Why does everyone love Think and Grow Rich

[Likwid24]

I think you guys are all missing the point of the book. As Napoleon Hill says in the beginning, some people will get the secret in the first few pages, some will get it in the last few and some might not get it at all.

The book is meant to show that all people who become very successful have one main thing in common. Every single one of them has a DESIRE to be successful so powerful that nothing will stop them. They wanted it, just like MJ wanted it. He wanted it so bad he moved away from friends and family and busted his a$$ until he got it.

I didn't take it as a book to motivate me because I am already motivated. I already have the DESIRE. I guess if you don't have the DESIRE then you won't understand and therefore, the reason that you don't get it.

The DESIRE is something every successful person he interviewed had in common. He did not interview them before they became wealthy. He interviewed them after. When they were already there and found the one thing in common that got them there.

The book is not about looking in the mirror and telling yourself you can do it. What I took from it is that if you don't have that DESIRE deep inside you then you will never have and therefore will never reach your maximum potential. You might want to have money, wealth and freedom but without the DESIRE to do so, you will never get there.

IMO, if your looking for a self help book to motivate you to reach financial freedom then you most likely will never reach it.

 

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[OscarDeuce]

Well, it worked for me. In 1978 I was a petty criminal and apparently not a very good one, living in my car and wondering how I would eat each day, when I stumbled on Hill's book. A year or so prior, I was a lineman for a major utility company, a good paying blue collar job. I was no longer in that position for a stupid reason (yep, a woman-no offense to our female members). So, I used the techniques in Hill's book to try and get my old job back. See, I was not very ambitious in those days, or at least I didn't think I was, but all that was about to change. At first, it didn't seem to work all that well. I got a job straight away, but it was pulling cable for some third rate contractor and didn't pay nearly as well as my old job. However, all that would change, fast. The company I ended up working for had a number of contracts with high tech companies. Working in those facilities, I became obsessed with the work the engineers were doing. Before long, I had fixed in my head a burning desire to become an electrical engineer - quite a leap for a high school dropout.

I applied Hill's techniques religiously (no pun intended). Through a series of unlikely events, in May of 1982, I was offered an engineering position in a fairly new, but by no means start up, telecom company. While at that company, I developed a desire to actually run a technology company. I dusted off Think and Grow Rich again and in 1996 I left a senior management position at the telecom company to become CEO of a software company. Those of you who have read some of my other posts know what happened when I decided I wanted to produce, direct, and appear in my own television show (for those that haven't, my show airs in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and is coming to UKTV this November).

Now, I did a lot of hard work during this time. However, I give Think and Grow Rich the lion's share of the credit because it gave me the confidence to do the work, take the risks, and put the commitment necessary into all of these endeavors. If I had not stumbled on Hill's book one steamy July day in 1978, I don't know where I'd be today, but I probably wouldn't be posting on this forum.

Cheers,
O-2
PS - Think and Grow Rich Hack - skip the chapter on sex. I did. Never did understand it. It still works.

 

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[Jonleehacker]

oy vey.

So you guys would "take action" building a bridge, for example, without creating a clear vision of what you are trying to create?

Don't you think NASA took time defining what the "vision" was for the space shuttle before they started building?

All successful people have a vision of what they want before they get started (like MJ's Lambo). Something that inspires their action, something worthwhile to work towards.

If you don't have that before you take action, you will quit when the inevitable struggles start to show up.

That's what Think and Grow Rich, The Secret etc are all about.

In my experience most people who hate on these books either: 1.) haven't ever done anything. or 2.) use the process but do it without having conscious knowledge of what they are doing.

 

[Lex DeVille]

I thought it was boring when I listened on audio. That said... Where attention goes, energy flows, and this was the first entrepreneurial book of any kind I ever read. The value I gleaned wasn't about positive thinking and desire and all that stuff. The value I got was that it handed me a block of clay and told me to make what I want.

Listening to that book opened me to a world of possibilities. A world where I didn't have to live like everyone else. It didn't hand me money or the keys to success. It just gave me clay and told me to imagine. It brought my attention to the life I could have and left the rest up to me to figure out. That's where I've put all of my energy ever since.

