Think and Grow Rich

“Over 15 million copies of this book have been sold. It became a road map for many millions of people to escape the poverty of the Depression era and gain prosperity for themselves, their families and, in many cases, their employees.”

Here the author suggests that the book has already been a guiding tool or “road map” for millions of people during the Depression era. This sales tactic is age-old; claiming that many have already approved of a product is a way to increase its appeal and bolster its bona fides, helping establish the credibility of the ideas presented in the book.

“Psychologists have correctly said that ‘when one is truly ready for a thing, it puts in its appearance.’ Barnes was ready for a business association with Edison, moreover, he was determined to remain ready until he got that which he was seeking. He did not say to himself, ‘Ah well, what’s the use? I guess I’ll change my mind and try for a salesman’s job.’ But he did say, ‘I came here to go into business with Edison, and I’ll accomplish this end if it takes the remainder of my life.’”

Hill’s rhetorical techniques use a veneer of expertise to hide broad and unproven generalizations. Here, by referencing unnamed “psychologists,” he relies on their implied authority as scientists and researchers; however, the notion that readiness precedes the appearance of opportunities has little to do with psychological theories. Hill implies that Barnes’s readiness for a business association with Edison played a crucial role in the eventual realization of his goal; however, by not supplying the stories of others who also wanted to partner with Edison but failed, Hill falls into the logical fallacy of arguing from conclusions. Setting Goals and Persistence may have led to Barnes’s success, but without the context of counter-examples, it’s hard to know.

“Barnes succeeded because he chose a definite goal, placed all his energy, all his will power, all his effort, everything back of that goal. He did not become the partner of Edison the day he arrived. He was content to start in the most menial work, as long as it provided an opportunity to take even one step toward his cherished goal.”

Hill argues that the key factors contributing to Barnes’s success were his commitment to a specific goal and his willingness to invest all his energy and effort towards achieving it. Despite starting from a humble position, Barnes’s determination to progress towards his goal enabled him to persevere through menial tasks. Hill highlights Barnes’s focus on taking incremental steps towards his objective, a tactic that would have appealed to Hill’s readership, which typically would have had few resources.

“Henry Ford, poor and uneducated, dreamed of a horseless carriage, went to work with what tools he possessed, without waiting for opportunity to favor him, and now evidence of his dream belts the entire earth. He has put more wheels into operation than any man who ever lived, because he was not afraid to back his dreams. Thomas Edison dreamed of a lamp that could be operated by electricity, began where he stood to put his dream into action, and despite more than ten thousand failures, he stood by that dream until he made it a physical reality. Practical dreamers do not quit!”

Hill highlights the power of relentless pursuit of dreams. Using examples like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, he claims that individuals who are undeterred by setbacks and obstacles can turn their dreams into reality through persistent action. Hill’s emphasis on the importance of perseverance and courage in pursuing one’s dreams ignores any other contextualizing explanations for Ford’s and Edison’s results.

“The emotions of FAITH, LOVE, and SEX are the most powerful of all the major positive emotions. When the three are blended, they have the effect of “coloring” the vibration of thought in such a way that it instantly reaches the subconscious mind, where it is changed into its spiritual equivalent, the only form that induces a response from Infinite Intelligence.”

Hill suggests that when faith, love, and sex are combined, they influence the vibrational frequency of thoughts—one of the book’s more supernatural ideas about The Mystical Power of Positive Thinking. This altered vibrational state enables thoughts to swiftly penetrate the subconscious mind, where they undergo a transformation into spiritual energy that can elicit a response from a divine Infinite Intelligence, accessing higher realms of understanding or guidance.

“Gandhi accomplished, through the influence of faith, something that the strongest military power on earth could not, and never will accomplish through soldiers and military equipment. He has accomplished the astounding feat of influencing two hundred million minds to coalesce and move in unison, as a single mind. What other force on earth, except faith could do as much?”

All of Hill’s biographical sketches reduce famous figures to an identical character arc. Here, he ascribes the remarkable achievement of Gandhi, who united and mobilized millions towards a common cause without military power, to faith. However, Gandhi’s Hinduism is a complex topic, as are the religious leanings of the movement he led; Hill simplifies and does away with nuance by painting all belief systems with the broad brush of the unexamined term “faith,” which he takes to mean a force capable of transcending conventional power dynamics.

