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Psychocybernetic Principles of Creative Living
This book is incredible...
255 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 3, 1979
120 people are currently reading
2694 people want to read
About the author
Maxwell Maltz
85 books378 followersMaxwell Maltz was an American cosmetic surgeon and author of Psycho-Cybernetics, which was a system of ideas that he claimed could improve one's self-image leading to a more successful and fulfilling life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 10, 2021
Outstanding book that has truly changed how I view my life. The book walks through steps to face your own self-image and then proceeds to guide you on your journey to crafting whatever self-image you visualize in your mind. The book discusses the importance of habits, consistency and meditation to help you become the ideal version of yourself.
I have read many self-help books, and most are filled with motivational speeches, or bs tips and tricks. This book is the grandfather of all self-help books, and really is the only one you need.
I have read many self-help books, and most are filled with motivational speeches, or bs tips and tricks. This book is the grandfather of all self-help books, and really is the only one you need.
October 17, 2013
An outstanding book about how we live ourselves and how we are meant to live it. A detailed analysis of human brain function wrt the internal and external world . A scientific take on religious cliches which seem to clarify their significance . An excellent book to read if you wish to seek the intricacies of concsiousness and the part played by the subconscious aspect in our lives
November 15, 2020
ome of the few takeaways from the books
1 The Self Image
The goal that our own creative mechanism seeks to achieve are mental images which we create by use of self imagination. This goal image is called self image.It prescribes “area of possible”.
Self Image is the premise,foundation upon which your personality, your behavior are built.
To really live , that is to find life reasonably satisfying , you must have an adequate and realistic self image. “You must find yourself acceptable to you”
Our Future is controlled by mental blueprint we have inside our subconscious mind.
The definition of success is “satisfactory accomplishment of goal you sought for”.
2 Discovering the success Mechanism within you
Your brain & nervous system constitute a goal striving mechanism that operates automatically to achieve a certain goal.
If you really mean business, have an intense desire, & begin to think intensely about all angles of the problem- your creative mechanism will work for you.
Creative mechanism selects an idea, relates them into a meaningful whole that will solve the problem. Dont jam it by becoming too concerned or too anxious.
Your built in system must have a goal to target. Do not be afraid of making mistakes, or of temporary failure. All servo-mechanism achieve a goal by negative feedback, or by going forward,making mistakes & immediately correcting course.
All Skill learning is accomplished by trial & error by making a trial ,missing a mark, remembering the degree of error & making correction on next trial until successful attempt is accomplished. The successful pattern is then remembered & imitated on future detail.
3 Imagination: The first key to your success
Human being always acts & feels & perform in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself & environment.
The man reacts to what he thought or believed or imagined the environment to be.
If we picture ourself performing in a certain manner, it is nearly same as actual performance
4 Dehypnotize yourself from false belief
Feeling of inferiority comes not so much from facts or experience but more from conclusion regarding facts, & our evluation of experiences.
Feeling of inferiority comes because we judge ourselves & measure ourselves , not against our own norms but some other individual norms
You are not “inferior”. you are not “superior”. you are simply “you”
Inner security can be found in finding oneself an individuality, uniqueness & distinctiveness. When the will & imagination are in conflict, the imagination wins the day.
5 How to utilize the power of rational thinking
Your unconscious is absolutely impersonal
It operates as a machine & has no “will ” of its own.
It always try to react to our current beliefs, interpretations etc.
It always seeks to accomplish the goals that you consciously determine.
It only works on the data that you feed it in the form of ideas, beliefs, opinions etc .It then processes it & react appropriately.
Memories of past failure do not harm as long as our conscious thoughts & attention are focussed on positive goal to be accomplished
Our errors, mistakes, failures , & even our humiliations are necessary steps in learning process.
Let not irrationality dominate you. Whenever it thursts foolish thoughts or feeling into your consciousess, pull them up by roots , examine them & reject them.
Select the goal you wish to achieve & concentrate on these rather than on what you donot want.
6 Relax & let your successive mechanism work for you.
The way to success is by surrender, passivity– relaxation should be the rule.
Creative ideas come automatically,spontaneously where the conscious mind has let go of the problem & engaged in thinking of something else
Set a goal- & then get busy on the process.
rules for freeing your creative machinery
Do your worrying before you place your bet, not after the wheel starts turning.
Form the habit of consciously responding to the present moment– Look neither forward or backward beyond a 24hr cycle. Live today as best as you can. By living today well you do the most within your power to make tomorrow better.
Try to do only one thing at a time- you can have many goals but concentrating on just one at a time will help you accomplish far more than attempting to focus on many at once.