Now I don't live like everyone else. Now I take steps every day that move me closer to the life I want. One day at a time I mold and craft and chip away moving closer and closer and closer. Now I work from home, I'm financially secure, I don't have a boss, and I do have lots of freedom. I'm not all the way there, but I'm a lot closer than I would be if I hadn't stumbled on that book and set out on a different path.

We didn't all start in the same place, and it makes sense that some find it less valuable than others.

I think it's boring, but for me the value is infinite.

 

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[Jonleehacker]

I can't read past the fourth chapter on this book. Its so much fluff. That whole law of secret was based on this. Why are people raving about it so much? Looking in the mirror, saying affirmations does not make you rich.

It's easy to be a hater.

Give us your version of how to get rich - from your own experiences, of course.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Do not mistake "want" for "desire".

The parallel between "interest" (want) and "commitment" (desire) -- everyone is interested; the commitment part is where the winners are made.

The thing I love about Millionaire Fastlane , How to Get Rich, etc. etc. is that these books are pragmatism at it's best. They don't rattle on about vague, mystic concepts none of us will ever really understand.

That is because mathematics cannot be debated. This thread is debated because "affirmations" "thinking positive" and "desire" are all ambiguous ideas that cannot be proved. Mathematics are absolute and 2+2 always = 4.

In Fastlane terms, show me someone who has impacted the lives of millions, and I will show you a millionaire, or a soon-to-be millionaire.

A great example is Rebecca Black. Her stupid little jingle touched the lives of millions in a small way (some will argue negatively) and yes, she might not have made millions on the jingle, but now she is a worldwide, leveraged personable brand. I'm sure she has an agent. I'm sure her appearance fees are not $50/hour but maybe $5,000. How did this happen? Thinking positively? Having a vision? Desire? Nope -- it was done by numbers -- she put herself in a position of exposure to MILLIONS.

Mathematics are difficult to argue, and it is the true law of the universe.

The only way to become wealthy is to take action; start a business, then work every day to make that business successful, develop a talent that you can market, etc.

The formula is often over-complicated much like weight loss -- eat right and exercise. Bam. End of story. I think the formula for wealth is as simple and not much different.

 

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[Darkside]

I can't read past the fourth chapter on this book. Its so much fluff. That whole law of secret was based on this. Why are people raving about it so much? Looking in the mirror, saying affirmations does not make you rich.

I agree. No matter how many times you wish or say in your mind that you want to become wealthy, it won't happen. The only way to become wealthy is to take action; start a business, then work every day to make that business successful, develop a talent that you can market, etc.

It's why I shun pretty much all wealth or motivational gurus; since almost all of them have become wealthy through telling other people how to become wealthy; they didn't succeed in business on their own before writing their advice books so why should I read or listen to anything they have to say?

Read books by people who've actually succeeded in business before writing their books like MJ or Felix Dennis.

 

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[Delmania]

Taken from http://www.businessinsider.com/6-steps-to-think-and-grow-rich-2013-9:

"Wishing will not bring riches," Hill writes. "But desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, then planning definite ways and means to acquire riches, and backing those plans with persistence which does not recognize failure, will bring riches."

In one passage, he sums up six steps to turning a desire for wealth into "its financial equivalent":

First. Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say “I want plenty of money." Be definite as to the amount. (There is a psychological reason for definite- ness which will be described in a subsequent chapter).

Second. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as “something for nothing.")

Third. Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.

Fourth. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.

Fifth. Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.

Sixth. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. AS YOU READ, SEE AND FEEL AND BELIEVE YOURSELF ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE MONEY.​

Hill knew it took work to make money. Note the "ready or not" statement in there.

His entire premise is helping people overcome the psychological barriers that keep them from wealth.

That is the purpose of the book.

