4.22

4

Dec 22, 2012

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

Thought is the seed for action. If you control the cause- you can control the effect. The main message of this succinct, yet powerful, book is: the quality of your thoughts determine your quality of life. If your thoughts are pure and good, your life will also be good; and vice versa.


"Man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth.
"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

Thought is the seed for action. If you control the cause- you can control the effect. The main message of this succinct, yet powerful, book is: the quality of your thoughts determine your quality of life. If your thoughts are pure and good, your life will also be good; and vice versa.


"Man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will produce their kind."

The author maintains: The man is the master of thought, the moulder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny. He compares the human mind with a garden and the man with a gardener. Just like a gardener removes the weeds from his garden so must we discard the impure and useless thoughts from our mind and must concentrate on cultivating the useful and pure thoughts. By the right choice and true application of thoughts, man ascends towards perfection.

On a different note: I found this book to be the source of books rooted in 'law of attraction' approaches. The books such as: Magic of Believing, The Secret, etc. - bear a striking resemblance with this book. Needless to say this book has been very influential since its publication.



My actual rating: 3.5/5.0

Recommended!


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5

Oct 06, 2007

I read this book yesterday. I really enjoyed it and have set some new personal development goals in line with the book's concepts. This is a book I will reread throughout my life.

I do disagree with one point. James Allen said that bad thoughts lead to sickness and disease, which is the part I agree with. He also said the reverse is true, bad health is a result of bad thoughts, which I do not agree. I don't believe that all sickness and disease is a result of bad thoughts or sin. I believe that I read this book yesterday. I really enjoyed it and have set some new personal development goals in line with the book's concepts. This is a book I will reread throughout my life.

I do disagree with one point. James Allen said that bad thoughts lead to sickness and disease, which is the part I agree with. He also said the reverse is true, bad health is a result of bad thoughts, which I do not agree. I don't believe that all sickness and disease is a result of bad thoughts or sin. I believe that we have mortal bodies that are prone to sickness and degeneration. Yes, bad thoughts do corrupt the body and can lead to bad health, but the reverse is not always true. When it rains the sidewalk gets wet, but just because the sidewalk is wet, doesn't mean it has rained.
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5

May 15, 2013

In 2003, a number of leading self-help authors were asked to list the works that were, to them, most inspirational. The book mentioned most often was James Allen's As a Man Thinketh.

Despite the fact that his books have been inspirational for generations, very little is known about the man himself. He was born in Leicester, England. When he was fifteen his father was brutally murdered by a robber, forcing Allen out of school and into the workforce. He eventually worked his way up to the position In 2003, a number of leading self-help authors were asked to list the works that were, to them, most inspirational. The book mentioned most often was James Allen's As a Man Thinketh.

Despite the fact that his books have been inspirational for generations, very little is known about the man himself. He was born in Leicester, England. When he was fifteen his father was brutally murdered by a robber, forcing Allen out of school and into the workforce. He eventually worked his way up to the position of executive secretary for a high ranking officer of an English corporation.

Then, at the age of 38, he retired with his wife to a small cottage in Ilfracombe, a tiny town on the northernmost coast of England. In 1902 As a Man Thinketh was published - about the same time Allen made this move. He and his wife intentionally pursued a simple life of gardening and contemplation. In the next ten years, Allen wrote more than twenty more books, and then he suddenly died at the age of 48, in 1912.

This book is barely 7,800 words long - about thirty pages of a typically printed paperback. And yet it rewards every single reading, no matter how many times you return to it. Each sentence is a pearl of truth and wisdom; each word carries as much meaning as a single word possibly can. If you read it once and underline every statement that strikes you as profoundly true, and then read it again, still underlining, and then again, you will underline the entire book.

As with all books like this, the author is careful to acknowledge that everything he is about to say has been said many times before. On the first page he opens with a quote from the The Dhammapada: The Sayings of the Buddha, which is based upon an oral tradition that may be 10,000 years old.

The ancient "wisdom" Allen summarizes for us is not really "wisdom" at all. It is fact; accepting it as such can completely rejuvenate your life. The exact same insights are illuminatingly presented Napoleon Hill's classic, Think and Grow Rich.

James Allen's words still resonate today because he speaks of the very nature of consciousness. Since our consciousness is entirely under our control -- which Viktor Frankl shows us is the case even in the most horrific of conditions in his heartrending classic Man's Search for Meaning -- then our ultimate responsibility is for us to use our consciousness in the proper way. The essential idea that we can control consciousness is hotly debated by theologians, but if we accept for the moment that we can control our thoughts, the next obvious question is what we ought to do with them. Here is one of Allen's most succinct instructions:

A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.

Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts. By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life. He also reveals, within himself, the laws of thought, and understands, with ever-increasing accuracy, how the thought-forces and mind-elements operate in the shaping of his character, circumstances, and destiny.

Thought and character are one, and as character can only manifest and discover itself through environment and circumstance, the outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state. This does not mean that a man's circumstances at any given time are an indication of his entire character, but that those circumstances are so intimately connected with some vital thought-element within himself that, for the time being, they are indispensable to his development.

Every man is where he is by the law of his being; the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law which cannot err. This is just as true of those who feel "out of harmony" with their surroundings as of those who are contented with them.

As a progressive and evolving being, man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lesson which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstances.

Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions, but when he realizes that he is a creative power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow, he then becomes the rightful master of himself.

That circumstances grow out of thought every man knows who has for any length of time practiced self-control and self-purification, for he will have noticed that the alteration in his circumstances has been in exact ratio with his altered mental condition. So true is this that when a man earnestly applies himself to remedy the defects in his character, and makes swift and marked progress, he passes rapidly through a succession of vicissitudes.

The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it fears; it reaches the height of its cherished aspirations; it falls to the level of its unchastened desires; and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.

Every thought-seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act, and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstances. Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit.

The outer world of circumstance shapes itself to the inner world of thought, and both pleasant and unpleasant external conditions are factors which make for the ultimate good of the individual. As the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss.

Following the inmost desires, aspirations, thoughts, by which he allows himself to be dominated (pursuing the will-o'-the-wisps of impure imagining or steadfastly walking the highway of strong and high endeavor), a man at last arrives at their fruition and fulfillment in the outer condition of his life.

Allen also addresses the anxiety that you might feel the moment you accept this wisdom as truth. You might worry that your negative thoughts are going to manifest themselves around you. You may also worry that you can't control your mind - that it presents "impure imagining" to you whether you want it to or not.

This is the human condition; you are not alone. The method for gaining control of your "innermost desires, aspirations, [and] thoughts" is to work at it continuously. Become aware of your mind, and simply do not berate yourself. Learn how to let negativity flow into the past, and how to begin again from the moment. When you scold yourself for having a negative thought, let that, too, flow into the past, and begin again. Focus on what you want, or if you don't know what you want, focus on thoughts that will lead you to know what you want. There is no other way.
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4

Apr 01, 2019

Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:—
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass.

This is a short and inspiring philosophical book with its title being influenced by a verse in the Bible. The author also makes references to Jesus, Krishna, and Buddha while explaining his ideas. The central theme of the book is that a Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:—
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass.

This is a short and inspiring philosophical book with its title being influenced by a verse in the Bible. The author also makes references to Jesus, Krishna, and Buddha while explaining his ideas. The central theme of the book is that a man is shaped by the thoughts he harbors whether consciously or subconsciously. Good and positive thoughts will attract joy and peace while negative thoughts will attract misery and despair. If he finds himself in an unfortunate situation that is out of his control, he needs to accept the fact that nothing lasts forever.

He can choose to find the good things from an unpleasant experience while from the bad things, he can learn important lessons. He can let the failure and pain guide and motivate him to improve himself and his life to earn the success he rightfully deserves. This will cause him to take ownership of his life and not blame other people for everything that is wrong in his life.

All a person needs to do is alter the way he perceives a situation. If you see the world as your ally, you’ll find that the world is a beautiful thing that wants you to succeed and it’ll present endless people and opportunities to achieve those goals and if you believe that the world is conspiring against you, you’ll find yourself at war with the enemy you can’t conquer and live with perpetual hell of your own making. Our thoughts will manifest into his habits and the habits will shape our circumstances because mind and body are intimately connected.

If you want to live a successful life, you need to have a passion or a vision of an ideal life. If you have a picture of what an ideal life looks like to you, you’re going to work really hard to achieve that and the unfavorable circumstance you’re in right now will seem like a temporary state that you’ll eventually get out of. Using the basic rule of cause and effect, instead of worrying about things you can’t control, you can focus on giving the best from your side. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to learn to find better and efficient ways and try again.

A calm person draws strength from within so the external circumstances don’t faze him. What you get is what you deserve in life and if you don’t have it then you need to work for it and earn it. It’s mostly how to use the law of attraction to your maximum benefit. The author also talks about the benefits of meditation in your daily life and interesting discussion about the cause of suffering and how to reach a state of enlightenment.

All in all, a nice short read.
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1

Oct 13, 2010

"Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force." This is the basic idea behind all of James Allen's sugary half-truths. When I found an audio file with this text pre-packaged into my new learnoutloud.com cart, read by "Brian Johnson, Philosopher and CEO of Zaadz.com," I was briefly intrigued.

