by Maxwell Maltz, M.D., F.I.C.S.
A renowned plastic surgeon and author who wrote Psycho-Cybernetics, a seminal self-help book that explores the power of self-image and the mind’s role in personal success and improvement.
The book explores the concept of self-image and its profound impact on personal development, success, and happiness. Maltz, a plastic surgeon, became interested in the psychological aspects of self-perception after observing changes in his patients’ behavior following surgery. He discovered that even after improving their physical appearance, many patients continued to see themselves negatively. Keep reading to find Psycho-cybernetics key takeaways I find important in this book.
The self-image is the mental picture we hold of ourselves, which influences our behavior, achievements, and interactions. A positive self-image leads to success and happiness, while a negative one can hinder personal growth. Maltz argues that self-image is not fixed and can be reshaped through conscious effort and practice.
The term “cybernetics” refers to the science of communication and automatic control systems in both machines and living beings. Maltz uses this analogy to describe how the human mind operates as a goal-striving mechanism.
Maltz emphasizes the power of visualization in achieving goals. By vividly imagining successful outcomes, individuals can program their minds to follow through with the necessary actions. Just as athletes use mental rehearsal to improve performance, individuals can use it to enhance their skills and confidence in various areas of life.
Psycho-cybernetics key takeaways:
- There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.
- Happiness is a decision. It’s a state of thinking that is pleasant a good share of the time.
- Happy people are never wicked. Only hurt people hurt people.
- Self-image is created through experience so it can also be changed through experience.
- Mistakes are a part of the process and will help you get to your goal faster.
- The more I relax, the more I receive.
- We’re all literally hypnotised by false beliefs about ourselves. About ideas we uncritically accepted from others or ourselves based on our experience.
- You are not inferior. You are not superior. You’re simply YOU.
- Only the conscious mind has the power to victimise us. The subconscious doesn’t hold opinions, it’s neutral.
- “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”.
- In baseball they say: keep your eyes on the ball. The rest is noise. Keep your focus and persist, having your desire/end goal in mind.
- Focus on the position of trust. We must learn to do our work and act on the best assumptions available and leave the results to take care of themselves.
- We try to solve everything with our forebrain thinking which is consciousness. But its job is only to pose problems, not to solve them. Problems are solved by our subconscious mind.
- The word habit initially meant garment. The habits are something our personalities wear.
- Develop nostalgia for the future. Look forward.
- Never blame yourself or nobody else for your last mistakes. The past only tells us where we are and how we got there. Not where we’re heading.
- Overwrite the negative thought with a positive one. Don’t try to remove the negative one because it’s more difficult and more negative ones will appear in its place.
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