 

[liquidglass]

I may be among the minority (not sure) but I love TAGR, even if it is boring. It was the first 'self-help' book I ever read, it was boring, I fell asleep reading it a lot, but I pushed through it, and honestly I can't even read fiction now, it just feels like a waste of my time. It sparked my desire that had long been killed by collegiate indoctrination and started me on my current trajectory, even if I've taken detours here and there. I did the affirmations and then I realized they needed work to, well, work! When I re-read the book I saw that HIll never recommend just imagining but laying out a mental scaffolding and build on it with your actions.


For those that think it's fluff
- first most of the posts I've seen belittling the ideas also say they didn't finish the book, I'll leave it at that.

Don't think positive affirmations work? How about some science behind it?
Check out Dr. Caroline Leaf (drleaf.com) and her book 'Switch Your Brain On'
- she dives into the actual science of positive thinking and how it works to LITERALLY effect your neurons and synapses by creating new connections and destroying old ones. You literally can shape your mind by the way you think.

Hill was on to something back then and fathered in our modern age of shaping your life with thought rather than being mindless drones.


Now that's not to say "the secret" is going to put a check in your mailbox of course it won't. But you must think(plan) to grow rich, it doesn't happen by accident.


Here's my TL;DR version of the idea:
=imagine what you want (point B)
=figure out what steps come between A and B
=F*cking take action
=constantly remind yourself of point B - which keeps you focused and driven.

 

[AntiGuru]

Why is it so popular? Timing + Catchy Title + Good Info.
Catchy Title: Think & Grow Rich is an amazing title.. its short, catchy, and the concept of think (super easy on the surface level) and grow rich (what everyone wants).. is a tantalizing title that sparks the person's curiosity right away.. "OMG I can THINK & grow rich.. wow gotta read this book!!".

Interesting anecdote about that title - Napoleon Hill couldn't come up with one until his publisher told him "you have 24 hours to give us the title, and failing that, we're going with..." (wait for it) "Use your Noodle to get the Boodle".

I am not joking. Napoleon protested vigorously but they insisted: 24 hours or else this is what we're going with. Know what he did? He took a nap. And woke up with Think and Grow Rich. At least this is the story as told in Maxwell Maltz's Psycho-Cybernetics.

I stumbled on this thread because I was about to start a thread called "What one book would you wish you read a long time ago" because for me, it's this one. I actually thought I read it. I recommended it to somebody earlier this summer, then was reading the story behind "Three Feet From Gold" and realized it was unfamiliar to me, I must not have read it. Turned out I was confused with one of As a Man Thinketh, or Science of Success or even Richest Man in Babylon.

So I downloaded it from Audible and am listening to it. Wow. I have read a lot of these books (including MFL, which I've given several copies of to friends, great book), but this one, well something finally clicked for me in this one. As he says, "you already have one part of the secret by picking up this book, the other part will fall into place at some point as you read this" and boy did it ever.

It goes beyond "Law of Attraction" stuff, which is really watered down and widely misunderstood to mean "if I wish for it hard enough, I'll get it". No you won't.

But if there's one thing this book is trying to tell you it's this: There is an overall architecture to the universe (which is primarily mental) and there are two currents running through it opposite of each other, one positive, one negative. If you train your mind to run in the positive direction, good things will happen. If you allow your mind to be attracted into and mired down by the negative current, they won't. Don't let the simplicity of this previous sentence fool you: it's NOT about being upbeat enough to win a lottery. Turn that frown upside down. No. It's about harnessing one form of energy and eschewing the other, and that will bring certain rewards: clarity, focus, imagination, creativity and the energy and courage to act. The other path, will sap all that away from you.

That's my take on it anyway.

 

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[ClintonSkakun]

I can't read past the fourth chapter on this book. Its so much fluff. That whole law of secret was based on this. Why are people raving about it so much? Looking in the mirror, saying affirmations does not make you rich.

I agree buddy! I don't kno how many times I've heard people praise Think and Grow Rich as "the book you HAVE to read." I read it, it was ok at the time. Later on I began doubting anything related to the law of attraction. No wonder this book is popular among MLMs. It's this kind of feel good stuff that keeps people pouring money into the self-help industry.

