Derek Sav's Blog
"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Thoughts are things!" - Napoleon Hill
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The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is a must have for artists and entrepreneurs. It is highly motivational and gets down to the nuts and bolts of what makes us tick in regards to artistic endeavors. It is written in an intelligent, yet casual, laidback tone with humor and anecdotes which made me feel like I was getting advice from an older brother who had real experience.
The author was in the Marine Corps and his style of speech definitely reflects it sometimes. I enjoy the Marine jargon because it’s comical in a “dogfaces [...] candy-asses” (68) kind of way, taking pride in being miserable. It sends the message that we need to be tough and learn to enjoy the misery, like Marines (68). Because, as the author puts it, “The artist committing himself to his calling has volunteered for hell [...]” (68). Some ideas in this book seem analogous to some ideas in the book, Outwitting the Devil, by Napoleon Hill. The definition of what Pressfield calls the “Resistance,” is very similar to what Hill calls, the “Devil.” Both authors describe them as an enemy to pursuing a purpose (Hill 59-61, 80; Pressfield 11). While Hill may give the Devil a personality for the sake of having a dialogue or conversation with it–for instance, being required to refer to the Devil as “Your Majesty” (Hill 58)–both authors ultimately describe these phenomena as “force[s] of nature” (Pressfield 10). Hill insinuates the Devil as being part of nature by describing it as “the negative portion of the atom” (Hill 59). The analogy between the two concepts is very deep and I think the difference is that Pressfield’s concept of the Resistance is describing the experience that we feel as a result of the activities of what Hill calls, the Devil. The Devil is what causes Resistance. In Outwitting the Devil, the Devil states, “One of my cleverest devices for mind control is fear [...]” (Hill 61). And it states in The War of Art, “Resistance feeds on fear. We experience Resistance as fear [...]” (Pressfield 142). “Fear of poverty” is stated as a fear in both books (Hill 60; Pressfield 142). Other representations of concepts that mirror those of Hill’s would include: muses (Pressfield 113), angels (123), and God (139). I suspect all three could be thought of as aspects of, as Hill would put it, “Infinite Intelligence” (Hill 42). The names are just taken from different stories. Muses are from Greek mythology (Pressfield 113) and the idea of angels and Resistance residing in the Self and Ego, respectively, is derived from the author’s conception of Jungian psychology (Pressfield 132-136). These ideas are not necessarily meant to be taken literally, but can be thought of “[...] in the abstract,” as Pressfield wrote (105). Both authors mention a disclaimer like that (Hill 55-56). One of the most powerful things about The War of Art is the section on “Turning Pro” (Pressfield 60). It gives a practical way of looking at entrepreneurship and other endeavors that require self-discipline and creativity. In a nutshell, the difference between an amateur and a professional is that a professional commits full time to his calling, unlike the weekend warrior amateurs (61-63). The pro, like most people who have to show up for regular jobs, starts his work everyday on time no matter what (68-70). On page 64, there is a very effective description of “What a writer’s day feels like.” It talks about the daily struggle with Resistance, which reminded me of the time the author mentioned that “Resistance never sleeps” and the artist, like the warrior, must “[fight the battle] anew everyday” (13). The picture that is painted is that, as mortals, we are beasts of burden that must work and toil to survive. But it’s well worth it because, at the end of the day, “[we’ve] earned [our] keep [...]” and provided for our family (65-67). This section was powerful to me because it reiterated a message from earlier in the book that Resistance is normal and part of everybody’s lives–we are not alone in our struggles (12). So when you feel unmotivated, just recognize that it’s Resistance, as it is always there trying to get us to falter (64). This may encourage you to bear your cross, knowing that you are beating Resistance and staying on your purpose. The bottom line is that to be a pro, we need to treat our artistic and entrepreneurial projects as seriously as people who depend on their punch-in job for money. “We’re all pros already” because we work for money–we are professionals in our current jobs (68). What will you decide to be a professional in? Other unique ways to look at creativity and your calling is to realize that you have to show up for “work” even when you don’t feel like it or don’t have any creative ideas at the moment. If you try, the muse will eventually come to you, as if she finally sees your “dedication” and rewards you for it (107). Also, as life progresses “[The] professional reinvents himself” (94) because a pro is not attached to his instrument (86) and “[doesn't bind himself] within one incarnation [no matter how] comfortable or successful [he is]” (94). So when the muse requires, the pro can change his artistic or entrepreneurial form to fit his updated purpose (94). As stated in the first chapter describing Resistance: ”Resistance is infallible [...] like a magnetized needle [...] point[ing] to true North” (11). “The more important a call of action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it” (11). It’s ideas like this that make me really love this book: I find it very encouraging. This book was written in a way that was very easy to read. It has a lot of short chapters or sections, which leaves a lot of blank space as the chapters start on the next page after one ends. The abstract way the author describes the artist’s experience is fascinating to me, especially the parts about the muses. Along with the conversational, everyday language style, all make this a fast, easy, fun, and inspiring read. It is one of my favorite books for sure.