“The actual performance of transmuting desire into money, involves the use of auto-suggestion as an agency by which one may reach, and influence, the subconscious mind. The other principles are simply tools with which to apply auto-suggestion. Keep this thought in mind, and you will, at all times, be conscious of the important part the principle of auto-suggestion is to play in your efforts to accumulate money through the methods described in this book.”

Hill emphasizes the pivotal role of auto-suggestion in the process of transforming desires into tangible wealth—a claim that would be taken up by later self-help books that also promote the idea of “manifesting” reality by imagining it really hard, like Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret (2006). By maintaining a constant awareness of the significance of auto-suggestion, individuals can harness its power to influence the subconscious mind positively, thus aligning their thoughts and actions towards the attainment of financial success as delineated in the book.

“Knowledge will not attract money, unless it is organized, and intelligently directed, through practical plans of action, to the definite end of accumulation of money. Lack of understanding of this fact has been the source of confusion to millions of people who falsely believe that ‘knowledge is power.’ It is nothing of the sort! Knowledge is only potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organized into definite plans of action, and directed to a definite end.”

Hill dispels the misconception that knowledge equates to power, asserting that it only becomes influential when organized into actionable plans directed towards a clear objective, such as wealth accumulation. Hill highlights the importance of strategic organization and directed effort in converting knowledge into effective power for achieving financial success.

“Desire is only a thought, an impulse. It is nebulous and ephemeral. It is abstract, and of no value, until it has been transformed into its physical counterpart. While the synthetic imagination is the one which will be used most frequently, in the process of transforming the impulse of desire into money, you must keep in mind the fact, that you may face circumstances and situations which demand use of the creative imagination as well.”

Hill underscores the ephemeral nature of desire, emphasizing that it holds no tangible value until it is translated into physical reality. He distinguishes between the synthetic imagination, commonly used for this transformation, and the creative imagination, which may also be necessary in certain situations. Hill suggests that while desire serves as the initial spark, it is through the imaginative process that desire is realized and manifested into tangible outcomes.

“No individual has sufficient experience, education, native ability, and knowledge to insure the accumulation of a great fortune, without the cooperation of other people. Every plan you adopt, in your endeavor to accumulate wealth, should be the joint creation of yourself and every other member of your ‘Master Mind’ group. You may originate your own plans, either in whole or in part, but see that those plans are checked, and approved by the members of your ‘master mind’ alliance.”

Hill emphasizes the necessity of collaboration and collective wisdom in the pursuit of wealth, asserting that individual efforts alone are insufficient for achieving great fortune. He advocates for the formation of a “Master Mind” group comprised of individuals whose combined experience, education, and abilities complement each other. This group serves as a collaborative platform where ideas are shared, refined, and collectively approved, ensuring that plans are comprehensive and effectively implemented towards the goal of wealth accumulation.

“Temporary defeat should mean only one thing, the certain knowledge that there is something wrong with your plan. Millions of people go through life in misery and poverty, because they lack a sound plan through which to accumulate a fortune. Henry Ford accumulated a fortune, not because of his superior mind, but because he adopted and followed a plan that proved to be sound. A thousand men could be pointed out, each with a better education than Ford’s, yet each of whom lives in poverty, because he does not possess the right plan for the accumulation of money.”

Hill underscores the importance of resilience in the face of temporary setbacks, suggesting that failure indicates a need to reassess and refine one’s plan rather than giving up altogether. He contrasts the fortunes of Henry Ford with those who remain in poverty despite having superior education, attributing Ford’s success not to innate brilliance but to his adherence to a well-designed plan for wealth accumulation. This kind of reasoning is common in self-help literature, which typically blames failure on the individual rather than examining broader social, political, and economic structures that may reward some and hold back others.

“Money, without brains, is always dangerous. Properly used, it is the most important essential of civilization. The simple breakfast for a city family consisting of grapefruit juice, cereal, eggs, bread and butter and tea with sugar could not be provided at a reasonable price if organized capital had not supplied the machinery, the ships, the railways, and the huge armies of trained men to operate them.”

