i f t he publ i c press of t he worl d wi l l not
cooperat e i n set t i ng up t he i deal of uni versal peace,
t hen t he remedy l i es i n t he creat i on of an i ndependent
press t hat wi l l ut i l i ze bot h t he pri nt ed page and t he
forces of t he ai r for t he purpose of creat i ng mass
support of t hi s hi gh i deal .
In bri ef, i f t he present organi zed f orces of t he
worl d wi l l not l end t hei r support t o est abl i shi ng
uni versal peace, as an i nt ernat i onal i deal , t hen new
organi zat i ons must be creat ed whi ch wi l l do so.
The maj ori t y of t he peopl e of t he worl d want
peace, wherei n l i es t he possi bi l i t y of i t s at t ai nment !
At fi rst t hought , i t seems t oo much t o expect t hat
t he organi zed churches of t he worl d can be i nduced t o
pool t hei r power and subordi nat e t hei r i ndi vi dual
i nt erest s t o t hose of ci vi l i zat i on as a whol e.
But t hi s seemi ngl y i nsurmount abl e obst acl e i s, i n
real i t y, no obst acl e at al l , for t he reason t hat what ever
support t hi s pl an borrows from t he churches i t gi ves
back t o t hem, a t housandfol d, t hrough t he i ncreased
Power t he church at t ai ns.
Let us see j ust what advant ages t he church
- 27 -


Greatly begin! though
thou have time,
But for a line, be that
sublime -
Not failure, but low aim
is crime.



- 28 -
real i zes by part i ci pat i on i n t hi s pl an t o est abl i sh
uni versal peace as a worl d i deal . Fi rst of al l , i t wi l l be
cl earl y seen t hat no i ndi vi dual church l oses any of i t s
advant ages by al l yi ng i t sel f wi t h ot her denomi nat i ons
i n est abl i shi ng t hi s worl d i deal . The al l i ance i n no
way changes or i nt erferes wi t h t he creed of any
church. Every church ent eri ng t he al l i ance wi l l come
out of i t wi t h al l t he power and advant ages t hat i t
possessed before i t went i n, pl us t he addi t i onal
advant age of great er i nfl uence whi ch t he church, as a
whol e, wi l l enj oy by reason of havi ng served as t he
l eadi ng fact or i n forci ng upon ci vi l i zat i on t he great est
si ngl e benefi t i t has enj oyed i n t he hi st ory of t he
worl d.
If t he church gai ned no ot her advant ages from t he
al l i ance, t hi s one woul d be suffi ci ent t o compensat e
i t . But t he i mport ant advant age t hat t he church wi l l
have gai ned by t hi s al l i ance i s t he di scovery t hat i t
has suf f i ci ent power t o f orce i t s i deal s upon t he worl d
when i t pl aces i t s combi ned support back of t he
undert aki ng.
By t hi s al l i ance t he church wi l l have grasped t he
far-reachi ng si gni fi cance of t he pri nci pl e of organi zed
ef f ort t hrough t he ai d of whi ch i t mi ght easi l y have
domi nat ed t he worl d and i mposed i t s i deal s upon
ci vi l i zat i on.
The church i s by far t he great est pot ent i al power
i n t he worl d t oday, but i t s power i s merel y pot ent i al
and wi l l remai n so unt i l i t makes use of t he pri nci pl e
of al l i ed or organi zed effort ; t hat i s t o say, unt i l al l
denomi nat i ons f ormul at e a worki ng agreement under
whi ch t he combi ned st rengt h of organi zed rel i gi on
wi l l be used as a means of f orci ng a hi gher i deal upon
t he mi nds of t he young.
- 29 -
The reason t hat t he church i s t he great est
pot ent i al power i n t he worl d i s t he fact t hat i t s power
grows out of man' s emot i ons. Emot i on rul es t he worl d,
and t he church i s t he onl y organi zat i on whi ch rest s
sol el y upon t he power of emot i on. The church i s t he
onl y organi zed f act or of soci et y whi ch has t he power
t o harness and di rect t he emot i onal f orces of
ci vi l i zat i on, f or t he reason t hat t he emot i ons are
cont rol l ed by FAITH and not by reason! And t he
church i s t he onl y great organi zed body i n whi ch f ai t h
of t he worl d i s cent ered.
The church st ands t oday as so many di sconnect ed
uni t s of power, and i t i s not overst at i ng t he
possi bi l i t i es t o say t hat when t hese uni t s shal l have
been connect ed, t hrough al l i ed ef f ort , t he combi ned
power of t hat al l i ance wi l l rul e t he worl d and t here i s
no opposi ng power on eart h t hat can def eat i t !
It i s i n no di scouragi ng spi ri t t hat t hi s st at ement
i s fol l owed by anot her whi ch may seem st i l l more
radi cal ; namel y:
The t ask of bri ngi ng about t hi s al l i ance of t he
churches i n support of t he worl d i deal of uni versal
peace must rest upon t he f emal e members of t he
church, f or t he reason t hat t he abol i t i on of war
promi ses advant ages t hat may be prol onged i nt o t he
f ut ure and t hat may accrue onl y t o t he unborn
generat i ons.
In Schopenhauer' s bi t t er arrai gnment of woman,
he unconsci ousl y st at ed a t rut h upon whi ch t he hope
of ci vi l i zat i on rest s, when he decl ared t hat t he race i s
al ways t o her more t han t he i ndi vi dual . In t erms t hat
are uncompromi si ng, Schopenhauer charges woman
wi t h bei ng t he nat ural enemy of man because of t hi s
- 30 -
i nborn t rai t of pl aci ng t he i nt erest s of t he race above
t hose of t he i ndi vi dual .
It seems a reasonabl e prophecy t o suggest t hat
ci vi l i zat i on passed i nt o a new era, begi nni ng wi t h t he
worl d war, i n whi ch woman i s dest i ned t o t ake i nt o
her own hands t he rai si ng of t he et hi cal st andards of
t he worl d. Thi s i s a hopeful si gn, because i t i s
woman' s nat ure t o subordi nat e t he i nt erest s of t he
present t o t hose of t he fut ure. It i s woman' s nat ure t o
i mpl ant , i n t he mi nd of t he young, i deal s t hat wi l l
accrue t o t he benefi t of generat i ons yet unborn, whi l e
man i s mot i vat ed general l y by expedi ency of t he
present .
In Schopenhauer' s vi ci ous at t ack upon woman, he
has st at ed a great t rut h concerni ng her nat ure: a t rut h
whi ch mi ght wel l be ut i l i zed by al l who engage i n t he
wort hy work of est abl i shi ng uni versal peace as a
worl d i deal .
The women' s cl ubs of t he worl d are dest i ned t o
pl ay a part i n worl d affai rs ot her t han t hat of gai ni ng
suffrage for women.
LET CIVILIZATION REMEMBER THIS!
Those who do not want peace are t he ones who
profi t by war. In numbers, t hi s cl ass const i t ut es but a
fragment of t he power of t he worl d, and coul d be
swept asi de as t hough i t di d not exi st , i f t he mul t i t ude
who do not want war were organi zed wi t h t he hi gh
i deal of uni versal peace as t hei r obj ect i ve.
In cl osi ng, i t seems appropri at e t o apol ogi ze for
t he unfi ni shed st at e of t hi s essay, but i t may be
pardonabl e t o suggest t hat t he bri cks and t he mort ar,
and t he foundat i on st ones, and al l t he ot her necessary
mat eri al s for t he const ruct i on of t he t empl e of
uni versal peace have been here assembl ed, where t hey
- 31 -
mi ght be re-arranged and t ransformed i nt o t hi s hi gh
i deal as a worl d real i t y.

Let us now proceed t o appl y t he pri nci pl e of
soci al heredi t y t o t he subj ect of busi ness economy,
and ascert ai n whet her or not i t can be made of
pract i cal benefi t i n t he at t ai nment of mat eri al weal t h.
If I were a banker I woul d procure a l i st of al l t he
bi rt hs i n t he fami l i es wi t hi n a gi ven di st ance of my
pl ace of busi ness, and every chi l d woul d recei ve an
appropri at e l et t er, congrat ul at i ng i t on i t s arri val i n
t he worl d at such an opport une t i me, i n such a
favorabl e communi t y; and from t hat t i me on i t woul d
recei ve from my bank a bi rt hday remi nder of an
appropri at e nat ure. When i t arri ved at t he st ory-book
age, i t woul d recei ve from my bank an i nt erest i ng
st ory book i n whi ch t he advant ages of savi ng woul d be
t ol d i n st ory form. If t he chi l d were a gi rl , i t woul d
recei ve dol l cut -out books, wi t h t he name of my
bank on t he back of each dol l , as a bi rt hday gi ft . If i t
were a boy, i t woul d recei ve basebal l bat s. One of t he
most i mport ant fl oors (or even a whol e, near-by
bui l di ng) of my banki ng house woul d be set asi de as a
chi l dren' s pl ay-room; and i t woul d be equi pped wi t h
merry-go-rounds, sl i di ng-boards, seesaws, scoot ers,
games and sand pi l es, wi t h a compet ent supervi sor i n
charge t o gi ve t he ki ddi es a good t i me. I woul d l et
t hat pl ay-room become t he popul ar habi t at of t he
chi l dren of t he communi t y, where mot hers mi ght l eave
t hei r youngst ers i n safet y whi l e shoppi ng or vi si t i ng.
I woul d ent ert ai n t hose youngst ers so royal l y t hat
when t hey grew up and became bank deposi t ors,
whose account s were wort h whi l e, t hey woul d be
- 32 -
i nseparabl y bound t o my bank; and, meanwhi l e, I
woul d, i n no way, be l esseni ng my chances of maki ng
deposi t ors of t he fat hers and mot hers of t hose
chi l dren.
If I were t he owner of a busi ness school , I woul d
begi n cul t i vat i ng t he boys and gi rl s of my communi t y
from t he t i me t hey reached t he fi ft h grade, on up
t hrough hi gh school , so t hat by t he t i me t hey were
t hrough hi gh school and ready t o choose a vocat i on, I
woul d have t he name of my busi ness school wel l fi xed
i n t hei r mi nds.
If I were a grocer, or a depart ment st ore owner,
or a druggi st , I woul d cul t i vat e t he chi l dren, t hereby
at t ract i ng bot h t hem and t hei r parent s t o my pl ace of
busi ness; for i t i s a wel l known fact t hat t here i s no
short er rout e t o t he heart of a parent t han t hat whi ch
l eads t hrough i nt erest mani fest ed i n t he offspri ng. If I
were a depart ment st ore owner, and used whol e pages
of newspaper space, as most of t hem do, I woul d run a
comi c st ri p at t he bot t om of each page, i l l ust rat i ng i t
wi t h scenes i n my pl ay-room, and i n t hi s way i nduce
t he chi l dren t o read my advert i sement s.
If I were a preacher, I woul d equi p t he basement
of my church wi t h a chi l dren' s pl ay-room t hat woul d
at t ract t he chi l dren of t he communi t y every day i n t he
week; and, i f my st udy were near by, I woul d go i nt o
t hat pl ay-room and enj oy t he fun wi t h t he l i t t l e
fel l ows, t hereby gai ni ng t he i nspi rat i on wi t h whi ch t o
preach bet t er sermons whi l e at t he same t i me rai si ng
pari shi oners for t omorrow. I can t hi nk of no more
effect i ve met hod t han t hi s of renderi ng a servi ce t hat
woul d be i n harmony wi t h Chri st i ani t y, and whi ch
woul d, at t he same t i me, make my church a popul ar
pl ace of abode for t he young fol ks.
- 33 -


SINGLENESS of pur-
pose is one of the chief
essentials for success in
life, no matter what may
be ones aim.
-John D. Rockefeller, Jr.



- 34 -
If I were a nat i onal advert i ser, or t he owner of a
mai l order house, I woul d fi nd appropri at e ways and
means of est abl i shi ng a poi nt of cont act wi t h t he
chi l dren of t he count ry; for, l et me repeat , t here i s no
bet t er way of i nfl uenci ng t he parent t han t hat of
capt uri ng t he chi l d.
If I were a barber, I woul d have a room equi pped
excl usi vel y for chi l dren, for t hi s woul d bri ng me t he
pat ronage of bot h t he chi l dren and t hei r parent s.
In t he out ski rt s of every ci t y t here i s an
opport uni t y for a fl ouri shi ng busi ness for someone
who wi l l operat e a rest aurant and serve meal s of t he
bet t er home-cooked qual i t y, and cat er t o fami l i es
who wi sh t o t ake t he chi l dren and di ne out
occasi onal l y. I woul d have t he pl ace equi pped wi t h
wel l st ocked fi shi ng ponds, and poni es, and al l sort s
of ani mal s and bi rds i n whi ch chi l dren are i nt erest ed,
i f I were operat i ng i t , and i nduce t he chi l dren t o come
out regul arl y and spend t he ent i re day. Why speak of
gol d mi nes when opport uni t i es such as t hi s are
abundant ?
These are but a few of t he ways i n whi ch t he
pri nci pl e of soci al heredi t y mi ght be used t o
advant age i n busi ness,
At t ract t he chi l dren and you at t ract t he parent s!
If nat i ons can bui l d sol di ers of war t o order, by
bendi ng t he mi nds of t hei r young i n t he di rect i on of
war, busi ness men can bui l d cust omers t o order
t hrough t he same pri nci pl e.