Sleep on it– Remember your creative mechanism works best when there is not too much interference from your consciousness.
7 You can acquire habit of happiness
We think better, perform better, feel better , & are healthier when we are happy.
Happiness is simply “ a state of mind” . It is not the reward of virtue, but virtue itself.
There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.
Happiness is produced by the ideas, thoughts & attitudes which can be developed by individuals. One can become happier by resolving not to add resentment & self pity to your misfortune.
8 Ingridients of success type personality
Sense of direction– Get yourself a project. Always have something ahead of you to “look forward to”-to work for & hope for. Look forward, not backward.
Understanding– To deal with problem, you must have some understanding to its true nature
We create confusion when we add our opinion to facts & come up with wrong conclusion
Pause, analyze the situation , & select the appropriate response.
We must acknowledge our errors, mistakes & take corrective actions.
Courage
Be willing to make a few mistakes , to suffer a little pain to get what you want.
Study the situation thoroughly , chart out various course of action possible to you.
Compassion
Have respect for others problems & needs. Respect the dignity of human personality.
Esteem
The person with adequate self esteem doesnot feel hostile towards others, he isn’t out to prove anything , he can see facts very clearly.
Self Confidence– confidence is built upon experience of success.
Form the habit of remembering the past success & forgetting the failures.
Self acceptance–
There is no use straining to be somebody, You are what you are now.
Accept yourself as you are. Start from there. Learn to emotionally tolerate imperfection in yourself.
9 failure mechanism
F- frustration
It arises because goal we have set for ourselves are un -realistic, image we have of ourselves are inadequate
A- aggressiveness
Providing a proper outlet for aggression is important. You dont solve the problem by creating another.
The best channel for aggression is working towards some goal.
I- insecurity
If you feel that you dont ‘ measure up’ to what is required , you feel insecure.
L-loneliness
U-uncertainty
It is based on fallacious premise that if no decision is made, nothing can go wrong.
Samuel Smiles said-
We learn wisdom from failure much more than our success; we often discover what will do by finding out what will not do & probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery.
R-Resentment– It is an attempt to make our own failure justified by explaining it in terms of unfair treatment, injustice .
E- emptiness- Glance at negatives, but focus on positives.
10 How to remove emotional scars
3 rules for immunizing yourself against emotional hurts
Be too big to feel threatened
Develop a more self reliant attitude– Assume responsibility for your own life & emotional needs.
relax away emotional hurts– we are hurt not much by other people- but by our own attitude and our own response.
One of the biggest mistakes we can make is confuse our behavior with our self.. to conclude that because we did a certain act , it characterises us as certain sort of problem.
11 How to unlock your real personality
practice disinhibition–
you need to practice being less careful, less conscious what others say
if you cannot ignore the response of anger, just delay automatic response.
Relaxation as Tranquilizer
Build yourself a quiet room in your mind- the quite room within works as mutual & emotional decompression chamber.It depressurizes you from tension,worry etc.
Clear your mechanism before undertaking a new problem
How to turn out crisis into creative opportunity
Practice without pressure- Human forms cognitive map while learning. If motivation is intense & no pressure, these map are broad & large.
Shadowboxing for stability-Practice with an imaginary opponent as form of training.
Fearlessly accept the challenge & confidently expend your strength.
How to get your winning feeling
Think in terms of possibility – Possibility of goal must be seen so clearly that it becomes real to your brain & nervous system.
call up, capture, evoke the feeling of success.
Dont be worried about age , just remember “we age not by years, but by events & emotional reactions to them.”
1 The Self Image
The goal that our own creative mechanism seeks to achieve are mental images which we create by use of self imagination. This goal image is called self image.It prescribes “area of possible”.
Self Image is the premise,foundation upon which your personality, your behavior are built.
To really live , that is to find life reasonably satisfying , you must have an adequate and realistic self image. “You must find yourself acceptable to you”
Our Future is controlled by mental blueprint we have inside our subconscious mind.
The definition of success is “satisfactory accomplishment of goal you sought for”.
2 Discovering the success Mechanism within you
Your brain & nervous system constitute a goal striving mechanism that operates automatically to achieve a certain goal.
If you really mean business, have an intense desire, & begin to think intensely about all angles of the problem- your creative mechanism will work for you.
Creative mechanism selects an idea, relates them into a meaningful whole that will solve the problem. Dont jam it by becoming too concerned or too anxious.