Then as I listened a bit more, I thought it was some kind of joke or parody -- surely in just a moment Brian, "Philosopher," will put on a more genuine, critical voice. Surely he would tell us "Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force." This is the basic idea behind all of James Allen's sugary half-truths. When I found an audio file with this text pre-packaged into my new learnoutloud.com cart, read by "Brian Johnson, Philosopher and CEO of Zaadz.com," I was briefly intrigued.

Then as I listened a bit more, I thought it was some kind of joke or parody -- surely in just a moment Brian, "Philosopher," will put on a more genuine, critical voice. Surely he would tell us that of course you can't change your circumstances with your thoughts. That's not philosophy, but magical thinking. Surely he would remind us, as Barbara Erhenreich has tried to do, that perfectly virtuous people fail and suffer everyday. And that perfect scoundrals, animalistic beasts, succeed and prosper all the time. (For some reason I think of Adam Sandler. I believe he once commented with pride that he did not finish high school.)

Surely people all know, in this day and age, that "serenity" is not a viable goal in life? That the best we can do is meet the challenges as they come, acknowledge that life is always a struggle, and find reasons to continue the struggle?

Surely people don't fall for this dully polished hogwash, already dreadfully unoriginal by 1903? Doesn't the pompousness, the selfishness, the sheer vacuity of Allen's thinking show through?

Sadly, there truly is no end to how gullible readers can be. I suppose when you combine basic ignorance with the anxiety and ambivalence we all feel these days (trust me I feel it too) then the result is that a large part of the population will continue to purchase the age-old idea that "right thoughts" will change the world. That's why Brian Johnson can live the glamorous, self-oriented life of a "CEO." That's why Allen's 1903 text is plastered all over the internet, from Wikipedia to Project Gutenberg and so on and so forth. I've hit on yet another node of the most compelling fantasy that exists in this market-and-work oriented world.

"There's a sucker born every minute." - P.T. Barnum (died 1891) ...more

4

Jul 02, 2008

A small collection of thoughts on how powerful our minds truly are, this is book you'll want to turn to again and again because though it's short, it's deep with meaning. There is no fluff to distract our brains from epiphany to epiphany. Some of my favorite quotes:
Thought and character are one.
The dreamers are the saviors of the world.
In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result. Chance is not.
A man is literally A small collection of thoughts on how powerful our minds truly are, this is book you'll want to turn to again and again because though it's short, it's deep with meaning. There is no fluff to distract our brains from epiphany to epiphany. Some of my favorite quotes:
Thought and character are one.
The dreamers are the saviors of the world.
In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result. Chance is not.
A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruits.
Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.
Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.
Indigence and indulgence are the two extremes of wretchedness.
He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure.
Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force.
They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and self-pityings.
Victories attained by right thought can only be maintained by watchfulness.
Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot; it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance.
There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with good will for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow.
A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape is circumstances.

Why the four stars? There are a few statements that did not quite win me over. Such as:
Wrinkles are not manifestations of age but poor character, and health issues are manifestations of a poor mind. I'm not denying that thought affects health, but it is not the only cursor for poor health.
Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction. Only most of the time. Sometimes we suffer most in our vulnerability to those we love when they do wrong or hurt us or suffer themselves. This godly sorrow may not be what he means by suffering, but I also can't imagine suffering at the unforseen death of a loved one to be suffering of our own making, unless you are considering it to be a challenge in life you chose to encounter.
Calmness is a virtue every human should aspire. While steady demeanor is a worthy goal, there is much to be said for enthusiasm, emotion, and variety in personalities. While tempers and impatience are not good qualities, neither is a lack of emotion, and there is nothing wrong with a happy animated person, a person I would never describe as calm. Calm is a great quality, but it's not the all-inclusive. If he had said peace, I would understand. ...more

2

Jan 07, 2010

I found this in one of my apartments on my religious mission, and it looks like it used to be required reading. I read it then and thought it was decent. I read it recently and thought it was pretty poor. It felt a little bit too much like "The Secret" ... just think about something and you'll get it. If you think good thoughts you'll have a good happy life and vice versa. If only those people suffering genocide in Darfur could think better thoughts...

To be fair, I do agree to an extent and know I found this in one of my apartments on my religious mission, and it looks like it used to be required reading. I read it then and thought it was decent. I read it recently and thought it was pretty poor. It felt a little bit too much like "The Secret" ... just think about something and you'll get it. If you think good thoughts you'll have a good happy life and vice versa. If only those people suffering genocide in Darfur could think better thoughts...