We come, now, t o anot her i mport ant feat ure of
t hi s l esson t hrough whi ch we may see, from anot her
angl e, how power may be accumul at ed by co-
operat i ve, organi zed ef f ort .
- 35 -
In t he pl an for t he abol i t i on of war, you observed
how co-ordi nat i on of effort bet ween t hree of t he great
organi zed powers of t he worl d (t he school s, churches
and t he publ i c press) mi ght serve t o force uni versal
peace.
We l earned many l essons of val ue from t he worl d
war, out rageous and dest ruct i ve as i t was, but none of
great er i mport ance t han t hat of t he effect of organi zed
ef f ort . You wi l l recal l t hat t he t i de of war began t o
break i n favor of t he al l i ed armi es j ust aft er al l armed
forces were pl aced under t he di rect i on of Foch, whi ch
wrought about compl et e co-ordi nat i on of effort i n t he
al l i ed ranks.
Never before, i n t he hi st ory of t he worl d, had so
much power been concent rat ed i n one group of men as
t hat whi ch was creat ed t hrough t he organi zed ef f ort of
t he al l i ed armi es. We come, now, t o one of t he most
out st andi ng and si gni fi cant fact s t o we found i n t he
anal ysi s of t hese al l i ed armi es, namel y, t hat t hey were
made up of t he most cosmopol i t an group of sol di ers
ever assembl ed on t hi s eart h.
Cat hol i cs and Prot est ant s, Jews and Gent i l es,
bl acks and whi t es, yel l ows and t ans, and every race
on eart h were represent ed i n t hose armi es. If t hey had
any di fferences on account of race or creed, t hey l ai d
t hem asi de and subordi nat ed t hem t o t he cause for
whi ch t hey were fi ght i ng. Under t he st ress of war, t hat
great mass of humani t y was reduced t o a common
l evel where t hey fought shoul der t o shoul der, si de by
si de, wi t hout aski ng any quest i ons as t o each ot hers
raci al t endenci es or rel i gi ous bel i efs.
If t hey coul d l ay asi de i nt ol erance l ong enough t o
fi ght for t hei r l i ves over t here, why can we not do t he
- 36 -
same whi l e we fi ght for a hi gher st andard of et hi cs i n
busi ness and fi nance and i ndust ry over here?
Is i t onl y when ci vi l i zed peopl e are fi ght i ng for
t hei r l i ves t hat t hey have t he foresi ght t o l ay asi de
i nt ol erance and co-operat e i n t he furt herance of a
common end?
If i t were advant ageous t o t he al l i ed armi es t o
t hi nk and act as one t horoughl y co-ordi nat ed body,
woul d i t we l ess advant ageous for t he peopl e of a ci t y
or a communi t y or an i ndust ry t o do so?
If al l t he churches and school s and newspapers
and cl ubs and ci vi c organi zat i ons of your ci t y al l i ed
t hemsel ves for t he furt herance of a common cause, do
you not see how such an al l i ance woul d creat e
suffi ci ent power t o i nsure t he success of t hat cause?
Bri ng t he i l l ust rat i on st i l l nearer your own
i ndi vi dual i nt erest s by an i magi nary al l i ance bet ween
al l of t he empl oyers and al l of t he empl oyees of your
ci t y, for t he purpose of reduci ng fri ct i on and
mi sunderst andi ngs, t hereby enabl i ng t hem t o render
bet t er servi ce at a l ower cost t o t he publ i c and great er
profi t t o t hemsel ves.
We l earned from t he worl d war t hat we cannot
dest roy a part wi t hout weakeni ng t he whol e; t hat when
one nat i on or group of peopl e i s reduced t o povert y
and want , t he remai nder of t he worl d suffers, al so.
St at ed conversel y, we l earned from t he worl d war t hat
co-operat i on and t ol erance are t he very foundat i on of
enduri ng success.
Surel y t he more t hought ful and observant
i ndi vi dual s wi l l not fai l t o profi t (as i ndi vi dual s) by
t hese great l essons whi ch we l earned from t he worl d
war.
I am not unmi ndful of t he fact t hat you are prob-
- 37 -
abl y st udyi ng t hi s course for t he purpose of profi t i ng,
i n every way possi bl e, from a purel y personal
vi ewpoi nt , by t he pri nci pl es upon whi ch i t i s founded.
For t hi s very reason, I have endeavored t o out l i ne t he
appl i cat i on of t hese pri nci pl es t o as wi de a scope of
subj ect s as possi bl e.
In t hi s l esson, you have had opport uni t y t o
observe t he appl i cat i on of t he pri nci pl es underl yi ng
t he subj ect s of organi zed ef f ort , t ol erance and soci al
heredi t y t o an ext ent whi ch must have gi ven you much
food for t hought , and whi ch must have gi ven your
i magi nat i on much room for profi t abl e exerci se.
I have endeavored t o show you how t hese
pri nci pl es may be empl oyed bot h i n t he furt herance of
your own i ndi vi dual i nt erest s, i n what ever cal l i ng you
ma be engaged, and for t he benefi t of ci vi l i zat i on as a
whol e.
Whet her your cal l i ng i s t hat of preachi ng
sermons, sel l i ng goods or personal servi ces, pract i ci ng
l aw, di rect i ng t he effort s of ot hers, or worki ng as a
day l aborer, i t seems not t oo much t o hope t hat you
wi l l fi nd i n t hi s l esson a st i mul us t o t hought whi ch
may l ead you t o hi gher achi evement s. If, perchance,
you are a wri t er of advert i sement s you wi l l surel y fi nd
i n t hi s l esson suffi ci ent food for t hought t o add more
power t o your pen. If you have personal servi ces for
sal e, i t i s not unreasonabl e t o expect t hat t hi s l esson
wi l l suggest ways and means of market i ng t hose
servi ces t o great er advant age.
In uncoveri ng for you t he source from whi ch
i nt ol erance i s usual l y devel oped, t hi s l esson has l ed
you, al so, t o t he st udy of ot her t hought -provoki ng
subj ect s whi ch mi ght easi l y mark t he most profi t abl e
- 38 -
t urni ng-poi nt of your l i fe. Books and l essons, i n
t hemsel ves, are of but l i t t l e val ue; t hei r real val ue, i f
any, l i es not i n t hei r pri nt ed pages, but i n t he possi bl e
act i on whi ch t hey may arouse i n t he reader.
For exampl e, when my proof-reader had fi ni shed
readi ng t he manuscri pt of t hi s l esson, she i nformed me
t hat i t had so i mpressed her and her husband t hat t hey
i nt ended t o go i nt o t he advert i si ng busi ness and
suppl y banks wi t h an advert i si ng servi ce t hat woul d
reach t he parent s t hrough t he chi l dren. She bel i eves
t he pl an i s wort h $10, 000. 00 a year t o her.
Frankl y, her pl an so appeal ed t o me t hat I woul d
est i mat e i t s val ue at a mi ni mum of more t han t hree
t i mes t he amount she ment i oned, and I doubt not t hat
i t coul d be made t o yi el d fi ve t i mes t hat amount , i f i t
were properl y organi zed and market ed by an abl e
sal esman.
Nor i s t hat al l t hat t hi s l esson has accompl i shed
before passi ng from t he manuscri pt st age. A promi nent
busi ness col l ege owner, t o whom I showed t he
manuscri pt , has al ready begun t o put i nt o effect t he
suggest i on whi ch referred t o t he use of soci al heredi t y
as a means of cul t i vat i ng st udent s; and he i s
sangui ne enough t o bel i eve t hat a pl an, si mi l ar t o t he
one he i nt ends usi ng, coul d be sol d t o t he maj ori t y of
t he 1500 busi ness col l eges i n t he Uni t ed St at es and
Canada, on a basi s t hat woul d yi el d t he promot er of
t he pl an a yearl y i ncome great er t han t he sal ary
recei ved by t he presi dent of t he Uni t ed St at es.
And, as t hi s l esson i s bei ng compl et ed, I am i n
recepi t of a l et t er from Dr. Charl es F. Crouch, of
At l ant a, Georgi a, i n whi ch he i nforms me t hat a group
of promi nent busi ness men i n At l ant a have j ust or-
- 39 -
gani zed t he Gol den Rul e Cl ub, t he mai n obj ect of
whi ch i s t o put i nt o operat i on, on a nat i on-wi de scal e,
t he pl an for t he abol i t i on of war, as out l i ned i n t hi s
l esson. (A copy of t hat port i on of t hi s l esson deal i ng
wi t h t he subj ect of abol i t i on of war was sent t o Dr.
Crouch several weeks before t he compl et i on of t he
l esson. )
These t hree event s, happeni ng one aft er t he ot her,
wi t hi n a peri od of a few weeks, have st rengt hened my
bel i ef t hat t hi s i s t he most i mport ant l esson of t he
ent i re si xt een, but i t s val ue t o you wi l l depend
ent i rel y upon t he ext ent t o whi ch i t st i mul at es you t o
t hi nk and t o act as you woul d not have done wi t hout
i t s i nfl uence.
The chi ef obj ect of t hi s course and, part i cul arl y,
of t hi s l esson i s t o educat e, more t han i t i s t o i nf orm -
meani ng by t he word "educat e" t o educe, t o draw out !
t o devel op from wi t hi n; t o cause you t o use t he power
t hat l i es sl eepi ng wi t hi n you, awai t i ng t he awakeni ng
hand of some appropri at e st i mul us t o arouse you t o
act i on.
In concl usi on, may I not l eave wi t h you my
personal sent i ment s on t ol erance, i n t he fol l owi ng
essay whi ch I wrot e, i n t he hour of my most t ryi ng
experi ence, when an enemy was t ryi ng t o rui n my
reput at i on and dest roy t he resul t s of a l i fe-t i me of
honest effort t o do some good i n t he worl d.
A handsome wal l hanger of t hi s essay on
Int ol erance wi l l be sent t o each st udent of t hi s course,
al ong wi t h t he report on t he Personal Anal ysi s
Quest i onnai re. Thi s hanger i s pri nt ed i n t wo col ors
and personal l y aut ographed by t he aut hor of t he Law
of Success course.
- 40 -

TOLERANCE!

When t he dawn of I nt el l i gence shal l have spr ead
i t s wi ngs over t he east er n hor i zon of pr ogr ess, and
I gnor ance and Super st i t i on shal l have l ef t t hei r l ast
f oot pr i nt s on t he sands of Ti me, i t wi l l be r ecor ded
i n t he book of man s cr i mes and mi st akes t hat hi s
most gr i evous si n was t hat of I nt ol er ance!
The bi t t er est I nt ol er ance gr ows out of r aci al and
r el i gi ous di f f er ences of opi ni on, as t he r esul t of
ear l y chi l dhood t r ai ni ng. How l ong, O Mast er of
Human Dest i ni es, unt i l we poor mor t al s wi l l
under st and t he f ol l y of t r yi ng t o dest r oy one anot her
because of dogmas and cr eeds and ot her super f i ci al
mat t er s over whi ch we do not agr ee?
Our al l ot t ed t i me on t hi s ear t h i s but a f l eet i ng
moment , at most !
Li ke a candl e, we ar e l i ght ed, shi ne f or a
moment and f l i cker out ! Why can we not so l i ve
dur i ng t hi s shor t ear t hl y soj our n t hat when t he Gr eat
Car avan cal l ed Deat h dr aws up and announces t hi s
vi si t about f i ni shed we wi l l be r eady t o f ol d our
t ent s, and, l i ke t he Ar abs of t he Deser t , si l ent l y
f ol l ow t he Car avan out i nt o t he Dar kness of t he
Unknown wi t hout f ear and t r embl i ng?
I am hopi ng t hat I wi l l f i nd no Jews or Gent i l es,
Cat hol i cs or Pr ot est ant s, Ger mans or Engl i shmen,
Fr enchmen or Russi ans, Bl acks or Whi t es, Reds or
Yel l ows, when I shal l have cr ossed t he Bar t o t he
Ot her Si de.
I am hopi ng I wi l l f i nd t her e onl y human Soul s,
Br ot her s and Si st er s al l , unmar ked by r ace, cr eed or
col or , f ar I shal l want t o be done wi t h I nt ol er ance so
I may l i e down and r est an on or t wo, undi st ur bed
by t he st r i f e, i gnor ance, super st i t i on and pet t y mi s-
under st andi ngs whi ch mar k wi t h chaos and gr i ef t hi s
ear t hl y exi st ence.

- 41 -
- 42 -


IF a man has built a
sound character it
makes but little diff-
erence what people say
about him, because he
will win in the end.
- Napoleon Hill, Sr.

T
T
H
H
E
E

L
L
A
A
W
W
O
O
F
F

S
S
U
U
C
C
C
C
E
E
S
S
S
S

IN SIXTEEN LESSONS

Teaching, for the First Time in the
History of the World, the True Philos-
ophy upon which all Personal Success
is Built.



BY
NAPOLEON HILL



1 9 2 8

PUBLISHED BY
The RALSTON UNIVERSITY PRESS
MERIDEN, CONN.
COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY
NAPOLEON HILL
Pri nted i n the U. S. A.
- 2 -







Lesson Sixteen
THE GOLDEN RULE



- 3 -


NO man could
possibly read the Law
of Success philosophy,
even once, without
becoming, thereby,
better prepared to
succeed in any calling.
- Elbert H. Gary


- 4 -

THE LAW OF SUCCESS
Lesson Sixteen
THE GOLDEN RULE



"You Can Do It i f You Bel i eve You Can!

WITH t hi s l esson we approach t he apex of t he pyrami d
of t hi s course on t he Law of Success.
Thi s l esson i s t he Gui di ng St ar t hat wi l l enabl e
you t o use profi t abl y and const ruct i vel y t he
knowl edge assembl ed i n t he precedi ng l essons.
There i s more power wrapped up i n t he precedi ng
l essons of t hi s course t han most men coul d t rust
t hemsel ves wi t h; t herefore, t hi s l esson i s a governor
t hat wi l l , i f observed and appl i ed, enabl e you t o st eer
your shi p of knowl edge over t he rocks and reefs of
fai l ure t hat usual l y beset t he pat hway of al l who come
suddenl y i nt o possessi on of power.
For more t han t went y-fi ve years I have been
observi ng t he manner i n whi ch men behave t hemsel ves
when i n possessi on of power, and I have been forced
t o t he concl usi on t hat t he man who at t ai ns i t i n any
ot her t han by t he sl ow, st ep-by-st ep process, i s
const ant l y i n danger of dest royi ng hi msel f and al l
whom he i nfl uences.
- 5 -
It must have become obvi ous t o you, l ong before
t hi s, t hat t hi s ent i re course l eads t o t he at t ai nment of
power of proport i ons whi ch may be made t o perform
t he seemi ngl y i mpossi bl e. Happi l y, i t becomes
apparent t hat t hi s power can onl y be at t ai ned by t he
observance of many fundament al pri nci pl es al l of
whi ch converge i n t hi s l esson, whi ch i s based upon a
l aw t hat bot h equal s and t ranscends i n i mport ance
every ot her l aw out l i ned i n t he precedi ng l essons.
Li kewi se, i t becomes apparent t o t he t hought ful
st udent t hat t hi s power can endure onl y by fai t hful
observance of t he l aw upon whi ch t hi s l esson i s based,
wherei n l i es t he safet y-val ve t hat prot ect s t he
carel ess st udent from t he dangers of hi s own fol l i es;
and prot ect s, al so, t hose whom he mi ght endanger i f
he t ri ed t o ci rcumvent t he i nj unct i on l ai d down i n t hi s
l esson.
To prank wi t h t he power t hat may be at t ai ned
from t he knowl edge wrapped up i n t he precedi ng
l essons of t hi s course, wi t hout a ful l underst andi ng
and st ri ct observance of t he l aw l ai d down i n t hi s
l esson, i s t he equi val ent of pranki ng wi t h a power
whi ch may dest roy as wel l as creat e.
I am speaki ng, now, not of t hat whi ch I suspect t o
be t rue, but , of t hat whi ch I KNOW TO BE TRUE!
The t rut h upon whi ch t hi s ent i re course, and t hi s
l esson i n part i cul ar, i s founded, i s no i nvent i on of
mi ne. I l ay no cl ai m t o i t except t hat of havi ng
observed i t s unvaryi ng appl i cat i on i n t he every-day
wal ks of l i fe over a peri od of more t han t went y-fi ve
years of st ruggl e; and, of havi ng appropri at ed as much
of i t as, i n t he l i ght of my human frai l t i es and
weaknesses, I coul d make use of.
- 6 -
If you demand posi t i ve proof of t he soundness of
t he l aws upon whi ch t hi s course i n general , and t hi s
l esson i n part i cul ar, i s founded, I must pl ead i nabi l i t y
t o offer i t except t hrough one wi t ness, and t hat i s
yoursel f .
You may have posi t i ve proof onl y by t est i ng and
appl yi ng t hese l aws for yoursel f.
If you demand more subst ant i al and aut hori t at i ve
evi dence t han my own, t hen I am pri vi l eged t o refer
you t o t he t eachi ngs and phi l osophy of Chri st , Pl at o,
Socrat es, Epi ct et us, Confuci us, Emerson and t wo of
t he more modern phi l osophers, James and
Mnst erberg, from whose works I have appropri at ed
al l t hat const i t ut es t he more i mport ant fundament al s
of t hi s l esson, wi t h t he except i on of t hat whi ch I have
gat hered from my own l i mi t ed experi ence.
For more t han four t housand years men have been
preachi ng t he Gol den Rul e as a sui t abl e rul e of
conduct among men, but unfort unat el y t he worl d bas
accept ed t he l et t er whi l e t ot al l y mi ssi ng t he spi ri t of
t hi s Uni versal Inj unct i on. We have accept ed t he
Gol den Rul e phi l osophy merel y as a sound rul e of
et hi cal conduct but we have fai l ed t o underst and t he
l aw upon whi ch i t i s based.
I have heard t he Gol den Rul e quot ed scores of
t i mes, but I do not recal l havi ng ever heard an
expl anat i on of t he l aw upon whi ch i t i s based, and not
unt i l recent years di d I underst and t hat l aw, from
whi ch I am l ed t o bel i eve t hat t hose who quot ed i t di d
not underst and i t .
The Gol den Rul e means, subst ant i al l y, t o do unt o
ot hers as you woul d wi sh t hem t o do unt o you i f your
posi t i ons were reversed.
- 7 -
But why? What i s t he real reason for t hi s ki ndl y
consi derat i on of ot hers?
The real reason i s t hi s:
There i s an et ernal l aw t hrough t he operat i on of
whi ch we reap t hat whi ch we sow. When you sel ect
t he rul e of conduct by whi ch you gui de yoursel f i n
your t ransact i ons wi t h ot hers, you wi l l be fai r and
j ust , very l i kel y, i f you know t hat you are set t i ng i nt o
mot i on, by t hat sel ect i on, a power t hat wi l l run i t s
course for weal or woe i n t he l i ves of ot hers,
ret urni ng, fi nal l y, t o hel p or t o hi nder you, accordi ng
t o i t s nat ure.
What soever a man sowet h t hat shal l be al so
reap!
It i s your pri vi l ege t o deal unj ust l y wi t h ot hers,
but , i f you underst and t he l aw upon whi ch t he Gol den
Rul e i s based, you must know t hat your unj ust
deal i ngs wi l l come home t o roost .
If you ful l y underst ood t he pri nci pl es descri bed
i n Lesson El even, on accurat e t hought , i t wi l l be qui t e
easy for you t o underst and t he l aw upon whi ch t he
Gol den Rul e i s based. You cannot pervert or change
t he course of t hi s l aw, but you can adapt yoursel f t o
i t s nat ure and t hereby use i t as an i rresi st i bl e power
t hat wi l l carry you t o hei ght s of achi evement whi ch
coul d not be at t ai ned wi t hout i t s ai d.
Thi s l aw does not st op by merel y fl i ngi ng back
upon you your act s of i nj ust i ce and unki ndness t oward
ot hers; i t goes furt her t han t hi s - much furt her - and
ret urns t o you t he resul t s of every t hought t hat you
rel ease.
Therefore, not al one i s i t advi sabl e t o do unt o
ot hers as you wi sh t hem t o do unt o you, but t o avai l
- 8 -
yoursel f ful l y of t he benefi t s of t hi s great Uni versal
Law you must t hi nk of ot hers as you wi sh t hem t o
t hi nk of you.
The l aw upon whi ch t he Gol den Rul e i s based
begi ns affect i ng you, ei t her for good or evi l , t he
moment you rel ease a t hought . It has amount ed al most
t o a worl d-wi de t ragedy t hat peopl e have not general l y
underst ood t hi s l aw. Despi t e t he si mpl i ci t y of t he l aw
i t i s pract i cal l y al l t here i s t o be l earned t hat i s of
enduri ng val ue t o man, for i t i s t he medi um t hrough
whi ch we become t he mast ers of our own dest i ny.
Underst and t hi s l aw and you underst and al l t hat
t he Bi bl e has t o unfol d t o you, for t he Bi bl e present s
one unbroken chai n of evi dence i n support of t he fact
t hat man i s t he maker of hi s own dest i ny; and, t hat hi s
t hought s and act s are t he t ool s wi t h whi ch he does t he
maki ng.
Duri ng ages of l ess enl i ght enment and t ol erance
t han t hat of t he present , some of t he great est t hi nkers
t he worl d has ever produced have pai d wi t h t hei r l i ves
for dari ng t o uncover t hi s Uni versal Law so t hat i t
mi ght be underst ood by al l . In t he l i ght of t he past
hi st ory of t he worl d, i t i s an encouragi ng bi t of
evi dence, i n support of t he fact t hat men are gradual l y
t hrowi ng off t he vei l of i gnorance and i nt ol erance, t o
not e t hat I st and i n no danger of bodi l y harm for
wri t i ng t hat whi ch woul d have cost me my l i fe a few
cent uri es ago.

