James Allen is best known for his 1903 classic, As a Man Thinketh, but his ideas go way beyond this single book. In fact, he wrote extensively about character, self-mastery, peace, discipline, wisdom, success, and prosperity, across a further 19 titles.
This collection brings together 256 carefully selected quotes from his complete published works, giving a clear and comprehensive insight into the depth of his many views.
The quotes are organized by theme, making it easier to explore. Whether you’re discovering James Allen for the first time or revisiting, this is a definitive, curated collection designed for reflection, clarity, and practical insight. And it’s not hard to see where some modern thinking in self-development comes from.
Books in this collection include…
As a Man Thinketh, The Way of Peace, All These Things Added, The Path to Prosperity, Through the Gate of Good, From Passion to Peace, Eight Pillars of Prosperity, and his other published works.
The book reference is shown under each quote.
James Allen Quote Categories…
Character, Integrity, and Moral Strength
Character Development and Virtue
- “When attacked remain silent: in this way you will conquer yourself, and will, without the use of words, teach others. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “If your work be true the criticism of men cannot touch it; if it be false their disapproval will not slay it quicker than it will die of itself. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Every man gets from the law of the universe that upon which he agrees and for which he works—no more, no less; and he is continually entering into agreements with the Supreme Law—the Master of the universe. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “To sympathise with others we must first understand them, and to understand them we must put away all personal preconceptions concerning them, and must see them as they are.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Only those who have abandoned the service of such a master for that of the nobler master of forgiveness can realise and know how grievous a service is the one, how sweet the other.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The man who works as carefully and conscientiously when his employer is away as when his eye is upon him, will not long remain in an inferior position.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “They must follow him, and not be for ever be running after them; and they will inevitably follow him, if he has the moral elements within to which they are related.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “Even the highest state of perfection conceivable it brings near and makes real and possible; for that which can be conceived can be achieved.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “They are the fruits of innumerable efforts to achieve; the glorious gifts of him that overcomes.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “We forge our own chains, build our own dungeons, take ourselves prisoners; or we loose our bonds, build our own palaces, or roam in freedom through all scenes and events.”
— James Allen, Man: King Of Mind, Body And Circumstance - “The very law by which he has become a self-bound slave, will enable him to become a self-emancipated master.”
— James Allen, Man: King Of Mind, Body And Circumstance - “An evil-doer will commit evil under any circumstances, whether he be rich or poor, or midway between the two conditions.”
— James Allen, Man: King Of Mind, Body And Circumstance - “Every young man should cultivate and foster these virtues, and as he succeeds in living them will he prepare to achieve the Life Triumphant.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “The intellect must be trained to comprehend the principles of virtue, and to understand all that is involved in their practice.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “He knows that good will ultimately conquer in the world, as it has conquered in individuals; that there is a sense in which good already conquers, for evil defeats itself.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “Let us not try to persuade ourselves that our good intentions will wipe out the results of our bad actions; but let us resort to the practice of good actions; for only in this way can we acquire goodness; only thus can the life be established on fixed principles, and the mind be rendered capable of comprehending, and working from, pure motives.”
— James Allen, The Shining Gateway - “Let a man abandon self, let him overcome the world, let him deny the personal; by this pathway only can he enter into the heart of the Infinite.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “Man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth.”
— James Allen, As a Man Thinketh - “The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart — this you will build your life by, this you will become.”
— James Allen, As a Man Thinketh - “Only himself manacles man: thought and action are the gaolers of Fate–they imprison, being base; they are also the angels of Freedom–they liberate, being noble.”
— James Allen, As a man thinketh - “When you have fully entered into this realization, you will be in a position to mould your own circumstances, to transmute all evil into good and to weave, with a master hand, the fabric of your destiny.”
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - ” Such an obedient one is working in harmony with the law, has in fact, identified himself with the law, and whatsoever he conquers he conquers for ever, whatsoever he builds can never be destroyed. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “When the thought-forces are directed in harmony with the over-ruling Law, they are up-building and preservative, but when subverted they become disintegrating and self-destructive. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “To those who practice this the day will come when they will be deserted by all, and when they cry out in their loneliness and anguish there will be no one to hear and help them. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Strength and Weakness
- “They are trying because there is some weak spot within you, and they will continue to be trying until that spot is eradicated.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “To see others as they are you must not allow impulsive likes and dislikes, powerful prejudices, or egotistic considerations to come between you and them.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “For how can a man overcome—nay, how can he even try to overcome, his weakness if he convinces himself that it springs entirely from the actions of others?”
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “If a man would rise and become a man indeed, let him cease to think the weak and foolish thought, ‘I am hindered by others,’ and let him set about to discover that he is hindered only by himself.”
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “A man is only powerless to overcome the wrong and unhappy elements in himself so long as he regards himself as powerless.”
