As a Man Thinketh teaches readers to harness the power of thought, which, the author says, is the most important influence in our lives.
TPM Strategic Note: Thoughts are a foundational aspect of an empowered mind, but not enough
Your internal monologue and “Self-identity” act as the foundational ‘operating system’ for your feelings, emotions, and behavior. While James Allen correctly identifies that thoughts matter, this book lacks both the modern psychological evidence and the tools and tactical “how-to” required to engineer an empowered mind. At TPM, we view this book as the “Level 1” realization, to be supplemented with modern science and how-tos. See our:
Spirituality for empowered men ↗
Thoughts impact mental states and mindsets, but you need deeper approaches for the subconscious
Key Takeaways
- To be the master of your life, be the master of your thoughts
- Good thoughts lead to a happy and successful life
- Poor thoughts lead to an unhappy and unsuccessful life
Overview
About the Author:
James Allen was a British writer known for his inspirational books, most well-known for his book, “As A Man Thinketh”. He has been a pioneer of the self-help movement based on positive thinking.
Introduction
James Allen likens the mind and our lives to a garden.
If you plant the seeds of good thoughts in your mind, you will reap a healthy psychological state and a good life.
If you allow it to run wild bad weeds will poison your thoughts and ruin your life.
Chapter 1: Thought and Character
James Allen says that we are literally what we think. Our character is simply the sum of all our thoughts.
But that also gives us extreme power, because by changing our thoughts, we can change our character.
Indeed, “As a Man Thinketh” says that if we want to change our character and our situation in lif,e all we have to do is change our thoughts.
A man is literally what he thinks
Chapter 2: Effect of Thought on Circumstances
The outer conditions of our lives are a reflection of our inner thoughts and our inner state.
The inner thoughts and our outer condition are not exactly the same because external conditions do have a major influence, says Allen.
However, there is a relation between the two and we can have a major influence on our outer condition with the way we direct our outer condition.
We are each the masters of our own destiny
Locus of Control: You’re in Charge
Since we can change our circumstances and our lives, the author makes the point that blaming and complaining are useless.
More than useless, actually, they poison our thoughts.
And he makes the point we all take and accept more responsibility in life.
My Note:
This concept is called “internal locus of control”. It means you believe you are in control of your life instead of being shaped by external circumstances and events.
It’s indeed of great benefit for you to switch to an internal locus of control and accept extreme ownership of your life.
Chapter 3: Effects of Thoughts on Health and Body
The mind influences our body as well.
Allen says that habits of thought will produce physical effects on our bodies, and if our thoughts are good, they will produce positive effects. If our thoughts are negative, they will produce bad effects.
While we might think that thinking about the risks keeps us safer, always thinking about diseases makes it more likely we’ll get them, says As a Man Thinketh.
A sour face doesn’t happen by chance: sour thoughts made it
Good Thoughts Lead to Healthy Habits
As a Man Thinketh also links our thoughts to actual habits we form, which makes a lot of sense.
If we think about our health and care about it, we are more likely to form positive habits of healthy eating and exercise, which will lead to a better life.
Also read The Power of Habit.
Chapter 4: Thought and Purpose
As a Man Thinketh has two key messages in this chapter:
- You need a purpose in life
- Doubts and fears stand in the way of achievement
People without a purpose have too much time on their hands to focus on fears, worries and petty problems.
And in turn, worries, fears, and doubts are the greatest enemies of achievement.
They distract you, thwart your willingness to take action, and bring upon exactly what you are afraid of, like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If you want to forge forward, you need to clear fears and pessimism from your path.
There is no accomplishment until thought is linked with purpose
Chapter 5: The Thought-Factor in Achievement
The chapter states that all achievements in life -or lack thereof- are a direct consequence of his thoughts.
However, he also adds an important element: hard work.
The high achiever in As a Man Thinketh must sacrifice a lot to accomplish a lot.
Chapter 6: Visions and Ideals
Dreams and visions underpin reality, says James Allen.
Dream big, and you will achieve big.
The greatest achievement was once a dream
Chapter 7: Serenity
Calmness of mind is the last stage of wisdom, says Allen.
My Note: To achieve serenity, meditation can be helpful. Here are a few good resources:
As a Man Thinketh in One Quote:
Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
TPM Analysis
Go through this article on naive self-help since it addresses many of the pitfalls common to books like As a Man Thinketh:
There’s more than thought
Albeit As a Man Thinketh advises you to work on what you want, one should still avoid the common mistake of thinking that thoughts and states of mind will do the work for you.
Thoughts are important to support action, but action only will give you real-life results like status, respect, and attraction.
Action achieves goals.
So learning to act despite thoughts is crucial:
Build a mind that acts independently of thoughts
Thoughts are crucial to a good and healthy inner life.
But I find that the capacity to act despite negative thoughts is crucial to being an effective man.
This is how an empowered and masculine man thinks: I feel great about myself, but I don’t need to feel great about myself to do what I must do.
Learning to act even when in doubt or in fear is a superpower that allows you to win even when your mind is doubtful.
And that’s habit, discipline, and the power of will.
PROS
Short and to the point
I write this of very few books, but AS a Man Thinketh is one of the very few books that adds no fluff.
Simple yet important insight: start with the mind
Most of our success and most of our behavior and sub-communication starts with our minds. This is something we agree on at TPM, and part of the approach we call ‘from the inside out’.
See more here:
- Foundations of self-development: starting from the mind, letting good body language and behavior follow, and then earning external world’s achievements
Review
As A Man Thinketh offers a single concept based on nurturing positive thoughts, a foundational yet insufficient aspect of an empowered mind.
James Allen has been a pioneer, although the successors turned more commercial and woo-woo, including The Power of Positive Thinking, The Secret, and various new age figures who peddled the same idea but framed it as science (see Joe Dispenza).
It’s important to remember that while thoughts are important, it’s the capacity to act despite the thoughts that yields real-life results.
And while thoughts are an important aspect of an empowered mind, you need to understand how to have better thoughts, and of what kind.
See here:
- Foundations of self-development
- Spirituality for agentic men
- Confidence University, the full course on an empowered mind