Whi l e t hi s course deal s wi t h t he hi ghest l aws of
t he uni verse, whi ch man i s capabl e of i nt erpret i ng, t he
ai m, nevert hel ess, has been t o show how t hese l aws
- 9 -


EVERY man takes care that
his neighbor does not cheat
him. But a day comes when
he begins to care that he
does not cheat his neighbor.
Then all goes well. He has
changed his market cart
into a chariot of the sun.


- 10 -
may be used i n t he pract i cal affai rs of l i fe. Wi t h t hi s
obj ect of pract i cal appl i cat i on i n mi nd, l et us now
proceed t o anal yze t he effect of t he Gol den Rul e
t hrough t he fol l owi ng i nci dent .

THE POWER OF PRAYER

No, sai d t he l awyer, I shan' t press your cl ai m
agai nst t hat man; you can get someone el se t o t ake t he
case, or you can wi t hdraw i t ; j ust as you pl ease.
Thi nk t here i sn' t any money i n i t ?
There probabl y woul d be some l i t t l e money i n i t ,
but i t woul d come from t he sal e of t he l i t t l e house t hat
t he man occupi es and cal l s hi s home! But I don' t want
t o meddl e wi t h t he mat t er, anyhow.
Got fri ght ened out of i t , eh?
Not at al l .
I suppose l i kel y t he fel l ow begged hard t o be l et
off?
Wel l , yes, he di d.
And you caved i n, l i kel y?
Yes.
What i n creat i on di d you do?
I bel i eve I shed a few t ears.
And t he ol d fel l ow begged you hard, you say?
No, I di dn' t say so; he di dn' t speak a word t o
me.
Wel l , may I respect ful l y i nqui re whom he di d
address i n your heari ng?
God Al mi ght y.
Ah, he t ook t o prayi ng, di d he?
Not for my benefi t , i n t he l east . You see, I found
t he l i t t l e house easi l y enough and knocked on t he
- 11 -
out er door, whi ch st ood aj ar; but nobody heard me, so
I st epped i nt o t he l i t t l e hal l and saw t hrough t he crack
of a door a cozy si t t i ng-room, and t here on t he bed,
wi t h her si l ver head hi gh on t he pi l l ows, was an ol d
l ady who l ooked for al l t he worl d j ust l i ke my mot her
di d t he l ast t i me I ever saw her on eart h. Wel l , I was
on t he poi nt of knocki ng, when she sai d: Come,
fat her, now begi n; I' m al l ready. And down on hi s
knees by her si de went an old, whi t e-hai red man, st i l l
ol der t han hi s wi fe, I shoul d j udge, and I coul dn' t
have knocked t hen, for t he l i fe of me. Wel l , he began.
Fi rst , he remi nded God t hey were st i l l Hi s submi ssi ve
chi l dren, mot her and he, and no mat t er what He saw
fi t t o bri ng upon t hem t hey shoul dn' t rebel at Hi s wi l l .
Of course t was goi ng t o be very hard for t hem t o go
out homel ess i n t hei r ol d age, especi al l y wi t h poor
mot her so si ck and hel pl ess, and, oh! how di fferent i t
al l mi ght have been i f onl y one of t he boys had been
spared. Then hi s voi ce ki nd of broke, and a whi t e hand
st ol e from under t he coverl et and moved soft l y over
hi s snowy hai r. Then he went on t o repeat t hat not hi ng
coul d be so sharp agai n as t he part i ng wi t h t hose t hree
sons - unl ess mot her and he shoul d be separat ed.
But , at l ast , he fel l t o comfort i ng hi msel f wi t h
t he fact t hat t he dear Lord knew t hat i t was t hrough no
faul t of hi s own t hat mot her and he were t hreat ened
wi t h t he l oss of t hei r dear l i t t l e home, whi ch meant
beggary and t he al ms-house - a pl ace t hey prayed t o
be del i vered from ent eri ng i f i t shoul d be consi st ent
wi t h Gods wi l l . And t hen he quot ed a mul t i t ude of
promi ses concerni ng t he safet y of t hose who put t hei r
t rust i n t he Lord. In fact , i t was t he most t hri l l i ng pl ea
- 12 -
t o whi ch I ever l i st ened. And at l ast , he prayed for
Gods bl essi ng on t hose who were about t o demand
j ust i ce.
The l awyer t hen cont i nued, more l owl y t han ever:
And I bel i eve - I' d rat her go t o t he poor-house
mysel f t oni ght t han t o st ai n my heart and hands wi t h
t he bl ood of such a prosecut i on as t hat .
Li t t l e afrai d t o defeat t he ol d man' s prayer, eh?
Bl ess your soul , man, you coul dn' t defeat i t !
sai d t he l awyer. I t el l you he l eft i t al l subj ect t o t he
wi l l of God; but he cl ai med t hat we were t ol d t o make
known our desi res unt o God; but of al l t he pl eadi ngs I
ever heard t hat beat al l . You see, I was t aught t hat
ki nd of t hi ng mysel f i n my chi l dhood. Anyway, why
was I sent t o bear t hat prayer? I am sure I dont know,
but I hand t he case over.
I wi sh, sai d t he cl i ent , t wi st i ng uneasi l y, you
hadn' t t ol d me about t he ol d man' s prayer.
Why so?
Wel l , because I want t he money t he pl ace woul d
bri ng; but I was t aught t he Bi bl e st rai ght enough when
I was a youngst er and Id hat e t o run count er t o what
you t el l about . I wi sh you hadn' t heard a word about
i t , and, anot her t i me, I woul dn' t l i st en t o pet i t i ons not
i nt ended for my ears.
The l awyer smi l ed.
My dear fel l ow, he sai d, you' re wrong agai n.
It was i nt ended for my ears, and yours, t oo; and God
Al mi ght y i nt ended i t . My ol d mot her used t o si ng
about God' s movi ng i n a myst eri ous way, as I
remember i t .
Wel l , my mot her used t o si ng i t , t oo, sai d t he
cl ai mant , as he t wi st ed the cl ai m-papers i n hi s fi ngers.
- 13 -
You can cal l i n t he morni ng, i f you l i ke, and t el l
mot her and hi m t he cl ai m has been met .
In a myst eri ous way, added t he l awyer, smi l i ng.

Nei t her t hi s l esson nor t he course of whi ch i t i d a
part i s based upon an appeal t o maudl i n sent i ment , but
t here can be no escape from t he t rut h t hat success, i n
i t s hi ghest and nobl est form, bri ngs one, fi nal l y, t o
vi ew al l human rel at i onshi ps wi t h a feel i ng of deep
emot i on such as t hat whi ch t hi s l awyer fel t when he
overheard t he ol d mans prayer.
It may be an ol d-fashi oned i dea, but somehow I
can' t get away from t he bel i ef t hat no man can at t ai n
success i n i t s hi ghest f orm wi t hout t he ai d of earnest
prayer!
Prayer i s t he key wi t h whi ch one may open t he
secret doorway referred t o i n Lesson El even. In t hi s
age of mundane affai rs, when t he uppermost t hought
of t he maj ori t y of peopl e i d cent ered upon t he
accumul at i on of weal t h, or t he st ruggl e for a mere
exi st ence, i t i s bot h easy and nat ural for us t o
overl ook t he power of earnest prayer.
I am not sayi ng t hat you shoul d resort t o prayer
as a means of sol vi ng your dai l y probl ems whi ch press
for i mmedi at e at t ent i on; no, I am not goi ng t hat far i n
a course of i nst ruct i on whi ch wi l l be st udi ed l argel y
by t hose who are seeki ng i n i t t he road t o success t hat
i s measured i n dol l ars; but , may I not modest l y
suggest t o you t hat you, at l east , gi ve prayer a t ri al
aft er everyt hi ng el se f ai l s t o bri ng you a sat i sf yi ng
success?
Thi rt y men, red-eyed and di shevel ed, l i ned up
before t he j udge of t he San Franci sco pol i ce court . It
- 14 -
was t he regul ar morni ng company of drunks and di d-
orderl i es. Some were ol d and hardened; ot hers hung
t hei r beads i n shame. Just as t he moment ary di sorder
at t endi ng t he bri ngi ng i n of t he pri soners qui et ed
down, a st range t hi ng happened. A st rong, cl ear voi ce
from bel ow began si ngi ng:

Last ni ght I l ay a-sl eepi ng,
There came a dream so fai r.

Last ni ght ! It had been for t hem al l a ni ght mare
or a drunken st upor. The song was such a cont rast t o
t he horri bl e fact t hat no one coul d fai l of a sudden
shock at t he t hought t he song suggest ed.

I st ood i n ol d Jerusal em,
Besi de t he Templ e t here,

t he song went on. The j udge had paused. He made a
qui et i nqui ry. A former member of a famous opera
company known al l over t he count ry was awai t i ng t ri al
for forgery. It was he who was si ngi ng i n hi s cel l .
Meant i me t he song went on, and every man i n t he
l i ne showed emot i on. One or t wo dropped on t hei r
knees; one boy at t he end of t he l i ne, aft er a desperat e
effort at sel f-cont rol , l eaned agai nst t he wal l , buri ed
hi s face agai nst hi s fol ded arms, and sobbed, Oh,
mot her, mot her.
The sobs, cut t i ng t o t he very heart t he men who
heard, and t he song, st i l l wel l i ng i t s way t hrough t he
court -room, bl ended i n t he hush. At l engt h one man
prot est ed. Judge, sai d he, have we got t o submi t
- 15 -


A trifling kindness here
and there,
Is but a simple, small af-
fair;
Yet if your life has sown
this free,
Wide shall your happy
harvest be.


- 16 -
t o t hi s? We' re here t o t ake our puni shment , but t hi s -
He, t oo, began t o sob.
It was i mpossi bl e t o proceed wi t h t he busi ness of
t he court ; yet t he court gave no order t o st op t he song.
The pol i ce sergeant , aft er an effort t o keep t he men i n
l i ne, st epped back and wai t ed wi t h t he rest . The song
moved on t o i t s cl i max:

Jerusal em, Jerusal em!
Si ng, for t he ni ght i s o' er!
Hosanna, i n t he hi ghest !
Hosanna, for evermore!

In an ecst asy of mel ody t he l ast words rang out ,
and t hen t here was si l ence. The j udge l ooked i nt o t he
faces of t he men before hi m. There was not one who
was not t ouched by t he song; not one i n whom some
bet t er i mpul se was not st i rred. He di d not cal l t he
cases si ngl y - a ki nd word of advi ce, and he di smi ssed
t hem al l . No man was fi ned or sent enced t o t he work-
house t hat morni ng. The song had done more good
t han puni shment coul d possi bl y have accompl i shed.
You have read t he st ory of a Gol den Rul e l awyer
and a Gol den Rul e j udge. In t hese t wo commonpl ace
i nci dent s of every-day l i fe you have observed how t he
Gol den Rul e works when appl i ed.
A passi ve at t i t ude t oward t he Gol den Rul e wi l l
bri ng no resul t s; i t i s not enough merel y t o bel i eve i n
t he phi l osophy, whi l e, at t he same t i me, fai l i ng t o
appl y i t i n your rel at i onshi ps wi t h ot hers. If you want
resul t s you must t ake an act i ve at t i t ude t oward t he
Gol den Rul e. A mere passi ve at t i t ude, represent ed
- 17 -
by bel i ef i n i t s soundness, wi l l avai l you not hi ng.
Nor wi l l i t avai l you anyt hi ng t o procl ai m t o t he
worl d your bel i ef i n t he Gol den Rul e whi l e your
act i ons are not i n harmony wi t h your procl amat i on.
Conversel y st at ed, i t wi l l avai l you not hi ng t o appear
t o pract i ce t he Gol den Rul e, whi l e, at heart , you are
wi l l i ng and eager t o use t hi s uni versal l aw of ri ght
conduct as a cl oak t o cover up a covet ous and sel fi sh
nat ure. Murder wi l l out . Even t he most i gnorant
person wi l l sense you for what you are.
Human charact er does evermore publ i sh i t sel f. It
wi l l not be conceal ed. It hat es darkness - i t rushes
i nt o l i ght . . . . I heard an experi enced counsel or say
t hat he never feared t he effect upon a j ury of a l awyer
who does not bel i eve i n hi s heart t hat hi s cl i ent ought
t o have a verdi ct . If he does not bel i eve i t , hi s
unbel i ef wi l l appear t o t he j ury, despi t e al l hi s
prot est at i ons, and wi l l become t hei r unbel i ef. Thi s i s
t hat l aw whereby a work of art , of what ever ki nd, set s
us i n t he same st at e of mi nd wherei n t he art i st was
when he made i t . That whi ch we do not bel i eve we
cannot adequat el y say, t hough we may repeat t he
words ever so oft en. It was t hi s convi ct i on whi ch
Swedenborg expressed when he descri bed a group of
persons i n t he spi ri t ual worl d endeavori ng i n vai n t o
art i cul at e a proposi t i on whi ch t hey di d not bel i eve;
but t hey coul d not , t hough t hey t wi st ed and fol ded
t hei r l i ps even t o i ndi gnat i on.
A man passes for what he i s wort h. What he i s
engraves i t sel f on hi s face, on hi s form, on hi s
fort unes, i n l et t ers of l i ght whi ch al l men may read
but hi msel f. . . . If you woul d not be known t o do
anyt hi ng, never do i t . A man may pl ay t he fool i n t he
- 18 -
dri ft s of a desert , but every grai n of sand shal l seem
t o see. -Emerson.
It i s t he l aw upon whi ch t he Gol den Rul e
phi l osophy i s based t o whi ch Emerson has reference i n
t he foregoi ng quot at i on. It was t hi s same l aw t hat he
had i n mi nd when he wrot e t he fol l owi ng:
Every vi ol at i on of t rut h i s not onl y a sort of
sui ci de i n t he l i ar, but i s a st ab at t he heal t h of human
soci et y. On t he most profi t abl e l i e t he course of
event s present l y l ays a dest ruct i ve t ax; whi l st
frankness proves t o be t he best t act i cs, for i t i nvi t es
frankness, put s t he part i es on a conveni ent foot i ng and
makes t hei r busi ness a fri endshi p. Trust men and t hey
wi l l be t rue t o you; t reat t hem great l y and t hey wi l l
show t hemsel ves great , t hough t hey make an except i on
i n your favor t o al l t hei r rul es of t rade.