— James Allen, Man: King Of Mind, Body And Circumstance - “Of all abilities, the capacity for work is the most useful and necessary, and its possession is a glorious power; and this men discover when they are disabled, or stricken down with sickness.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “Thus, long, long ages ago, the fragile babe of intelligence was born in the manager of brute force, and since then, through all the ages of struggle, it has been gradually but surely overcoming the brutal strength and terror; so that to-day intelligence has conquered, or almost conquered, for the strongest brutes have passed away for ever, having given place to beings physically weaker and smaller, but better, and more morally perfect.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “For he will then discover that he possesses the power to rule his mind and to fashion it in accordance with his Ideal. “
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “The weak man is like one who, having mounted a fiery steed, allows it to run away with him, and carry him withersoever it wills; the strong man is like one who, having mounted the steed, governs it with a masterly hand and makes it go in whatever direction and at whatever speed he commands. “
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “But in the new era which has just now burst upon the world, he is to make a glorious discovery that he is pure, powerful, and noble when he rises up and wills.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “When you understand the law within your mind you will cease to regard yourself as the impotent and blind tool of circumstances, and will become the strong and seeing master.”
— James Allen, Above Life’s Turmoil - “A man cannot be strong for another, he can only be strong for himself; he cannot overcome for another, he can only overcome of himself. “
— James Allen, The Heavenly Life - “A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting up his thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts.”
— James Allen, As a Man Thinketh - “A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another.”
— James Allen, As a man thinketh - “As the elements of poverty and weakness are overcome, an irresistible and allconquering power is evolved from within, and he who succeeds in establishing himself in the highest virtue, brings the whole world to his feet.”
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “Faith in the Supreme; faith in the over-ruling Law; faith in your work, and in your power to accomplish that work, -here is the rock upon which you must build if you would achieve, if you would stand and not fall. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Humility and Egolessness
- “The man who continually dwells upon the selfishness in others will not thus overcome his own selfishness.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “First acknowledging his errors, and then confronting them with a searching mind and a humble heart, he subdues, conquers, and transmutes them.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “When he chooses and wills he can break the carapace of selfish thought, and breathe the purer airs of a more expansive life.”
— James Allen, Man: King Of Mind, Body And Circumstance - “Widespread selfishness leads inevitably to widespread disaster; national corruption is followed by wholesale catastrophe, and by national disaster and ruin.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “If, therefore, you constantly dwell upon that which is selfish and debasing, you will ultimately become selfish and debased; if you ceaselessly think upon that which is pure and unselfish, you will surely become pure and unselfish. “
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “Why this fierce struggle to achieve thine ends? This selfish argument? This fire which lends Heat to resentment, ashes to remorse?”
— James Allen, Poems of Peace - “Before this attitude of humility is adopted, the attainment of divine life and knowledge is impossible; but he who will adopt it will rapidly enter into the highest revelations, and the carrying out of the precept will soon become easy and natural to him.”
— James Allen, Through the Gates of Good, or Christ and Conduct - “He who conquers himself by Meekness will never be overthrown, for the human cannot overcome the divine. “
— James Allen, The Heavenly Life - “Thus, by submission does the meek man conquer the strong man : but it is not that outward show of submission which is slavery, it is that inward and spiritual submission which is freedom. “
— James Allen, The Heavenly Life - “Meekness does not consist merely in non-resistance in action; it consists pre-eminently in nonresistance in thought, in ceasing to hold or to have any selfish, condemnatory, or retaliatory thoughts. “
— James Allen, The Heavenly Life
Self-Mastery and Inner Discipline
Self-Mastery and Self-Control
- “Silentness is powerful because it is the outcome of self-conquest, and the more successfully a man governs himself the more silent he becomes. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The true Master is master of himself; anything other than this is not mastery but delusion.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “When one has reached the lowest point of sorrow; when, weak and exhausted, and overcome with a sense of powerlessness, he cries to God for help, and there comes no answering comfort and no relief—then, discovering the painfulness of sorrow and the insufficiency of prayer alone, he is ready to enter the path of self-renunciation, ready to purify his heart, ready to practice self-control, ready to become a spiritual athlete, and to develop that divine and invincible strength which is born of self-mastery.”
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “The vast importance of self-control is not realized by men, its absolute necessity is not apprehended by them, and the spiritual freedom and glory to which it leads are hidden from their eyes. “
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “A man is happy, wise and great in the measure that he controls himself; he is wretched, foolish, and mean in the measure that he allows his animal nature to dominate his thoughts and actions.”
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “He must realize that selfishness is not worth clinging to, that it is a master altogether unworthy of his service, and that divine goodness alone is worthy to be enthroned in his heart, as the supreme master of his life. “
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “Man’s redemption lies In man himself, yet is not born of self, But takes its rise in Truth: man can achieve He findeth Truth who findeth self-control.”