Your built in system must have a goal to target. Do not be afraid of making mistakes, or of temporary failure. All servo-mechanism achieve a goal by negative feedback, or by going forward,making mistakes & immediately correcting course.
All Skill learning is accomplished by trial & error by making a trial ,missing a mark, remembering the degree of error & making correction on next trial until successful attempt is accomplished. The successful pattern is then remembered & imitated on future detail.
3 Imagination: The first key to your success
Human being always acts & feels & perform in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself & environment.
The man reacts to what he thought or believed or imagined the environment to be.
If we picture ourself performing in a certain manner, it is nearly same as actual performance
4 Dehypnotize yourself from false belief
Feeling of inferiority comes not so much from facts or experience but more from conclusion regarding facts, & our evluation of experiences.
Feeling of inferiority comes because we judge ourselves & measure ourselves , not against our own norms but some other individual norms
You are not “inferior”. you are not “superior”. you are simply “you”
Inner security can be found in finding oneself an individuality, uniqueness & distinctiveness. When the will & imagination are in conflict, the imagination wins the day.
5 How to utilize the power of rational thinking
Your unconscious is absolutely impersonal
It operates as a machine & has no “will ” of its own.
It always try to react to our current beliefs, interpretations etc.
It always seeks to accomplish the goals that you consciously determine.
It only works on the data that you feed it in the form of ideas, beliefs, opinions etc .It then processes it & react appropriately.
Memories of past failure do not harm as long as our conscious thoughts & attention are focussed on positive goal to be accomplished
Our errors, mistakes, failures , & even our humiliations are necessary steps in learning process.
Let not irrationality dominate you. Whenever it thursts foolish thoughts or feeling into your consciousess, pull them up by roots , examine them & reject them.
Select the goal you wish to achieve & concentrate on these rather than on what you donot want.
6 Relax & let your successive mechanism work for you.
The way to success is by surrender, passivity– relaxation should be the rule.
Creative ideas come automatically,spontaneously where the conscious mind has let go of the problem & engaged in thinking of something else
Set a goal- & then get busy on the process.
rules for freeing your creative machinery
Do your worrying before you place your bet, not after the wheel starts turning.
Form the habit of consciously responding to the present moment– Look neither forward or backward beyond a 24hr cycle. Live today as best as you can. By living today well you do the most within your power to make tomorrow better.
Try to do only one thing at a time- you can have many goals but concentrating on just one at a time will help you accomplish far more than attempting to focus on many at once.
Sleep on it– Remember your creative mechanism works best when there is not too much interference from your consciousness.
7 You can acquire habit of happiness
We think better, perform better, feel better , & are healthier when we are happy.
Happiness is simply “ a state of mind” . It is not the reward of virtue, but virtue itself.
There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.
Happiness is produced by the ideas, thoughts & attitudes which can be developed by individuals. One can become happier by resolving not to add resentment & self pity to your misfortune.
8 Ingridients of success type personality
Sense of direction– Get yourself a project. Always have something ahead of you to “look forward to”-to work for & hope for. Look forward, not backward.
Understanding– To deal with problem, you must have some understanding to its true nature
We create confusion when we add our opinion to facts & come up with wrong conclusion
Pause, analyze the situation , & select the appropriate response.
We must acknowledge our errors, mistakes & take corrective actions.
Courage
Be willing to make a few mistakes , to suffer a little pain to get what you want.
Study the situation thoroughly , chart out various course of action possible to you.
Compassion
Have respect for others problems & needs. Respect the dignity of human personality.
Esteem
The person with adequate self esteem doesnot feel hostile towards others, he isn’t out to prove anything , he can see facts very clearly.
Self Confidence– confidence is built upon experience of success.
Form the habit of remembering the past success & forgetting the failures.
Self acceptance–
There is no use straining to be somebody, You are what you are now.
Accept yourself as you are. Start from there. Learn to emotionally tolerate imperfection in yourself.
9 failure mechanism
F- frustration
It arises because goal we have set for ourselves are un -realistic, image we have of ourselves are inadequate
A- aggressiveness
Providing a proper outlet for aggression is important. You dont solve the problem by creating another.
The best channel for aggression is working towards some goal.
I- insecurity
If you feel that you dont ‘ measure up’ to what is required , you feel insecure.
L-loneliness
U-uncertainty
It is based on fallacious premise that if no decision is made, nothing can go wrong.
Samuel Smiles said-
We learn wisdom from failure much more than our success; we often discover what will do by finding out what will not do & probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery.
R-Resentment– It is an attempt to make our own failure justified by explaining it in terms of unfair treatment, injustice .
E- emptiness- Glance at negatives, but focus on positives.