The Gol den Rul e phi l osophy i s based upon a l aw
whi ch no man can ci rcumvent . Thi s l aw i s t he same
l aw t hat i s descri bed i n Lesson El even, on Accurat e
Thought , t hrough t he operat i on of whi ch ones
t hought s are t ransformed i nt o real i t y correspondi ng
exact l y t o t he nat ure of t he t hought s.
Once grant t he creat i ve power of our t hought and
t here i s an end of st ruggl i ng for our own way, and an
end of gai ni ng i t at some one el se' s expense; for, si nce
by t he t erms of t he hypot hesi s we can creat e what we
l i ke, t he si mpl est way of get t i ng what we want i s, not
t o snat ch i t from somebody el se, but t o make i t for
oursel ves; and, si nce t here i s no l i mi t t o t hought t here
can be no need for st rai ni ng, and for everyone t o have
hi s own way i n t hi s manner, woul d be t o bani sh al l
- 19 -
st ri fe, want , si ckness, and sorrow from t he eart h.
Now, i t i s preci sel y on t hi s assumpt i on of t he
creat i ve power of our t hought t hat t he whol e Bi bl e
rest s. If not , what i s t he meani ng of bei ng saved by
Fai t h? Fai t h i s essent i al l y t hought ; and, t herefore,
every cal l t o have fai t h i n God i s a cal l t o t rust i n t he
power of our own t hought about God. Accordi ng t o
your fai t h be i t unt o you, says t he Ol d Test ament .
The ent i re book i s not hi ng but one cont i nuous
st at ement of t he creat i ve power of Thought .
The Law of Man' s Indi vi dual i t y i s, t herefore, t he
Law of Li bert y, and equal l y i t i s t he Gospel of peace;
for when we t rul y underst and t he l aw of our own
i ndi vi dual i t y, we see t hat t he same l aw fi nds i t s
expressi on i n everyone el se; and, consequent l y, we
shal l reverence t he l aw i n ot hers exact l y i n proport i on
as we val ue i t i n oursel ves. To do t hi s i s t o fol l ow t he
Gol den Rul e of doi ng t o ot hers what we woul d t hey
shoul d do unt o us; and because we know t hat t he Law
of Li bert y i n oursel ves must i ncl ude t he free use of
our creat i ve power, t here i s no l onger any i nducement
t o i nfri nge t he ri ght s of ot hers, for we can sat i sfy al l
our desi res by t he exerci se of our knowl edge of t he
l aw.
As t hi s comes t o be underst ood, co-operat i on
wi l l t ake t he pl ace of compet i t i on, wi t h t he resul t of
removi ng al l ground for enmi t y, whet her bet ween
i ndi vi dual s, cl asses, or nat i ons. . . .
(The foregoi ng quot at i on i s from Bi bl e Myst ery
and Bi bl e Meani ng by t he l at e Judge T. Troward,
publ i shed by Robert McBri de & Company, New York
Ci t y. Judge Troward was t he aut hor of several
i nt erest i ng vol umes, among t hem The Edi nburgh Lec-
- 20 -
t ures, whi ch i s recommended t o al l st udent s of t hi s
course. )
If you wi sh t o know what happens t o a man when
he t ot al l y di sregards t he l aw upon whi ch t he Gol den
Rul e phi l osophy i s based, pi ck out any man i n your
communi t y whom you know t o l i ve for t he si ngl e
domi nat i ng purpose of accumul at i ng weal t h, and who
has no consci ent i ous scrupl es as t o how he
accumul at es t hat weal t h. St udy t hi s man and you wi l l
observe t hat t here i s no warmt h t o hi s soul ; t here i s no
ki ndness t o hi s words; t here i s no wel come t o hi s face.
He has become a sl ave t o t he desi re for weal t h; he i s
t oo busy t o enj oy l i fe and t oo sel fi sh t o wi sh t o hel p
ot hers enj oy i t . He wal ks, and t al ks, and breat hes, but
he i s not hi ng but a human aut omat on. Yet t here are
many who envy such a man and wi sh t hat t hey mi ght
occupy hi s posi t i on, fool i shl y bel i evi ng hi m t o be a
success.
There can never be success wi t hout happi ness,
and no man can be happy wi t hout di spensi ng
happi ness t o ot hers. Moreover, t he di spensat i on must
be vol unt ary and wi t h no ot her obj ect i n vi ew t han
t hat of spreadi ng sunshi ne i nt o t he heart s of t hose
whose heart s are heavy-l aden wi t h burdens.
George D. Herron had i n mi nd t he l aw upon
whi ch t he Gol den Rul e phi l osophy i s based when he
sai d:
We have t al ked much of t he brot herhood t o
come; but brot herhood has al ways been t he fact of our
l i fe, l ong before i t became a modern and i nspi red
sent i ment . Onl y we have been brot hers i n sl avery and
t orment , brot hers i n i gnorance and i t s perdi t i on,
brot hers i n di sease, and war, and want , brot hers i n
prost i t ut i on and hypocri sy. What happens t o one of
- 21 -



NO idle person is ever
safe, whether he be rich
or poor, white or black,
educated or illiterate.
-Booker T. Washington.




- 22 -
us sooner or l at er happens t o al l ; we have al ways been
unescapabl y i nvol ved i n common dest i ny. The worl d
const ant l y t ends t o t he l evel of t he downmost man i n
i t ; and t hat downmost man i s t he worl ds real rul er,
huggi ng i t cl ose t o hi s bosom, draggi ng i t down t o hi s
deat h. You do not t hi nk so, but i t i s t rue, and i t ought
t o be t rue. For i f t here were some way by whi ch some
of us coul d get free, apart from ot hers, i f t here were
some way by whi ch some of us coul d have heaven
whi l e ot hers had hel l , i f t here were some way by
whi ch part of t he worl d coul d escape some form of t he
bl i ght and peri l and mi sery of di si nheri t ed l abor, t hen
i ndeed woul d our worl d be l ost and damned; but si nce
men have never been abl e t o separat e t hemsel ves from
one anot hers woes and wrongs, si nce hi st ory i s fai rl y
st ri cken wi t h t he l esson t hat we cannot escape
brot herhood of some ki nd, si nce t he whol e of l i fe i s
t eachi ng us t hat we are hourl y choosi ng bet ween
brot herhood i n sufferi ng and brot herhood i n good, i t
remai ns for us t o choose t he brot herhood of a co-
operat i ve worl d, wi t h al l i t s frui t s t hereof - t he frui t s
of l ove and l i bert y.
The worl d war ushered us i nt o an age of
cooperat i ve effort i n whi ch t he l aw of l i ve and l et
l i ve st ands out l i ke a shi ni ng st ar t o gui de us i n our
rel at i onshi ps wi t h each ot her. Thi s great uni versal cal l
for co-operat i ve effort i s t aki ng on many forms, not
t he l east i mport ant of whi ch are t he Rot ary Cl ubs, t he
Ki wani s Cl ubs, t he Li ons Cl ubs and t he many ot her
l uncheon cl ubs whi ch bri ng men t oget her i n a spi ri t of
fri endl y i nt ercourse, for t hese cl ubs mark t he
begi nni ng of an age of fri endl y compet i t i on i n
busi ness. The next st ep wi l l be a cl oser al l i ance of al l
- 23 -
such cl ubs i n an out -and-out spi ri t of fri endl y co-
operat i on.
The at t empt by Woodrow Wi l son and hi s
cont emporari es t o est abl i sh t he League of Nat i ons,
fol l owed by t he effort s of Warren G. Hardi ng t o gi ve
foot i ng t o t he same cause under t he name of t he Worl d
Court , marked t he fi rst at t empt i n t he hi st ory of t he
worl d t o make t he Gol den Rul e effect i ve as a common
meet i ng ground for t he nat i ons of t he worl d.
There i s no escape from t he fact t hat t he worl d
has awakened t o t he t rut h i n George D. Herron' s
st at ement t hat we are hourl y choosi ng bet ween
brot herhood i n sufferi ng and brot herhood i n good.
The worl d war has t aught us - nay, forced upon us -
t he t rut h t hat a part of t he worl d cannot suffer wi t hout
i nj ury t o t he whol e worl d. These fact s are cal l ed t o
your at t ent i on, not i n t he nat ure of a preachment on
moral i t y, but for t he purpose of di rect i ng your
at t ent i on t o t he underl yi ng l aw t hrough whi ch t hese
changes are bei ng brought about . For more t han four
t housand years t he worl d has been t hi nki ng about t he
Gol den Rul e phi l osophy, and t hat t hought i s now
becomi ng t ransformed i nt o real i zat i on of t he benefi t s
t hat accrue t o t hose who appl y i t .
St i l l mi ndful of t he fact t hat t he st udent of t hi s
course i s i nt erest ed i n a mat eri al success t hat can be
measured by bank bal ances, i t seems appropri at e t o
suggest here t hat al l who wi l l may profi t by shapi ng
t hei r busi ness phi l osophy t o conform wi t h t hi s
sweepi ng change t oward co-operat i on whi ch i s t aki ng
pl ace al l over t he worl d.
If you can grasp t he si gni fi cance of t he
t remendous change t hat has come over t he worl d si nce
- 24 -
t he cl ose of t he worl d war, and i f you can i nt erpret t he
meani ng of al l t he l uncheon cl ubs and ot her si mi l ar
gat heri ngs whi ch bri ng men and women t oget her i n a
spi ri t of fri endl y co-operat i on, surel y your
i magi nat i on wi l l suggest t o you t he fact t hat t hi s i s an
opport une t i me t o profi t by adopt i ng t hi s spi ri t of
fri endl y co-operat i on as t he basi s of your own
busi ness or professi onal phi l osophy.
St at ed conversel y, i t must be obvi ous t o al l who
make any pret ense of t hi nki ng accurat el y, t hat t he
t i me i s at hand when fai l ure t o adopt t he Gol den Rul e
as t he foundat i on of one' s busi ness or professi onal
phi l osophy i s t he equi val ent of economi c sui ci de.

Perhaps you have wondered why t he subj ect of
honest y has not been ment i oned i n t hi s course, as a
prerequi si t e t o success, and, i f so, t he answer wi l l be
found i n t hi s l esson. The Gol den Rul e phi l osophy,
when ri ght l y underst ood and appl i ed, makes
di shonest y i mpossi bl e. It does more t han t hi s - i t
makes i mpossi bl e al l t he ot her dest ruct i ve qual i t i es
such as sel fi shness, greed, envy, bi got ry, hat red and
mal i ce.
When you appl y t he Gol den Rul e, you become, at
one and t he same t i me, bot h t he j udge and t he j udged -
t he accused and t he accuser. Thi s pl aces one i n a
posi t i on i n whi ch honest y begi ns i n ones own heart ,
t oward ones sel f, and ext ends t o al l ot hers wi t h equal
effect . Honest y based upon t he Gol den Rul e i s not t he
brand of honest y whi ch recogni zes not hi ng but t he
quest i on of expedi ency.
It i s no credi t t o be honest , when honest y i s
obvi ousl y t he most prof i t abl e pol i cy, l est one l ose a
- 25 -
good cust omer or a val uabl e cl i ent or be sent t o j ai l
for t ri ckery. But when honest y means ei t her a
t emporary or a permanent mat eri al l oss, t hen i t
becomes an honor of t he hi ghest degree t o al l who
pract i ce i t . Such honest y has i t s appropri at e reward i n
t he accumul at ed power of charact er and reput at i on
enj oyed, by al l who deserve i t .
Those who underst and and appl y t he Gol den Rul e
phi l osophy are al ways scrupul ousl y honest , not al one
out of t hei r desi re t o be j ust wi t h ot hers, but because:
of t hei r desi re t o be j ust wi t h t hemsel ves. They
underst and t he et ernal l aw upon whi ch t he Gol den
Rul e i s based, and t hey know t hat t hrough t he
operat i on of t hi s l aw every t hought t hey rel ease and
every act i n whi ch t hey i ndul ge has i t s count erpart i n
some f act or ci rcumst ance wi t h whi ch t hey wi l l l at er
be conf ront ed.
Gol den Rul e phi l osophers are honest because t hey
underst and t he t rut h t hat honest y adds t o t hei r own
charact er t hat vi t al somet hi ng whi ch gi ves i t l i fe
and power. Those who underst and t he l aw t hrough
whi ch t he Gol den Rul e operat es woul d poi son t hei r
own dri nki ng wat er as qui ckl y as t hey woul d i ndul ge
i n act s of i nj ust i ce t o ot hers, for t hey know t hat such
i nj ust i ce st art s a chai n of causat i on t hat wi l l not onl y
bri ng t hem physi cal sufferi ng, but wi l l dest roy t hei r
charact ers, st ai n for i l l t heir reput at i ons and render
i mpossi bl e t he at t ai nment of enduri ng success.
The l aw t hrough whi ch t he Gol den Rul e
phi l osophy operat es i s none ot her t han t he l aw t hrough
whi ch t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-suggest i on operat es. Thi s
st at ement gi ves you a suggest i on from whi ch you
shoul d be abl e t o make a deduct i on of a far-reachi ng
nat ure and of i nest i mabl e val ue.
- 26 -
Test your progress i n t he mast ery of t hi s course
by anal yzi ng t he foregoi ng st at ement and det ermi ni ng,
before you read on, what suggest i on i t offers you.
Of what possi bl e benefi t coul d i t be t o you t o
know t hat when you do unt o ot hers as i f you were t he
ot hers, whi ch i s t he sum and subst ance of t he Gol den
Rul e, you are put t i ng i nt o mot i on a chai n of causat i on
t hrough t he ai d of a l aw whi ch affect s t he ot hers
accordi ng t o t he nat ure of your act , and at t he same
t i me pl ant i ng i n your charact er, t hrough your
subconsci ous mi nd, t he ef f ect s of t hat act ?
Thi s quest i on pract i cal l y suggest s i t s own answer,
but as I am det ermi ned t o cause you t o t hi nk t hi s vi t al
subj ect out for yoursel f I wi l l put t he quest i on i n st i l l
anot her form, vi z. :
If al l your act s t oward ot hers, and even your
t hought s of ot hers, are regi st ered i n your sub-
consci ous mi nd, t hrough t he pri nci pl e of Aut o-
suggest i on, t hereby bui l di ng your own charact er i n
exact dupl i cat e of your t hought s and act s, can you not
see how i mport ant i t i s t o guard t hose act s and
t hought s?
We are now i n t he very heart of t he real reason
for doi ng unt o ot hers as we woul d have t hem do unt o
us, for i t i s obvi ous t hat what ever we do unt o ot hers
we do unt o oursel ves.
St at ed i n anot her way, every act and every
t hought you rel ease modi fi es your own charact er i n
exact conformi t y wi t h t he nat ure of t he act or t hought ,
and your charact er i s a sort of cent er of magnet i c
at t ract i on whi ch at t ract s t o you t he peopl e and
condi t i ons t hat harmoni ze wi t h i t .
You cannot i ndul ge i n an act t oward anot her
person wi t hout havi ng fi rst creat ed t he nat ure of t hat
- 27 -


THERE is no defeat
except from within.
There is really no insur-
mountable barrier save
your own inherent weak-
ness of purpose.
-Emerson.




- 28 -
act i n your own t hought , and you cannot rel ease a
t hought wi t hout pl ant i ng t he sum and subst ance and
nat ure of i t i n your own sub-consci ous mi nd, t here t o
become a part and parcel of your own charact er.
Grasp t hi s si mpl e pri nci pl e and you wi l l
underst and why you cannot afford t o hat e or envy
anot her person. You wi l l al so underst and why you
cannot afford t o st ri ke back, i n ki nd, at t hose who do
you an i nj ust i ce. Li kewi se, you wi l l underst and t he
i nj unct i on, Ret urn good for evi l .
Underst and t he l aw upon whi ch t he Gol den Rul e
i nj unct i on i s based and you wi l l underst and, al so, t he
l aw t hat et ernal l y bi nds al l manki nd i n a si ngl e bond
of fel l owshi p and renders i t i mpossi bl e for you t o
i nj ure anot her person, by t hought or deed, wi t hout
i nj uri ng yoursel f; and, l i kewi se, adds t o your own
charact er t he resul t s of every ki nd t hought and deed i n
whi ch you i ndul ge.
Underst and t hi s l aw and you wi l l t hen know,
beyond room for t he sl i ght est doubt , t hat you are
const ant l y puni shi ng yoursel f for every wrong you
commi t and rewardi ng yoursel f for every act of
const ruct i ve conduct i n whi ch you i ndul ge.
It seems al most an act of Provi dence t hat t he
great est wrong and t he most severe i nj ust i ce ever done
me by one of my fel l ow men was done j ust as I began
t hi s l esson. (Some of t he st udent s of t hi s course wi l l
know what i t i s t o whi ch I refer. )
Thi s i nj ust i ce has worked a t emporary hardshi p
on me, but t hat i s of l i t t l e consequence compared t o
t he advant age i t has gi ven me by provi di ng a t i mel y
opport uni t y for me t o t est t he soundness of t he ent i re
premi se upon whi ch t hi s l esson i s founded.
- 29 -
The i nj ust i ce t o whi ch I refer l eft t wo courses of
act i on open t o me. I coul d have cl ai med rel i ef by
st ri ki ng back at my ant agoni st , t hrough bot h ci vi l
court act i on and cri mi nal l i bel proceedi ngs, or I coul d
have st ood upon my ri ght t o forgi ve hi m. One course
of act i on woul d have brought me a subst ant i al sum -
of money and what ever j oy and sat i sfact i on t here may
be i n defeat i ng and puni shi ng an enemy. The ot her
course of act i on woul d have brought me sel f-respect
whi ch i s enj oyed by t hose who have successful l y met
t he t est and di scovered t hat t hey have evol ved t o t he
poi nt at whi ch t hey can repeat t he Lord' s Prayer and
mean i t !
I chose t he l at t er course. I di d so, despi t e t he
recommendat i ons of cl ose personal fri ends t o st ri ke
back, and despi t e t he offer of a promi nent l awyer t o
do my st ri ki ng for me wi t hout cost .
But t he l awyer offered t o do t he i mpossi bl e, for
t he reason t hat no man can st ri ke back at anot her
wi t hout cost . Not al ways i s t he cost of a monet ary
nat ure, for t here are ot her t hi ngs wi t h whi ch one may
pay t hat are dearer t han money.
It woul d be as hopel ess t o t ry t o make one who
was not fami l i ar wi t h t he l aw upon whi ch t he Gol den
Rul e i s based underst and why I refused t o st ri ke back
at t hi s enemy as i t woul d t o t ry t o descri be t he l aw of
gravi t at i on t o an ape. If you underst and t hi s l aw you
underst and, al so, why I chose t o f orgi ve my enemy.
In t he Lords Prayer we are admoni shed t o
forgi ve our enemi es, but t hat admoni t i on wi l l fal l on
deaf ears except where t he l i st ener underst ands t he
l aw upon whi ch i t i s based. That l aw i s none ot her
- 30 -
t han t he l aw upon whi ch t he Gol den Rul e i s based. It
i s t he l aw t hat forms t he foundat i on of t hi s ent i re
l esson, and t hrough whi ch we must i nevi t abl y reap
t hat whi ch we sow. There i s no escape from t he
operat i on of t hi s l aw, nor i s t here any cause t o t ry t o
avoi d i t s consequences i f we refrai n from put t i ng i nt o
mot i on t hought s and act s t hat are dest ruct i ve.
That we may more concret el y descri be t he l aw
upon whi ch t hi s l esson i s based, l et us embody t he l aw
i n a code of et hi cs such as one who wi shes t o fol l ow
l i t eral l y t he i nj unct i on of t he Gol den Rul e mi ght
appropri at el y adopt , as fol l ows.

