Yawn and Grow Rich Course
By Paul Adams – The Yawn Guy
SECTION 15: HOW TO OUTWIT THE SIX GHOSTS OF FEAR
- Text in black (after legend) = original text of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- Text in blue = paragraph numbers and course instructions to you, the student
- DEMO = draw out pictures of real-life situations on paper using stick figures for you, your partner, your boss etc. Demos will help considerably with your understanding. Do not use a lot of words in the demo. Demo the ideas as they apply to your own life. You can also do demos at your discretion to help with any "non-demo" paragraph too. If you are feeling "light-headed" from too much theory, do lots of real-life demos until the light-headedness goes away.
- PRACTICAL = an assignment for you to do now before continuing to read further in the text. Sometimes it will be something for you to do later in the day, or a continuing action, and if so this will be stated.
- Text in green = explanation, not written by Napoleon Hill
- Mark the radio buttons ( | ) honestly as you do each paragraph. Note that these buttons will clear when you close your browser. It is not a good idea to leave lots of "Hmmm"s behind you. (That doesn't mean close your browser often!)
- Look up any word or phrase you don't understand when you first encounter it. This is important—don't guess or slide by without getting it. Use it in sentences of your own until you fully get it. This might take a few or it might take ten or more sentences.
- If you really can't understand a paragraph and it does seems like you understand every word, click on the "Didn't get it" link at the end of that paragraph. Follow the instructions you find there. This is different to a "negative reaction". "Didn't get it" means you have gone foggy or blank and didn't understand the paragraph, either the whole of it or some part of it.
- If you understood the paragraph, but have a negative reaction to the text, first make sure you understand the words the author is using, and the idea he is trying to put across. In other words, make sure your reaction is to what the author is saying, not to what you misunderstand him to be saying. If the reaction persists, click on the "Negative reaction" link and follow the instructions there. An example of a negative reaction would be "Oh! I'll never be able to do that!"
CHAPTER 15: HOW TO OUTWIT THE SIX GHOSTS OF FEAR
15.1 DEMO: BEFORE you can put
any portion of this philosophy into successful use, your mind must be
prepared to receive it. The preparation is not difficult. It begins with
study, analysis, and understanding of three enemies which you shall
have to clear out. These are INDECISION, DOUBT, and FEAR!
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.2 DEMO: The Sixth Sense will
never function while these three negatives, or any of them remain in
your mind. The members of this unholy trio are closely related; where
one is found, the other two are close at hand.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.3 DEMO: INDECISION is the
seedling of FEAR! Remember this, as you read. Indecision crystalizes
into DOUBT, the two blend and become FEAR! The "blending" process often
is slow. This is one reason why these three enemies are so dangerous.
They germinate and grow without their presence being observed.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.4 The remainder of this
chapter describes an end which must be attained before the philosophy,
as a whole, can be put into practical use. It also analyzes a condition
which has, but lately, reduced huge numbers of people to poverty, and it
states a truth which must be understood by all who accumulate riches,
whether measured in terms of money or a state of mind of far greater
value than money.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.5 DEMO AND PRACTICAL: The
purpose of this chapter is to turn the spotlight of attention upon the
cause and the cure of the six basic fears. Before we can master an
enemy, we must know its name, its habits, and its place of abode. As you
read, analyze yourself carefully, and determine which, if any, of the
six common fears have attached themselves to you.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.6 DEMO: Do not be deceived by
the habits of these subtle enemies. Sometimes they remain hidden in the
subconscious mind, where they are difficult to locate, and still more
difficult to eliminate.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
THE SIX BASIC FEARS
15.7 There are six basic fears,
with some combination of which every human suffers at one time or
another. Most people are fortunate if they do not suffer from the entire
six. Named in the order of their most common appearance, they are:—
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
|
15.8 DEMO: |
||
|
The fear of CRITICISM ) of most of |
||
|
The fear of ILL HEALTH ) one's worries
|
||
|
15.9 DEMO: The fear of LOSS OF LOVE OF SOMEONE |
||
|
15.10 DEMO: The fear of OLD AGE |
||
|
15.11 DEMO: The fear of DEATH |
||
15.12 All other fears are of minor importance, they can be grouped under these six headings.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.13 The prevalence of these
fears, as a curse to the world, runs in cycles. For almost six years,
while the depression was on, we floundered in the cycle of FEAR OF
POVERTY. During the world-war, we were in the cycle of FEAR OF DEATH.
Just following the war, we were in the cycle of FEAR OF ILL HEALTH, as
evidenced by the epidemic of disease which spread itself all over the
world.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.14 DEMO: Fears are nothing more than states of mind.
One's state of mind is subject to control and direction. Physicians, as
everyone knows, are less subject to attack by disease than ordinary
laymen, for the reason that physicians DO NOT FEAR DISEASE. Physicians,
without fear or hesitation, have been known to physically contact
hundreds of people, daily, who were suffering from such contagious
diseases as small-pox, without becoming infected. Their immunity against
the disease consisted, largely, if not solely, in their absolute lack
of FEAR.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.15 DEMO: Man can create
nothing which he does not first conceive in the form of an impulse of
thought. Following this statement, comes another of still greater
importance, namely, MAN'S THOUGHT IMPULSES BEGIN IMMEDIATELY TO
TRANSLATE THEMSELVES INTO THEIR PHYSICAL EQUIVALENT, WHETHER THOSE
THOUGHTS ARE VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY. Thought impulses which are picked
up through the ether, by mere chance (thoughts which have been released
by other minds) may determine one's financial, business, professional,
or social destiny just as surely as do the thought impulses which one
creates by intent and design.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.16 DEMO: We are here laying
the foundation for the presentation of a fact of great importance to the
person who does not understand why some people appear to be "lucky"
while others of equal or greater ability, training, experience, and
brain capacity, seem destined to ride with misfortune. This fact may be
explained by the statement that every human being has the ability to completely control his own mind,
and with this control, obviously, every person may open his mind to the
tramp thought impulses which are being released by other brains, or
close the doors tightly and admit only thought impulses of his own
choice.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.17 Nature has endowed man
with absolute control over but one thing, and that is THOUGHT. This
fact, coupled with the additional fact that everything which man
creates, begins in the form of a thought, leads one very near to the
principle by which FEAR may be mastered.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.18 DEMO: If it is true that
ALL THOUGHT HAS A TENDENCY TO CLOTHE ITSELF IN ITS PHYSICAL EQUIVALENT
(and this is true, beyond any reasonable room for doubt), it is equally
true that thought impulses of fear and poverty cannot be translated into
terms of courage and financial gain.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.19 The people of America
began to think of poverty, following the Wall Street crash of 1929.