— James Allen, Poems of Peace - “Man is destined for mastery; not the mastery of his fellow men by force, but the mastery of his own nature by self-control. “
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “He must train and direct his will in the way of self-mastery which is the way of obedience—obedience to the law of his nature.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “He is man the master who has shaken off the service of self for the service of Truth, who has established himself in the Eternal Verities.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “Upon the battlefield of the human soul two masters are ever contending for the crown of supremacy, for the kingship and dominion of the heart; the master of self, called also the “Prince of this world,” and the master of Truth, called also the Father God.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions, but when he realizes that he is a creative power, he becomes the rightful master of himself.”
— James Allen, As a Man Thinketh - “In the measure that you master self, that you control your mental forces instead of being controlled by them, in just such measure will you master affairs and outward circumstances.”
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “Whatever conditions are rendering your life burdensome, you may pass out of and beyond them by developing and utilizing within you the transforming power of self-purification and self-conquest. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Discipline and Order
- “The business man who succeeds never talks about his plans, methods, and affairs, and should he, turned giddy by success, begin to do this he will then commence to fail.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Disorder in space would mean the destruction of the universe; and disorder in a man’s affairs destroys his work and his prosperity.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “Every enduring achievement in human society rests upon a basis of system; so true is this, that were system withdrawn, progress would cease.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “The doer of true actions, who pursues sound methods, grounded on right principles will not need to strive and struggle for good results; they will be there as the effects of his righteous rule of life.”
— James Allen, Foundation Stones To Happiness And Success - “When we habitually avoid wrongdoing and cast out fear, the evils of life will not subdue us when they overtake us, for we shall have mastered them.”
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - ” As men become more enlightened, miracles and wonder-working will be expunged from religion, and the orderly beauty of Law and the ethical grandeur of obedience to the Law will become revealed and known. “
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “If a man regards a system as bad, he should withdraw from it in practice, and should bend his actions in another direction; for immediately two men act in concert a system is formed, and the good and the bad which lurk in their actions will soon be manifested in the system which they have launched forth.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “In this power of the mind to form and reform its habits, its conditions, is contained the basis of man’s salvation, and the open door to perfect liberty by the mastery of self, for as a man has the power to form harmful habits, so he has the same power to create habits that are essentially good. “
— James Allen, Out from the Heart - “Just as an artisan becomes, by practice, accomplished in his craft, so a man can become, by practice, accomplished in goodness; it is entirely a matter of forming new habits of thought, and he to whom right thoughts have become easy and natural, and wrong thoughts and acts difficult to do, has attained to the highest virtue, to pure, spiritual knowledge. “
— James Allen, Out from the Heart - “Let a man carefully study every system of theology, and he will at last find that one selfless thought, one pure deed, puts them all to shame.”
— James Allen, Through the Gates of Good, or Christ and Conduct - “If you will persist in clinging to these debilitating and demoralizing habits of mind, then do not complain when your body is laid low with sickness.”
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “To give up in order to gain, than this there is no greater delusion, nor no more prolific source of misery; but to be willing to yield up and to suffer loss, this is indeed the Way of Life. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Overcoming Passion and Desire
- “The curtailing of one’s desires is the beginning of wisdom; their entire mastery its consummation. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “It will seem strange to many to be told that the hard-hearted and unforgiving suffer most; yet it is profoundly true, for not only do they, by the law of attraction, draw to themselves the revengeful passions in other people, but their hardness of heart itself is a continual source of suffering.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “In solitude a man gathers strength to meet the difficulties and temptations of life, knowledge to understand and conquer them, and wisdom to transcend them.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The false life is an incoherent jumble of thoughts, passions, and actions; the true life is an orderly adjustment of all its parts.”
— James Allen, Foundation Stones To Happiness And Success - “He is the foolish man who does not know the extent of his own ignorance; who is the slave of thoughts of self; who obeys the impulses of passion.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “He is the wise man who knows his own ignorance; who understands the emptiness of selfish thoughts; who masters the impulses of passion.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “That which temptation appeals to and arouses is unconquered desire, and temptation will again and again assail a man until he has lifted himself above the lusting impulses.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “The man of persistent and ever renewed aspiration does not allow himself to think that temptation cannot be overcome.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “The tempted one should study thoughtfully the nature and meaning of temptation, for until it is known it cannot be overcome.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “To be successfully conquered, the evil in a man must come to the surface and present itself, and it is in temptation that the evil hidden in the heart stands revealed and exposed.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “War will continue so long as men will allow themselves, individually, to be dominated by passion, and only when men have quelled the inward tumult will the outward horror pass away. “
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “Thou changest not amid Earth’s changing scenes; All worldly joys, strong passions that decay, The sordid thought, the action that demeans, These are not thee, and they will pass away: On thy abiding strength my spirit leans.”
— James Allen, Poems of Peace - “The strength of a powerful animal, or of that animal force in man which enables him to gain the victory over others by attack and resistance, is weakness compared with that quiet, patient, invincible will by which a man overcomes himself, and tames to obedience, and trains to the service of holy purposes, the savage passions of his nature.”