The thing that bothers me, now that I look back at Think and Grow Rich, was it didn't give me any real meat on how to build a business. The main theme of the book is visualizing and using affirmations, and then it goes into using sexual energy, having a "pleasing personality," and creating a committee of imaginary great people. In hindsight, none of the books like Think and Grow Rich gave me any real insight on building a business, or what it takes to be rich. Win Friends and Influence People is another similar one, and although it has application, I find people who take a large steaming dump on this book and are still rich and successful. I've read a lot of books that I used to think were gold and now, after a few years of reading and learning, they just don't seem to nail it anymore.

Any one of these authors who get too esoteric I tend to let fall to the way side. There's nothing magical or mystical about making money and you don't have to stand in front of a mirror and say, "I'm fullfilling my million dollar potential..." or a similar cornball affirmation. In my mind, these kinds of "excercises" rank us among the people who believe they've been abducted by aliens(without even knowing it), or believe that sprinking water annointed by the holy ghost heals cancer.(but ironically can't restore missing limbs)

I don't need to be worth 10 million dollars to tell you this won't work because looking in the mirror and chanting affirmations doesn't solve a need in the marketplace. If you could just attract money(if the LOA actually worked) we wouldn't need jobs(and nothing would get done). Since most people either work jobs or own businesses we have to conclude that the LOA either doesn't work, or everyone has such a hopelessly corrupt mindsets that they can't harness the power of the LOA. In which case isn't it easier to just go out and make money the old fashion way? The reason why not too many people make money from chanting affirmations is that there isn't much of a demand for it. You can't get someting for nothing and just say, "I know everyone works for their money but I'm just going to chant affirmations and be open to money coming to me." This is the kind of delusional thinking the self-help industry peddles to the blind.

The thing I love about Millionaire Fastlane , How to Get Rich, etc. etc. is that these books are pragmatism at it's best. They doesn't rattle on about vague, mystic concepts none of us will ever really understand.

 

[Likwid24]

If they have the burning desire to do so and stop at nothing to get there, they will become rich. Some people mistake "desire" for "want". Of course there are millions of people out there who "want" to be rich. How many of those truly have a "burning" desire? Those that truly do have a "desire", will find a way to reach their goals not matter what it takes. Do not mistake "want" for "desire". There's a huge difference.

 

[Tyler Ellison]

My current love of the book didn't happen when I first tried to read it.

It's a different book from a different time, written to a different audience (could say the same thing about ancient religious texts that people love to misinterpret...)

The first time I read it I hated it. I didn't get it. I couldn't understand why so many people loved it. I had just finished reading 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' and had loved that one.

Then I got the abridged audio version, where it is NAPOLEON HILL HIMSELF presenting. That was when it changed for me. Getting it 'from the horse's mouth' was different, and the way I was reading it in my head versus the way Napoleon was reading it were radically different. I decided that's probably why others loved it and I didn't, because I was reading it wrong.

Here's a YouTube video I just quickly found that appears to be a compilation of Napoleon himself presenting his philosophies. Think of it as one of the oldest self-help video programs in existence:

 

[Brian C.]

Why Does Everyone Love Think and Grow Rich?

Because most people want the shortcut to wealth.

"Forget about the years of toil, trial & tribulations, action, and process. Just sit down, think, and you'll become rich."

Simple thought leading to massive wealth arouses the imagination in all those naive enough to believe that that's all it takes.

 

[Phantom]

I can't read past the fourth chapter on this book. Its so much fluff. That whole law of secret was based on this. Why are people raving about it so much? Looking in the mirror, saying affirmations does not make you rich.

 

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[cashflow3000]

First: thanks to the original poster for this thread. I completely agree, Think and Grow Rich is one of those books that I never "got" and I do like that kind of book!

The issue with "desire" and "motivation" etc is they are always at odds with COMFORT.

There are many people who "say" they desire this that or the other thing, but the cold hard truth of the matter is they are COMFORTABLE.

The COMFORT ZONE is your ENEMY.

But you already knew that.

Thanks again for the thread!