Slowly, but surely that mass thought was crystalized into its physical
equivalent, which was known as a "depression." This had to happen, it is
in conformity with the laws of Nature.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
THE FEAR OF POVERTY
15.20 There can be no compromise
between POVERTY and RICHES! The two roads that lead to poverty and
riches travel in opposite directions. If you want riches, you must
refuse to accept any circumstance that leads toward poverty. (The word
"riches" is here used in its broadest sense, meaning financial,
spiritual, mental and material estates). The starting point of the path
that leads to riches is DESIRE. In chapter one, you received full
instructions for the proper use of DESIRE. In this chapter, on FEAR, you
have complete instructions for preparing your mind to make practical
use of DESIRE.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.21 Here, then, is the place
to give yourself a challenge which will definitely determine how much of
this philosophy you have absorbed. Here is the point at which you can
turn prophet and foretell, accurately, what the future holds in store
for you. If, after reading this chapter, you are willing to accept
poverty, you may as well make up your mind to receive poverty. This is
one decision you cannot avoid.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.22 DEMO: If you demand
riches, determine what form, and how much will be required to satisfy
you. You know the road that leads to riches. You have been given a road
map which, if followed, will keep you on that road. If you neglect to
make the start, or stop before you arrive, no one will be to blame, but
YOU. This responsibility is yours. No alibi will save you from accepting
the responsibility if you now fail or refuse to demand riches of Life,
because the acceptance calls for but one thing—incidentally, the only
thing you can control—and that is a STATE OF MIND. A state of mind is
something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.23 Fear of poverty is a state
of mind, nothing else! But it is sufficient to destroy one's chances of
achievement in any undertaking, a truth which became painfully evident
during the depression.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.24 This fear paralyzes the
faculty of reason, destroys the faculty of imagination, kills off
self-reliance, undermines enthusiasm, discourages initiative, leads to
uncertainty of purpose, encourages procrastination, wipes out enthusiasm
and makes self-control an impossibility. It takes the charm from one's
personality, destroys the possibility of accurate thinking, diverts
concentration of effort, it masters persistence, turns the will-power
into nothingness, destroys ambition, beclouds the memory and invites
failure in every conceivable form; it kills love and assassinates the
finer emotions of the heart, discourages friendship and invites disaster
in a hundred forms, leads to sleeplessness, misery and unhappiness—and
all this despite the obvious truth that we live in a world of
over-abundance of everything the heart could desire, with nothing
standing between us and our desires, excepting lack of a definite
purpose.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.25 DEMO: The Fear of Poverty
is, without doubt, the most destructive of the six basic fears. It has
been placed at the head of the list, because it is the most difficult to
master. Considerable courage is required to state the truth about the
origin of this fear, and still greater courage to accept the truth after
it has been stated. The fear of poverty grew out of man's inherited
tendency to PREY UPON HIS FELLOW-MAN ECONOMICALLY. Nearly all animals
lower than man are motivated by instinct, but their capacity to "think"
is limited, therefore, they prey upon one another physically. Man, with
his superior sense of intuition, with the capacity to think and to
reason, does not eat his fellowman bodily, he gets more satisfaction out
of "eating" him FINANCIALLY. Man is so avaricious that every
conceivable law has been passed to safeguard him from his fellowman.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.26 Of all the ages of the
world, of which we know anything, the age in which we live seems to be
one that is outstanding because of man's money-madness. A man is
considered less than the dust of the earth, unless he can display a fat
bank account; but if he has money—NEVER MIND HOW HE ACQUIRED IT—he is a
"king" or a "big shot"; he is above the law, he rules in politics, he
dominates in business, and the whole world about him bows in respect
when he passes.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.27 Nothing brings man so much
suffering and humility as POVERTY! Only those who have experienced
poverty understand the full meaning of this.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.28 It is no wonder that man fears
poverty. Through a long line of inherited experiences man has learned,
for sure, that some men cannot be trusted, where matters of money and
earthly possessions are concerned. This is a rather stinging indictment,
the worst part of it being that it is TRUE.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.29 The majority of marriages
are motivated by the wealth possessed by one, or both of the contracting
parties. It is no wonder, therefore, that the divorce courts are busy.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.30 So eager is man to possess
wealth that he will acquire it in whatever manner he can—through legal
methods if possible—through other methods if necessary or expedient.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.31 Self-analysis may disclose
weaknesses which one does not like to acknowledge. This form of
examination is essential to all who demand of Life more than mediocrity
and poverty. Remember, as you check yourself point by point, that you
are both the court and the jury, the prosecuting attorney and the
attorney for the defense, and that you are the plaintiff and the
defendant, also, that you are on trial. Face the facts squarely. Ask
yourself definite questions and demand direct replies. When the
examination is over, you will know more about yourself. If you do not
feel that you can be an impartial judge in this self-examination, call
upon someone who knows you well to serve as judge while you
cross-examine yourself. You are after the truth. Get it, no matter at what cost even, though it may temporarily embarrass you!
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.32 DEMO AND PRACTICAL: The
majority of people, if asked what they fear most, would reply, "I fear
nothing." The reply would be inaccurate, because few people realize that
they are bound, handicapped, whipped spiritually and physically through
some form of fear. So subtle and deeply seated is the emotion of fear
that one may go through life burdened with it, never recognizing its
presence. Only a courageous analysis will disclose the presence of this
universal enemy. When you begin such an analysis, search deeply into
your character. Here is a list of the symptoms for which you should
look:
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR OF POVERTY
|
15.33 DEMO: INDIFFERENCE. |
Commonly expressed through lack of ambition; willingness to
tolerate poverty; acceptance of whatever compensation life may offer
without protest; mental and physical laziness; lack of initiative,
imagination, enthusiasm and self-control |
|
15.34 DEMO: INDECISION. |
The habit of permitting others to do one's thinking. Staying "on the fence." |
|
15.35 DEMO: DOUBT. |
Generally expressed through alibis and excuses designed to cover
up, explain away, or apologize for one's failures, sometimes expressed
in the form of envy of those who are successful, or by criticising
them. |
|
15.36 DEMO: WORRY. |
Usually expressed by finding fault with others, a tendency to spend
beyond one's income, neglect of personal appearance, scowling and
frowning; intemperance in the use of alcoholic drink, sometimes
through the use of narcotics; nervousness, lack of poise,
self-consciousness and lack of self-reliance. |
|
15.37 DEMO: OVER-CAUTION. |
The habit of looking for the negative side of every circumstance,
thinking and talking of possible failure instead of concentrating upon
the means of succeeding. Knowing all the roads to disaster, but never
searching for the plans to avoid failure. Waiting for "the right
time" to begin putting ideas and plans into action, until the waiting
becomes a permanent habit. Remembering those who have failed, and
forgetting those who have succeeded. Seeing the hole in the doughnut,
but overlooking the doughnut. Pessimism, leading to indigestion, poor
elimination, autointoxication, bad breath and bad disposition. |
|
15.38 DEMO: PROCRASTINATION. |
The habit of putting off until tomorrow that which should have been
done last year. Spending enough time in creating alibis and excuses
to have done the job. This symptom is closely related to over-caution,
doubt and worry. Refusal to accept responsibility when it can be
avoided. Willingness to compromise rather than put up a stiff fight.
Compromising with difficulties instead of harnessing and using them as
stepping stones to advancement. Bargaining with Life for a penny,
instead of demanding prosperity, opulence, riches, contentment and
happiness. Planning what to do IF AND WHEN OVERTAKEN BY FAILURE,
INSTEAD OF BURNING ALL BRIDGES AND MAKING RETREAT IMPOSSIBLE. Weakness
of, and often total lack of self-confidence, definiteness of purpose,
self-control, initiative, enthusiasm, ambition, thrift and sound
reasoning ability. EXPECTING POVERTY INSTEAD OF DEMANDING RICHES.
Association with those who accept poverty instead of seeking the
company of those who demand and receive riches. |
MONEY TALKS!
15.39 Some will ask, "why did
you write a book about money? Why measure riches in dollars, alone?"
Some will believe, and rightly so, that there are other forms of riches
more desirable than money. Yes, there are riches which cannot be
measured in terms of dollars, but there are millions of people who will
say, "Give me all the money I need, and I will find everything else I
want."
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.40 The major reason why I
wrote this book on how to get money is the fact that the world has but
lately passed through an experience that left millions of men and women
paralyzed with the FEAR OF POVERTY. What this sort of fear does to one
was well described by Westbrook Pegler, in the New York World-Telegram,
viz:
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.41 "Money is only clam shells
or metal discs or scraps of paper, and there are treasures of the heart
and soul which money cannot buy, but most people, being broke, are
unable to keep this in mind and sustain their spirits. When a man is
down and out and on the street, unable to get any job at all, something
happens to his spirit which can be observed in the droop of his
shoulders, the set of his hat, his walk and his gaze. He cannot escape a
feeling of inferiority among people with regular employment, even
though he knows they are definitely not his equals in character,
intelligence or ability.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.42 "These people—even his
friends—feel, on the other hand, a sense of superiority and regard him,
perhaps unconsciously, as a casualty. He may borrow for a time, but not
enough to carry on in his accustomed way, and he cannot continue to
borrow very long. But borrowing in itself, when a man is borrowing
merely to live, is a depressing experience, and the money lacks the
power of earned money to revive his spirits. Of course, none of this
applies to bums or habitual ne’er-do-wells, but only to men of normal
ambitions and self-respect.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
"WOMEN CONCEAL DESPAIR.