Hill emphasizes the dual nature of money, highlighting its potential for benefit or harm depending on how it is managed. He asserts that when used wisely, money is indispensable for sustaining civilization, enabling essential goods and services to be provided efficiently. His breakfast example illustrates how the infrastructure and resources facilitated by organized capital are necessary for meeting basic needs in society; this extremely simplified description of the modern economy makes readers feel that business acumen is easily attainable and understood.

“Those who reach decisions promptly and definitely, know what they want, and generally get it. The leaders in every walk of life decide quickly, and firmly. That is the major reason why they are leaders. The world has the habit of making room for people whose words and actions show that they know where they are going. indecision is a habit which usually begins in youth. The habit takes on permanency as the youth goes through school, and even through university or college, without definiteness of purpose. The major weakness of all educational systems is that they neither teach nor encourage the habit of definite decision.”

Hill emphasizes the importance of decisiveness in achieving success, noting that those who make prompt and resolute decisions tend to be leaders in their fields. He highlights how indecision, often rooted in a lack of clear purpose, can become ingrained over time, critiquing educational systems for their failure to cultivate decisiveness.

“If you select your ‘Master Mind’ group with care, you will have in it, at least one person who will aid you in the development of persistence. some men who have accumulated great fortunes, did so because of necessity. They developed the habit of persistence, because they were so closely driven by circumstances, that they had to become persistent. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PERSISTENCE! It cannot be supplanted by any other quality! Remember this, and it will hearten you, in the beginning, when the going may seem difficult and slow.”

Hill emphasizes the importance of surrounding oneself with a supportive “Master Mind” group to cultivate persistence. He asserts that persistence is irreplaceable and crucial for success, serving as a reminder to readers facing challenges that perseverance is paramount, especially during the initial stages of their endeavors. This passage uses capital letters, direct address, and repeated exclamation marks to engage readers and simulate interaction—the effect is the feeling that Hill is encouraging each reader individually.

“Henry Ford whipped poverty, illiteracy, and ignorance by allying himself with great minds, whose vibrations of thought he absorbed into his own mind. Through his association with Edison, Burbank, Burroughs, and Firestone, Mr. Ford added to his own brain power the sum and substance of the intelligence, experience, knowledge, and spiritual forces of these four men. Moreover, he appropriated, and made use of the Master Mind principle through the methods of procedure described in this book. This principle is available to you!”

In this passage, Hill illustrates how Henry Ford overcame adversity by surrounding himself with accomplished individuals, absorbing their wisdom and energy. By aligning with Edison, Burbank, Burroughs, and Firestone, Ford augmented his intellectual and spiritual capabilities. Furthermore, Hill emphasizes Ford’s application of the Master Mind principle, suggesting that readers can similarly leverage collective intelligence and collaboration for personal advancement.

“Poverty and riches often change places. Poverty may, and generally does, voluntarily take the place of riches. When riches take the place of poverty, the change is usually brought about through well-conceived and carefully executed plans. Poverty needs no plan. It needs no one to aid it, because it is bold and ruthless. Riches are shy and timid. They have to be ‘attracted.’ Anybody can wish for riches, and most people do, but only a few know that a definite plan, plus a burning desire for wealth are the only dependable means of accumulating wealth.”

Hill’s invention of this law of “attraction”—the idea that inanimate objects have the capacity to be psychically summoned—has reverberated through self-help literature for the last century. Here, he uses personification to imbue “riches” with human qualities like being “shy and timid” and “poverty” with the ability to be “bold and ruthless.” These descriptors make abstract ideas into seemingly living beings to make the argument that they can be affected by wishful thinking.

“Sex desire is the most powerful of human desires. When driven by this desire, people develop keenness of imagination, courage, will-power, persistence, and creative ability unknown to them at other times. So strong and impelling is the desire for sexual contact that people freely run the risk of life and reputation to indulge it. When harnessed, and redirected along other lines, this motivating force may be used as powerful creative forces in literature, art, or in any other profession or calling, including, of course, the accumulation of riches.”