— James Allen, The Shining Gateway - “He ceases to be “passion’s slave,” and becomes a master-builder in the Temple of Destiny.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “When it is seen that all sin and temptation are the natural outcome of the thoughts of the individual, the way to overcome sin and temptation becomes plain, and its achievement a near possibility, and, sooner or later, a certain reality.”
— James Allen, Above Life’s Turmoil - “When temptation is understood and conquered, perfection is assured, and such perfection may become any man’s who is willing to cast every selfish and impure desire by which he is possessed, into the sacrificial fire of knowledge.”
— James Allen, Above Life’s Turmoil - “A creed will not bear a man up in the hour of temptation; he must possess the inward Knowledge which slays temptation. “
— James Allen, The Heavenly Life - “As the child at school must master one standard before passing onto the next, so, before you can have that greater good which you so desire, must you faithfully employ that which you already possess.”
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Thought, Mind, and Inner Life
Thought as Creative Power
- “After much practice in forgiveness and having cultivated the spirit of forgiveness up to a certain point, knowledge of the actual nature of good and evil dawns upon the mind, and a man begins to understand how thoughts and motives are formed in the human heart, how they develop, and how take birth in the form of actions.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “If he chooses to think and act selfishly, thinking of his own immediate happiness only and not of that of others, then he will rapidly bring upon himself, by the action of the moral law of cause and effect, such afflictions as will cause him to pause and consider, and so find a better way.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Thou art the chooser of thy thoughts and deeds; Thou art the maker of thine inward state; The power is thine to be what thou wilt be; Thou buildest Truth and Love, or lies and hate.”
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “Inward processes of thought make up the sum of character and life, and man can modify and alter these processes by bringing will and effort to bear upon them. “
— James Allen, Out from the Heart - “By Thought we rise; by Thought we fall; by Thought We stand or go: all destiny is wrought By its swift potency; and he who stands Master of Thought, and his desires commands, Willing and weaving thoughts of Love and Might, Shapes his high end in Truth’s unerring Light.”
— James Allen, Poems Of Peace - “We are in reality beings composed of thoughts; thoughts are the bricks which we are continually laying down in the building of our souls.”
— James Allen, The Shining Gateway - “Whenever men exhort their fellows to virtue, nobility of action, purity of thought, and unselfishness, they unconsciously assert and emphasize man’s originally divine nature, and proclaim, though perhaps they know it not, his superiority to sin, and his God-like power to overcome it.”
— James Allen, Through the Gates of Good, or Christ and Conduct - “Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul, none is more gladdening or fruitful of divine promise than this — that man is the master of thought, the moulder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny.”
— James Allen, As a Man Thinketh - “Thought is the fount of action, life, and manifestation; make the fountain pure, and all will be pure.”
— James Allen, As a Man Thinketh - “As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he wills.”
— James Allen, As a man thinketh - “By your own thoughts you make or mar your life, your world, your universe, As you build within by the power of thought, so will your outward life and circumstances shape themselves accordingly.”
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “As you succeed in gaining mastery over your impulses and thoughts you will begin to feel, growing up within you, a new and silent power, and a settled feeling of composure and strength will remain with you.”
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “As you rise above the lower, debilitating, and destructive thought-forces, you will come in contact with the positive, strengthening, and up-building currents generated by strong, pure, and noble minds, your happiness will be immeasurably intensified, and you will begin to realize the joy, strength, and power, which are born only of self-mastery. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Meditation and Inner Silence
- “By curbing his tongue a man gains possession of his mind, and to have complete possession of one’s mind is to be a Master of Silence. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The giving up – the total uprooting – of vanity and pride is a great task; but it is a blessed task, and it can be accomplished by constant practice in non-resentment and by meditating upon one’s thoughts and actions so as to understand and purify them; and the spirit of forgiveness is perfected in one in the measure that pride and vanity are overcome and abandoned.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “When we read of Jesus that “He answered never a word” and of Buddha that “He remained silent,” we get a glimpse of the vast power of silence, of the silent majesty of true greatness.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The grim and rarely broken silence of the bull-dog is the necessary adjunct to that powerfully concentrated and effectual action for which the animal is known and feared.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Solitude is as indispensable to man’s spiritual welfare as sleep is to his bodily well-being; and pure thought, or meditation, which is evoked in solitude, is to the spirit what activity is to the body.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “While a man is absorbed in outward activities he is giving out his energies and is becoming spiritually weaker, and in order to retain his moral vigour he must resort to solitary meditation.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “By concentration a man can scale the highest heights of genius, but he cannot scale the heavenly heights of Truth: to accomplish this, he must meditate.”
— James Allen, The Mastery of Destiny - “Meditation is more difficult to practice than concentration because it involves a much more severe self-discipline than that which obtains in concentration.”
— James Allen, The Mastery of Destiny - “In meditation, therefore, the entire life of a man is involved; and as he advances in its practice he becomes more and more fitted to perform the duties of life in the circumstances in which he may be placed, for he becomes stronger, holier, calmer, and wiser.”