To be fair, I do agree to an extent and know that focusing your energy and thoughts on something will help you achieve said goal, or help you to be a particular way. And we all know the power of positive thinking. I guess I can agree on some of Allen's premises here, but I feel like he takes it too far, and man does he beat a dead horse. This book just repeats itself over and over and gets a bit tiresome, especially for something so short. ...more

4

Dec 29, 2018

Genre: Self improvement, Power of thought.
Publication Date: 1903

This is a good book, it emphasizes on the power of one's thoughts and that they can change one's reality and make one better with every passing moment. The book is quite inspiring and author is urging the reader to take control of oneself and one's thoughts to create destiny.

5

Jan 29, 2015

I can hardly believe that this book was published in 1902!

If you know about the "Law of Attraction" it's very likely you found out about it from a movie called The Secret that came out in 2006 - a 100 years later! A part of the human population was blown away by it (me included), other parts were either amused, disturbed, hated it or found it hard to care.



Now, this review contemplation rant WHATEVER will be weird, especially if you don't believe in the Law of Attraction. It's very likely you'll I can hardly believe that this book was published in 1902!

If you know about the "Law of Attraction" it's very likely you found out about it from a movie called The Secret that came out in 2006 - a 100 years later! A part of the human population was blown away by it (me included), other parts were either amused, disturbed, hated it or found it hard to care.



Now, this review contemplation rant WHATEVER will be weird, especially if you don't believe in the Law of Attraction. It's very likely you'll end up thinking I need some serious help. XD Which is fine, you don't know where I live anyways.

Before I say anything else, I have to admit that although I practice the Law (I freak out every time it works) and I agree with the majority of the teachings (e.g. if you have problems in life they are your own doing, stop complaining, see the bright side/opportunity, etc.) I am rather concerned with the general obsession for owning stuff and believing that having something that you currently lack will bring you happiness. So in this new "happiness movement" people often get encouraged to desire stuff. (Or at least imagine we already have them). Why? Cause you HAVE TO! We all know that owning the newest piece of technology will make us happier. Just look at all those happy faces in the smartphone TV ads. Or how happy physically fit and attractive people look on the Posters. They definitely get to pick the best husbands/wives. Look at the rich people on the news! I bet they've never had health/family/mental problems - owning a Rolls Royce guarantees perfect life!



We are almost being conditioned to desire, to think happy thoughts all the time, to wish for better jobs, more money, a truer love, bigger home, etc. And we often end up neglecting what we currently posses. In fact, the more we believe that thoughts can attract something better, the more we might end up hating the situation we are currently in. The main problem is.... why do we desire it in the first place? Who taught us to want it? Will it really make us happier? And when do we put a stop to it? What do we do if we become addicted to "desiring"? What if we are never satisfied?



For example - you can desire for the perfect mate (boyfriend/girlfriend), but if the mate does something "wrong" or disagrees with you, would you wish for a new/better one right away? If it's easy and quick? Why waste your time and energy dealing with a problem, learning tolerance or practicing forgiveness, when all you have to do is just move on the next option?

I guess, what I'm trying to say is- don't take this book (and The Secret) way too seriously. Life is not meant to be spent solely on chasing after dreams or wishing for a better future. Sometimes, problems happen for a reason and sometimes misfortune is what makes us better, more human.

In my experience, the Law worked in two cases:
1. When my mind is cleared (after experiencing some dramatic phase of my life) and I am super focused on what I want for a couple of days, then I stop thinking about it completely. It usually takes 4-5 days for things/people to "manifest" (and that still scares the shit out of me).
2. When I end up being happy with what I have, practice mindfulness and just feel super relaxed. This takes longer, because I don't really desire anything at this stage, but if I remember to wish for something I just do it for a few minutes and then go back to being "present".



UnFortunately, I'm too busy with life to really spend too much time contemplating the "wrongness" of my current situation.

Don't wish for something when you are feeling depressed for not having it. Not having lots of money/perfect partner/great carrier according to the society's standards is not "wrong", unless you believe it.

If you are stuck and you find it hard to "manifest", try reading the teachings of Buddha, Tao or Toltec Philosophy to balance the "ego".



The Secret is better written, better explained, more practical and more relevant, but I would still recommend As a Man Thinketh for everyone who is curious. It's a revolutionary (but not very well-known) piece of work that has also inspired Napoleon Hill to write Think and Grow Rich. Anyways, if you want to start from somewhere, start with The Secret and try to keep reading/watching the DVD. The first half hour is damn right freaky and feels like you are watching some weird religious propaganda if you're new to it.

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5

Dec 19, 2015

دوستان عزیز این کتاب بی نظیر رو که الهام بخش آدمهای بسیار بزرگی مثل آنتونی رابینز، جیم ران و ... هست رو حتما نگاهی بهش داشته باشید. بعد از خوندن تنها یک صفحه متوجه عمق و زیبایی مطالبش می شید.
This wonderful book is one the most exquisite, delicate, books I've ever read. Statements being uttered in the book carry a heavy deal of wisdom while gently they touch your soul. Here are some of them:

-The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner دوستان عزیز این کتاب بی نظیر رو که الهام بخش آدمهای بسیار بزرگی مثل آنتونی رابینز، جیم ران و ... هست رو حتما نگاهی بهش داشته باشید. بعد از خوندن تنها یک صفحه متوجه عمق و زیبایی مطالبش می شید.
This wonderful book is one the most exquisite, delicate, books I've ever read. Statements being uttered in the book carry a heavy deal of wisdom while gently they touch your soul. Here are some of them:

-The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state.
-Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.
-Not what he wished and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.
-A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape hist circumstances.
-When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.
-Clean thoughts make clean habits.
-The so-called saint who does not wash his body is not a saint.
-Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment.
-One man is an oppressor because many are slaves, let us despise the slaves...
-You will become as small as your controlling desire, as great as your dominant aspiration. ...more

4

Mar 06, 2014

Close your eyes..
look deep into yourself..
what do you see.?
red..? black.?
no.. go deeper..
concentrate on your breath..
unable to concentrate..?
finding some murmurs in the background.?
well.. those are your thoughts..
those thoughts which fill your mind every moment..
most of us do not observe our thoughts.
start observing them..
try to concentrate on each and every thought as a single grain of sand..
most of them will be repetitive..
eliminate them..
fill your mind with cheerful thoughts..
replace Close your eyes..
look deep into yourself..
what do you see.?
red..? black.?
no.. go deeper..
concentrate on your breath..
unable to concentrate..?
finding some murmurs in the background.?
well.. those are your thoughts..
those thoughts which fill your mind every moment..
most of us do not observe our thoughts.
start observing them..
try to concentrate on each and every thought as a single grain of sand..
most of them will be repetitive..
eliminate them..
fill your mind with cheerful thoughts..
replace every negative thought with a positive one..
think about what you wish to be and work for it..
you will find your whole life changing..
and all you did was observe and slightly alter your thoughts..

This book is about the value of thoughts,how they influence a man,or rather how they make a man. The text is divided into different chapters,each on how thought is related to various aspects of life, and gives a clear and brief explanation of how thoughts influence one's life. To summarize the text in its own words..

* Thought and character
“Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul which have been restored and brought to light in this age, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise and confidence than this—that man is the master of thought, the moulder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.”

*Effect of thought on circumstances
“The outer world of circumstance shapes itself to the inner world of thought, and both pleasant and unpleasant external conditions are factors, which make for the ultimate good of the individual. As the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss.”

*Effect of thought on health and the body
“THE body is the servant of the mind. It obeys the operations of the mind, whether they be deliberately chosen or automatically expressed. At the bidding of unlawful thoughts the body sinks rapidly into disease and decay; at the command of glad and beautiful thoughts it becomes clothed with youthfulness and beauty.”

*Thought and purpose
“A man should conceive of a legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may take the form of a spiritual ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the time being; but whichever it is, he should steadily focus his thought-forces upon the object, which he has set before him.”

*The thought-factor in achievement
“ALL that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts...Before a man can achieve anything, even in worldly things, he must lift his thoughts above slavish animal indulgence.”

*Visions and ideals
“The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart—this you will build your life by, this you will become.”

*Serenity
“CALMNESS of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.”

Being brief and clear in presentation,this book is an excellent work in the self-help genre and unlike many others in that genre,interesting till the end.



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2

Oct 05, 2012

Good thoughts will bring you good things in life, bad thoughts will bring you bad things. Here you go, you just read the book.

Reading this sentence is exactly like reading the whole book because it is the only idea in there but is repeated like a million times, in all possible ways. But that does not mean I don't believe in it, I do. It makes sense to me.

5

Jun 10, 2012

The first “self help” book I ever read was Norman Vincent Peale's “The Power of Positive Thinking”. I was a troubled kid seriously trudging down the “wrong road”. Seeing this and evidently caring about it, a “stranger” jewelry salesman at a large department store offered me the book. Guess he thought the loss of the book would be better than the loss of ear rings from his department around Mother's Day.

Since reading that book I have read in the neighborhood of 500-1,000 of these type of books. The first “self help” book I ever read was Norman Vincent Peale's “The Power of Positive Thinking”. I was a troubled kid seriously trudging down the “wrong road”. Seeing this and evidently caring about it, a “stranger” jewelry salesman at a large department store offered me the book. Guess he thought the loss of the book would be better than the loss of ear rings from his department around Mother's Day.

Since reading that book I have read in the neighborhood of 500-1,000 of these type of books. What has always struck me was that each new book I read said pretty much what the others said except it was explained a little differently. I used to wonder where it started. Where do these obviously successful books come from? Where is their birth place? I read older and older of these type books and came to believe that this type of book has its beginnings lost in the annals of history. But for modern purposes this little volume, and the date it was written (century ago) has probably been devoured by every self-help guru that has ever written a newer self help book this century.

As a Man Thinketh is pretty much where every modern day self help guru goes to or comes from, except they say it in about 10-100 times as many words as James Allen did.

If you're inclined to take an interest in self help and you are not sure which guru is getting it right in the almighty sea of self help books you'll do yourself a great service if you read the 7 essays in this short book first. Most the rest the offerings are based on this little volume.

“The Secret”, “The Law of Attraction”, etc., etc., are all pitching you As a Man Thinketh which you can get free audio at Librovox and free epub at Project Gutenberg.

Oh yeah... everything in the book is top secret and is never to be told to anyone because they may turn out to be someone like Walt Disney, or Dale Carnage, or any of those other dreamers, thinkers, and capitalist.
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2

Jan 26, 2018

"As a man thinketh in his heart so is he"
^ That one sentence sums up the whole idea of this book, or rather, an essay.

In As a Man Thinketh, James Allen strongly professes the concept that a man is only as good as his thoughts. While in a sense, it may be true, you could also argue against it. It has a lot of possibilities for an amusing, thought-provoking debate.
Look at this –

“A man does not come to the almshouse or the jail by the tyranny of fate or circumstance, but by the pathway of "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he"
^ That one sentence sums up the whole idea of this book, or rather, an essay.

In As a Man Thinketh, James Allen strongly professes the concept that a man is only as good as his thoughts. While in a sense, it may be true, you could also argue against it. It has a lot of possibilities for an amusing, thought-provoking debate.
Look at this –

● “A man does not come to the almshouse or the jail by the tyranny of fate or circumstance, but by the pathway of groveling thoughts and base desires. Nor does a pure-minded man fall suddenly into crime by stress of any mere external force; the criminal thought had long been secretly fostered in the heart, and the hour of opportunity revealed its gathered power.”

Unsurprisingly, I was reminded of Jean Val Jean while reading this sentence. Not surprised if you did too. We all have loved that character, who, out of sheer desperation to feed his family, stole a piece of bread and ended up in prison. Theft is a crime, no matter what they say, but feeding your family is not. Bringing up this fictional scenario to point out that Allen is wrong, is not my intention though. I’d rather you think of all the poor people there, who were tried and tested in court, many sentenced to death, because they did something similar, or worse. Does that justification make them any less guilty? No. But does that knowledge lessen your hatred for the said accused? Admit it, it did.

● "Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself”

So what does that say about the person’s thoughts? Had he always harbored ill thoughts, thought of stealing, killing, murdering? He might have. Could he have avoided those thoughts if he willed himself hard enough? The answer is NO. Point blank.

However hard we try, a controlled mind always slips, always blends in with its surroundings, because just like a coin with two sides, a mind is composed of bad thoughts as much as the good ones. We may think bad stuff, and will ourselves not to do it. But when we actually do something bad, it is NOT BECAUSE WE HAD THOUGHT OF IT ONCE BEFORE. Of course, it is just what I feel to be true, you may have arguments that I may counter-argue. Still, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE COMPLETE CONTROL OF ONES’ MIND BY ONES’ SELF, IS NOT POSSIBLE.

● "A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances”

That, my friends, I whole-heartedly disagree with. You can choose to be good or bad, but you definitely cannot choose to think good thoughts or bad thoughts. Duh. Try it for yourself if you don’t believe me.

● “Change of diet will not help a man who will not change his thoughts. When a man makes his thoughts pure, he no longer desires impure food.”
I mean, seriously? What someone eats is his own business, you idiot. Even if you eat a snake, or a man for that matter, your body will adjust unless there are other ways for survival. Alright?

● "The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts himself at every step."

However impressive the above sentence might be, I can’t think of confining the whole of human behavioral pattern and thoughts to such a simple conclusion. One does not simply NOT DO things because he thinks he can’t. An ordinary human being, being a social creature, considers a lot many more factors rather than the simple ignorant fact that he can’t do what he wants to. I couldn’t vouch enough for how wrong that statement is. Yeah, I have come across such phrases before - “Nothing is impossible”, “You can’t do it if you think you can’t”. And no, I haven’t questioned them before, because they were meant in a motivational context. But reading Allen’s work, where he analyses human mind, and spreads out reasons why we’re all doing it all wrong ‘mentally’, I had to say it.
And I don’t mean to be demotivating. If you are inspired by this work, that’s a good thing, go on with your life. But if you are anything like me, you might be criticizing the book too, and I’m merely contributing my opinions.

● “ALL that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts”

Please don’t get me started on this one again. A man simply doesn’t fail because he thought them all wrong. And a man wouldn’t conquer the world with his stupid domineering thoughts.

● “To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to, achieve.”
You get that? It’s the same thing over and over again. I’m amazed he managed to stretch it out for a full 65 pages. That’s impressive vocabulary skills. Blah.

This one might be the truest thing he said, but it is not a fact at all. It doesn’t work in all situations. Like those physics theories we were forced to learn in high school? Applies to some places but doesn’t run true for the rest.
The strength of the effort is the measure of the result.

All in all, I get that while James Allen tried some old-school motivational lines, (okay, maybe he is the master of those ‘old-school’ motivational lines. This was published in what? 1902?), it didn’t work with me. That might be because I’m unmoved by non-fiction and motivational pieces in general, so you may still want to read this book. And yet, I say, “A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.” - NOT. ...more

5

Jun 11, 2015

In this short easy to read volume, James Allen teches us how the conscience awearness of what we think definitely determins where we will end up. If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get there? We must have a spasific goal and have that goal infront of us at all times until we reach it.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.

5

Sep 22, 2011

Written in 1902_the title is influenced by a verse in the Bible from the Book of Proverbs chapter 23 verse 7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” RUN,DON'T WALK,and get several copies to share as it still or maybe more RELEVANT TODAY than EVER!

Quotes From As a Man Thinketh
Men do not attract what they want, but what they are.
A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs Written in 1902_the title is influenced by a verse in the Bible from the Book of Proverbs chapter 23 verse 7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” RUN,DON'T WALK,and get several copies to share as it still or maybe more RELEVANT TODAY than EVER!

Quotes From As a Man Thinketh
Men do not attract what they want, but what they are.
A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment, of these, if you but remain true to them your world will at last be built.
The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations. It falls to the level of its unchastened desires - and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.
Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves, they therefore remain bound.
Every action and feeling is preceded by a thought.
Right thinking begins with the words we say to ourselves.
Circumstance does not make the man, it reveals him to himself.
You cannot travel within and stand still without.
As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts, can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.
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2

Mar 09, 2016

This was basically the original version of "the secret". I consider this whole Law of Attraction thing a by product of a spoilt and generally healthy society, but apparently this idea has been circulating for some time. Anyone who has dealt with a debilitating illness brought on by nothing but genetics knows that you can't "think your way" out of a bad situation. You can make the best of what you have but blaming someones thoughts for the cards they were dealt in life be it poverty, health, or This was basically the original version of "the secret". I consider this whole Law of Attraction thing a by product of a spoilt and generally healthy society, but apparently this idea has been circulating for some time. Anyone who has dealt with a debilitating illness brought on by nothing but genetics knows that you can't "think your way" out of a bad situation. You can make the best of what you have but blaming someones thoughts for the cards they were dealt in life be it poverty, health, or life circumstance can only be done by people who have never suffered the many injustices of this life.
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5

Sep 16, 2007

I've read this book many times. First ran across it 15 years ago and have come back to it many times; glean new treasures from it each time. This go-round was especially rich. Cheers! http://okie-booklady.blogspot.com/200...

5

Jan 08, 2016

2018
As A Man Thinketh, so he is.
Whatever you think, you become.
You are LITERALLY what you think.
This short read is a great reminder that we should guard our thoughts and ensure we are thinking great things.
MUST. READ.

2017
A timely reminder. I will definitely be using the suggestions in this book for the coming year.

4

Aug 08, 2010

This book could be summoned up as "You are ultimately responsible for your life through your thoughts". James Allen's presents his ideas like a no-holds-bar-stop-making-excuses-for-your-life slap in the face. I definitely agree with his major points though at times his moralizing seems a bit antiquated the core concepts are pretty solid. This book made me think about excuses, complaining and justifications vs. sacrifice and hard work. What I find intriguing about it is that all of us have such This book could be summoned up as "You are ultimately responsible for your life through your thoughts". James Allen's presents his ideas like a no-holds-bar-stop-making-excuses-for-your-life slap in the face. I definitely agree with his major points though at times his moralizing seems a bit antiquated the core concepts are pretty solid. This book made me think about excuses, complaining and justifications vs. sacrifice and hard work. What I find intriguing about it is that all of us have such powerful inherent potential and yet we cut ourselves down and undermine our own efforts with useless and defeatist thinking. The interesting question is why we are so susceptible to it. Why are we sometimes seemingly so eager to excuse ourselves? We want to be let off the hook, dodge blame or anything else that may let us get away with doing less than we are capable. In the end more than trying to convince other people with our excuses it seems that we are trying the hardest to convince ourselves, the one person who it is the hardest to lie to since we know we can and ought to do more and be more. It reminds me of those oft heard quotes about mankind being terrified of their own potential greatness and instead spends more of their time hiding from it. We are paradoxical beings full of contradictions that on the surface make little apparent sense but underneath ultimately define what it means to be human. ...more

3

Jun 10, 2012

In the foreword, the Author says that this work is intended as suggestive rather than explanatory. He conveys that, this is not an exhaustive treatise, but a result of his own meditation and experience in the direction. I couldn’t but agree more with him.

Through this short book, James has explained relation of our thoughts with our character, health and circumstances. He has also tried to maintain a relation of our thoughts with purpose and achievement in life. Though the book is written in a In the foreword, the Author says that this work is intended as suggestive rather than explanatory. He conveys that, this is not an exhaustive treatise, but a result of his own meditation and experience in the direction. I couldn’t but agree more with him.

Through this short book, James has explained relation of our thoughts with our character, health and circumstances. He has also tried to maintain a relation of our thoughts with purpose and achievement in life. Though the book is written in a most simple manner and proved to be a source of inspiration for many; I did not find myself agreeing with everything that it had to say. I agree that thoughts are powerful and can to an extent lead the way life moves, but they do not always have a role to play.

E.g. while explaining the relation of thought and circumstances, Allen says "The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state...Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.”...... But this could not always be so. What could be said of a person who is exposed to disastrous circumstances coming out of the blue, with absolutely no relation to his/her past, or to the way he thinks? And of the suffering he might endure for that?

Still it is a worth read once.
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0

Aug 09, 2011

It's amazing to me how certain philosophies are timeless. This book was written 100 years ago during England's industrial age when oppression of the average worker was standard practice. James Allen tells the reader how your thoughts, not mere circumstance, are what creates your life events. Allen believes there is a law of thought that determines our every life event. All action comes from thought. This is so similar to book like The Secret and other books that have been so popular in the last It's amazing to me how certain philosophies are timeless. This book was written 100 years ago during England's industrial age when oppression of the average worker was standard practice. James Allen tells the reader how your thoughts, not mere circumstance, are what creates your life events. Allen believes there is a law of thought that determines our every life event. All action comes from thought. This is so similar to book like The Secret and other books that have been so popular in the last few years even though it was written a century ago. What I really like about this book as opposed to the more modern books of the same philosophy is that Allen focuses on thinking on God and the divine rather than a non discript "universe". This book is only a few pages and can easily be read in an hour or two. I also found it at Barnes and Noble in the bargain section for $5.98. Well worth the money and I will probably read it several times during my lunch hour. Great pick me up filled with timeless reminders on how what we focus on becomes what we achieve and attain. ...more

3

Dec 11, 2015

I didnt finish this book, I simply couldn't.

i read only half of it and i was bored to the bone , but i think there is nothing wrong with the book, it seems really good for people who like these stuff , its about me i need a story line , or whatever something to keep me interested .
I felt like the book was speaking in my head " i only bore you because you are a young heart , if you were wise you would bow before my power "
and i was like "maybe later ? your highness ? " XD!

Overall , Though i rated I didnt finish this book, I simply couldn't.

i read only half of it and i was bored to the bone , but i think there is nothing wrong with the book, it seems really good for people who like these stuff , its about me i need a story line , or whatever something to keep me interested .
I felt like the book was speaking in my head " i only bore you because you are a young heart , if you were wise you would bow before my power "
and i was like "maybe later ? your highness ? " XD!

Overall , Though i rated it , but i feel like its not fair . it feels like i am not the person to review this book nor to rate it .
So , maybe someday if i had more interest of these type of books
I'll try again . ...more

1

Jan 29, 2016

This book was honestly just boring, awful, and fake deep.

Here's a line that really turned me off: " It has been usual for men to think and to say, 'Many men are slaves because one is an oppressor; let us hate the oppressor.' Now, however, there is amongst an increasing few a tendency to reverse this judgment, and to say, 'One man is an oppressor because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves.'

Really perpetuates a 'blame the victim' mindset that is already prominent in our society while This book was honestly just boring, awful, and fake deep.

Here's a line that really turned me off: " It has been usual for men to think and to say, 'Many men are slaves because one is an oppressor; let us hate the oppressor.' Now, however, there is amongst an increasing few a tendency to reverse this judgment, and to say, 'One man is an oppressor because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves.'

Really perpetuates a 'blame the victim' mindset that is already prominent in our society while intertwining religion as justification. ...more

5

Aug 03, 2018

Man is always the master ...

This is a fabulous book about what it really means to be a man. Like my trainer would tell me when I’d do the pushup hold, You are stronger than you think you are.