As a man thinketh

About the book

Allen develops a sustained argument that the thoughts people encourage shape their conduct and, through conduct, the circumstances of their lives. Images of cultivation and craftsmanship make inward discipline appear as a practical activity requiring repetition and care. The chapters move from character and outward conditions to health, purpose, achievement, ideals, and serenity. These connections express Allen's philosophy of personal responsibility, including broad claims about the power of mind that readers can examine rather than simply adopt. The book's persuasive force comes from its compact form and confident movement between an inward habit and its supposed consequences. Its final emphasis on calm makes success a matter of self-command as well as accomplishment, offering a concentrated historical example of writing that locates the possibility of change within the individual.

• Thought and conduct
• Self-discipline
• Purpose

Why read it

For a concise expression of a philosophy of self-cultivation, with its strong claims about individual agency open to examination.

Moral and philosophical essay · English text