— James Allen, The Mastery of Destiny - “Thus meditating you will no longer strive to build yourself up in your prejudices, but, forgetting self, you will remember only that you are seeking the Truth.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “And this inward peace, this silence, this harmony, this Love, is the Kingdom of Heaven, which is so difficult to reach because few are willing to give up themselves and to become as little children.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “Spiritual meditation and self-discipline are inseparable; you will, therefore, commence to meditate upon yourself so as to try and understand yourself, for, remember, the great object you will have in view will be the complete removal of all your errors in order that you may realize Truth.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “The direct outcome of your meditations will be a calm, spiritual strength which will be your stay and resting-place in the struggle of life.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace
Peace, Love, and Compassion
Peace and Calmness
- “To resort to the spirit and practice of forgiveness is the beginning of enlightenment; it is also the beginning of peace and happiness.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “No man can become unselfish, and thereby arrive at the highest bliss, until he is willing to lose, looking for neither gain nor reward: it is this state of mind which constitutes unselfishness.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “With the impatient I will be patient; with the greedy I will be generous, and with the violent and quarrelsome I will be mild and peaceable. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Inside the gateway of unselfishness lies the Elysium of Abiding Joy, and whosoever will may enter in, whosoever doubts let him come and see. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The calm man has partly or entirely conquered self, and having successfully battled with the selfishness within, he knows how to meet and overcome it successfully in others.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “The marks of a true Master are not miracles and wonder-working, but infinite patience, boundless compassion, spotless purity, and a heart at peace with all. “
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “The wise know that there is no real mastery until self is subdued, that when oneself is conquered, the subjugation of externals is finally assured, and they find happiness for ever springing up within them, in the calm strength of divine virtue.”
— James Allen, Man: King Of Mind, Body And Circumstance - “He has no ground on which to build a character or life, no incentive for noble deeds, no center for moral action; he has no island of peace and no harbor of refuge.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “Gradually and inevitably, also, selfish and aggressive men will come to have less and less power in the world, will become more out of harmony with the growing environment of peace and goodwill, till at last they will pass away from the earth altogether, as the gigantic brutes have passed away, no longer fitted to survive in a world conquered by Love, in which righteousness and truth become triumphant.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armoury of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace.”
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “He who says, “The Path which you point out is too difficult; I must have Truth without labor, salvation without effort,” that man will not find his way out of the confusions and sufferings of self-hood; he will not find the calm and well-fortified mind and the wisely ordered life. “
— James Allen, Out from the Heart - “He only knows who conquers evil; he, Who masters self, passes beyond the dim Uncertain light of faith, and on him breaks The light of Perfect Knowledge which enfolds Emancipation, gladness, perfect peace.”
— James Allen, Poems of Peace - “Knowledge and wisdom is the path of Peace; By the near way of practice I will find Where bliss begins, how pains and sorrows cease.”
— James Allen, Poems of Peace - “Though for a time the Temple of Joy will not be completed, he will gather strength in laying its foundations and building its walls; and the day will come when, like a wise master-builder, he will rest at peace in the beautiful habitation which he has built.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “He perceives the course of things with a glad and peaceful heart; a divine conqueror, master of life and death.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “When you are willing to admit that all your unhappiness is the result of your own selfishness you will not be far from the gates of Paradise; but so long as you are convinced that it is the selfishness of others that is robbing you of joy, so long will you remain a prisoner in your self-created purgatory. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Love and Compassion
- “Turn your eyes away from their condemnation and search your own heart, to find, perchance, some hard, unkind, or wrong thoughts which, when discovered and understood, you will condemn yourself.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Such a man will be gently in what he says and does, will arouse love and kindness in others, and not stir them up to ill-will and strife.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “In the pure heart there is no room left where personal judgements and hatreds can find lodgement, for it is filled to overflowing with tenderness and love; it sees no evil; and only as men succeed in seeing no evil in others will they become free from sin and sorrow and suffering.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The thoughtless and unkind are stirred by every slight provocation, and will lose their mental balance by even the appearance of a personal encroachment.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The cause of unhappiness must be sought and found in the self-loving elements, and not in the self-sacrificing qualities.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “The antagonism which men place between justice and love does not exist in reality; it is an error arising from ignorance of the true nature and right application of the principles involved.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “Discipline is not irksome to the Truth-lover, and he will find the infinite patience which can wait and work and overcome. “
— James Allen, Out from the Heart - “If men only understood How Love conquers; how prevailing Is its might, grim hate assailing; How Compassion endeth sorrow, Maketh wise, and doth not borrow Pain of passion; they would ever Live in Love, in hatred never— If they only understood.”