MY CODE OF ETHICS

I. I bel i eve i n t he Gol den Rul e as t he basi s of al l
human conduct ; t herefore, I wi l l never do t o anot her
person t hat whi ch I woul d not be wi l l i ng for t hat
person t o do t o me i f our posi t i ons were reversed.
II. I wi l l be honest , even t o t he sl i ght est det ai l , i n
al l my t ransact i ons wi t h ot hers, not al one because of
my desi re t o be fai r wi t h t hem, but because of my
desi re t o i mpress t he i dea of honest y on my own
subconsci ous mi nd, t hereby weavi ng t hi s essent i al
qual i t y i nt o my own charact er.
III. I wi l l forgi ve t hose who are unj ust t oward
me, wi t h no t hought as t o whet her t hey deserve i t or
not , because I underst and t he l aw t hrough whi ch
forgi veness of ot hers st rengt hens my own charact er
and wi pes out t he effect s of my own t ransgressi ons, i n
my subconsci ous mi nd.
IV. I wi l l be j ust , generous and fai r wi t h ot hers
al ways, even t hough I know t hat t hese act s wi l l go
- 31 -
unnot i ced and unrecorded, i n t he ordi nary t erms of
reward, because I underst and and i nt end t o appl y t he
l aw t hrough t he ai d of whi ch ones own charact er i s
but t he sum t ot al of ones own act s and deeds.
V. What ever t i me I may have t o devot e t o t he
di scovery and exposure of t he weaknesses and faul t s
of ot hers I wi l l devot e, more profi t abl y, t o t he
di scovery and correct i on of my own.
VI. I wi l l sl ander no person, no mat t er how much
I may bel i eve anot her person may deserve i t , because I
wi sh t o pl ant no dest ruct i ve suggest i ons i n my own
sub-consci ous mi nd.
VII. I recogni ze t he power of Thought as bei ng an
i nl et l eadi ng i nt o my brai n from t he uni versal ocean of
l i fe; t herefore, I wi l l set no dest ruct i ve t hought s afl oat
upon t hat ocean l est t hey pol l ut e t he mi nds of ot hers.
VIII. I wi l l conquer t he common human t endency
t oward hat red, and envy, and sel fi shness, and
j eal ousy, and mal i ce, and pessi mi sm, and doubt , and
fear; for I bel i eve t hese t o be t he seed from whi ch t he
worl d harvest s most of i t s t roubl es.
IX. When my mi nd i s not occupi ed wi t h t hought s
t hat t end t oward t he at t ai nment of my def i ni t e chi ef
ai m i n l i fe, I wi l l vol unt ari l y keep i t fi l l ed wi t h
t hought s of courage, and sel f-confi dence, and good-
wi l l t oward ot hers, and fai t h, and ki ndness, and
l oyal t y, and l ove for t rut h, and j ust i ce, for I bel i eve
t hese t o be t he seed from whi ch t he worl d reaps i t s
harvest of progressi ve growt h.
X. I underst and t hat a mere passi ve bel i ef i n t he
soundness of t he Gol den Rul e phi l osophy i s of no
val ue what soever, ei t her t o mysel f or t o ot hers; t here-
- 32 -
fore, I wi l l act i vel y put i nt o operat i on t hi s uni versal
rul e for good i n al l my t ransact i ons wi t h ot hers.
XI. I underst and t he l aw t hrough t he operat i on of
whi ch my own charact er i s devel oped from my own
act s and t hought s; t herefore, I wi l l guard wi t h care al l
t hat goes i nt o i t s devel opment .
XII. Real i zi ng t hat enduri ng happi ness comes
onl y t hrough hel pi ng ot hers fi nd i t ; t hat no act of
ki ndness i s wi t hout i t s reward, even t hough i t may
never be di rect l y repai d, I wi l l do my best t o assi st
ot hers when and where t he opport uni t y appears.
You have not i ced frequent reference t o Emerson
t hroughout t hi s course. Every st udent of t he course
shoul d own a copy of Emerson' s Essays, and t he essay
on Compensat i on shoul d be read and st udi ed at l east
every t hree mont hs. Observe, as you read t hi s essay,
t hat i t deal s wi t h t he same l aw as t hat upon whi ch t he
Gol den Rul e i s based.

There are peopl e who bel i eve t hat t he Gol den
Rul e phi l osophy i s not hi ng more t han a t heory, and
t hat i t i s i n no way connect ed wi t h an i mmut abl e l aw.
They have arri ved at t hi s concl usi on because of
personal experi ence wherei n t hey rendered servi ce t o
ot hers wi t hout enj oyi ng t he benefi t s of di rect
reci procat i on.
How many are t here who have not rendered
servi ce t o ot hers t hat was nei t her reci procat ed nor
appreci at ed? I am sure t hat I have had such an
experi ence, not once, but many t i mes, and I am
equal l y sure t hat I wi l l have si mi l ar experi ences i n t he
fut ure, nor wi l l I di scont i nue renderi ng servi ce t o
- 33 -



YOU have not fulfilled
every duty unless you
have fulfilled that of
being pleasant.
-Charles Buxton.




- 34 -
ot hers merel y because t hey nei t her reci procat e nor
appreci at e my effort s.
And here i s t he reason:
When I render servi ce t o anot her, or i ndul ge i n an
act of ki ndness, I st ore away i n my sub-consci ous
mi nd t he effect of my effort s, whi ch may be l i kened t o
t he chargi ng of an el ect ri c bat t ery. By and by, i f I
i ndul ge i n a suffi ci ent number of such act s I wi l l have
devel oped a posi t i ve, dynami c charact er t hat wi l l
at t ract t o me peopl e who harmoni ze wi t h or resembl e
my own charact er.
Those whom I at t ract t o me wi l l reci procat e t he
act s of ki ndness and t he servi ce t hat I have rendered
ot hers, t hus t he Law of Compensat i on wi l l have
bal anced t he scal es of j ust i ce for me, bri ngi ng back
from one source t he resul t s of servi ce t hat I rendered
t hrough an ent i rel y di fferent source.
You have oft en heard i t sai d t hat a sal esmans
fi rst sal e shoul d be t o hi msel f, whi ch means t hat
unl ess he fi rst convi nces hi msel f of t he meri t s of hi s
wares he wi l l not be abl e t o convi nce ot hers. Here,
agai n, ent ers t hi s same Law of At t ract i on, for i t i s a
wel l known fact t hat ent husi asm i s cont agi ous, and
when a sal esman shows great ent husi asm over hi s
wares he wi l l arouse a correspondi ng i nt erest i n t he
mi nds of ot hers.
You can comprehend t hi s l aw qui t e easi l y by
regardi ng yoursel f as a sort of human magnet t hat
at t ract s t hose whose charact ers harmoni ze wi t h your
own. In t hus regardi ng yoursel f as a magnet t hat
at t ract s t o you al l who harmoni ze wi t h your
domi nat i ng charact eri st i cs and repel s al l who do not
so harmoni ze, you shoul d keep i n mi nd, al so, t he fact
t hat you are t he bui l der of t hat magnet ; al so, t hat you
- 35 -
may change i t s nat ure so t hat i t wi l l correspond t o any
i deal t hat you may wi sh t o set up and fol l ow.
And, most i mport ant of al l , you shoul d keep i n
mi nd t he fact t hat t hi s ent i re process of change t akes
pl ace t hrough t hought !
Your charact er i s but t he sum t ot al of your
t hought s and deeds! Thi s t rut h has been st at ed i n
many di fferent ways t hroughout t hi s course.
Because of t hi s great t rut h i t i s i mpossi bl e for
you t o render any useful servi ce or i ndul ge i n any act
of ki ndness t oward ot hers wi t hout benefi t i ng t hereby.
Moreover, i t i s j ust as i mpossi bl e for you t o i ndul ge i n
any dest ruct i ve act or t hought wi t hout payi ng t he
penal t y i n t he l oss of a correspondi ng amount of your
own power.

Posi t i ve t hought devel ops a dynami c personal i t y.
Negat i ve t hought devel ops a personal i t y of an
opposi t e nat ure. In many of t he precedi ng l essons of
t hi s course, and i n t hi s one, defi ni t e i nst ruct i ons are
gi ven: as t o t he exact met hod of devel opi ng
personal i t y t hrough posi t i ve t hought . These
i nst ruct i ons are part i cul arl y det ai l ed i n Lesson Three,
on Sel f -conf i dence. In t hat l esson you have a very
defi ni t e formul a t o fol l ow. Al l of t he formul as
provi ded i n t hi s course are for t he purpose of hel pi ng
you consci ousl y t o di rect t he power of t hought i n t he
devel opment of a personal i t y t hat wi l l at t ract t o you
t hose who wi l l be of hel p i n t he at t ai nment of your
def i ni t e chi ef ai m.
You need no proof t hat your host i l e or unki nd
act s t oward ot hers bri ng back t he effect s of
ret al i at i on. Moreover, t hi s ret al i at i on i s usual l y
- 36 -
defi ni t e and i mmedi at e. Li kewi se, you need no proof
t hat you can accompl i sh more by deal i ng wi t h ot hers
i n such a way t hat t hey wi l l want t o co-operat e wi t h
you. If you mast ered t he ei ght h l esson, on Sel f-
cont rol , you now underst and how t o i nduce ot hers t o
act t oward you as you wi sh t hem t o act - t hrough your
own at t i t ude t oward t hem.
The l aw of an eye for an eye and a t oot h for a
t oot h i s based upon t he sel fsame l aw as t hat upon
whi ch t he Gol den Rul e operat es. Thi s i s not hi ng more
t han t he l aw of ret al i at i on wi t h whi ch al l of us are
fami l i ar. Even t he most sel fi sh person wi l l respond t o
t hi s l aw, because he cannot hel p i t ! If I speak i l l of
you, even t hough I t el l t he t rut h, you wi l l not t hi nk
ki ndl y of me. Furt hermore, you wi l l most l i kel y
ret al i at e i n ki nd. But , i f I speak of your vi rt ues you
wi l l t hi nk ki ndl y of me, and when t he opport uni t y
appears you wi l l reci procat e i n ki nd i n t he maj ori t y of
i nst ances.
Through t he operat i on of t hi s l aw of at t ract i on
t he uni nformed are const ant l y at t ract i ng t roubl e and
gri ef and hat red and opposi t i on from ot hers by t hei r
unguarded words and dest ruct i ve act s.
Do unt o ot hers as you woul d have t hem do unt o
you!
We have heard t hat i nj unct i on expressed
t housands of t i mes, yet how many of us underst and t he
l aw upon whi ch i t i s based? To make t hi s i nj unct i on
somewhat cl earer i t mi ght be wel l t o st at e i t more i n
det ai l , about as fol l ows:
Do unt o ot hers as you woul d have t hem do unt o
you, beari ng i n mi nd t he f act t hat human nat ure has a
t endency t o ret al i at e i n ki nd.
- 37 -
Confuci us must have had i n mi nd t he l aw of
ret al i at i on when he st at ed t he Gol den Rul e phi l osophy
i n about t hi s way:
Do not unt o ot hers t hat whi ch you woul d not have
t hem do unt o you.
And he mi ght wel l have added an expl anat i on t o
t he effect t hat t he reason for hi s i nj unct i on was based
upon t he common t endency of man t o ret al i at e i n ki nd.
Those who do not underst and t he l aw upon whi ch
t he Gol den Rul e i s based are i ncl i ned t o argue t hat i t
wi l l not work, for t he reason t hat men are i ncl i ned
t oward t he pri nci pl e of exact i ng an eye for an eye
and a t oot h for a t oot h, whi ch i s not hi ng more nor
l ess t han t he l aw of ret al i at i on. If t hey woul d go a
st ep furt her i n t hei r reasoni ng t hey woul d underst and
t hat t hey are l ooki ng at t he negat i ve effect s of t hi s
l aw, and t hat t he sel fsame l aw i s capabl e of produci ng
posi t i ve effect s as wel l .
In ot her words, i f you woul d not have your own
eye pl ucked out , t hen i nsure agai nst t hi s mi sfort une by
refrai ni ng from pl ucki ng out t he ot her fel l ows eye.
Go a st ep furt her and render t he ot her fel l ow an act of
ki ndl y, hel pful servi ce, and t hrough t he operat i on of
t hi s same l aw of ret al i at i on he wi l l render you a
si mi l ar servi ce.
And, i f he shoul d fai l t o reci procat e your
ki ndness - what t hen?
You have profi t ed, nevert hel ess, because of t he
effect of your act on your own sub-consci ous mi nd!
Thus by i ndul gi ng i n act s of ki ndness and
appl yi ng, al ways, t he Gol den Rul e phi l osophy, you are
sure of benefi t from one source and at t he same t i me
- 38 -
you have a pret t y fai r chance of profi t i ng from anot her
source.
It mi ght happen t hat you woul d base al l of your
act s t oward ot hers on t he Gol den Rul e wi t hout
enj oyi ng any di rect reci procat i on for a l ong peri od of
t i me, and i t mi ght so happen t hat t hose t o whom you
rendered t hose act s of ki ndness woul d never
reci procat e, but meant i me you have been addi ng
vi t al i t y t o your own charact er and sooner or l at er t hi s
posi t i ve charact er whi ch you have been bui l di ng wi l l
begi n t o assert i t sel f and you wi l l di scover t hat you
have been recei vi ng compound i nt erest on compound
i nt erest i n ret urn for t hose act s of ki ndness whi ch
appeared t o have been wast ed on t hose who nei t her
appreci at ed nor reci procat ed t hem.
Remember t hat your reput at i on i s made by ot hers,
but your charact er i s made by you!
You want your reput at i on t o be a favorabl e one,
but you cannot be sure t hat i t wi l l be for t he reason
t hat i t i s somet hi ng t hat exi st s out si de of your own
cont rol , i n t he mi nds of ot hers. It i s what ot hers
bel i eve you t o be. Wi t h your charact er i t i s di fferent .
Your charact er i s t hat whi ch you are, as t he resul t s of
your t hought s and deeds. You cont rol i t . You can
make i t weak, good or bad. When you are sat i sfi ed and
know i n your mi nd t hat your charact er i s above
reproach you need not worry about your reput at i on,
for i t i s as i mpossi bl e for your charact er t o be
dest royed or damaged by anyone except yoursel f as i t
i s t o dest roy mat t er or energy.
It was t hi s t rut h t hat Emerson had i n mi nd when
he sai d: A pol i t i cal vi ct ory, a ri se of rent s, t he
recovery of your si ck or t he ret urn of your absent
fri end, or some ot her qui t e ext ernal event rai ses your
- 39 -
spi ri t s, and you t hi nk your days are prepared for you.
Do not bel i eve i t . It can never be so. Not hi ng can
bri ng you peace but yoursel f . Not hi ng can bri ng you
peace but t he t ri umph of pri nci pl es.
One reason for bei ng j ust t oward ot hers i s t he fact
t hat such act i on may cause t hem t o reci procat e, i n
ki nd, but a bet t er reason i s t he fact t hat ki ndness and
j ust i ce t oward ot hers devel op posi t i ve charact er i n al l
who i ndul ge i n t hese act s.
You may wi t hhol d from me t he reward t o whi ch I
am ent i t l ed for renderi ng you hel pful servi ce, but no
one can depri ve me of t he benefi t I wi l l deri ve from
t he renderi ng of t hat servi ce i n so far as i t adds t o my
own charact er.

We are l i vi ng i n a great i ndust ri al age.
Everywhere we see t he evol ut i onary forces worki ng
great changes i n t he met hod and manner of l i vi ng, and
re-arrangi ng t he rel at i onshi ps bet ween men, i n t he
ordi nary pursui t of l i fe, l i bert y and a l i vi ng.
Thi s i s an age of organi zed effort . On every hand
we see evi dence t hat organi zat i on i s t he basi s of al l
fi nanci al success, and whi l e ot her fact ors t han t hat of
organi zat i on ent er i nt o t he at t ai nment of success, t hi s
fact or i s st i l l one of maj or i mport ance.
Thi s i ndust ri al age has creat ed t wo comparat i vel y
new t erms. One i s cal l ed capi t al and t he ot her
l abor. Capi t al and l abor const i t ut e t he mai n wheel s
i n t he machi nery of organi zed effort . These t wo great
forces enj oy success i n exact rat i o t o t he ext ent t hat
bot h underst and and appl y t he Gol den Rul e
phi l osophy. Despi t e t hi s fact , however, harmony
- 40 -
bet ween t hese t wo forces does not al ways prevai l ,
t hanks t o t he dest royers of confi dence who make a
l i vi ng by sowi ng t he seed of di ssensi on and st i rri ng up
st ri fe bet ween empl oyers and empl oyees.
Duri ng t he past fi ft een years I have devot ed
consi derabl e t i me t o t he st udy of t he causes of
di sagreement bet ween empl oyers and empl oyees. Al so,
I have gat hered much i nformat i on on t hi s subj ect from
ot her men who, l i kewi se, have been st udyi ng t hi s
probl em.
There i s but one sol ut i on whi ch wi l l , i f
underst ood by al l concerned, bri ng harmony out of
chaos and est abl i sh a perfect worki ng rel at i onshi p
bet ween capi t al and l abor. The remedy i s no i nvent i on
of mi ne. It i s based upon a great uni versal l aw of
Nat ure. Thi s remedy bas been wel l st at ed by one of
t he great men of t hi s generat i on, i n t he fol l owi ng
words:
The quest i on we propose t o consi der i s exci t i ng
deep i nt erest at t he present t i me, but no more t han i t s
i mport ance demands. It i s one of t he hopeful si gns of
t he t i mes t hat t hese subj ect s of vi t al i nt erest t o human
happi ness are const ant l y comi ng up for a beari ng, are
engagi ng t he at t ent i on of t he wi sest men, and st i rri ng
t he mi nds of al l cl asses of peopl e. The wi de
preval ence of t hi s movement shows t hat a new l i fe i s
beat i ng i n t he heart of humani t y, operat i ng upon t hei r
facul t i es l i ke t he warm breat h of spri ng upon t he
frozen ground and t he dormant germs of t he pl ant . It
wi l l make a great st i r, i t wi l l break up many frozen
and dead forms, i t wi l l produce great and, i n some
cases, i t may be, dest ruct i ve changes, but i t announces
t he bl ossomi ng of new hopes, and t he comi ng of new
harvest s for t he suppl y of human want s and t he means
of great er happi ness. There i s great need of wi sdom t o
- 41 -
gui de t he new forces comi ng i nt o act i on. Every man i s
under t he most sol emn obl i gat i on t o do hi s part i n
formi ng a correct publ i c opi ni on and gi vi ng wi se
di rect i on t o popul ar wi l l .
The onl y sol ut i on for t he probl ems of l abor, of
want , of abundance, of sufferi ng and sorrow can onl y
be found by regardi ng t hem from a moral and spi ri t ual
poi nt of vi ew. They must be seen end exami ned i n a
l i ght t hat i s not of t hemsel ves. The t rue rel at i ons of
l abor and capi t al can never be di scovered by human
sel f i shness. They must be vi ewed from a hi gher
purpose t han wages or t he accumul at i on of weal t h.
They must be regarded from t hei r beari ng upon t he
purposes for whi ch men was creat ed. It i s from t hi s
poi nt of vi ew I propose t o consi der t he subj ect before
us.
Capi t al end l abor are essent i al t o each ot her.
Thei r i nt erest s are so bound t oget her t hat t hey cannot
be separat ed. In ci vi l i zed and enl i ght ened
communi t i es t hey are mut ual l y dependent . If t here i s
any di fference, capi t al i s more dependent upon l abor
t han l abor upon capi t al . Li fe can be sust ai ned wi t hout
capi t al . Ani mal s, wi t h a few except i ons, have no
propert y, and t ake no anxi ous t hought for t he morrow,
and our Lord commends t hem t o our not i ce as
exampl es wort hy of i mi t at i on. Behol d t he fowl s of
t he ai r, He says, for t hey sow not , nei t her do t hey
reap nor gat her i nt o barns, yet your heavenl y Fat her
feedet h t hem. The savages l i ve wi t hout capi t al .
Indeed, t he great mass of human bei ngs l i ve by t hei r
l abor from day t o day, from hand t o mout h. But no
man can l i ve upon hi s weal t h. He cannot eat hi s gol d
and si l ver; he cannot cl ot he hi msel f wi t h deeds and
cert i fi cat es of st ock. Capi t al can do not hi ng wi t hout
- 42 -
l abor, and i t s onl y val ue consi st s i n i t s power t o
purchase l abor or i t s resul t s. It i s i t sel f t he product of
l abor. It has no occasi on, t herefore, t o assume en
i mport ance t hat does not bel ong t o i t . Absol ut el y
dependent , however, as i t i s upon l abor for i t s val ue,
i t i s en essent i al fact or i n human progress.
The moment man begi ns t o ri se from a savage
and comparat i vel y i ndependent st at e t o a ci vi l i zed and
dependent one, capi t al becomes necessary. Men come
i nt o more i nt i mat e rel at i ons wi t h one anot her. Inst ead
of each one doi ng everyt hi ng, men begi n t o devot e
t hemsel ves t o speci al empl oyment s, and t o depend
upon ot hers t o provi de many t hi ngs for t hem whi l e
t hey engage i n some speci al occupat i on. In t hi s way
l abor becomes di versi fi ed. One man works i n i ron,
anot her i n wood; one manufact ures cl ot h, anot her
makes i t i nt o garment s; some rai se food t o feed t hose
who bui l d houses and manufact ure i mpl ement s of
husbandry. Thi s necessi t at es a syst em of exchanges,
and t o faci l i t at e exchanges roads must be made, and
men must be empl oyed t o make t hem. As popul at i on
i ncreases and necessi t i es mul t i pl y, t he busi ness of
exchange becomes enl arged, unt i l we have i mmense
manufact ori es, rai l roads gi rdi ng t he eart h wi t h i ron
bends, st eamshi ps pl owi ng every sea, and a mul t i t ude
of men who cannot rai se bread or make a garment , or
do anyt hi ng di rect l y for t he suppl y of t hei r own want s.
Now, we can see how we become more
dependent upon ot hers as our want s are mul t i pl i ed and
ci vi l i zat i on advances. Each one works i n hi s speci al
empl oyment , does bet t er work, because he can devot e
hi s whol e t hought and t i me t o a form of use for whi ch
- 43 -
he i s speci al l y fi t t ed, and cont ri but es more l argel y t o
t he publ i c good. Whi l e he i s worki ng for ot hers, al l
ot hers are worki ng for hi m. Every member of t he
communi t y i s worki ng for t he whol e body, and t he
whol e body for every member. Thi s i s t he l aw of
perfect l i fe, a l aw whi ch rul es everywhere i n t he
mat eri al body. Every man who i s engaged i n any
empl oyment useful t o body or mi nd i s a
phi l ant hropi st , a publ i c benefact or, whet her he rai ses
corn on t he prai ri e, cot t on i n Texas or Indi a, mi nes
coal i n t he chambers of t he eart h, or feeds i t t o
engi nes i n t he hol d of a st eamshi p. If sel fi shness di d
not pervert and bl ast human mot i ves, al l men and
women woul d be ful fi l l i ng t he l aw of chari t y whi l e
engaged i n t hei r dai l y empl oyment .
To carry on t hi s vast syst em of exchanges, t o
pl ace t he forest and t he farm, t he fact ory and t he mi ne
si de by si de, and del i ver t he product s of al l cl i mes at
every door, requi res i mmense capi t al . One man cannot
work hi s farm or fact ory, and bui l d a rai l road or a l i ne
of st eamshi ps. As rai ndrops act i ng si ngl y cannot dri ve
a mi l l or suppl y st eam for an engi ne, but , col l ect ed i n
a vast reservoi r, become t he resi st l ess power of
Ni agara, or t he force whi ch dri ves t he engi ne and
st eamshi p l i ke mi ght y shut t l es from mount ai n t o
seacoast and from shore t o shore, so a few dol l ars i n a
mul t i t ude of pocket s are powerl ess t o provi de t he
means for t hese vast operat i ons, but combi ned t hey
move t he worl d.
Capi t al i s a fri end of l abor and essent i al t o i t s
economi cal exerci se and j ust reward. It can be, and
oft en i s, a t erri bl e enemy, when empl oyed for sel fi sh
purposes al one; but t he great mass of i t i s more
- 44 -
fri endl y t o human happi ness t han i s general l y
supposed. It cannot be empl oyed wi t hout i n some way,
ei t her di rect l y or i ndi rect l y, hel pi ng t he l aborer. We
t hi nk of t he evi l s we suffer, but al l ow t he good we
enj oy t o pass unnot i ced. We t hi nk of t he evi l s t hat
l arger means woul d rel i eve and t he comfort s t hey
woul d provi de, but overl ook t he bl essi ngs we enj oy
t hat woul d have been i mpossi bl e wi t hout l arge
accumul at i ons of capi t al . It i s t he part of wi sdom t o
form a j ust est i mat e of t he good we recei ve as wel l as
t he evi l s we suffer.
It i s a common sayi ng at t he present t i me, t hat
t he ri ch are growi ng ri cher and t he poor poorer; but
when al l man' s possessi ons are t aken i nt o t he account
t here are good reasons for doubt i ng t hi s assert i on. It
i s t rue t hat t he ri ch are growing ri cher. It i s al so t rue
t hat t he condi t i on of t he l aborer i s const ant l y
i mprovi ng. The common l aborer has conveni ences and
comf ort s whi ch pri nces coul d not command a cent ury
ago. He i s bet t er cl ot hed, has a great er vari et y and
abundance of food, l i ves i n a more comfort abl e
dwel l i ng, and has many more conveni ences for t he
conduct of domest i c affai rs and t he prosecut i on of
l abor t han money coul d purchase but a few years ago.
An emperor coul d not t ravel wi t h t he ease, t he
comfort , and t he swi ft ness t hat t he common l aborer
can t oday. He may t hi nk t hat he st ands al one, wi t h no
one t o hel p. But , i n t rut h, he has an i mmense ret i nue
of servant s const ant l y wai t i ng upon hi m, ready and
anxi ous t o do hi s bi ddi ng. It requi res a vast army of
men and an i mmense out l ay of capi t al t o provi de a
common di nner, such as every man and woman, wi t h
few except i ons, has enj oyed t oday.
- 45 -
Thi nk of t he vast combi nat i on of means and men
and forces necessary t o provi de even a frugal meal .
The Chi naman rai ses your t ea, t he Brazi l i an your
coffee, t he East Indi an your spi ces, t he Cuban your
sugar, t he farmer upon t he west ern prai ri es your bread
and possi bl y your beef, t he gardener your veget abl es,
t he dai ryman your but t er and mi l k; t he mi ner has dug
from t he hi l l s t he coal wi t h whi ch your food was
cooked and your house was warmed, t he cabi net -maker
has provi ded you wi t h chai rs and t abl es, t he cut l er
wi t h kni ves and forks, t he pot t er wi t h di shes, t he
Iri shman has made your t abl e-cl ot h, t he but cher has
dressed your meat , t he mi l l er your fl our.
But t hese vari ous art i cl es of food, and t he means
of prepari ng and servi ng t hem, were produced at
i mmense di st ances from you and from one anot her.
Oceans had t o be t raversed, hi l l s l evel ed, val l eys
fi l l ed, and mount ai ns t unnel ed, shi ps must be bui l t ,
rai l ways const ruct ed, and a vast army of men
i nst ruct ed and empl oyed i n every mechani cal art
before t he mat eri al s for your di nner coul d be prepared
and served. There must al so be men t o col l ect t hese
mat eri al s, t o buy and sel l and di st ri but e t hem.
Everyone st ands i n hi s own pl ace and does hi s own
work, and recei ves hi s wages. But he i s none t he l ess
worki ng for you, and servi ng you as t rul y and
effect i vel y as he woul d be i f he were i n your speci al
empl oyment and recei ved hi s wages from your hand.
In t he l i ght of t hese fact s, whi ch everyone must
acknowl edge, we may be abl e t o see more cl earl y t he
t rut h, t hat every man and woman who does useful
work i s a publ i c benefact or, and t he t hought of i t and
t he purpose of i t wi l l ennobl e t he l abor and t he
l aborer. We are al l bound t oget her by common t i es.
- 46 -
The ri ch and t he poor, t he l earned and t he i gnorant ,
t he st rong and t he weak, are woven t oget her i n one
soci al and ci vi c web. Harm t o one i s harm t o al l ; hel p
t o one i s hel p t o al l .
You see what a vast army of servant s i t requi res
t o provi de your di nner. Do you not see t hat i t demands
a correspondi ng amount of capi t al t o provi de and keep
t hi s compl i cat ed machi nery i n mot i on? And do you not
see t hat every man, woman and chi l d i s enj oyi ng t he
benefi t of i t ? How coul d we get our coal , our meat ,
our fl our, our t ea and coffee, sugar and ri ce? The
l aborer cannot bui l d shi ps and sai l t hem and support
hi msel f whi l e doi ng i t . The f armer cannot l eave hi s
f arm and t ake hi s produce t o t he market . The mi ner
cannot mi ne and t ransport hi s coal . The farmer i n
Kansas may be burni ng corn t oday t o cook hi s food
and warm hi s dwel l i ng, and t he mi ner may be hungry
for t he bread whi ch t he corn woul d suppl y, because
t hey cannot exchange t he frui t s of t hei r l abor. Every
acre of l and, every forest and mi ne has been i ncreased
i n val ue by rai l ways and st eamboat s, and t he comfort s
of l i fe and t he means of soci al and i nt el l ect ual cul t ure
have been carri ed t o t he most i naccessi bl e pl aces.
But t he benefi t s of capi t al are not l i mi t ed t o
suppl yi ng present want s and comfort s. It opens new
avenues for l abor. It di versi fi es i t and gi ves a wi der
fi el d t o everyone t o do t he ki nd of work for whi ch he
i s best fi t t ed by nat ural t ast e and geni us. The number
of empl oyment s creat ed by rai l ways, st eamshi ps,
t el egraph, and manufact ori es by machi nery can hardl y
be est i mat ed. Capi t al i s al so l argel y i nvest ed i n
suppl yi ng t he means of i nt el l ect ual and spi ri t ual
cul t ure.
- 47 -
Books are mul t i pl i ed at const ant l y di mi ni shi ng
pri ces, and t he best t hought of t he worl d, by means of
our great publ i shi ng houses, i s made accessi bl e t o t he
humbl est workman. There i s no bet t er exampl e of t he
benefi t s t he common l aborer deri ves from capi t al t han
t he dai l y newspaper. For t wo or t hree cent s t he hi st ory
of t he worl d for t went y-four hours i s brought t o every
door. The l aborer, whi l e ri di ng t o or from hi s work i n
a comfort abl e car, can vi si t al l part s of t he known
worl d and get a t ruer i dea of t he event s of t he day
t han he coul d i f he were bodi l y present . A bat t l e i n
Chi na or Afri ca, an eart hquake i n Spai n, a dynami t e
expl osi on i n London, a debat e i n Congress, t he
movement s of men i n publ i c and pri vat e l i fe for t he
suppressi on of vi ce, for enl i ght eni ng t he i gnorant ,
hel pi ng t he needy, and i mprovi ng t he peopl e
general l y, are spread before hi m i n a smal l compass,
and bri ng hi m i nt o cont act and on equal i t y, i n regard
t o t he worl d' s hi st ory, wi t h ki ngs and queens, wi t h
sai nt s and sages, and peopl e i n every condi t i on i n l i fe.
Do you ever t hi nk, whi l e readi ng t he morni ng paper,
how many men have been runni ng on your errands,
col l ect i ng i nt el l i gence for you from al l part s of t he
eart h, and put t i ng i t i nt o a form conveni ent for your
use? It requi red t he i nvest ment of mi l l i ons of money
and t he empl oyment of t housands of men t o produce
t hat paper and l eave i t at your door. And what di d al l
t hi s servi ce cost you? A few cent s.
These are exampl es of t he benefi t s whi ch
everyone deri ves from capi t al , benefi t s whi ch coul d
not be obt ai ned wi t hout vast expendi t ures of money;
benefi t s whi ch come t o us wi t hout our care and l ay
t hei r bl essi ngs at our feet . Capi t al cannot be i nvest ed
- 48 -
i n any useful product i on wi t hout bl essi ng a mul t i t ude
of peopl e. It set s t he machi nery of l i fe i n mot i on, i t
mul t i pl i es empl oyment ; i t pl aces t he product of al l
cl i mes at every door, i t draws t he peopl e of al l nat i ons
t oget her; bri ngs mi nd i n cont act wi t h mi nd, and gi ves
t o every man and woman a l arge and val uabl e share of
t he product . These are fact s whi ch i t woul d be wel l for
everyone, however poor he may be, t o consi der.
If capi t al i s such a bl essi ng t o l abor; i f i t can
onl y be brought i nt o use by l abor, and deri ves al l i t s
val ue from i t , how can t here be any confl i ct bet ween
t hem? There coul d be none i f bot h t he capi t al i st and
l aborer act ed from humane and Chri st i an pri nci pl es.
But t hey do not . They are governed by i nhuman and
unchri st i an pri nci pl es. Each part y seeks t o get t he
l argest ret urns for t he l east servi ce. Capi t al desi res
l arger profi t s, l abor hi gher wages. The i nt erest s of t he
capi t al i st and t he l aborer come i nt o di rect col l i si on. In
t hi s warfare capi t al has great advant ages, and has been
prompt t o t ake t hem. It has demanded and t aken t he
l i ons share of t he profi t s. It has despi sed t he servant
t hat enri ched i t . It has regarded t he l aborer as a
meni al , a sl ave, whose ri ght s and happi ness i t was not
bound t o respect . It i nfl uences l egi sl at ors t o enact
l aws i n i t s favor, subsi di zes government s and wi el ds
i t s power for i t s own advant age. Capi t al has been a
l ord and l abor a servant . Whi l e t he servant remai ned
doci l e and obedi ent , cont ent wi t h such compensat i on
as i t s l ord chose t o gi ve, t here was no confl i ct . But
l abor i s ri si ng from a servi l e, submi ssi ve, and
hopel ess condi t i on. It has acqui red st rengt h and
i nt el l i gence; has gai ned t he i dea t hat i t has ri ght s t hat
- 49 -
has ri ght s t hat ought t o be respect ed, and begi ns t o
assert and combi ne t o support t hem.
Each part y i n t hi s warfare regards t he subj ect
from i t s own sel fi sh i nt erest s. The capi t al i st supposes
t hat gai n t o l abor i s l oss t o hi m, and t hat he must l ook
t o hi s own i nt erest s fi rst ; t hat t he cheaper t he l abor
t he l arger hi s gai ns. Consequent l y i t i s for hi s i nt erest
t o keep t he pri ce as l ow as possi bl e. On t he cont rary,
t he l aborer t hi nks t hat he l oses what t he capi t al i st
gai ns, and, consequent l y, t hat i t i s for hi s i nt erest t o
get as l arge wages as possi bl e. From t hese opposi t e
poi nt s of vi ew t hei r i nt erest s appear t o be di rect l y
host i l e. What one part y gai ns t he ot her l oses; hence
t he confl i ct . Bot h are act i ng from sel fi sh mot i ves,
and, consequent l y, must be wrong. Bot h part i es see
onl y hal f of t he t rut h, and, mi st aki ng t hat for t he
whol e of i t , t hey fal l i nt o a mi st ake rui nous t o bot h.
Each one st ands on hi s own ground, and regards t he
subj ect whol l y from hi s poi nt of vi ew and i n t he
mi sl eadi ng l i ght of hi s own sel fi shness. Passi on
i nfl ames t he mi nd and bl i nds t he underst andi ng; and
when passi on i s aroused men wi l l sacri fi ce t hei r own
i nt erest s t o i nj ure ot hers, and bot h wi l l suffer l oss.
They wi l l wage cont i nual warfare agai nst each ot her;
t hey wi l l resort t o al l devi ces, and t ake advant age of
every necessi t y t o wi n a vi ct ory. Capi t al t ri es t o
st arve t he l aborer i nt o submi ssi on, l i ke a bel eaguered
ci t y; and hunger and want are most powerful weapons.
Labor sul l enl y resi st s, and t ri es t o dest roy t he val ue of
capi t al by renderi ng i t unproduct i ve. If necessi t y or
i nt erest compel s a t ruce, i t i s a sul l en one, and
mai nt ai ned wi t h t he purpose of renewi ng host i l i t i es as
soon as t here i s any prospect of success. Thus l aborers
- 50 -
and capi t al i st s confront each ot her l i ke t wo armed
host s, ready at any t i me t o renew t he confl i ct . It wi l l
be renewed, wi t hout doubt , and cont i nued wi t h
varyi ng success unt i l bot h part i es di scover t hat t hey
are mi st aken, t hat t hei r i nt erest s are mut ual , and can
onl y be secured t o t he f ul l est ext ent by co-operat i on
and gi vi ng t o each t he reward i t deserves. The
capi t al i st and t he l aborer must cl asp hands across t he
bot t oml ess pi t i nt o whi ch so much weal t h and work
has been cast .
How t hi s reconci l i at i on i s t o be effect ed i s a
quest i on t hat i s occupyi ng t he mi nds of many wi se and
good men on bot h si des at t he present t i me. Wi se and
i mpart i al l egi sl at i on wi l l , no doubt , be an i mport ant
agent i n rest rai ni ng bl i nd passi on and prot ect i ng al l
cl asses from i nsat i abl e greed; and i t i s t he dut y of
every man t o use hi s best endeavors t o secure such
l egi sl at i on bot h i n st at e and nat i onal government s.
Organi zat i ons of l aborers for prot ect i ng t hei r own
ri ght s and securi ng a bet t er reward for t hei r l abor,
wi l l have a great i nfl uence. That i nfl uence wi l l
cont i nue t o i ncrease as t hei r t emper becomes normal
and fi rm, and t hei r demands are based on j ust i ce and
humani t y. Vi ol ence and t hreat s wi l l effect no good.
Dynami t e, whet her i n t he form of expl osi ves or t he
more dest ruct i ve force of fi erce and reckl ess passi on,
wi l l heal no wounds nor subdue any host i l e feel i ng.
Arbi t rat i on i s, doubt l ess, t he wi sest and most
pract i cabl e means now avai l abl e t o bri ng about
ami cabl e rel at i ons bet ween t hese host i l e part i es and
secure j ust i ce t o bot h. Gi ving t he l aborer a share i n
t he profi t s of t he busi ness has worked wel l i n some
cases, but i t i s at t ended wi t h great pract i cal
- 51 -
di ffi cul t i es whi ch requi re more wi sdom, sel f-cont rol
and genui ne regard for t he common i nt erest s of bot h
part i es t han oft en can be found. Many devi ces may
have a part i al and t emporary effect . But no permanent
progress can be made i n set t l i ng t hi s confl i ct wi t hout
rest rai ni ng and fi nal l y removi ng i t s cause.
It s real cent ral cause i s an i nordi nat e l ove of sel f
and t he worl d, and t hat cause wi l l cont i nue t o operat e
as l ong as i t exi st s. It may be rest rai ned and
moderat ed, but i t wi l l assert i t sel f when occasi on
offers. Every wi se man must , t herefore, seek t o
remove t he cause, and as far as he can do i t he wi l l
cont rol effect s. Puri fy t he fount ai n, and you make t he
whol e st ream pure and whol esome.
There i s a pri nci pl e of uni versal i nfl uence t hat
must underl i e and gui de every successful effort t o
bri ng t hese t wo great fact ors of human good whi ch
now confront each ot her wi t h host i l e purpose, i nt o
harmony. It i s no i nvent i on or di scovery of mi ne. It
embodi es a hi gher t han human wi sdom. It i s not
di ffi cul t t o underst and or appl y. The chi l d can
comprehend i t and act accordi ng t o i t . It i s uni versal
i n i t s appl i cat i on, and whol l y useful i n i t s effect s. It
wi l l l i ght en t he burdens of l abor and i ncrease i t s
rewards. It wi l l gi ve securi t y t o capi t al and make i t
more product i ve. It i s si mpl y t he Gol den Rul e,
embodi ed i n t hese words: Theref ore al l t hi ngs
what soever ye woul d t hat men shoul d do t o you, do ye
even so t o t hem: f or t hi s i s t he l aw and t he prophet s.
Before proceedi ng t o appl y t hi s pri nci pl e t o t he
case i n hand, l et me cal l your speci al at t ent i on t o i t . It
i s a very remarkabl e l aw of human l i fe whi ch seems t o
have been general l y overl ooked by st at esmen, phi -
- 52 -
l osophers and rel i gi ous t eachers. Thi s rul e embodi es
t he whol e of rel i gi on; i t compri ses al l t he precept s,
commandment s, and means of t he fut ure t ri umphs of
good over evi l , of t rut h over error, and t he peace and
happi ness of men, foret ol d i n t he gl ori ous vi si ons of
t he prophet s. Mark t he words. It does not merel y say
t hat i t i s a wi se rul e; t hat i t accords wi t h t he
pri nci pl es of t he Di vi ne order reveal ed i n t he l aw and
t he prophet s. It embodi es t hem al l ; i t IS t he l aw and
t he prophet s. It compri ses l ove t o God. It says we
shoul d regard Hi m as we desi re t o have Hi m regard us;
t hat we shoul d do t o Hi m as we wi sh t o have Hi m do
t o us. If we desi re t o have Hi m l ove us wi t h al l Hi s
heart , wi t h al l Hi s soul , wi t h al l Hi s mi nd, and wi t h
al l Hi s st rengt h, we must l ove Hi m i n t he same
manner. If we desi re t o have our nei ghbor l ove us as
he l oves hi msel f, we must l ove hi m as we l ove oursel f.
Here, t hen, i s t he uni versal and Di vi ne l aw of human
servi ce and fel l owshi p. It i s not a precept of human
wi sdom; i t bas i t s ori gi n i n t he Di vi ne nat ure, and i t s
embodi ment i n human nat ure. Now, l et us appl y i t t o
t he confl i ct bet ween l abor and capi t al .
You are a capi t al i st . Your money i s i nvest ed i n
manufact ures, i n l and, i n mi nes, i n merchandi se,
rai l ways, and shi ps, or you l oan i t t o ot hers on
i nt erest . You empl oy, di rect l y or i ndi rect l y, men t o
use your capi t al . You cannot come t o a j ust concl usi on
concerni ng your ri ght s and dut i es and pri vi l eges by
l ooki ng whol l y at your own gai ns. The gl i t t er of t he
si l ver and gol d wi l l exerci se so pot ent a spel l over
your mi nd t hat i t wi l l bl i nd you t o everyt hi ng el se.
You can see no i nt erest but your own. The l aborer i s
not known or regarded as a man who has any i nt erest s
- 53 -
you are bound t o regard. You see hi m onl y as your
sl ave, your t ool , your means of addi ng t o your weal t h.
In t hi s l i ght he i s a fri end so far as he serves you, an
enemy so far as he does not . But change your poi nt of
vi ew. Put yoursel f i n hi s pl ace; put hi m i n your pl ace.
How woul d you l i ke t o have hi m t reat you i f you were
i n hi s pl ace? Perhaps you have been t here. In al l
probabi l i t y you have, for t he capi t al i st t oday was t he
l aborer yest erday, and t he l aborer t oday wi l l be t he
empl oyer t omorrow. You know from l i vel y and pai nful
experi ence how you woul d l i ke t o be t reat ed. Woul d
you l i ke t o be regarded as a mere t ool ? As a means of
enri chi ng anot her? Woul d you l i ke t o have your wages
kept down t o t he bare necessi t i es of l i fe? Woul d you
l i ke t o be regarded wi t h i ndi fference and t reat ed wi t h
brut al i t y? Woul d you l i ke t o have your bl ood, your
st rengt h, your soul coi ned i nt o dol l ars for t he benefi t
of anot her? These quest i ons are easy t o answer.
Everyone knows t hat he woul d rej oi ce t o be t reat ed
ki ndl y, t o have hi s i nt erest s regarded, hi s ri ght s
recogni zed and prot ect ed. Everyone knows t hat such
regard awakens a response i n hi s own heart . Ki ndness
beget s ki ndness; respect awakens respect . Put yoursel f
i n hi s pl ace. Imagi ne t hat you are deal i ng wi t h
yoursel f, and you wi l l have no di ffi cul t y i n deci di ng
whet her you shoul d gi ve t he screw anot her t urn, t hat
you may wri ng a penny more from t he muscl es of t he
worker, or rel ax i t s pressure, and, i f possi bl e, add
somet hi ng t o hi s wages, and gi ve hi m respect for hi s
servi ce. Do t o hi m as you woul d have hi m do t o you i n
changed condi t i ons.
You are a l aborer. You recei ve a cert ai n sum for
a day' s work. Put yoursel f i n t he pl ace of your em-
- 54 -
pl oyer. How woul d you l i ke t o have t he men you
empl oyed work for you? Woul d you t hi nk i t ri ght t hat
t hey shoul d regard you as t hei r enemy? Woul d you
t hi nk i t honest i n t hem t o sl i ght t hei r work, t o do as
l i t t l e and t o get as much as possi bl e? If you had a
l arge cont ract whi ch must be compl et ed at a fi xed
t i me or you woul d suffer great l oss, woul d you l i ke t o
have your workmen t ake advant age of your necessi t y
t o compel an i ncrease of t hei r wages? Woul d you
t hi nk i t ri ght and wi se i n t hem t o i nt erfere wi t h you i n
t he management of your busi ness? To di ct at e whom
you shoul d empl oy, and on what t erms you shoul d
empl oy t hem? Woul d you not rat her have t hem do
honest work i n a ki nd and good spi ri t ? Woul d you not
be much more di sposed t o l ook t o t hei r i nt erest s, t o
l i ght en t hei r l abor, t o i ncrease t hei r wages when you
coul d afford t o do so, and l ook aft er t he wel fare of
t hei r fami l i es, when you found t hat t hey regarded
yours? I know t hat i t woul d be so. It i s t rue t hat men
are sel fi sh, and t hat some men are so mean and
cont ract ed i n spi ri t t hat t hey cannot see any i nt erest
but t hei r own; whose heart s, not made of fl esh but of
si l ver and gol d, are so hard t hat t hey are not t ouched
by any human feel i ng, and care not how much ot hers
suffer i f t hey can make a cent by i t . But t hey are t he
except i on, not t he rul e. We are i nfl uenced by t he
regard and devot i on of ot hers t o our i nt erest s. The
l aborer who knows t hat hi s empl oyer feel s ki ndl y
t oward hi m, desi res t o t reat hi m j ust l y and t o regard
hi s good, wi l l do bet t er work and more of i t , and wi l l
be di sposed t o l ook t o hi s empl oyer' s i nt erest s as wel l
as hi s own.
I am wel l aware t hat many wi l l t hi nk t hi s Di vi ne
- 55 -
and humane l aw of doi ng t o ot hers as we woul d have
t hem do t o us, i s i mpract i cabl e i n t hi s sel fi sh and
worl dl y age. If bot h part i es woul d be governed by i t ,
everyone can see how happy woul d be t he resul t s. But ,
i t wi l l be sai d, t hey wi l l not . The l aborer wi l l not
work unl ess compel l ed by want . He wi l l t ake
advant age of every necessi t y. As soon as he gai ns a
l i t t l e i ndependence of hi s empl oyer he becomes proud,
arrogant and host i l e. The empl oyer wi l l sei ze upon
every means t o keep t he workmen dependent upon
hi m, and t o make as much out of t hem as possi bl e.
Every i nch of ground whi ch l abor yi el ds capi t al wi l l
occupy and i nt rench i t sel f i n i t , and from i t s vant age
bri ng t he l aborer i nt o great er dependence and more
abj ect submi ssi on. But t hi s i s a mi st ake. The hi st ory
of t he worl d t est i fi es t hat when t he mi nds of men are
not embi t t ered by i nt ense host i l i t y and t hei r feel i ngs
out raged by cruel wrongs, t hey are ready t o l i st en t o
cal m, di si nt erest ed and j udi ci ous counsel . A man who
empl oyed a l arge number of l aborers i n mi ni ng coal
t ol d me t hat he had never known an i nst ance t o fai l of
a cal m and candi d response when he had appeal ed t o
honorabl e mot i ves, as a man t o man, bot h of whom
acknowl edged a common humani t y. There i s a recent
and most not abl e i nst ance i n t hi s ci t y of t he happy
effect of cal m, di si nt erest ed and j udi ci ous counsel i n
set t l i ng di ffi cul t i es bet ween empl oyers and workmen
t hat were di sast rous t o bot h.
When t he mi nd i s i nfl amed by passi on men wi l l
not l i st en t o reason. They become bl i nd t o t hei r own
i nt erest s and regardl ess of t he i nt erest s of ot hers.
Di f f i cul t i es are never set t l ed whi l e passi on rages.
They are never set t l ed by conf l i ct . One part y may be
- 56 -
subdued by power; but t he sense of wrong wi l l remai n;
t he f i re of passi on wi l l sl umber ready t o break out
agai n on t he f i rst occasi on. But l et t he l aborer or t he
capi t al i st feel assured t hat t he ot her part y has no wi sh
t o t ake any advant age, t hat t here i s a si ncere desi re
and det ermi nat i on on bot h si des t o be j ust and pay due
regard t o t hei r common i nt erest s, and al l t he confl i ct
bet ween t hem woul d cease, as t he wi l d waves of t he
ocean si nk t o cal m when t he wi nds are at rest . The
l aborer and t he capi t al i st have a mut ual and common
i nt erest . Nei t her can permanent l y prosper wi t hout t he
prosperi t y of t he ot her. They are part s of one body. If
l abor i s t he arm, capi t al i s t he bl ood. Devi t al i ze or
wast e t he bl ood, and t he arm l oses i t s power. Dest roy
t he arm, and t he bl ood i s usel ess. Let each care for t he
ot her, and bot h are benefi t ed. Let each t ake t he
Gol den Rul e as a gui de, and al l cause of host i l i t y wi l l
be removed, al l confl i ct wi l l cease, and t hey wi l l go
hand i n hand t o do t hei r work and reap t hei r j ust
reward.