10 How to remove emotional scars
3 rules for immunizing yourself against emotional hurts
Be too big to feel threatened
Develop a more self reliant attitude– Assume responsibility for your own life & emotional needs.
relax away emotional hurts– we are hurt not much by other people- but by our own attitude and our own response.
One of the biggest mistakes we can make is confuse our behavior with our self.. to conclude that because we did a certain act , it characterises us as certain sort of problem.
11 How to unlock your real personality
practice disinhibition–
you need to practice being less careful, less conscious what others say
if you cannot ignore the response of anger, just delay automatic response.
Relaxation as Tranquilizer
Build yourself a quiet room in your mind- the quite room within works as mutual & emotional decompression chamber.It depressurizes you from tension,worry etc.
Clear your mechanism before undertaking a new problem
How to turn out crisis into creative opportunity
Practice without pressure- Human forms cognitive map while learning. If motivation is intense & no pressure, these map are broad & large.
Shadowboxing for stability-Practice with an imaginary opponent as form of training.
Fearlessly accept the challenge & confidently expend your strength.
How to get your winning feeling
Think in terms of possibility – Possibility of goal must be seen so clearly that it becomes real to your brain & nervous system.
call up, capture, evoke the feeling of success.
Dont be worried about age , just remember “we age not by years, but by events & emotional reactions to them.”
October 15, 2021
I chose to read this book because it really opens your mind and helps you build and develop your character and mind. In the book, the characters were different people in different scenarios that had some issues with the way they would think Maxwell would help them think in a different way to help them become more successful. Maxwell would state the idea and tell the story about the idea that something happened to someone or happened to him to tie into that idea. My favorite part was when he explained habits and he had a quote that said "to change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out the new behavior." This was my favorite quote because I use it and it helped benefit me. My least favorite part was when I had to stop reading because we ran out of time to read it and we had to move on. I defiantly recommend it for ages 14 and up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2020
Regardless of how novel his ideas expressed in psycho-cybernetics are there is definitely a reason that book has been continuously in print since 1960. Likewise, there is also a reason why this book by Dr Maltz has *not* been continuously in print.
Its billed as a practical application of Psycho-Cybernetics for creative living but doesn’t come close. What you get here is a disjointed rehash of his original work but with less explanation and less thought out exercises and more anecdotes. I really mean it – at a conservative estimate I would say that 85% of this book is just anecdotes involving self-image – and anecdote abuse has always been one of the greatest bothers with the self-help genre.
Unless you really want to hear anecdotes about Dr Maltz’s life (and judging by the fact that his autobiography doesn’t even have a cover image here let alone a written review -you probably don’t) you are better off just reading the work he is most famous for.
Its billed as a practical application of Psycho-Cybernetics for creative living but doesn’t come close. What you get here is a disjointed rehash of his original work but with less explanation and less thought out exercises and more anecdotes. I really mean it – at a conservative estimate I would say that 85% of this book is just anecdotes involving self-image – and anecdote abuse has always been one of the greatest bothers with the self-help genre.
Unless you really want to hear anecdotes about Dr Maltz’s life (and judging by the fact that his autobiography doesn’t even have a cover image here let alone a written review -you probably don’t) you are better off just reading the work he is most famous for.
May 21, 2022
another gem picked up from my dads shelf. this book makes you reflect on your like quite deeply. recommended.
August 22, 2024
Un libro revolucionario en su tiempo y hoy en día más necesario que nunca. Nos enseña que no podemos cambiar/mejorar nuestra vida hasta que cambiemos/mejoremos nuestra autoimagen, aunque solo dedica un capítulo a este tema que, de hecho, invita a releerlo varias veces. ¿Si ese tema es el toral, por qué no lo vuelve a tocar a lo largo del libro?
La constante del libro es que cita muchos trabajos, artículos de revistas, conferencias y otras fuentes para sustentar sus opiniones como las relativas a la visualización, al ejercicio de las afirmaciones, etc.
Este libro es el antecedente directo a lo que ahora hace Joe Dispenza.
La constante del libro es que cita muchos trabajos, artículos de revistas, conferencias y otras fuentes para sustentar sus opiniones como las relativas a la visualización, al ejercicio de las afirmaciones, etc.
Este libro es el antecedente directo a lo que ahora hace Joe Dispenza.
June 22, 2023
If you're feeling stuck and looking into the psychology behind achieving what you're aiming for, this is the book for you.
You probably want to keep notes as you read, as this is a very dense book in terms of things you need to practise.