— James Allen, Poems of Peace - “If you really seek Truth, and not merely your own gratification; if you love it above all worldly pleasures and gains; more, even, than happiness itself, you will be willing to make the effort necessary for its achievement.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “When you cease to believe in and love self you will desert it, and will fly to Truth, and will find the eternal Reality.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “All human loves are perishable like the forms to which they cling; but there is a Love that is imperishable, and that does not cling to appearances.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “He who has realized the Love that is divine has become a new man, and has ceased to be swayed and dominated by the old elements of self.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “If a man would know Love, and partake of its undying bliss, he must practice it in his heart; he must become Love. “
— James Allen, The Heavenly Life - “Think joyful thoughts; think loving thoughts; let the elixir of goodwill course through your veins, and you will need no other medicine.”
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “Genial friends will come unbidden to you; sympathetic souls will be drawn to you as the needle is to the magnet; and books and all outward aids that you require will come to you unsought. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Purpose, Action, and Progress
Purpose and Will
- “Put yourself unreservedly into your present task, and so work, so act, so live that you shall leave each task a finished piece of labour—this is the true way to the acquisition of will-power, concentration of thought, and conservation of energy.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The most ordinary man who conceives a noble purpose, and, summoning all his energies and will, broods upon and ripens his purpose in solitude will accomplish his object and become a genius. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Every mechanic knows that before a force can be utilised and definitely directed it must be conserved and stored; and the wise man is a spiritual mechanic who conserves the energies of his mind, holds them in masterful abeyance, ready at any moment to direct them, with effective purpose, to the accomplishment of some necessary work.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Before a man can write an immortal hymn, or create any immortal work he must give his whole self, his entire life, to that one great purpose. “
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “Its purposes always reach down far below the surface, and are therefore more firm and secure, more strong and lasting.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “He may even encounter much failure; but when he fails, it will be that he may frame nobler purposes and ascend to higher achievements.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “To arrive at the freedom and joy of simplicity, one must not think less, he must think more; only the thinking must be set to a high and useful purpose, and must be concentrated upon the facts and duties of life, instead of dissipated in unprofitable theorizing.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “The man of fixed purpose who, whether misunderstandings and foul accusations, or flatteries and fair promises, rain upon him, does not yield a fraction of his resolve, is the man of excellence and achievement; of success, greatness, power.”
— James Allen, The Mastery of Destiny - “Hindrances stimulate the man of purpose; difficulties nerve him to renewed exertion; mistakes, losses, pains, do not subdue him; and failures are steps in the ladder of success, for he is ever conscious of the certainty of final achievement.”
— James Allen, The Mastery of Destiny - “Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose, the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success.”
— James Allen, As a Man Thinketh - “To put away aimlessness and weakness, and to begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment; who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.”
— James Allen, As a man thinketh - “It is therefore unwise to aim directly at prosperity, to make it the one object of life, to reach out greedily for it, To do this is to ultimately defeat yourself. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Right Action and Conduct
- “He only knows he ought not to do them by certain precepts without any qualms of conscience within, but he does not fully and completely understand what he is doing.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “If he trusts to that which fluctuates he also will fluctuate; if he leans upon that which may be withdrawn he will fall and be bruised; if he looks for satisfaction in perishable accumulations he will starve for happiness in the midst of plenty.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The just man could no more take from another an unjust gain by what is called a “smart transaction” that he could take it by picking his pocket. “
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “Fixed attitudes of mind determine courses of conduct, and from courses of conduct come those reactions called happiness and unhappiness.”
— James Allen, Man: King Of Mind, Body And Circumstance - “Whatsoever you harbour in the inmost chambers of your heart will, sooner or later, by the inevitable law of reaction, shape itself in your outward life.”
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “This condition of laziness must be overcome by rousing up the body at any early hour, giving it just the amount of sleep it requires for complete recuperation, and by doing promptly and vigorously, every task and duty, no matter how small, as it comes along. “
— James Allen, Out from the Heart - “There are no foolish elations followed by equally foolish depressions; no degrading actions followed by misery and loss of self-respect.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “He is not responsible for his neighbor’s deeds; he is not the custodian of his neighbor’s actions; he is responsible only for his own deeds; he is the custodian of his own actions.”
— James Allen, The Mastery of Destiny - “Wrong actions are always accompanied with self-delusion, and the chief form which such self-delusion assumes is that of self-justification.”
— James Allen, The Shining Gateway - “An issue of foul water always proceeds from an impure source; and an issue of impure actions proceeds from a heart that is defiled.”
— James Allen, The Shining Gateway
Beginnings and Small Actions
- “A beginning is a cause, and as such it must be followed by an effect, or a train of effects, and the effect will always be of the same nature as the cause.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The right control of the tongue is the beginning of wisdom; the right control of the mind is the consummation of wisdom. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The right beginning of the day will be followed by cheerfulness at the morning meal, permeating the house-hold with a sunny influence; and the tasks and duties of the day will be undertaken in a strong and confident spirit, and the whole day will be well lived.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “But those who are beginning to build their Temple of Prosperity in accordance with the teaching of this book, must bear in mind that a building requires time to erect, and it must be patiently raised up, brick upon brick and stone upon stone, and the Pillars must be firmly fixed and cemented, and labour and care will be needed to make the whole complete.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “Without sincerity there can be no knowledge of Truth; and true speech is the beginning of all sincerity.”
