Chapter One - Yourself (End)

1. You can never escape from Discipline. You must either have self-discipline or be disciplined by others. You can be disciplined by those in authority over you, or by ostracism, or, if you go too far, by the Law. There are prisons. You must control your memory, so that it does not prevent you from thinking; and you must control your feelings, so that you do not cease to be rational; and you must control your behavior, in order to have a good name. you must be the Master of yourself, in order to attain either success or happiness.
2. Acquire the art of self-mastery. When you set out to own things and manage other people, you must first learn self-control. You must control your appetites, fears, moods and habits. By a strong effort of will-power, a man can conquer his weaker or baser feelings. He can even change his nature. He can become dynamic and competent. He can change his temperament if it is a handicap. He can shape himself. He can be what he was not born to be. If he has been easily discouraged, he should often say to himself- “What I want to do is worth doing and I can do it.” He can take control of himself.
3. Control your Back Brain. It may give you either courage or cruelty. Every man is like a horse and rider. His Back Brain is the horse, and his Front Brain is the rider. If the rider cannot control the horse, he may be flung off and killed. The man who is dominated by his Back Brain is a brute. The Back Brain is made stronger by hate, greed, ruthlessness, dishonesty and intoxication. And the Front Brain is made stronger by self-control, moderation, integrity, kindness and intelligence. There is a sleeping tiger in a man and it must not be aroused.
4. No matter what happens to you, never pity yourself. Self-pity is a deadly thing. It changes a man into a weakling. He becomes like a baby, crying to be picked up. He loses the spirit of self-help. Unless he takes himself in hand, he will begin to brood over his wrongs or his troubles. He will become morbid, and morbidity is a mental disease. That way madness lies. Self-pity is the first step on the way to mental wreckage. A man must “snap out of it,” as Americans say. And the best way to do this is to take action – to do something that will promote your welfare.
5. Better not give the credit to “good luck” when you succeed, nor the blame to “bad luck” when you fail. There is no Fate that plans men’s lives. Whatever comes to us, good or bad, is the result of our own action or lack of action, plus an element of chance. No man’s life is ALL chance. There is no such thing as continuous good luck or bad luck. No one always wins or loses in any game of chance. In general, it is best to depend upon self-help and not think about luck at all.
6. As to your own nature, you should know that it is a three-in-one nature. Every man is a trinity. Your brain is in three parts – front, middle and back. You are automatic, rational and psychic. Your body is an automation. You do not need to think in order to breathe or circulate your blood. Your body runs itself and thus sets the brain free to think. Your standing as a human being is decided by the activities of your brain. As to our psychic department, we know little about it as yet; and it is wisest to defer studying it until the scientists give us data.
7. If you wish to live a balanced and happy life, you must give thought to the six normal activities of human being – doing, getting, helping, learning, playing and loving. Blend these six activities and you will know the meaning of the “joy of life.” You will have an all-round development of your nature. If you leave one of these activities out of your life, you will be more or less defective. By concentrating on one of them you may become rich or famous, but to attain happiness you must include them all. You are a six-element creature.
8. You are influenced much more by tradition than you realize. A tradition is an old belief or method that persists although it is no longer useful. Nothing has ever been too foolish to be a tradition. There are many obsolete beliefs and work-habits. Even in the world of finance and industry there are old traditions that should have been abolished long ago. In general, it is wise to doubt any belief or method that you have picked up. Study it. See if it is useful or only a tradition. Never hold fast to any method merely because it is old.
9. It is possible for you to almost reconstruct yourself, if you have defects that handicap you. No one should regard himself as incurable, if he is being held back by any harmful characteristic. Timid men have acquired courage. Shy men have acquired self-confidence. Flighty men have become reliable. Rough-speaking men have acquired tact. To a large extent a man can be redesigned, so that he will get rid of small handicaps.
10. There may come a time in your life when you must, above all else, have faith in YOURSELF. You must listen to the inner voices, not the outside voices. To take advice is wise up to a point, but if people say you should not do something which you believe you ought to do and can do, go ahead and do it. “To thine own self be true.” There have been times when one man stood against the public opinion of his nation, and pushed it forward to a higher level.

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