Works Cited
Hill, Napoleon. Outwitting the Devil. Edited by Sharon Lechter.
Sterling, 2011. Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art. Black Irish Entertainment, 2002.  
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Outwitting the Devil is a fascinating book written by Napoleon Hill. Hill is also the author of the inspirational classic, Think and Grow Rich. One interesting fact about this book was that it wasn’t published until many years after the time of his death in 1970. It was carefully edited and added to with thoughts by Sharon Lechter. The book was finally published in 2011 at the requests of both Hill’s wife, Annie Lou; and the president of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, Dr. Charlie Johnson’s wife, Frankie: who did not want the book published while they were still alive because of the role of the Devil (Lechter, n. pag.). This book is a must read for anyone who is aiming to better him or herself, because it sheds light on the many ways our minds fall into bad habits so that we may be more conscious of the way we think and behave.
The first part of the book is a very interesting background of the circumstances leading to Hill’s discovery of his “other self.” Every person has within him two “entities”: One that operates on the emotion of faith and the other that operates on the emotion of fear. For the previous year, Hill had been possessed by the entity that operated on fear (27). If we are not conscious of our thoughts, we will be susceptible to be overtaken by that entity which is motivated by fear. The “other self,” is the entity that is motivated by faith, and is the one we want to listen to in order to be successful and have a meaningful life. The great psychologist, Carl Jung, wrote, “No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell” (qtd. in Peterson). And that is exactly the type of circumstance which is described in the first part of this book. The anxiety, fear, and shame that Mr. Hill experienced before writing this book is an indicator of the profoundness of the information therein contained: Hill went to Hell and back to realize the message of this book. After the horrible experience Hill struggled through, he was powerful enough to have an interview with the “Devil.” The elephant in the room is addressed within the book as to if he believes he was actually having a conversation with the Devil of religious texts, or if it was understood that the interview was a deep meditative conversation he was having in his mind, with himself—where part of himself was merely playing devil’s advocate. If you’ve read, Think and Grow Rich, you may remember that Hill used to have imaginary council meetings with his heros: Emerson, Paine, Edison, Darwin, Lincoln, Burbank, Napoleon, Ford, and Carnegie (Lechter, n. pag.). Nonetheless, the interview pulled out from the depths of somewhere, enlightening insights as to the ways our minds are deceived into a habit known as “drifting.” For the remainder of this essay, when I mention “the Devil,” I am merely using Hill’s terminology, not asserting an opinion or belief of the existence or reality of the Devil of religious texts. Drifting is not having a definite purpose in life. It is having wishes instead of goals. It's being lazy and having no self control. It happens because of ignorance and neglect of how our thoughts and nature work. The Devil’s response to Hill’s question about the definition of a drifter is: “Those who do little or no thinking for themselves are drifters. A drifter is one who permits himself to be influenced and controlled by circumstances outside of his own mind” (73). They become caught up in “the whirlpool of hypnotic rhythm” (128) and get carried away into unpleasant places, because they allow themselves to drift: instead of taking the oars of their own lives and rowing towards places of their own choosing, where they can lead meaningful and productive lives. The “Drifters” are part of the ninety-eight percent of the population whose lives are, unbeknownst to them, being swept away in the current of hypnotic rhythm to negative places, because they habitually take the bait the Devil dangles in front of them into thinking and behaving in self destructive manners (138). The meat of this book is basically a confession by the Devil who is compelled by Hill to divulge, not only his methods of gaining control over people’s lives so we can be conscious of how we are living our daily lives, but the fact that we can block him out with “definiteness of purpose” (149). Every question Hill asks of the Devil, whom is referred to as “Your Majesty,” to the annoyance, I imagine, of any reader sensitive to that kind of thing, must be answered truthfully (58). The idea that this information will weaken the Devil’s grip on mankind lends itself to some comical incidental dialogues between the author and his guest throughout the interview. Regardless what is believed by anyone of the literalness of the interview, in my estimation, the information contained therein is of solid truths. There is a lot of information in this book, but some major concepts I’d like to highlight are the concepts of drifting, definiteness of purpose, and hypnotic rhythm. In order to outwit the Devil we must always, for the rest of our lives, be on our purpose, think for ourselves, and be vigilant of our thoughts and behaviors. We must recognize thought patterns and temptations that arise within us that are destructive to our well-being and lead to drifting: The Devil is always lurking. In the shadows of our minds, the empty space is filled with negative energy: This is what the Devil is--negative energy (59). He occupies the empty space and sows seeds of negative thought in the mind. One of his favorite “tricks” is planting the seed of fear in the minds of people (59-60). This is why we must remain vigilant and explore the darkness of our psyche, like the roots of a tree branching out and exploring the dark underground, so that we may also reach heaven. Wherever there is light, darkness cannot exist (Holy Bible. Jhn. 1.5). The act of confronting the darkness is shedding light into the darkness, because we are the light of God (Eph. 5.8) and the Devil cannot exist in our presence; He is vanquished (Jm. 4.7). 