— James Allen, Foundation Stones To Happiness And Success - “The same law holds good in any important work; the right beginning and first essential is a definite mental plan on which to build.”
— James Allen, Foundation Stones To Happiness And Success - “In these three methods of self-protection-animal, human, and spiritual-we perceive the fundamental forces which are at work in the evolution of sentient beings; an evolution beginning with the lowest creature and extending to the deviants being of whom we have any direct knowledge.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “A man may read Scripture, study religions, and practise mystical arts; but if he allows his tongue to run loosely, he will be as foolish at the end of all his labours as he was at the beginning.”
— James Allen, The Shining Gateway - “And the beginning of the way which leads to this glorious realization is the acquirement of a right understanding of the nature of evil. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Wisdom, Truth, and Spiritual Understanding
Truth and Wisdom
- “Wisdom inheres in the common details of everyday existence, and when the parts are made perfect the Whole will be without blemish.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “While a man is involved in sin he will condemn others who are likewise involved, and the deeper and greater his sin the more severe will be his condemnation of others.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “He is content to appear defeated; rejoices when he is defeated, knowing that, having found and removed another error in himself he has thereby become wiser.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Books give information but they cannot bestow knowledge; they can stimulate but cannot accomplish – you must put forth effort, and achieve for yourself.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “You must put forth your own efforts, must achieve by your own strength, must make his truth your truth by your own unaided exertions; you must implicitly trust yourself.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The words and acts of Truth cannot pass away until their work is fully accomplished; the words and acts of error cannot remain, for they have no work to do.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “An understanding of the nature of actions is accompanied with the power to meet and deal with all actions in the right and best way.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “As he transcends error, he becomes more like his master, until at last he becomes one with truth, teaching it, as a master, by his actions, and reflecting it in his life.”
— James Allen, From Passion To Peace - “Before Wisdom can be acquired, self must be wounded to the death, and because of this, because Wisdom is the enemy of self, self rises in rebellion, and will not be overcome and denied.”
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “That man is conscious of sin means that he can become pure; that he abhors evil signifies that he can reach up to Good; that he is a pilgrim in the land of error assures us, without doubt, that he will at last come to the beautiful city of Truth. “
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - ” Already man has been feeling the growing wings of this new consciousness wherewith he will soar into the highest regions of knowledge and blessedness. “
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “The lesser must be thoroughly grasped and understood before the greater can be known, and practice always precedes real knowledge.”
— James Allen, Out from the Heart - “A man may not read Scripture, nor study religions, nor practise ascetic arts; but if he controls his tongue, and studies how to speak wisely and well, he will become wise.”
— James Allen, The Shining Gateway - “The greatest teacher can do no more than walk the way of Truth for himself, and point it out to you; you yourself must walk it for yourself.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “To overcome these negative conditions is to enter into a life of power, is to cease to be a slave, and to become a master, and there is only one way by which they can be overcome, and that is by steady and persistent growth in inward knowledge.”
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “And if that barque be piloted by a cheerful and never-failing faith its course will be doubly sure, and many perils will pass it by which would other-wise attack it. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Spiritual Growth and Enlightenment
- “Even the meanest creature will respond to its heavenly touch, for it is the universal language which all creatures understand. “
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “In this way he will accumulate a little store of wisdom which is his spiritual capital, and this he must send out into the world for the good of others, and the more he uses it the richer will he become.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Wherever a man goes in this world he can take his worldly possessions with him; but soon he must part company with them, and if he stands upon these alone, deriving all his happiness from them, he will come to a spiritual ending of great emptiness and want.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “When the inward spiritual harmony is destroyed by division and conflict, it will manifest itself outwardly in the form of war.”
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - ” The human form of consciousness is about to touch, is indeed touching, the point of completion, and from it there will spring, is already springing, the Divine form of consciousness which is destined to transform the entire human race. “
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “Human life and evolution at present is the learning of those preliminary lessons which are leading the race towards the mastery and understanding of this basic or divine knowledge; for without such a permanent, exact mathematical basis no lesson could be learnt.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “The divine man conquers by non-retaliation and by yielding where others enter into selfish strife; and his gentle powers are so invincible that the lesser selfish powers, great and potent as those are when compared with the merely animal equipment’s, dissolve away in ineffectual weakness.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “Courage, however, cannot be confined to this phase-indeed, this is its lowest manifestation -for it has many aspects, many modes of action; and as man rises in the moral and spiritual scale his courage becomes transmuted, taking a newer and higher form.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “We have seen how a man having physical courage acts in defense of his life and property; also how a man having moral courage acts in defense of his opinions; and now, how does one act who has Divine courage?”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “If he will but quarry the mine of his own soul, he shall find there all the materials for building whatsoever he will, and he shall find there also the Central Rock on which to build in safety. “
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “And he who goes all the way will become a spiritual conqueror; he will triumph over all evil, and will blot it out.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “”Good-will gives insight,” and only he who has so conquered his personality that he has but one attitude of mind, that of good-will, toward all creatures, is possessed of divine insight, and is capable of distinguishing the true from the false.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “A man must first of all be willing to lose himself (his self-seeking self) before he can find himself (his Divine Self).”