15.43 "Women in the same
predicament must be different. We somehow do not think of women at all
in considering the down-and-outers. They are scarce in the breadlines,
they rarely are seen begging on the streets, and they are not
recognizable in crowds by the same plain signs which identify busted
men. Of course, I do not mean the shuffling hags of the city streets who
are the opposite number of the confirmed male bums. I mean reasonably
young, decent and intelligent women. There must be many of them, but
their despair is not apparent. Maybe they kill themselves.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.44 "When a man is down and
out he has time on his hands for brooding. He may travel miles to see a
man about a job and discover that the job is filled or that it is one of
those jobs with no base pay but only a commission on the sale of some
useless knickknack which nobody would buy, except out of pity. Turning
that down, he finds himself back on the street with nowhere to go but
just anywhere. So he walks and walks. He gazes into store windows at
luxuries which are not for him, and feels inferior and gives way to
people who stop to look with an active interest. He wanders into the
railroad station or puts himself down in the library to ease his legs
and soak up a little heat, but that isn't looking for a job, so he gets
going again. He may not know it, but his aimlessness would give him away
even if the very lines of his figure did not. He may be well dressed in
the clothes left over from the days when he had a steady job, but the
clothes cannot disguise the droop.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
"MONEY MAKES DIFFERENCE.
15.45 "He sees thousands of
other people, bookkeepers or clerks or chemists or wagon hands, busy at
their work and envies them from the bottom of his soul. They have their
independence, their self-respect and manhood, and he simply cannot
convince himself that he is a good man, too, though he argue it out and
arrive at a favorable verdict hour after hour.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.46 "It is just money which makes this difference in him. With a little money he would be himself again.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.47 "Some employers take the
most shocking advantage of people who are down and out. The agencies
hang out little colored cards offering miserable wages to busted
men—$12 a week, $15 a week. An $18 a week job is a plum, and anyone
with $25 a week to offer does not hang the job in front of an agency on a
colored card. I have a want ad clipped from a local paper demanding a
clerk, a good, clean penman, to take telephone orders for a sandwich
shop from 11 A.M. to 2 P.M. for $8 a month—not $8 a week but $8 a
month. The ad says also, 'State religion.' Can you imagine the brutal
effrontery of anyone who demands a good, clean penman for 11 cents an
hour inquiring into the victim's religion? But that is what busted
people are offered."
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
THE FEAR OF CRITICISM
15.48 Just how man originally
came by this fear, no one can state definitely, but one thing is
certain—he has it in a highly developed form. Some believe that this
fear made its appearance about the time that politics became a
"profession." Others believe it can be traced to the age when women
first began to concern themselves with "styles" in wearing apparel.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.49 This author, being neither
a humorist nor a prophet, is inclined to attribute the basic fear of
criticism to that part of man's inherited nature which prompts him not
only to take away his fellowman's goods and wares, but to justify his
action by CRITICISM of his fellowman's character. It is a well known
fact that a thief will criticise the man from whom he steals—that
politicians seek office, not by displaying their own virtues and
qualifications, but by attempting to besmirch their opponents.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.50 The fear of criticism
takes on many forms, the majority of which are petty and trivial.
Baldheaded men, for example, are bald for no other reason than their
fear of criticism. Heads become bald because of the tight fitting bands
of hats which cut off the circulation from the roots of the hair. Men
wear hats, not because they actually need them, but mainly because
"everyone is doing it." The individual falls into line and does
likewise, lest some other individual CRITICISE him. Women seldom have
bald heads, or even thin hair, because they wear hats which fit their
heads loosely, the only purpose of the hats being adornment.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.51 But, it must not be
supposed that women are free from the fear of criticism. If any woman
claims to be superior to man with reference to this fear, ask her to
walk down the street wearing a hat of the vintage of 1890.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.52 The astute manufacturers
of clothing have not been slow to capitalize this basic fear of
criticism, with which all mankind has been cursed. Every season the
styles in many articles of wearing apparel change. Who establishes the
styles? Certainly not the purchaser of clothing, but the manufacturer.
Why does he change the styles so often? The answer is obvious. He
changes the styles so he can sell more clothes.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.53 For the same reason the
manufacturers of automobiles (with a few rare and very sensible
exceptions) change styles of models every season. No man wants to drive
an automobile which is not of the latest style, although the older model
may actually be the better car.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.54 We have been describing
the manner in which people behave under the influence of fear of
criticism as applied to the small and petty things of life. Let us now
examine human behavior when this fear affects people in connection with
the more important events of human relationship. Take for example
practically any person who has reached the age of "mental maturity"
(from 35 to 40 years of age, as a general average), and if you could
read the secret thoughts of his mind, you would find a very decided
disbelief in most of the fables taught by the majority of the dogmatists
and theologians a few decades back.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.55 Not often, however, will
you find a person who has the courage to openly state his belief on this
subject. Most people will, if pressed far enough, tell a lie rather
than admit that they do not believe the stories associated with that
form of religion which held people in bondage prior to the age of
scientific discovery and education.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.56 Why does the average
person, even in this day of enlightenment, shy away from denying his
belief in the fables which were the basis of most of the religions a few
decades ago? The answer is, "because of the fear of criticism." Men and
women have been burned at the stake for daring to express disbelief in
ghosts. It is no wonder we have inherited a consciousness which makes us
fear criticism. The time was, and not so far in the past, when
criticism carried severe punishments—it still does in some countries.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.57 The fear of criticism robs
man of his initiative, destroys his power of imagination, limits his
individuality, takes away his self-reliance, and does him damage in a
hundred other ways. Parents often do their children irreparable injury
by criticising them. The mother of one of my boyhood chums used to
punish him with a switch almost daily, always completing the job with
the statement, "You'll land in the penitentiary before you are twenty."
He was sent to a Reformatory at the age of seventeen.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.58 Criticism is the one form
of service, of which everyone has too much. Everyone has a stock of it
which is handed out, gratis, whether called for or not. One's nearest
relatives often are the worst offenders. It should be recognized as a
crime (in reality it is a crime of the worst nature), for any parent to
build inferiority complexes in the mind of a child, through unnecessary
criticism. Employers who understand human nature, get the best there is
in men, not by criticism, but by constructive suggestion. Parents may
accomplish the same results with their children. Criticism will plant
FEAR in the human heart, or resentment, but it will not build love or
affection.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR OF CRITICISM
15.59 DEMO: This fear is
almost as universal as the fear of poverty, and its effects are just as
fatal to personal achievement, mainly because this fear destroys
initiative, and discourages the use of imagination. The major symptoms
of the fear are:
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
|
15.60 DEMO: SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS. |
Generally expressed through nervousness, timidity in conversation
and in meeting strangers, awkward movement of the hands and limbs,
shifting of the eyes. |
|
15.61 DEMO: LACK OF POISE. |
Expressed through lack of voice control, nervousness in the presence of others, poor posture of body, poor memory. |
|
15.62 DEMO: PERSONALITY. |
Lacking in firmness of decision, personal charm, and ability to
express opinions definitely. The habit of side-stepping issues instead
of meeting them squarely. Agreeing with others without careful
examination of their opinions. |
|
15.63 DEMO: INFERIORITY COMPLEX. |
The habit of expressing self-approval by word of mouth and by
actions, as a means of covering up a feeling of inferiority. Using
"big words" to impress others, (often without knowing the real meaning
of the words). Imitating others in dress, speech and manners.
Boasting of imaginary achievements. This sometimes gives a surface
appearance of a feeling of superiority. |
|
15.64 DEMO: EXTRAVAGANCE. |
The habit of trying to "keep up with the Joneses," spending beyond one's income. |
|
15.65 DEMO: LACK OF INITIATIVE. |
Failure to embrace opportunities for self-advancement, fear to
express opinions, lack of confidence in one's own ideas, giving
evasive answers to questions asked by superiors, hesitancy of manner
and speech, deceit in both words and deeds. |
|
15.66 DEMO: LACK OF AMBITION. |
Mental and physical laziness, lack of self-assertion, slowness in
reaching decisions, easily influenced by others, the habit of
criticising others behind their backs and flattering them to their
faces, the habit of accepting defeat without protest, quitting an
undertaking when opposed by others, suspicious of other people without
cause, lacking in tactfulness of manner and speech, unwillingness to
accept the blame for mistakes. |
THE FEAR OF ILL HEALTH
15.67 This fear may be traced to
both physical and social heredity. It is closely associated, as to its
origin, with the causes of fear of Old Age and the fear of Death,
because it leads one closely to the border of "terrible worlds" of which
man knows not, but concerning which he has been taught some
discomforting stories. The opinion is somewhat general, also, that
certain unethical people engaged in the business of "selling health"
have had not a little to do with keeping alive the fear of ill health.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.68 In the main, man fears ill
health because of the terrible pictures which have been planted in his
mind of what may happen if death should overtake him. He also fears it
because of the economic toll which it may claim.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.69 A reputable physician
estimated that 75% of all people who visit physicians for professional
service are suffering with hypochondria (imaginary illness). It has been
shown most convincingly that the fear of disease, even where there is
not the slightest cause for fear, often produces the physical symptoms
of the disease feared.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.70 Powerful and mighty is the human mind! It builds or it destroys.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.71 Playing upon this common
weakness of fear of ill health, dispensers of patent medicines have
reaped fortunes. This form of imposition upon credulous humanity became
so prevalent some twenty years ago that Colliers' Weekly Magazine
conducted a bitter campaign against some of the worst offenders in the
patent medicine business.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.72 During the "flu" epidemic
which broke out during the world war, the mayor of New York City took
drastic steps to check the damage which people were doing themselves
through their inherent fear of ill health. He called in the newspaper
men and said to them, "Gentlemen, I feel it necessary to ask you not to
publish any scare headlines concerning the 'flu' epidemic. Unless
you cooperate with me, we will have a situation which we cannot
control." The newspapers quit publishing stories about the "flu," and
within one month the epidemic had been successfully checked.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.73 Through a series of
experiments conducted some years ago, it was proved that people may be
made ill by suggestion. We conducted this experiment by causing three
acquaintances to visit the "victims," each of whom asked the question,
"What ails you? You look terribly ill." The first questioner usually
provoked a grin, and a nonchalant "Oh, nothing, I'm alright," from the
victim. The second questioner usually was answered with the statement,
"I don't know exactly, but I do feel badly." The third questioner was
usually met with the frank admission that the victim was actually
feeling ill.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.74 Try this on an
acquaintance if you doubt that it will make him uncomfortable, but do
not carry the experiment too far. There is a certain religious sect
whose members take vengeance upon their enemies by the "hexing" method.
They call it "placing a spell" on the victim.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.75 DEMO: There is
overwhelming evidence that disease sometimes begins in the form of
negative thought impulse. Such an impulse may be passed from one mind to
another, by suggestion, or created by an individual in his own mind.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.76 A man who was blessed with
more wisdom than this incident might indicate, once said "When anyone
asks me how I feel, I always want to answer by knocking him down."
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.77 Doctors send patients into
new climates for their health, because a change of "mental attitude" is
necessary. The seed of fear of ill health lives in every human mind.
Worry, fear, discouragement, disappointment in love and business
affairs, cause this seed to germinate and grow. The recent business
depression kept the doctors on the run, because every form of negative
thinking may cause ill health.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.78 Disappointments in
business and in love stand at the head of the list of causes of fear of
ill health. A young man suffered a disappointment in love which sent him
to a hospital. For months he hovered between life and death. A
specialist in suggestive therapeutics was called in. The specialist
changed nurses, placing him in charge of a very charming young woman
who began (by pre-arrangement with the doctor) to make love to him the
first day of her arrival on the job. Within three weeks the patient was
discharged from the hospital, still suffering, but with an entirely
different malady. HE WAS IN LOVE AGAIN. The remedy was a hoax, but the
patient and the nurse were later married. Both are in good health at the
time of this writing.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR OF ILL HEALTH
15.79 The symptoms of this almost universal fear are:
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
|
15.80 DEMO: AUTO-SUGGESTION. |
The habit of negative use of self-suggestion by looking for, and
expecting to find the symptoms of all kinds of disease. "Enjoying"
imaginary illness and speaking of it as being real. The habit of
trying all "fads" and "isms" recommended by others as having
therapeutic value. Talking to others of operations, accidents and
other forms of illness. Experimenting with diets, physical exercises,
reducing systems, without professional guidance. Trying home remedies,
patent medicines and "quack" remedies. |
|
15.81 DEMO: HYPOCHONDRIA. |
The habit of talking of illness, concentrating the mind upon
disease, and expecting its appearance until a nervous break occurs.
Nothing that comes in bottles can cure this condition. It is brought
on by negative thinking and nothing but positive thought can affect a
cure. Hypochondria, (a medical term for imaginary disease) is said to
do as much damage on occasion, as the disease one fears might do. Most
so-called cases of "nerves" come from imaginary illness. |
|
15.82 DEMO: EXERCISE. |
Fear of ill health often interferes with proper physical exercise,
and results in over-weight, by causing one to avoid outdoor life. |
|
15.83 DEMO: SUSCEPTIBILITY. |
Fear of ill health breaks down Nature's body resistance, and
creates a favorable condition for any form of disease one may contact.
The fear of ill health often is related to the fear of Poverty,
especially in the case of the hypochondriac, who constantly worries
about the possibility of having to pay doctor's bills, hospital bills,
etc. This type of person spends much time preparing for sickness,
talking about death, saving money for cemetery lots, and burial
expenses, etc. |
|
15.84 DEMO: SELF-CODDLING. |
The habit of making a bid for sympathy, using imaginary illness as
the lure. (People often resort to this trick to avoid work). The habit
of feigning illness to cover plain laziness, or to serve as an alibi
for lack of ambition. |
|
15.85 DEMO: INTEMPERANCE. |
The habit of using alcohol or narcotics to destroy pains such as
headaches, neuralgia, etc., instead of eliminating the cause. |
|
15.86 DEMO: |
The habit of reading about illness and worrying over the
possibility of being stricken by it. The habit of reading patent
medicine advertisements. |
THE FEAR OF LOSS OF LOVE
15.87 The original source of
this inherent fear needs but little description, because it obviously
grew out of man's polygamous habit of stealing his fellowman's mate, and
his habit of taking liberties with her whenever he could.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.88 Jealousy, and other
similar forms of dementia praecox grow out of man's inherited fear of
the loss of love of someone. This fear is the most painful of all the
six basic fears. It probably plays more havoc with the body and mind
than any of the other basic fears, as it often leads to permanent
insanity.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.89 The fear of the loss of
love probably dates back to the stone age, when men stole women by brute
force. They continue to steal females, but their technique has changed.
Instead of force, they now use persuasion, the promise of pretty
clothes, motor cars, and other "bait" much more effective than physical
force. Man's habits are the same as they were at the dawn of
civilization, but he expresses them differently.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.90 Careful analysis has shown
that women are more susceptible to this fear than men. This fact is
easily explained. Women have learned, from experience, that men are
polygamous by nature, that they are not to be trusted in the hands of
rivals.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR OF LOSS OF LOVE
15.91 The distinguishing symptoms of this fear are:—
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
|
15.92 DEMO: JEALOUSY. |
The habit of being suspicious of friends and loved ones without any
reasonable evidence of sufficient grounds. (Jealousy is a form of
dementia praecox which sometimes becomes violent without the slightest
cause). The habit of accusing wife or husband of infidelity without
grounds. General suspicion of everyone, absolute faith in no one. |
|
15.93 DEMO: FAULT FINDING. |
The habit of finding fault with friends, relatives, business
associates and loved ones upon the slightest provocation, or without
any cause whatsoever. |
|
15.94 DEMO: GAMBLING. |
The habit of gambling, stealing, cheating, and otherwise taking
hazardous chances to provide money for loved ones, with the belief
that love can be bought. The habit of spending beyond one's means, or
incurring debts, to provide gifts for loved ones, with the object of
making a favorable showing. Insomnia, nervousness, lack of
persistence, weakness of will, lack of self-control, lack of
self-reliance, bad temper. |
THE FEAR OF OLD AGE
15.95 In the main, this fear
grows out of two sources. First, the thought that old age may bring with
it POVERTY. Secondly, and by far the most common source of origin, from
false and cruel teachings of the past which have been too well mixed
with "fire and brimstone," and other bogies cunningly designed to
enslave man through fear.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.96 In the basic fear of old
age, man has two very sound reasons for his apprehension–one growing out
of his distrust of his fellowman, who may seize whatever worldly goods
he may possess, and the other arising from the terrible pictures of the
world beyond, which were planted in his mind, through social heredity
before he came into full possession of his mind.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.97 The possibility of ill
health, which is more common as people grow older, is also a
contributing cause of this common fear of old age. Eroticism also enters
into the cause of the fear of old age, as no man cherishes the thought
of diminishing sex attraction.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.98 The most common cause of
fear of old age is associated with the possibility of poverty.
"Poorhouse" is not a pretty word. It throws a chill into the mind of
every person who faces the possibility of having to spend his declining
years on a poor farm.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.99 Another contributing cause
of the fear of old age, is the possibility of loss of freedom and
independence, as old age may bring with it the loss of both physical and
economic freedom.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR OF OLD AGE
15.100 The commonest symptoms of this fear are:
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
|
15.101 DEMO: |
The tendency to slow down and develop an inferiority complex at the
age of mental maturity, around the age of forty, falsely believing
one's self to be "slipping" because of age. (The truth is that man's
most useful years, mentally and spiritually, are those between forty
and sixty) . |
|
15.102 DEMO: |
The habit of speaking apologetically of one's self as "being old"
merely because one has reached the age of forty, or fifty, instead of
reversing the rule and expressing gratitude for having reached the age
of wisdom and understanding. |
|
15.103 DEMO: |
The habit of killing off initiative, imagination, and self-reliance
by falsely believing one's self too old to exercise these qualities.
The habit of the man or woman of forty dressing with the aim of trying
to appear much younger, and affecting mannerisms of youth; thereby
inspiring ridicule by both friends and strangers. |
THE FEAR OF DEATH
15.104 To some this is the
cruelest of all the basic fears. The reason is obvious. The terrible
pangs of fear associated with the thought of death, in the majority of
cases, may be charged directly to religious fanaticism. So-called
"heathen" are less afraid of death than the more "civilized." For
hundreds of millions of years man has been asking the still unanswered
questions, "whence" and "whither." Where did I come from, and where am I
going?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.105 During the darker ages of
the past, the more cunning and crafty were not slow to offer the answer
to these questions, FOR A PRICE. Witness, now, the major source of
origin of the FEAR OF DEATH.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.106 "Come into my tent,
embrace my faith, accept my dogmas, and I will give you a ticket that
will admit you straightaway into heaven when you die," cries a leader of
sectarianism. "Remain out of my tent," says the same leader, "and may
the devil take you and burn you throughout eternity."
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.107 ETERNITY is a long time.
FIRE is a terrible thing. The thought of eternal punishment, with fire,
not only causes man to fear death, it often causes him to lose his
reason. It destroys interest in life and makes happiness impossible.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.108 During my research, I reviewed a book entitled "A Catalogue of the Gods," in which were listed the 30,000
gods which man has worshiped. Think of it! Thirty thousand of them,
represented by everything from a crawfish to a man. It is little wonder
that men have become frightened at the approach of death.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.109 While the religious
leader may not be able to provide safe conduct into heaven, nor, by lack
of such provision, allow the unfortunate to descend into hell, the
possibility of the latter seems so terrible that the very thought of it
lays hold of the imagination in such a realistic way that it paralyzes
reason, and sets up the fear of death.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.110 DEMO: In truth, NO MAN
KNOWS, and no man has ever known, what heaven or hell is like, nor does
any man know if either place actually exists. This very lack of positive
knowledge opens the door of the human mind to the charlatan so he may
enter and control that mind with his stock of legerdemain and various
brands of pious fraud and trickery.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.111 The fear of DEATH is not
as common now as it was during the age when there were no great colleges
and universities. Men of science have turned the spotlight of truth
upon the world, and this truth is rapidly freeing men and women from
this terrible fear of DEATH. The young men and young women who attend
the colleges and universities are not easily impressed by "fire" and
"brimstone." Through the aid of biology, astronomy, geology, and other
related sciences, the fears of the dark ages which gripped the minds of
men and destroyed their reason have been dispelled.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.112 Insane asylums are filled with men and women who have gone mad, because of the FEAR OF DEATH.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.113 DEMO: This fear is
useless. Death will come, no matter what anyone may think about it.
Accept it as a necessity, and pass the thought out of your mind. It must
be a necessity, or it would not come to all. Perhaps it is not as bad
as it has been pictured.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.114 The entire world is made
up of only two things, ENERGY and MATTER. In elementary physics we learn
that neither matter nor energy (the only two realities known to man)
can be created nor destroyed. Both matter and energy can be transformed,
but neither can be destroyed.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.115 DEMO: Life is energy, if
it is anything. If neither energy nor matter can be destroyed, of course
life cannot be destroyed. Life, like other forms of energy, may be
passed through various processes of transition, or change, but it cannot
be destroyed. Death is mere transition.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.116 DEMO: If death is not
mere change, or transition, then nothing comes after death except a
long, eternal, peaceful sleep, and sleep is nothing to be feared. Thus
you may wipe out, forever, the fear of Death.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR OF DEATH
15.117 The general symptoms of this fear are:
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
|
15.118 DEMO: |
The habit of THINKING about dying instead of making the most of
LIFE, due, generally, to lack of purpose, or lack of a suitable
occupation. This fear is more prevalent among the aged, but sometimes
the more youthful are victims of it. The greatest of all remedies for
the fear of death is a BURNING DESIRE FOR ACHIEVEMENT, backed by
useful service to others. A busy person seldom has time to think about
dying. He finds life too thrilling to worry about death. Sometimes
the fear of death is closely associated with the Fear of Poverty,
where one's death would leave loved ones poverty-stricken. In other
cases, the fear of death is caused by illness and the consequent
breaking down of physical body resistance. The commonest causes of the
fear of death are: ill-health, poverty, lack of appropriate
occupation, disappointment over love, insanity, religious fanaticism. |
OLD MAN WORRY
15.119 Worry is a state of mind
based upon fear. It works slowly, but persistently. It is insidious and
subtle. Step by step it "digs itself in" until it paralyzes one's
reasoning faculty, destroys self-confidence and initiative. Worry is a
form of sustained fear caused by indecision therefore it is a state of
mind which can be controlled.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.120 An unsettled mind is
helpless. Indecision makes an unsettled mind. Most individuals lack the
willpower to reach decisions promptly, and to stand by them after they
have been made, even during normal business conditions. During periods
of economic unrest (such as the world recently experienced), the
individual is handicapped, not alone by his inherent nature to be slow
at reaching decisions, but he is influenced by the indecision of others
around him who have created a state of "mass indecision."
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.121 During the depression the
whole atmosphere, all over the world, was filled with "Fearenza" and
"Worryitis," the two mental disease germs which began to spread
themselves after the Wall Street frenzy in 1929. There is only one known
antidote for these germs; it is the habit of prompt and firm DECISION.
Moreover, it is an antidote which every individual must apply for
himself.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.122 We do not worry over
conditions, once we have reached a decision to follow a definite line of
action. I once interviewed a man who was to be electrocuted two hours
later. The condemned man was the calmest of some eight men who were in
the death-cell with him. His calmness prompted me to ask him how it felt
to know that he was going into eternity in a short while. With a smile
of confidence on his face, he said, "It feels fine. Just think, brother,
my troubles will soon be over. I have had nothing but trouble all my
life. It has been a hardship to get food and clothing. Soon I will not
need these things. I have felt fine ever since I learned FOR CERTAIN
that I must die. I made up my mind then, to accept my fate in good
spirit."
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.123 As he spoke he devoured a
dinner of proportions sufficient for three men, eating every mouthful
of the food brought to him, and apparently enjoying it as much as if no
disaster awaited him. DECISION gave this man resignation to his fate!
Decision can also prevent one's acceptance of undesired circumstances.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.124 DEMO AND PRACTICAL: The
six basic fears become translated into a state of worry, through
indecision. Relieve yourself, forever of the fear of death, by reaching a
decision to accept death as an inescapable event. Whip the fear of
poverty by reaching a decision to get along with whatever wealth you can
accumulate WITHOUT WORRY. Put your foot upon the neck of the fear of
criticism by reaching a decision NOT TO WORRY about what other people
think, do, or say. Eliminate the fear of old age by reaching a decision
to accept it, not as a handicap, but as a great blessing which carries
with it wisdom, self-control, and understanding not known to youth.
Acquit yourself of the fear of ill health by the decision to forget
symptoms. Master the fear of loss of love by reaching a decision to get
along without love, if that is necessary.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.125 DEMO AND PRACTICAL: Kill
the habit of worry, in all its forms, by reaching a general, blanket
decision that nothing which life has to offer is worth the price of
worry. With this decision will come poise, peace of mind, and calmness
of thought which will bring happiness.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.126 A man whose mind is
filled with fear not only destroys his own chances of intelligent
action, but, he transmits these destructive vibrations to the minds of
all who come into contact with him, and destroys, also their chances.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.127 Even a dog or a horse
knows when its master lacks courage; moreover, a dog or a horse will
pick up the vibrations of fear thrown off by its master, and behave
accordingly. Lower down the line of intelligence in the animal kingdom,
one finds this same capacity to pick up the vibrations of fear. A
honey-bee immediately senses fear in the mind of a person—for reasons
unknown, a bee will sting the person whose mind is releasing vibrations
of fear, much more readily than it will molest the person whose mind
registers no fear.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.128 The vibrations of fear
pass from one mind to another just as quickly and as surely as the sound
of the human voice passes from the broadcasting station to the
receiving set of a radio—and BY THE SELF-SAME MEDIUM.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.129 DEMO: Mental telepathy is a reality.
Thoughts pass from one mind to another, voluntarily, whether or not
this fact is recognized by either the person re-leasing the thoughts, or
the persons who pick up those thoughts.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.130 DEMO: The person who
gives expression, by word of mouth, to negative or destructive thoughts
is practically certain to experience the results of those words in the
form of a destructive "kick-back." The release of destructive thought
impulses, alone, without the aid of words, produces also a "kickback" in
more ways than one. First of all, and perhaps most important to be
remembered, the person who releases thoughts of a destructive nature,
must suffer damage through the breaking down of the faculty of creative
imagination. Secondly, the presence in the mind of any destructive
emotion develops a negative personality which repels people, and often
converts them into antagonists. The third source of damage to the person
who entertains or releases negative thoughts, lies in this significant
fact—these thought-impulses are not only damaging to others, but they
IMBED THEMSELVES IN THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND OF THE PERSON RELEASING THEM,
and there become a part of his character.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.131 DEMO: One is never
through with a thought, merely by releasing it. When a thought is
released, it spreads in every direction, through the medium of the
ether, but it also plants itself permanently in the subconscious mind of the person releasing it.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.132 Your business in life is,
presumably to achieve success. To be successful, you must find peace of
mind, acquire the material needs of life, and above all, attain
HAPPINESS. All of these evidences of success begin in the form of
thought impulses.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.133 DEMO: You may control
your own mind, you have the power to feed it whatever thought impulses
you choose. With this privilege goes also the responsibility of using it
constructively. You are the master of your own earthly destiny just as
surely as you have the power to control your own thoughts. You may
influence, direct, and eventually control your own environment, making
your life what you want it to be—or, you may neglect to exercise the
privilege which is yours, to make your life to order, thus casting
yourself upon the broad sea of "Circumstance" where you will be tossed
hither and yon, like a chip on the waves of the ocean.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP
THE SEVENTH BASIC EVIL
15.134 DEMO: In addition to the
Six Basic Fears, there is another evil by which people suffer. It
constitutes a rich soil in which the seeds of failure grow abundantly.
It is so subtle that its presence often is not detected. This affliction
cannot properly be classed as a fear. IT IS MORE DEEPLY SEATED AND MORE
OFTEN FATAL THAN ALL OF THE SIX FEARS. For want of a better name, let
us call this evil SUSCEPTIBILITY TO NEGATIVE INFLUENCES.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.135 Men who accumulate great
riches always protect themselves against this evil! The poverty stricken
never do! Those who succeed in any calling must prepare their minds to
resist the evil. If you are reading this philosophy for the purpose of
accumulating riches, you should examine yourself very carefully, to
determine whether you are susceptible to negative influences. If you
neglect this self-analysis, you will forfeit your right to attain the
object of your desires.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.136 DEMO: Make the analysis
searching. After you read the questions prepared for this self-analysis,
hold yourself to a strict accounting in your answers. Go at the task as
carefully as you would search for any other enemy you knew to be
awaiting you in ambush and deal with your own faults as you would with a
more tangible enemy.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.137 You can easily protect
yourself against highway robbers, because the law provides organized
cooperation for your benefit, but the "seventh basic evil" is more
difficult to master, because it strikes when you are not aware of its
presence, when you are asleep, and while you are awake. Moreover, its
weapon is intangible, because it consists of merely—a STATE OF MIND.