Fig. 1 Illustration from Paradise Lost, artist: Gustave Dore. Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons
The question is: How do we confront the darkness of our minds so that we may become “enlightened”? The answer is: By having a definiteness of purpose, so that we may try and fail. Where we fail is a mark of a limitation in our minds (5). That limitation is the border of light and darkness. Cross that barrier and you become better. As Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, “The only thing we have to fear...is fear itself” (First inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt). Definiteness of purpose is a meaningful goal that we try to achieve by thinking of plans to achieve it and then acting them out. Where we fail, we learn, and try again. This closes the door of our minds to the Devil, unless he can induce us to drift away from our purpose (149).
Hill gives us a detailed illustration of the cunning methods the Devil constantly employs to get us to drift, which often starts even before we are born. He corrupted our parents and previous generations so that most of us were brought up by drifters who taught us bad habits, such as fear--especially of him (79). Sometimes he even influences our heredity (73-74). Once the Devil induces us to drift, the longer we sustain that habit, the harder it is to break. Nature’s resistance to the changing of a crystalized habit is a law known as “hypnotic rhythm” (120). Hypnotic rhythm works both ways; It works for negative habits as well as positive habits (131-132). It is neither good or bad--it just is—much like other natural laws, such as gravity. The thing is: it requires no effort to be a drifter (one caught in the downward spiral of hypnotic rhythm), because the Devil is constantly at work tempting our human nature. It’s easy not to think for ourselves and to give into immediate gratification at the expense of our future. But it requires thought and effort to accomplish meaningful goals and be able to control oneself so that we may delay gratification through sacrifice and have a better tomorrow (Peterson 51). Once you discover how hypnotic rhythm works, you may find it to be a good thing that can work in your favor; because it makes it easier to get better at life as your good habits become crystallized over time—it propels you upwards. This book has influenced my life greatly since reading it. I plan on reading it many times throughout my life, because there is so much information and concepts, that it’s worth it to explore how they will relate to my changing life situations as time goes on. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants the best for their life; the insights it gives you are priceless!
Works Cited
"File:Paradise Lost 12.jpg." Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. 30 Jan 2018.commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.phptitle=
File:Paradise_Lost_12.jpg&oldid=284210734 Hill, Napoleon. Outwitting the Devil. Edited by Sharon Lechter. New York: Sterling, 2011. Holy Bible. King James Version, Royal Publishers, 1971. Peterson, Jordan B. 12 Rules for Life. Random House Canada, 2018. Wikipedia contributors. "First Inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Nov. 2018. Web.  
Linchpin is a book written by Seth Godin. He's written many books, including The Purple Cow. I’ve seen a lecture of his in a TED Talk on Youtube. He speaks a lot about ideas, art, and entrepreneurship; including marketing, especially online and network marketing. The ideas in this book can be applied to all of these areas.