I disliked the religious undertone at some spots, but it did not affect the whole picture that much.
I'd probably give it a second read to consolidate what I already learned.
Overall, it's a good book.
You probably want to keep notes as you read, as this is a very dense book in terms of things you need to practise.
I disliked the religious undertone at some spots, but it did not affect the whole picture that much.
I'd probably give it a second read to consolidate what I already learned.
Overall, it's a good book.
September 7, 2023
The original Psycho-Cybernetics was a wild ride, but this one disappointed.
Endless, rambling Q&A sections with questions no one would actually utter and sprawling letters mostly praising the author's grandiosity brought the content/page ratio way down. Overall structure was similarly lacking.
Some provoking thought nuggets here and there elevate the book above a one-star rating, but only just.
Endless, rambling Q&A sections with questions no one would actually utter and sprawling letters mostly praising the author's grandiosity brought the content/page ratio way down. Overall structure was similarly lacking.
Some provoking thought nuggets here and there elevate the book above a one-star rating, but only just.
Want to read
May 22, 2024 I do not think I could ever be a fair reviewer of self-help. I am predisposed to loathe a self-help book because of its categorization, and I have read so many titles that I often bemoan the advice given is redundant, but of course it is! Life might be difficult, but it is far simpler than we imply through our actions. I am going to keep reading, for I am only 1/3rd the way through, with a positive outlook in mind, but deep down I am a cynic. I sincerely hope I am proven wrong
December 10, 2024
Interesting book, this places a very big emphasis on the self-image. Combining this with the fact that you are the one steering your image (cybernetic) and you have a combination where you can accomplish anything. Very good interactive element, where you can write down what you've learned and write your own experience with that given chapter.
Good mix between just reading an interesting perspective and actually learning/applying it to your own life.
Good mix between just reading an interesting perspective and actually learning/applying it to your own life.
October 19, 2024
No words…
Just you are responsible for your own life and no one is coming to save you. If you really want to live an amazing life that you want, I recommend this book! Set goals, break them into smaller tasks and keep an eye on the prize. Do not do things that keep you of course, even if you do, forgive yourself. Currently re-reading it cause it’s that good
Just you are responsible for your own life and no one is coming to save you. If you really want to live an amazing life that you want, I recommend this book! Set goals, break them into smaller tasks and keep an eye on the prize. Do not do things that keep you of course, even if you do, forgive yourself. Currently re-reading it cause it’s that good
April 6, 2025
Interesting read via Audible. There were inserted modern updates, it was written by a plastic surgeon, so not surprising that it was based so much on appearance. The interventions and insight are pertinent across the ages, however, we as humans need to put less emphasis and power on looks and things that fade.
November 5, 2018
Wow this is a real i opener...had me looking at within me with the problems I'm facing...stopped feeling sorry for my situation and start taking action to change it...work in progress but I'm glad I read it..
January 11, 2024
I savored this book over two years, resisting the urge to rush through it. Each chapter imparted invaluable words to live by, and as I encountered practical insights, I diligently recorded my reflections in my journal. A genuine self-help gem!
May 4, 2025
Oldie but a goodie. Probably sketchy by today’s HIPAA standards, but the gist is there. Change your mind to something else: different, new, positive. Label your primary trauma and map out how it’s affected you. Rinse. Repeat. Traditional life wisdom. Lots of relatable anecdotes by theme.
June 9, 2017
It's a easy concept repeated and repeated throughout the book
August 15, 2018
Interesting concepts and ideas, that's for sure.
Read
October 15, 2018Amazing book! Must read for anyone wanting to understand human psychology from the scientific angle, not so much from an emotional side.
April 28, 2019
Must read for anyone looking to find themselves and bring awareness to their thoughts.
June 17, 2020
dated but still great
October 22, 2020
This is the grandfather of the self-help genre. If you are looking for books to improve your life, start here.
January 27, 2021
Read this. Do it!
January 30, 2021
Powerful book
July 10, 2021
Spends more time persuading the reader that your thoughts create reality than giving actionable steps. For action, I prefer Think and Grow Rich.
July 19, 2021
One of the most interesting and well explained books I’ve read in a very long time.
An excellent read to understand how our subconscious shapes our lives
An excellent read to understand how our subconscious shapes our lives
January 27, 2022
I wish everyone on the planet would read this book. The world would be a very different place.
January 27, 2023
This book is lifechanger
it changed the aspect from which to see people and world
strongly recommended !!!
it changed the aspect from which to see people and world
strongly recommended !!!
July 7, 2023
Great book, the original seed of visualization and manifesting books,
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews