Think And Grow Rich
2026-05-13
An off-comment: I dislike the title. It's a decent self-help book and contains lessons I fully agree with. However, I will pretend it's not about "growing rich" as in money and would instead interpret it as "achieving a life goal".
1. What is the book about as a whole?
It's a self-help book. It outlines a philosophy that a person should strive to control his thoughts and direct his mind towards life goals - and provides some supporting stories and analysis.
2. What is being said in detail, and how?
The book provides a 13-lesson plan on fulfilling a life goal:
- have a deep desire for the goal
- have faith that you will achieve it, even if it looks unattainable
- repeatedly visualizing yourself having achieved it
- identify knowledge for said goal; knowledge is only useful if actionable
- imagine the ways of achieving the goal; be creative
- draft and iterate on a concrete plan on achieving it
- make prompt decision and commit to them
- have faith in the method and persist even though it may not work at first
- find like-minded people to exchange ideas and support
- use the power of sex to intensify your desire
- focus on positive emotions rather than negative/fears - that will guide your conscious mind
- the brain works better when it is stimulated through creative emotions
- some ideas come from sixth sense
The book also provides a set of analytical questions to evaluate where you stand on those lessons as well as a set of common "alibis" (excuses) for not achieving one's life goals.
3. Is the book true, in whole or part?
I agree with the conclusion of the book - that it is possible to position yourself for success by focusing your mind on success. I agree that faith is absolutely vital for success and it seems like most of the other lessons flow naturally from pursuing what you believe in through concrete action.
I disagree with much of the provided evidence. For example, Ford not a rag-to-riches story and I'm still not clear how "sex transmutation" helps with the conclusion. I found some of the theory behind how the brain operates outdated and I felt like the effort to provide support through explanations of physics and biology are not helping with convincing me. However, I agree that putting yourself in a position where you truly cut off the possibility of failure shows others that if anyone makes it, it's you. So putting your mind at work towards a goal; making it the daily effort and continunously analyzing how you aim to achieve said goal is the best way to achieve it.
4. What of it?
I think that the main takeaway is sound and I'm taking the lesson to conceive a goal and strive towards it at heart. It's actually something I've been thinking prior to picking up the book, and I'm currently on a sabbatical to get my priorities straight.
I liked the self-analysis questions and integrated them within my Hermes agent through obisidan vault. I have started answering and reviewing them.