The book begins with the statement that, “all of us are geniuses sometimes….[but] we trade our genius and artistry for apparent stability” (1). When we were children we were natural artists, poets, and, if we ever had a lemonade stand, entrepreneurs (31). But as we grew up we were taught the “old American Dream” (32) and that was to show up to work on time, do as you were told, work hard, fit in and don’t stand out (32). The school system brainwashed us into becoming factory workers; into becoming average by following instructions and fitting in like cogs in a machine (5). Throughout history, paradigms changed as technology evolved. First, we lived in a hunter/gatherer paradigm and we were all hunters and gatherers. Then, when farming was invented, we all became farmers. And when the factory took its place in civilization, the model was to be a factory worker. But now the factory is falling apart. What are we left to work with? Art (17). This is the whole point of the book: the paradigm for success in this day and age is to be an artist. What is art? Godin’s definition of art is “the ability to change people with your work” (91). He goes on to say that, “[it] is the intentional act of using your humanity to create a change in another person. How and where you do that art is a cultural choice in the moment...A warm smile to a stranger on an airplane at the right moment is an artistic endeavor…” (99). You don’t have to be an Academy Award-winning film director to be an artist (99). Art entails risk; risk of rejection. In a world taught to fear standing out, those who don’t have the guts to create something that could change another person and give it away are punished, “ruthlessly,” by the economy (100). This book is entitled, “Linchpin.” What is a linchpin? A literal linchpin is a simple metal pin passed through the end of an axle to hold the wheel in place (49). A metaphorical linchpin is a person who is vital to a company's success, because of the value they add to the product or service. They “keep the wheel on the wagon,” so to speak. Godin states, “The combination of passion and art is what makes someone a linchpin” (92). It is repeated very many times in the book that a linchpin is an “indispensable” (8) person that cannot be easily replaced like a cog in a machine, because in this world there are so many cogs and so few linchpins. In Godin’s words, “She is the key player, the one who’s difficult to live without, the person you can build something around...If a Purple Cow is a product that’s worth talking about, the indispensable employee—I call her a linchpin— is a person who’s worth finding and keeping” (8). Why are there so many cogs and so few linchpins? Because people feel lost without a manual; they want someone to give them instruction, because that was how we were brought up to relate to the world through our schooling. And for a long time it has been working, making life easier and better. Trading our time for a direction to go in and a paycheck made sense (9). However, in the age of factories, a major objective was to have the highest PERL (Percentage of Easily Replaced Laborers) possible. If workers were easily replaced, they could be paid less (9). At this point, the author brings up a very popular business book called The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber and quotes the book on what it says about the perfect business model: “‘The model will be operated by people with the lowest possible level of skill’” (10). Godin’s criticism of Gerber’s philosophy about business: developing a cut and paste type of business that can be replicated fast without the care for developing and cultivating talent in the form of linchpins is that other companies will be able to copy you. If your goal is to come up with a system that just gets to the point without artful human interaction just so you can hire cheap people, then you are really racing to the bottom because you will have to keep lowering prices to compete (11). He goes on to state that “Indispensable businesses race to the top instead” (11). The problem with becoming cheaper is that people are fickle with cheap. Consumers will throw away and replace cheap. They desire products made artfully. Products that have the signature of a human heart (12). Godin draws upon other books, such as The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (107) which leads to one of the most fascinating parts of this book: The idea about the “Lizard brain,” also known as “The Resistance,” which has control over most people because it resides in the older, stronger part of the brain, the basal ganglia, that is responsible for survival and, as Godin states, “the reason you’re afraid, the reason you don’t do all the art you can…” (109) and the “Daemon,” also known as “The Genius,” which resides in your neocortex, the newer, not as strong part of your brain (108) that is dying to express itself through art (106). It’s very eye opening to see the psychology that holds most people back. I found the mentioning of so many different sources of information, from books to TED Talks, to be a great bonus. Godin discusses many things that I found very insightful such as concepts called “Shipping” (102) and “Thrashing” (103). In fact, these two concepts helped me finish and “ship” this book review blog, along with my other artistic endeavor, Derek Sav Music. I have just completed my first musical piece in many years, thanks to these concepts I discovered in this book! Although I’m still unsure of whether or not I agree with Godin’s criticism of Gerber’s The E-Myth Revisited, a book that I haven’t yet read, but plan to and have watched Youtube discussions about it, I think this book shed light on a very positive, enriching philosophy that anybody can incorporate into their lives now. Your current job is a great place to start becoming a Linchpin. Every time you interact with someone, whether it is a coworker or customer is a chance to hone your skills in the art of interaction (57). This is another piece of advice that I’ve started using at my day job. This book has changed my life for the better and I highly recommend it.
Works Cited
Godin, Seth. Linchpin. Penguin Group, 2010.
