In The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles states that there is plenty of wealth and happiness to go around and he teaches that to gain that wealth and happiness you must manifest it with your thoughts, be grateful for what you already have, and then work to add even more.
Contents
Bullet Summary
- Thoughts can bring things to life
- The more grateful you are for what you have, the more you’ll attract
- You must take action: thoughts can bring things into your life, but only action will really make them yours
Full Summary
About The Author:
Wallace Delois Wattles was an American New Thought writer born in 1860.
Wikipedia says not much is known about him, but his writing has been very influential in the New Thought and self-help movements and he inspired Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret.
It’s OK To Want & Seek Wealth
Wattles says that the desire of getting rich is natural and there’s nothing wrong with it.
Even love, he says, requires wealth since love gives you the desire of giving material gifts (giving and receiving gifts is indeed one of the 5 love languages).
As a matter of fact, striving for more is good, says the author, because it’s the only way to serve others and God.
The 2 Misconceptions Around Wealth
The author says it’s not true that:
- Rich people were born into money
- Not everyone can be rich because there’s a finite amount of wealth
Everything In The World Is Made Of The Same Original Substance
Everything in the world is composed of the same substance, which Wattles calls “Original Substance”.
The original substance always regenerates, and that’s why everyone can have as much as he wants.
The 1st Key to Riches: Thoughts
The Science of Getting Rich starts with your mind.
Your thoughts shape the Original Substance in a way that it can create what you want.
In a nutshell: you can create things with your own thoughts.
But it’s important that you are detailed and specific in thinking about what you want.
The 2nd Key to Riches: Gratitude
Thoughts are not enough. The second step is gratitude.
The more grateful you are for the Substance you have, the more you will attract.
The 3rd Key to Riches: Faith
The third step in The Science of Getting Rich is faith. You need to believe that you can get what you want.
The 4th Key to Riches: Action
Thoughts will attract what you want, but action will really make them yours.
When you take action make sure to fully focus with both your body and mental presence.
And whatever it is that you do, you should have full faith that, in some way, it helps humanity (“increase principle”).
Review
The Science of Getting Rich is a typical New Thought book largely based on the law of attraction and, frankly, we’re not huge fans of it here.
It’s similar to all other New Thought books such as You Can Heal Your Life, As A Man Thinketh, The Power of Positive Thinking, and the Godfather of them all, Think and Grow Rich.
Unlike The Secret though, I appreciate that The Science of Getting Rich at least encourages people to take lots of action.
And it has some good golden nuggets as well. Including, for example, the concept of not focusing on competition but on creation.
Overall, we have to restate the obvious that this is definitely NOT science and I truly dislike like it when someone sells obviously and demonstrably unscientific principles as unscientific.
On the positive side, thinking positively will certainly do you good, but the full book may not be worth your time.
Check the best books to read or get this book on Amazon.