This evil is also dangerous because it strikes in as many different
forms as there are human experiences. Sometimes it enters the mind
through the well-meant words of one's own relatives. At other times, it
bores from within, through one's own mental attitude. Always it is as
deadly as poison, even though it may not kill as quickly.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST NEGATIVE INFLUENCES
15.138 DEMO: To protect yourself
against negative influences, whether of your own making, or the result
of the activities of negative people around you, recognize that you have
a WILL-POWER, and put it into constant use, until it builds a wall of
immunity against negative influences in your own mind.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.139 DEMO: Recognize the fact
that you, and every other human being, are, by nature, lazy,
indifferent, and susceptible to all suggestions which harmonize with
your weaknesses.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.140 DEMO: Recognize that you
are, by nature, susceptible to all the six basic fears, and set up
habits for the purpose of counteracting all these fears.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.141 DEMO: Recognize that
negative influences often work on you through your subconscious mind,
therefore they are difficult to detect, and keep your mind closed
against all people who depress or discourage you in any way.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.142 Clean out your medicine chest, throw away all pill bottles, and stop pandering to colds, aches, pains and imaginary illness.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.143 DEMO: Deliberately seek the company of people who influence you to THINK AND ACT FOR YOURSELF.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.144 DEMO: Do not EXPECT troubles as they have a tendency not to disappoint.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.145 Without doubt, the
most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their
minds open to the negative influence of other people. This weakness
is all the more damaging, because most people do not recognize that they
are cursed by it, and many who acknowledge it, neglect or refuse to
correct the evil until it becomes an uncontrollable part of their daily
habits.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.146 PRACTICAL: To aid those
who wish to see themselves as they really are, the following list of
questions has been prepared. Read the questions and state your answers
aloud, so you can hear your own voice. This will make it easier for you
to be truthful with yourself.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
SELF-ANALYSIS TEST QUESTIONS
15.147 PRACTICAL (continued): Do you complain often of "feeling bad," and if so, what is the cause?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.148 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you find fault with other people at the slightest provocation?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.149 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you frequently make mistakes in your work, and if so, why?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.150 PRACTICAL (cont.): Are you sarcastic and offensive in your conversation?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.151 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you deliberately avoid the association of anyone, and if so, why?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.152 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you suffer frequently with indigestion? If so, what is the cause?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.153 PRACTICAL (cont.): Does life seem futile and the future hopeless to you? If so, why?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.154 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you like your occupation? If not, why? Do you often feel self-pity, and if so why? Are you envious of those who excel you?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.155 PRACTICAL (cont.): To which do you devote most time, thinking of SUCCESS, or of FAILURE?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.156 PRACTICAL (cont.): Are you gaining or losing self-confidence as you grow older?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.157 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you learn something of value from all mistakes? Are you permitting some relative or acquaintance to worry you? If so, why?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.158 PRACTICAL (cont.): Are you sometimes "in the clouds" and at other times in the depths of despondency?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.159 PRACTICAL (cont.): Who has the most inspiring influence upon you? What is the cause?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.160 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you tolerate negative or discouraging influences which you can avoid?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.161 PRACTICAL (cont.): Are you careless of your personal appearance? If so, when and why?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.162 PRACTICAL (cont.): Have you learned how to "drown your troubles" by being too busy to be annoyed by them?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.163 PRACTICAL (cont.): Would you call yourself a "spineless weakling" if you permitted others to do your thinking for you?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.164 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you neglect internal bathing until auto-intoxication makes you ill-tempered and irritable?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.165 PRACTICAL (cont.): How many preventable disturbances annoy you, and why do you tolerate them?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.166 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you resort to liquor, narcotics, or cigarettes to "quiet your nerves"? If so, why do you not try will-power instead?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.167 PRACTICAL (cont.): Does
anyone "nag" you, and if so, for what reason? Do you have a DEFINITE
MAJOR PURPOSE, and if so, what is it, and what plan have you for
achieving it?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.168 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you suffer from any of the Six Basic Fears? If so, which ones?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.169 PRACTICAL (cont.): Have
you a method by which you can shield yourself against the negative
influence of others? Do you make deliberate use of auto-suggestion to
make your mind positive?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.170 PRACTICAL (cont.): Which do you value most, your material possessions, or your privilege of controlling your own thoughts?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.171 PRACTICAL (cont.): Are you easily influenced by others, against your own judgment?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.172 PRACTICAL (cont.): Has today added anything of value to your stock of knowledge or state of mind?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.173 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you face squarely the circumstances which make you unhappy, or sidestep the responsibility?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.174 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you analyze all mistakes and failures and try to profit by them or, do you take the attitude that this is not your duty?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.175 PRACTICAL (cont.): Can
you name three of your most damaging weaknesses? What are you doing to
correct them? Do you encourage other people to bring their worries to
you for sympathy?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.176 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you choose, from your daily experiences, lessons or influences which aid in your personal advancement?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.177 PRACTICAL (cont.): Does your presence have a negative influence on other people as a rule?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.178 PRACTICAL (cont.): What habits of other people annoy you most?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.179 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you form your own opinions or permit yourself to be influenced by other people?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.180 PRACTICAL (cont.): Have you learned how to create a mental state of mind with which you can shield yourself against all discouraging influences?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.181 PRACTICAL (cont.): Does your occupation inspire you with faith and hope?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.182 PRACTICAL (cont.): Are
you conscious of possessing spiritual forces of sufficient power to
enable you to keep your mind free from all forms of FEAR?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.183 PRACTICAL (cont.): Does your religion help you to keep your own mind positive?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction …
15.184 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you feel it your duty to share other people's worries? If so, why?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.185 PRACTICAL (cont.): If you
believe that "birds of a feather flock together" what have you learned
about yourself by studying the friends whom you attract?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.186 PRACTICAL (cont.): What
connection, if any, do you see between the people with whom you
associate most closely, and any unhappiness you may experience?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.187 PRACTICAL (cont.): Could
it be possible that some person whom you consider to be a friend is, in
reality, your worst enemy, because of his negative influence on your
mind?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.188 PRACTICAL (cont.): By what rules do you judge who is helpful and who is damaging to you?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.189 PRACTICAL (cont.): Are your intimate associates mentally superior or inferior to you?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.190 PRACTICAL (cont.): How much time out of every 24 hours do you devote to:
|
a. your occupation |
15.191 PRACTICAL (cont.): Who among your acquaintances:
|
a. encourages you most |
15.192 PRACTICAL (cont.): What is your greatest worry? Why do you tolerate it?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.193 PRACTICAL (cont.): When others offer you free, unsolicited advice, do you accept it without question, or analyze their motive?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.194 PRACTICAL (cont.): What,
above all else, do you most DESIRE? Do you intend to acquire it? Are you
willing to subordinate all other desires for this one? How much time
daily do you devote to acquiring it?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.195 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you change your mind often? If so, why? Do you usually finish everything you begin?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.196 PRACTICAL (cont.): Are
you easily impressed by other people's business or professional titles,
college degrees, or wealth? Are you easily influenced by what other
people think or say of you?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.197 PRACTICAL (cont.): Do you cater to people because of their social or financial status?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.198 PRACTICAL (cont.): Whom do you believe to be the greatest person living? In what respect is this person superior to yourself?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.199 PRACTICAL (cont.): How
much time have you devoted to studying and answering these questions?
(At least one day is necessary for the analysis and the answering of the
entire list.)
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.200 PRACTICAL: If you have
answered all these questions truthfully, you know more about yourself
than the majority of people. Study the questions carefully, come back to
them once each week for several months, and be astounded at the amount
of additional knowledge of great value to yourself, you will have gained
by the simple method of answering the questions truthfully. If you are
not certain concerning the answers to some of the questions, seek the
counsel of those who know you well, especially those who have no motive
in flattering you, and see yourself through their eyes. The experience
will be astonishing.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.201 You have ABSOLUTE CONTROL
over but one thing, and that is your thoughts. This is the most
significant and inspiring of all facts known to man! It reflects man's
Divine nature. This Divine prerogative is the sole means by which you
may control your own destiny. If you fail to control your own mind, you
may be sure you will control nothing else.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.202 DEMO: If you must be careless with your possessions, let it be in connection with material things. Your mind is your spiritual estate! Protect and use it with the care to which Divine Royalty is entitled. You were given a WILL-POWER for this purpose.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.203 Unfortunately, there is
no legal protection against those who, either by design or ignorance,
poison the minds of others by negative suggestion. This form of
destruction should be punishable by heavy legal penalties, because it
may and often does destroy one's chances of acquiring material things
which are protected by law.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.204 Men with negative minds
tried to convince Thomas A. Edison that he could not build a machine
that would record and reproduce the human voice, "because" they said,
"no one else had ever produced such a machine." Edison did not believe
them. He knew that the mind could produce ANYTHING THE MIND COULD
CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE, and that knowledge was the thing that lifted the
great Edison above the common herd.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.205 Men with negative minds
told F. W. Woolworth, he would go "broke" trying to run a store on five
and ten cent sales. He did not believe them. He knew that he could do
anything, within reason, if he backed his plans with faith. Exercising
his right to keep other men's negative suggestions out of his mind, he
piled up a fortune of more than a hundred million dollars.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.206 Men with negative minds
told George Washington he could not hope to win against the vastly
superior forces of the British, but he exercised his Divine right to
BELIEVE, therefore this book was published under the protection of the
Stars and Stripes, while the name of Lord Cornwallis has been all but
forgotten.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.207 Doubting Thomases scoffed
scornfully when Henry Ford tried out his first crudely built automobile
on the streets of Detroit. Some said the thing never would become
practical. Others said no one would pay money for such a contraption.