 
Originally published in 1937, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon
Hill is, according to the book’s cover, an “inspirational classic” that I categorize in the self-help genre. The author wrote this book after spending over twenty years researching the most successful people in the world. His original mentor, Andrew Carnegie, with a “twinkle in his eye… carelessly tossed” (13) the secret into his mind when he was a boy. The secret is mentioned in plain sight many times throughout the book without being directly named, for it is more effective for the reader to realize what the secret is on their own when they are ready. When you are ready, it will become clear. I will state it here in my own words, but you may not appreciate it until your mind can truly accept it: A strong, burning desire to act out your sound plans will absolutely reward you with what you’ve requested from life. Your desired results will manifest on the conditions that the desire is fueled your “bulldog” (21) persistence, fortified by faith and strong, positive emotions, and created in conjunction with a mastermind group led by you. These plans must be for the attainment of a crystal-clear vision of exactly how much money you want, the exact date you want to receive it, and what product or service you imagine giving in return for it. This book should be read at least three times, as suggested by the author. I had to read the book three times before I understood the secret formula. I think the first time I read this book was about ten years ago. Last year, I read it for a second time. Finally, I read it again for this book report. This book is a pretty easy read, but bear in that mind that it was written a long time ago and some of the language is outdated; however, the philosophy is probably applicable for eternity. I enjoyed almost all the anecdotal stories that supported the ideas presented. I especially liked the one about the little girl who demanded fifty cents from a man who may have been her mother’s boss or landlord (the relationship wasn't exactly clear to me). This story was humorous and inspiring, which made me smile, because he was described as an intimidating person, and when he tried to scare her off, she stepped toward him and screamed at the top of her lungs, “My mammy’s gotta have that fifty cents!” Her bravery and persistence made him submit to her, and he gave her a half-dollar coin from his pocket, making him contemplate his “whipping” afterwards (25). Because of the reference to fifty cents and the persistence and bravery the little girl displayed to get what she wanted, I connected the story to the rapper 50 Cent and his album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, which is pretty much the exact philosophy of the book. The title of the aforementioned story is, “A Fifty-Cent Lesson in Persistence.” Some ideas in this book require an open mind to accept. The ideas of “Infinite Intelligence” and how people’s subconscious minds are connected, allowing for telepathy and clairvoyance, are claimed to be supported by experiments conducted by J. B. Rhine (209). A quick review on Wikipedia states that those experiments couldn’t be successfully reproduced for various reasons (“Clairvoyance”). Whether or not thoughts can be transmitted from one person’s brain to another by using strong emotion to increase those thoughts’ frequency, much like a radio broadcast (206), is still up for debate. I don’t believe science has been able to prove or disprove it. But there are a lot of things that we don’t understand about the universe, so I keep an open mind about that particular issue. Other ideas, however, are easier to accept. I personally find the idea of autosuggestion to be a very valid concept, only because autosuggestion is filling your mind with thoughts that you choose, which will influence your behavior. Also, thinking from an artist’s perspective and remembering the “dumb” things I have done in life, I’ve experienced situations that were created by actions I wasn’t consciously aware of, almost Freudian slip type of things that “inadvertently” gave me what I wanted, usually in the disguise of a negative situation that turned out positive in the end. I believe that your mind can be programed to manifest situations that make your dominating thoughts a reality by influencing your unconscious behavior and giving you ideas that you can act on—you just have to be aware of your thoughts and choose those that serve your desires. This idea could actually replace the concept of “Infinite Intelligence,” as far as its purpose in generating ideas from the “creative imagination” goes, if the idea of “Infinite Intelligence” is debunked. This book is a must-read! Its philosophy is foundational and the basis for many self-help books produced afterwards, such as The Secret. I’ve read The Secret once, and I hesitate to put it in the same category as Think and Grow Rich, because my impression of the ideas in The Secret was that all you had to do was believe you were in attainment of your desires and they would manifest themselves. And if I remember correctly, The Secret doesn't mention that you have to act in order to manifest your desires. I got the impression that The Secret was telling me that your desires would manifest automatically, leaving out the critical fact that you must actually take action. However, Think and Grow Rich emphasizes taking action and persisting through failures, replacing your failed plans with better ones, and not taking “no” for an answer. Glimpses of the philosophy in this book are found in almost any YouTube video or book on being successful. I suggest reading this book at least three times and, on the third time, highlighting all the excerpts you find especially important.
Works Cited
Hill, Napoleon. Think and Grow Rich. New York. Ballantine Books, 1996. Print.
Wikipedia Contributors. “Clairvoyance.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 18 Aug 2018. Web. 11 Sept. 2018.   |
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