JW Hagarty

 

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[Stefan Em]

One point is important to mention in this context:

Repeating those sentences in your head, aka Self Affirmations does one thing in particular:

It programs your RAS (Reticular Activating System), the nerves in your brain, to put your awareness, your focus on those objects.

So let's say that your five senses perceive 500'000 "units" of signals in every second, but your conscious awareness can only handle like 9'000 of them.

In your RAS it is written what has value to you and what not, it decides which of those 500'000 "perceived units" really matter to you.

It's like when I tell you to look for red things around you. You will find them, see them, because your RAS focuses on them.

So in your everyday life, your RAS subconsiously has those affirmations about wealth and money running. Every single day of your life there are opportunities, open doors within the things you perceive. With your RAS focused on them you will miss less of those doors.

 

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[Kak]

On a drive into houston on friday I continued as far as the "jobs/resume" part and pulled over and deleted the audiobook from my SD card.

I had enough.

 

[Bo_]

I too couldn't get past the 2nd chapter. It was boring as f**k.

But since everyone (including the mentors I look up to the most) is raving about it, I forced myself to take a look at a couple of summaries and eventually got the audiobook and reluctantly consumed it while half asleep...

THEN I realized this was the "missing piece" for me for LONG time.

The book ISN'T about "manifesting" and not doing anything. It's about creating a burning desire for success and an unshakable belief that you will make it. The methods he suggest are visualization, auto-suggestion (affirmations), emotionalizing your desire <- KEY. The Secret stole some concepts from this book and conveniently thrown away the most important parts. It's a shame that The Secret has gone mainstream making dumb people dumber.

Coming back to my point, you NEED to have both a burning desire and an unshakable belief for success in ANYTHING. It's the essential ingredients to success.

With a burning desire combined with absolute belief in yourself and your goal, THEN you'll have the energy (motivation, productivity, what have you) and the focus to develop ideas to achieving your goal. THEN from that you'll create a plan, take action, and persist even when the road gets tough.

Just being "action-focused" will consume your soul, just as how you HATE working the 9-5. I'm not saying action isn't important, I'm saying you won't last very long FORCING yourself to do something rather than being INSPIRED to take action. A great analogy would be not having fuel in your car and stomping the accelerator until it breaks.

I highly recommend at least going through chapters 1, 2, 3, 10, 11. It's free on public domain anyway. YES, it gets very woo-woo about these energy forces and tapping into the Infinite Intelligence. I half-believe in this energy stuff, but I'm not relying on that to get success. I'll gladly take the advice that can inspire me and take massive action instead.

 

[Guest3722A]

With me, it was the first business book I read. And then I followed my interpretations of it blindly and ended up building a brick and mortar that generated a net monthly income that anyone here would be proud to say they built and earned. AND it was around 90% passive and scalable.

What the book did not help me with was provided here at the fastlane forum a couple years later after I lost the business in a long and extremely expensive legal battle. As, at the time, I didn't have experienced entrepreneurs to answer this higher level of questions, and ultimately, I failed because I made a series of unguided decisions that were aimed to keep my customers going strong with their dreams.

Today the business still exists, but without me because I got boned by someone who had a strong upbringing from an entrepreneurial father. (A rich dad )

For me, the book was solid for getting me in it. But I didn't waste time questioning it. I just did it.

 

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[Envision]

It might me interesting to see a breakdown of the Think and Grow Lovers vs. Haters by age group. My hypothesis is that the lovers will trend towards the older segment while the haters will be younger. I base this on the fact that many have complained it was boring or "hard to get through." The book was written in the early decades of the last century. Writing styles have changed over time, as have the phrases and expressions in common use. I suspect those of us born closer to Hill's time are more accustomed to his "old fashioned" writing style than you young whippersnappers. Perhaps an updated version swapping Bill Gates for Andrew Carnegie and Steve Jobs for Thomas Edison, and written in a more modern style would resonate better with the younger crowd. Any thoughts?