If you have mast ered t he fundament al s upon
whi ch t hi s l esson i s based, you underst and why i t i s
t hat no publ i c speaker can move hi s audi ence or
convi nce men of hi s argument unl ess he, hi msel f,
bel i eves t hat whi ch he i s sayi ng.
You al so underst and why no sal esman can
convi nce hi s prospect i ve purchaser unl ess he has fi rst
convi nced hi msel f of t he meri t s of hi s goods.
Throughout t hi s ent i re course one part i cul ar
pri nci pl e has been emphasi zed for t he purpose of
i l l ust rat i ng t he t rut h t hat every personal i t y i s t he sum
- 57 -
t ot al of t he i ndi vi dual s t hought s and act s - t hat we
come t o resembl e t he nat ure of our domi nat i ng
t hought s.
Thought i s t he onl y power t hat can syst emat i cal l y
organi ze, accumul at e and assembl e fact s and mat eri al s
accordi ng t o a defi ni t e pl an. A fl owi ng ri ver can
assembl e di rt and bui l d l and, and a st orm can gat her
and assembl e st i cks i nt o a shapel ess mass of debri s,
but nei t her st orms nor ri ver can t hi nk; t herefore, t he
mat eri al s whi ch t hey assembl e are not assembl ed i n
organi zed, defi ni t e form.
Man, al one, has t he power t o t ransform hi s
t hought s i nt o physi cal real i t y; man, al one, can dream
and make hi s dreams come t rue.
Man has t he power t o creat e i deal s and ri se t o
t hei r at t ai nment .
How di d i t happen t hat man i s t he onl y creat ure
on eart h t hat knows how t o use t he power of t hought ?
It happened because man i s t he apex of t he pyrami d
of evol ut i on, t he product of mi l l i ons of years of
st ruggl e duri ng whi ch man has ri sen above t he ot her
creat ures of t he eart h as t he resul t of hi s own t hought s
and t hei r ef f ect s upon hi msel f .
Just when, where and how t he fi rst rays of
t hought began t o fl ow i nt o mans brai n no one knows,
but we al l know t hat t hought i s t he power whi ch
di st i ngui shes man from al l ot her creat ures; l i kewi se,
we al l know t hat t hought i s t he power t hat has enabl ed
man t o l i ft hi msel f above al l ot her creat ures.
No one knows t he l i mi t at i ons of t he power of
t hought , or whet her or not i t has any l i mi t at i ons.
What ever man bel i eves he can do he event ual l y does.
But a few generat i ons back t he more i magi nat i ve
wri t ers dared t o wri t e of t he horsel ess carri age, and
- 58 -
l o! i t became a real i t y and i s now a common vehi cl e.
Through t he evol ut i onary power of t hought t he hopes
and ambi t i ous of one generat i on become a real i t y i n
t he next .
The power of t hought has been gi ven t he
domi nat i ng posi t i on t hroughout t hi s course, for t he
reason t hat i t bel ongs i n t hat posi t i on. Mans
domi nat i ng posi t i on i n t he worl d i s t he di rect resul t of
t hought , and i t must be t hi s power t hat you, as an
i ndi vi dual , wi l l use i n t he at t ai nment of success, no
mat t er what may be your i dea of what represent s
success.
You have now arri ved at t he poi nt at whi ch you
shoul d t ake i nvent ory of yoursel f for t he purpose of
ascert ai ni ng what qual i t i es you need t o gi ve you a
wel l bal anced and rounded out personal i t y.
Fi ft een maj or fact ors ent ered i nt o t he bui l di ng of
t hi s course. Anal yze yoursel f careful l y, wi t h t he
assi st ance of one or more ot her persons i f you feel
t hat you need i t , for t he purpose of ascert ai ni ng i n
whi ch of t he fi ft een fact ors of t hi s course you are t he
weakest , and t hen concent rat e your effort s upon t hose
part i cul ar l essons unt i l you have ful l y devel oped t hose
fact ors whi ch t hey represent .