FORD SAID, "I'LL BELT THE EARTH WITH DEPENDABLE MOTOR CARS," AND HE DID!
His decision to trust his own judgment has already piled up a fortune
far greater than the next five generations of his descendents can
squander. For the benefit of those seeking vast riches, let it be
remembered that practically the sole difference between Henry Ford and a
majority of the more than one hundred thousand men who work for him, is
this—FORD HAS A MIND AND CONTROLS IT, THE OTHERS HAVE MINDS WHICH THEY
DO NOT TRY TO CONTROL.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.208 Henry Ford has been
repeatedly mentioned, because he is an astounding example of what a man
with a mind of his own, and a will to control it, can accomplish. His
record knocks the foundation from under that time-worn alibi, "I never
had a chance." Ford never had a chance, either, but he CREATED AN
OPPORTUNITY AND BACKED IT WITH PERSISTENCE UNTIL IT MADE HIM RICHER THAN
CROESUS.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.209 PRACTICAL: Mind control
is the result of self-discipline and habit. You either control your mind
or it controls you. There is no half-way compromise. The most practical
of all methods for controlling the mind is the habit of keeping it busy
with a definite purpose, backed by a definite plan. Study the record of
any man who achieves noteworthy success, and you will observe that he
has control over his own mind, moreover, that he exercises that control
and directs it toward the attainment of definite objectives. Without
this control, success is not possible.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
"FIFTY-SEVEN" FAMOUS ALIBIS
By Old Man IF
15.210 People who do not succeed have one distinguishing trait in common. They know all the reasons for failure, and have what they believe to be air-tight alibis to explain away their own lack of achievement.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.211 Some of these alibis are
clever, and a few of them are justifiable by the facts. But alibis
cannot be used for money. The world wants to know only one thing—HAVE
YOU ACHIEVED SUCCESS?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.212PRACTICAL: A character analyst compiled a list of the most commonly used alibis. As you read the list, examine yourself carefully, and determine how many of these alibis, if any, are your own property. Remember, too, the philosophy presented in this book makes every one of these alibis obsolete.
15.213 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I didn't have a wife and family . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.214 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I had enough "pull" . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.215 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I had money . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.216 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I had a good education . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.217 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I could get a job . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.218 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I had good health . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.219 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I only had time . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.220 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF times were better . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.221 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF other people understood me . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.222 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF conditions around me were only different . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.223 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I could live my life over again . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.224 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I did not fear what "THEY" would say . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.225 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I had been given a chance . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.226 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I now had a chance . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.227 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF other people didn't "have it in for me" . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.228 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF nothing happens to stop me . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.229 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I were only younger . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.230 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I could only do what I want . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.231 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I had been born rich . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.232 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I could meet "the right people" . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.233 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I had the talent that some people have . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.234 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I dared assert myself . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.235 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I only had embraced past opportunities . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.236 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF people didn't get on my nerves . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.237 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I didn't have to keep house and look after the children . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.238 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I could save some money . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.239 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF the boss only appreciated me . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.240 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I only had somebody to help me . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.241 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF my family understood me . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.242 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I lived in a big city . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.243 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I could just get started . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.244 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I were only free . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.245 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I had the personality of some people . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.246 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I were not so fat . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.247 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF my talents were known .. •
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.248 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I could just get a "break" . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.249 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I could only get out of debt . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.250 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I hadn't failed . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.251 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I only knew how . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.252 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF everybody didn't oppose me . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.253 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I didn't have so many worries . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.254 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I could marry the right person . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.255 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF people weren't so dumb . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.256 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF my family were not so extravagant . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.257 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I were sure of myself . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.258 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF luck were not against me . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.259 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I had not been born under the wrong star . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.260 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF it were not true that "what is to be will be" . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.261 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I did not have to work so hard . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.262 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I hadn't lost my money . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.263 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I lived in a different neighborhood . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.264 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I didn't have a "past" . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.265 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF I only had a business of my own . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.266 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF other people would only listen to me . . .
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
|
15.267 PRACTICAL (cont.): IF * * * and this is the greatest of them all * * * |
|
|
|
I had the courage to see myself as I really am, I would find out what is wrong with me,
and correct it, then I might have a chance to profit by my mistakes
and learn something from the experience of others, for I know that
there is something WRONG with me, or I would now be where I WOULD HAVE BEEN IF I had spent more time analyzing my weaknesses, and less time building alibis to cover them. |
15.268 Building alibis with which to explain away failure is a national pastime. The habit is as old as the human race, and is fatal to success!
Why do people cling to their pet alibis? The answer is obvious. They
defend their alibis because THEY CREATE them! A man's alibi is the child
of his own imagination. It is human nature to defend one's own
brain-child.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.269 Building alibis is a
deeply rooted habit. Habits are difficult to break, especially when they
provide justification for something we do. Plato had this truth in mind
when he said, "The first and best victory is to conquer self. To be
conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile."
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.270 Another philosopher had
the same thought in mind when he said, "It was a great surprise to me
when I discovered that most of the ugliness I saw in others, was but a
reflection of my own nature."
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.271 "It has always been a
mystery to me," said Elbert Hubbard, "why people spend so much time
deliberately fooling themselves by creating alibis to cover their
weaknesses. If used differently, this same time would be sufficient to
cure the weakness, then no alibis would be needed."
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.272 DEMO: In parting, I would
remind you that "Life is a checkerboard, and the player opposite you is
TIME. If you hesitate before moving, or neglect to move promptly, your
men will be wiped off the board by TIME. You are playing against a
partner who will not tolerate INDECISION!"
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.273 DEMO: Previously you may
have had a logical excuse for not having forced Life to come through
with whatever you asked, but that alibi is now obsolete, because you are
in possession of the Master Key that unlocks the door to Life's
bountiful riches.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.274 DEMO: The Master Key is intangible, but it is powerful! It is the privilege of creating, in your own mind,
a BURNING DESIRE for a definite form of riches. There is no penalty for
the use of the Key, but there is a price you must pay if you do not use
it. The price is FAILURE. There is a reward of stupendous proportions
if you put the Key to use. It is the satisfaction that comes to all who conquer self and force Life to pay whatever is asked.
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.275 The reward is worthy of your effort. Will you make the start and be convinced?
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
15.276 "If we are related," said
the immortal Emerson, "we shall meet." In closing, may I borrow his
thought, and say, "If we are related, we have, through these pages,
met."
| Didn't get it Negative reaction ...
THE END
15.FDS PRACTICAL: Skim over the chapter again to refamiliarize yourself with the main ideas, then check over the False Data Stripping questions with regard to it, using the PaulsRobot3 FDSing module. Remember the idea is to FIND and deal with False Data, not to confirm that of course you don't have any. :). Once you have found and dealt with any false data, study this chapter once more before going on to the next one. You can decide which demos and practicals you should do again.
15.LEC FINAL PRACTICAL: Deliver a 3-5 minute
lecture (by the clock) on the main points of this chapter, without using
any notes at all. You don't have to use people for an audience; use
the dog or the wall if you prefer. If you don't know the subject well
enough to do this, do the entire section again, paragraphs 15.1 to
15.FDS, including all demos. This is a test of your understanding, not
your ability to remember a collection of words or phrases. Working out
how to explain the main points to someone else—IN SPOKEN WORDS,
ALOUD—is usually a very valuable aid to your own understanding.
CONGRATULATIONS! END OF SECTION 15. Now, if you haven't yet achieved your dream, do the whole course again, an hour a day, including the demos and practicals where applicable. Build on what you have already achieved.