Cheers,
O-2

In response to your comment, its not age that separates the two. It's desire to understand, achieve, and change your circumstances - for some that's 35, others 17.

Im 21 and I've read Think and Grow Rich probably about 100 times since I was 17 when my dad gave it to me.

At first I didn't get it, but my dad said if you want to be successful just read this one book. I kept reading it over and over. I think for most people their desire is not there, you really need to hate your circumstances and life to change and for almost everyone they accept their life and accept mediocrity.

That's what keeps people's minds and lives closed off from opportunity, change, and growth. If you wake up and start to chase your goals and dreams everything starts to become clear. If you study all these personal development based entreprenuers, speakers and investors... Theres consistency in what they're all saying but the answer is deceiving until you are ready for it.

The answer is in the book but you need to be ready for it.

I spent 4 years figuring shit out and one day it all clicked. I'd probably re-listened and read that book dozens of times before answers started coming together from all the work I had done. (work isn't thinking, its doing)

If you think the book sucks, you don't get it. Why would success come to someone who doesn't even have the patience, persistence, or desire to understand what Hill and the successful men he interviewed had to say?

It doesn't happen in a day but over the years everything will come together if you follow the teachings.

@Likwid24 was on point with his comment +REP

 

[MJ DeMarco]

One of the only books I never finished because I thought it sucked.

Ha Ha, +1. Never finished it either. I couldn't finish 4HWW either. I'm just one opinion though, the market is the ultimate jury.

 

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[Rem]

Although almost all people who bust their a$$ and become rich had the desire, not all who have the desire will become rich.

 

[Jake]

First: thanks to the original poster for this thread. I completely agree, Think and Grow Rich is one of those books that I never "got" and I do like that kind of book!

The issue with "desire" and "motivation" etc is they are always at odds with COMFORT.

There are many people who "say" they desire this that or the other thing, but the cold hard truth of the matter is they are COMFORTABLE.

The COMFORT ZONE is your ENEMY.

But you already knew that.

Thanks again for the thread!

JW Hagarty

Great post. and as we discussed via pm I am leaving my comfort zone in 3 weeks. Bye bye 6 figure job, hello fastlane. Nothing more motivating than having a large paycheck no longer show up in your bank account every 2 weeks. I'm getting anxious just thinking about it.

 

[Kak]

Trying your a$$ off to get your dream job like it talks about in the book is dumb, you are only going to be as successful as the person who bought you will let you be.

If god forbid I need to get a job it will be some kind of mindless stupid job that pays the bills. I want to still be exited about my ventures. I wont be if im working an 80 hour week at a stock brokerage firm or some other daunting thing.

Car salesman comes to mind...

 

[tafy]

I thought it was amazing, but I listened to the audio version which is on youtube. Maybe reading it gives a different experience.

 

[Sanj Modha]

I've read it and I think it's down to the fact that it was one of the first books to really delve deep into the science of getting rich.

Guys like Napolean Hill and Dale Carnegie interviewed billionaires to identify key success traits.

If you look back. That's revolutionary thinking.

 

[MidwestLandlord]

I know this book is a bit old and has older philosophies, but everytime it gets to the deaf guy story, I have to put it down and walk away. It pisses me off to no end. It gives major vibes of audism in disguise and I might be a bit too emotional about it, but it strikes home a bit too close for me.

I understand that you guys might find that story inspiring in a positive aspect, but to me it's still a driver but in the negative side of things.

I don't think I read far enough into the book to get to that part.

One of the only books I never finished because I thought it sucked.

On the bright side, it worked wonderfully as a target for this.

 

[Rickson9]

I can't read past the fourth chapter on this book. Its so much fluff. That whole law of secret was based on this. Why are people raving about it so much? Looking in the mirror, saying affirmations does not make you rich.

I never read it all. I got bored.

 

[thespotnet]

FDJustin,

Just to simple things about your posting. I am not sure if these were questions or not but here is my reply.

1. If it was easy everyone would do it.

2. Napoleon Hill didn't actually die poor, it just looked that way. He actually gave all of his money to is foundation just before he died.

thanks

Matt