PERSONAL ANALYSIS SERVICE

As a st udent of t hi s course you are ent i t l ed t o a
cont i nuat i on of t he aut hors servi ces for t he purpose
of maki ng a compl et e Personal Anal ysi s t hat wi l l
i ndi cat e your general effi ci ency and your
underst andi ng of t he Fi ft een Laws of Success.
To avai l yoursel f of t hi s servi ce you must fi l l out
t he Personal Anal ysi s Quest i onnai re, whi ch accom-
- 59 -
pani es t he course, and mai l i t t o t he aut hor, at t he
address shown on t he Quest i onnai re.
You wi l l , i n due t i me, recei ve a graphi c chart
di agram whi ch wi l l show you, at a gl ance, t he
percent age t o whi ch you are ent i t l ed i n connect i on
wi t h each of t he Fi ft een Laws. It wi l l be bot h
i nt erest i ng and i nst ruct i ve t o compare t hi s anal ysi s
wi t h t he one whi ch you, yoursel f, have made, t hrough
t he ai d of t he chart shown i n Lesson One.
The Quest i onnai re shoul d not be fi l l ed out unt i l
aft er you have read al l t he l essons of t hi s course at
l east once. Answer t he quest i ons correct l y, and
frankl y, as near as you can. The dat a cont ai ned i n
your answers wi l l be st ri ct l y confi dent i al , and wi l l be
seen by no one except t he aut hor of t hi s phi l osophy.
Your anal ysi s wi l l be i n t he nat ure of a si gned
report , whi ch may be used t o great advant age i n t he
market i ng of your personal servi ces, i f you wi sh so t o
use i t . Thi s anal ysi s wi l l be t he same, i n every
respect , as t hose for whi ch t he aut hor made a charge
of $25. 00 duri ng t he years he was engaged i n research
i n connect i on wi t h t he organi zat i on of t hi s course, and
i t may, under some ci rcumst ances, be wort h many
t i mes t hi s amount t o you, as si mi l ar anal yses have
been t o scores of peopl e whom t he aut hor has served.
No charge i s made for t hi s anal ysi s, as i t i s a part
of t he servi ce t o whi ch each st udent of t hi s course i s
ent i t l ed upon compl et i on of t he si xt een l essons and
t he payment of t he nomi nal t ui t i on fee charged for t he
course.

- 60 -
INDECISION

An Af t er- t he- Lesson Vi si t Wi t h t he Aut hor



TIME!

Procrast i nat i on robs you of opport uni t y. It i s a
si gni f i cant f act t hat no great l eader was ever
known t o procrast i nat e. You are f ort unat e i f
AMBITION dri ves you i nt o act i on, never
permi t t i ng you t o f al t er or t urn back, once you
have rendered a DECISION t o go f orward. Second
by second, as t he cl ock t i cks of f t he di st ance
TIME i s runni ng a race wi t h YOU. Del ay means
def eat , because no man may ever make up a
second of l ost TIME. TIME i s a mast er worker
whi ch heal s t he wounds of f ai l ure and
di sappoi nt ment and ri ght s al l wrongs and t urns
al l mi st akes i nt o capi t al , but , i t f avors onl y t hose
who ki l l of f procrast i nat i on and remai n i n
ACTION when deci si ons are t o made.
Li f e i s a great checker- board. The pl ayer opposi t e
you i s TIME.

If you hesi t at e you wi l l be wi ped of f t he board. If
you keep movi ng you may wi n. The onl y real
capi t al i s TIME, but i t i s capi t al onl y when used.
- 61 -
You may be shocked i f you keep accurat e account
of t he TIME you wast e i n a si ngl e day.
Take a l ook at t he pi ct ure above i f you wi sh t o
know t he f at e of al l who pl ay carel essl y wi t h
TIME.

THE pi ct ure at t op of previ ous page t el l s a t rue st ory
of one of t he chi ef causes of FAILURE!
One of t he pl ayers i s TIME and t he ot her i s Mr.
Average Man; l et us cal l hi m YOU.
Move by move Ti me has wi ped off Mr. Average
Mans men unt i l he i s fi nal l y cornered, where Ti me
wi l l get hi m, no mat t er whi ch way he moves.
INDECISION has dri ven hi m i nt o t he corner.

Ask any wel l i nformed sal esman and he wi l l t el l
you t hat i ndeci si on i s t he out st andi ng weakness of t he
maj ori t y of peopl e. Every sal esman i s fami l i ar wi t h
t hat t i me-worn al i bi , I wi l l t hi nk i t over, whi ch i s
t he l ast t rench-l i ne of defense of t hose who have not
t he courage t o say ei t her yes or no. Li ke t he pl ayer i n
t he pi ct ure above, t hey cannot deci de whi ch way t o
move. Meanwhi l e, Ti me forces t hem i nt o a corner
where t hey can' t move.
The great l eaders of t he worl d were men and
women of qui ck deci si on.
General Grant had but l i t t l e t o commend hi m as
an abl e General except t he qual i t y of fi rm deci si on,
but t hi s was suffi ci ent t o offset al l of hi s weaknesses.
The whol e st ory of hi s mi l i t ary success may be
gat hered from hi s repl y t o hi s cri t i cs when he sai d
We wi l l fi ght i t out al ong t hese l i nes i f i t t akes al l
summer.
When Napol eon reached a deci si on t o move hi s
armi es i n a gi ven di rect i on, he permi t t ed not hi ng t o
- 62 -
cause hi m t o change t hat deci si on. If hi s l i ne of march
brought hi s sol di ers t o a di t ch, dug by hi s opponent s
t o st op hi m, be woul d gi ve t he order t o charge t he
di t ch unt i l i t had been fi l l ed wi t h dead men and horses
suffi ci ent t o bri dge i t .
The suspense of i ndeci si on dri ves mi l l i ons of
peopl e t o fai l ure. A condemned man once sai d t hat t he
t hought of hi s approachi ng execut i on was not so
t erri fyi ng, once he had reached t he deci si on i n hi s
own mi nd t o accept t he i nevi t abl e.
Lack of deci si on i s t he chi ef st umbl i ng bl ock of
al l revi val meet i ng workers. Thei r ent i re work i s t o
get men and women t o reach a deci si on i n t hei r own
mi nds t o accept a gi ven rel igi ous t enet . Bi l l y Sunday
once sai d, Indeci si on i s t he devi l ' s favori t e t ool .

Andrew Carnegi e vi sual i zed a great st eel
i ndust ry, but t hat i ndust ry woul d not be what i t i s
t oday had he not reached a deci si on i n hi s own mi nd
t o t ransform hi s vi si on i nt o real i t y.
James J. Hi l l saw, i n hi s mi nds eye, a great
t ranscont i nent al rai l way syst em, but t hat rai l road
never woul d have become a real i t y had he not reached
a deci si on t o st art t he proj ect .
Imagi nat i on, al one, i s not enough t o i nsure
success.
Mi l l i ons of peopl e have i magi nat i on and bui l d
pl ans t hat woul d easi l y bri ng t hem bot h fame and
fort une, but t hose pl ans never reach t he DECISION
st age.
Samuel Inst i l was an ordi nary st enographer, i n
t he empl oy of Thomas A. Edi son. Through t he ai d of
hi s i magi nat i on he saw t he great commerci al
possi bi l i t i es of el ect ri ci t y. But , he di d more t han see
- 63 -
t he possi bi l i t i es - he reached a deci si on t o t ransform
t he mere possi bi l i t i es i nt o real i t i es, and t oday he i s a
mul t i mi l l i onai re el ect ri c l i ght pl ant operat or.
Demost henes was a poor Greek l ad who had a
st rong desi re t o be a great publ i c speaker. Not hi ng
unusual about t hat ; ot hers have desi red t hi s and
si mi l ar abi l i t y wi t hout l i vi ng t o see t hei r desi res
real i zed. But , Demost henes added DECISION t o
DESIRE, and, despi t e t he fact t hat he was a st ammerer
he mast ered t hi s handi cap and made hi msel f one of t he
great orat ors of t he worl d.
Mart i n W. Li t t l et on was a poor l ad who never saw
t he i nsi de of a school house unt i l he was past t wel ve
years of age. Hi s fat her t ook hi m t o hear a great
l awyer defend a murderer, i n one of t he sout hern
ci t i es. The speech made such a profound i mpressi on
on t he l ads mi nd t hat he grabbed hi s fat her by t he
hand and sai d, Fat her, one of t hese days I am goi ng
t o become t he abl est l awyer i n Ameri ca.
That was a DEFINITE DECISION!
Today Mart i n W. Li t t l et on accept s no fee under
$50, 000. 00, and i t i s sai d t hat he i s kept busy al l t he
t i me. He became an abl e l awyer because be reached a
DECISION t o do so.
Edwi n C. Barnes reached a DECISION i n hi s own
mi nd t o become t he part ner of Thomas A. Edi son.
Handi capped by l ack of school i ng, wi t hout money t o
pay hi s rai l road fare, and wi t h no i nfl uent i al fri ends t o
i nt roduce hi m t o Mr. Edi son, young Barnes made hi s
way t o East Orange on a frei ght car and so t horoughl y
sol d hi msel f t o Mr. Edi son t hat he got hi s opport uni t y
whi ch l ed t o a part nershi p. Today, j ust t went y years
si nce t hat deci si on was reached, Mr. Barnes l i ves at
- 64 -
Bradent on, Fl ori da, ret i red, wi t h al l t he money he
needs.
Men of deci si on usual l y get al l t hat t hey go aft er!

Wel l wi t hi n t he memory of t hi s wri t er a l i t t l e
group of men met at West ervi l l e, Ohi o, and organi zed
what t hey cal l ed t he Ant i -Sal oon League. Sal oon men
t reat ed t hem as a j oke. Peopl e, general l y, made fun of
t hem. But , t hey had reached a deci si on.
That deci si on was so pronounced t hat i t fi nal l y
drove t he powerful sal oon men i nt o t he corner.
Wi l l i am Wri gl ey, Jr. , reached a deci si on t o
devot e hi s ent i re busi ness career t o t he manufact ure
and sal e of a fi ve-cent package of chewi ng gum. He
has made t hat deci si on bri ng hi m fi nanci al ret urns
runni ng i nt o mi l l i ons of dol l ars a year.
Henry Ford reached a deci si on t o manufact ure and
sel l a popul ar pri ced aut omobi l e t hat woul d be wi t hi n
t he means of al l who wi shed t o own i t . That deci si on
has made Ford t he most powerful man on eart h and
brought t ravel opport uni t y t o mi l l i ons of peopl e.
Al l t hese men had t wo out st andi ng qual i t i es: A
DEFINITE PURPOSE and a fi rm DECISION t o
t ransform t hat purpose i nt o real i t y.

The man of DECISION get s t hat whi ch he goes
aft er, no mat t er how l ong i t t akes, or how di ffi cul t t he
t ask. An abl e sal esman want ed t o meet a Cl evel and
banker. The banker woul d not see hi m. One morni ng
t hi s sal esman wai t ed near t he banker' s house unt i l he
saw hi m get i nt o hi s aut omobi l e and st art down t own.
- 65 -
Wat chi ng hi s opport uni t y, t he sal esman drove hi s own
aut omobi l e i nt o t he bankers, causi ng sl i ght damage t o
t he aut omobi l e. Al i ght i ng from hi s own car, he handed
t he banker hi s card, expressed regret on account of t he
damage done, but promi sed t he banker a new car
exact l y l i ke t he one t hat had been damaged. That
aft ernoon a new car was del i vered t o t he banker, and
out of t hat t ransact i on grew a fri endshi p t hat
t ermi nat ed, fi nal l y, i n a busi ness part nershi p whi ch
st i l l exi st s.
The man of DECISION cannot be st opped!
The man of INDECISION cannot be st art ed! Take
your own choi ce.

Behi nd hi m l ay t he gray Azores,
Behi nd t he Gat es of Hercul es;
Before hi m not t he ghost s of shores;
Before hi m onl y shorel ess seas.
The good mat e sai d: Now must we pray,
For l o! t he very st ars are gone.
Brave Admrl , speak; what shal l I say?
Why, say: Sai l on and on!

When Col umbus began hi s famous voyage he
made one of t he most far-reachi ng DECISIONS i n t he
hi st ory of manki nd. Had he not remai ned fi rm on t hat
deci si on t he freedom of Ameri ca, as we know i t t oday,
woul d never have been known.
Take not i ce of t hose about you and observe t hi s
si gni fi cant fact - THAT THE SUCCESSFUL MEN
AND WOMEN ARE THOSE WHO REACH
DECISIONS QUICKLY AND THEN STAND FIRMLY
BY THOSE DECISIONS AFTER THEY ARE MADE.
- 66 -
- 67 -
If you are one of t hose who make up t hei r mi nds
t oday and change t hem agai n t omorrow you are
doomed t o fai l ure. If you are not sure whi ch way t o
move i t i s bet t er t o shut your eyes and move i n t he
dark t han t o remai n st i l l and make no move at al l .
The worl d wi l l forgi ve you i f you make mi st akes,
but i t wi l l never forgi ve you i f you make no
DECISIONS, because i t wi l l never hear of you out si de
of t he communi t y i n whi ch you l i ve.
No mat t er who you are or what may be your
l i fework, you are pl ayi ng checkers wi t h TIME! It i s
al ways your next move. Move wi t h qui ck DECISION
and Ti me wi l l favor you. St and st i l l and Ti me wi l l
wi pe you off t he board.
You cannot al ways make t he ri ght move, but , i f
you make enough moves you may t ake advant age of
t he l aw of averages and pi l e up a credi t abl e score
before t he great game of LIFE i s ended.