Hill argues that sexual desire is a driving force in human behavior, capable of enhancing various faculties such as imagination, courage, and persistence when channeled and redirected towards constructive endeavors. The idea, which persists in sports folklore, is that the energy humans expend on their sexuality can instead fuel creativity and success if harnessed.

“Love is, without question, life’s greatest experience. It brings us into communion with Infinite Intelligence. When mixed with the emotions of romance and sex, it may lead one far up the ladder of creative effort. The emotions of love, sex, and romance, are sides of the eternal triangle of achievement-building genius. Nature creates geniuses through no other force.”

Hill extols the significance of love as the pinnacle of human experience, suggesting that it connects individuals with Infinite Intelligence and serves as a catalyst for creative endeavors. He emphasizes the intertwined nature of love, romance, and sex, portraying them as essential components in the process of achieving greatness and tapping into one’s creative potential.

“There is plenty of evidence to support the belief that the subconscious mind is the connecting link between the finite mind of man and Infinite Intelligence. It is the intermediary through which one may draw upon the forces of Infinite Intelligence at will. It, alone, contains the secret process by which mental impulses are modified and changed into their spiritual equivalent. It, alone, is the medium through which prayer may be transmitted to the source capable of answering prayer.”

In one of the book’s more esoteric notions about The Mystical Power of Positive Thinking, Hill posits that the subconscious mind serves as the conduit between the human mind and Infinite Intelligence, enabling individuals to access the boundless resources of Universal Wisdom. He suggests that the subconscious is the transformative mechanism through which mental thoughts can manifest as spiritual realities, implying a connection between human consciousness and divine guidance. Furthermore, Hill implies that prayer, as a form of communication with higher realms, is channeled through the subconscious to reach the source capable of granting desired outcomes. All of these ideas were core principles in the cult Hill cofounded, The Royal Fraternity of the Master Metaphysicians.

“The result of sex transmutation, is the increase of the rate of vibration of thoughts to such a pitch that the creative imagination becomes highly receptive to ideas it picks up from the ether. When the brain is vibrating at a rapid rate, it not only attracts thoughts and ideas released by other brains, it also gives one’s own thoughts that ‘feeling’ which is essential before those thoughts to be picked up and acted upon by one’s subconscious mind.”

Hill posits that sex transmutation—redirecting sexual energy towards creative endeavors—accelerates the vibrational frequency of thoughts, another supernatural assertion. This heightened vibrational state enhances the receptivity of the creative imagination to external ideas, facilitating the process of attracting and internalizing thoughts from the ether. Furthermore, Hill suggests that when the brain vibrates rapidly, it not only attracts external thoughts but also imbues one’s own thoughts with a magnetic quality that makes them more likely to be picked up and acted upon by the subconscious mind. None of these claims has a scientific or demonstrable basis in reality.

“My original purpose in conducting council meetings with imaginary beings, was solely that of impressing my own subconscious mind—through the principle of auto-suggestion, with certain characteristics which I desired to acquire. In more recent years, my experimentation has taken on an entirely different trend. I now go to my imaginary counselors with every difficult problem which confronts me and my clients. The results are often astonishing, although I do not depend entirely on this form of counsel.”

Hill’s initial intention behind holding imaginary council meetings was to use auto-suggestion to imprint desired characteristics onto his subconscious mind. However, over time, this practice has become more literal, as he seeks guidance from his imaginary counselors when facing challenging problems. Hill is drawing on the tradition of spiritualism here, the popularity of which peaked at the turn of the 20th century; spiritualists believed that the dead were capable of being contacted through séances.

“Indecision is the seedling of fear! Remember this, as you read. Indecision crystallizes 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.”

Hill emphasizes the insidious nature of indecision, highlighting how it acts as the precursor to fear. He warns readers that indecision gradually transforms into doubt, and eventually evolves unnoticed into fear. Hill underscores the importance of decisiveness in overcoming these negative emotions, and urges readers to recognize and address indecision before it becomes debilitating.

“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.”

Hill empowers readers by asserting their ability to control their own minds and shape their destinies through conscious thought. He emphasizes the responsibility that comes with this power, urging individuals to use it constructively—warnings that effectively sell his book by making it appear slightly dangerous.