— James Allen, Entering the Kingdom - “The Kingdom of Heaven is man’s Home; and it is here and now, it is in his own heart, and he is not left without Guides, if he wills to find it. “
— James Allen, The Heavenly Life - “The higher elements of character are life itself; and to practice these, to trust them, and to live entirely in them, constitutes the Kingdom of Heaven. “
— James Allen, Entering the Kingdom - “The weakest soul, knowing its own weakness, and believing this truth—that strength can only be developed by effort and practice—will begin to exert itself.”
— James Allen, As a Man Thinketh - “By so doing you will be building your house upon the rock of the Eternal, and all that is required for your happiness and well-being will come to you in its own time. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “Build upon such a faith, and you build upon the Rock of the Eternal, and with the materials of the Eternal, and the structure that you erect will never be dissolved, for it will transcend all the accumulations of material luxuries and riches, the end of which is dust. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “Centered in such a faith, you will become possessed of such a spiritual strength as will shatter, like so many toys of glass, all the forces of evil that are hurled against you, and you will achieve a success such as the mere striver after worldly gain can never know or even dream of. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “Under all circumstances do that which you believe to be right, and trust the Law; trust the Divine Power that is imminent in the universe, and it will never desert you, and you will always be protected. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Sacrifice and Renunciation
- “A man must be willing to humbly sacrifice his selfish habits and practices because they are untrue and unworthy, and for the happiness of those about him, without expecting any reward or looking for any good to accrue to himself.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “No man can sacrifice an error until he first of all confess (to himself) “I am in error;” when, yielding it up, he will perceive and receive the truth which his error formerly obscured.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Even man can practice self sacrifice just where he is, and in the measure that he is capable of understand it.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “We get a glimpse into the vast power inherent in self-sacrifice and non-resistance when we contemplate the lives and characters of the few divine men who practiced these principles – in Jesus, Buddha, and others.”
— James Allen, Men And Systems - “The untrue and worthless must perish, and he who consecrates himself to the good and the true is content that they should perish, and so at last he stands where sacrifice ends, and all is gain—such a one survives in the struggle of life without, and he conquers in the battle of Truth within.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “Men and women of real power and influence are few, because few are prepared to make the sacrifice necessary to the acquirement of power, and fewer still are ready to patiently build up character.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “By the surrender of self all difficulties are overcome, and there is no error in the universe but the fire of inward sacrifice will burn it up like chaff; no problem, however great, but will disappear like a shadow under the searching light of self-abnegation.”
— James Allen, The Way of Peace - “But before a man can put it into practice, he must strive to understand it, and even this initial step necessitates a self-surrender which few are willing to make.”
— James Allen, Through the Gates of Good, or Christ and Conduct - “Such a man has become a disciple of Christ at whose feet he sits, and whose commands he is prepared to carry out no matter at what sacrifice to himself.”
— James Allen, Through the Gates of Good, or Christ and Conduct - “He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.”
— James Allen, As a man thinketh
Prosperity and Meaning of Success
- “The temple of prosperity only stands in so far as it is supported by its moral pillars; as they are weakened, it becomes insecure; in so far as they are withdrawn, it crumbles away and totters to ruin.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “The studied elimination of nonessentials from one’s daily life is a vital factor in all great achievement.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “The man that courts prosperity must, in all his transactions, whether material or mental, study how to give a just return for that which he receives.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “Better laws and social conditions will always follow a higher realisation of morality among the individuals of a community, but no legal enactment can give prosperity to, nay it cannot prevent the ruin of, a man or a nation that has become lax and decadent in the pursuit and practice of virtue.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “He can no more build up a business, a character, a career, a success, than he can found a religion or build a brick house.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “Let him be liberal of heart and generous of hand, magnanimous and trusting, not only giving cheerfully and often of his substance, but allowing his friends and fellow-men freedom of thought and action – let him be thus, and honour, plenty, and prosperity will come knocking at the door for admittance as his friends and guests.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “When a man aspires to nobler heights of achievement, and sets about the realization of his ideal, he commences to refine his nature; and the more pure a man makes himself within, the more refined, gracious, and gentle will be his outward demeanor.”
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “The time of necessity is the hour of opportunity, and not as is so often imagined and declared, the destruction of opportunity; that the deeper the poverty, the greater is the incentive to action in those who are dissatisfied with themselves, and are bent upon achievement.”
— James Allen, Man: King Of Mind, Body And Circumstance - “And the higher he lifts his thoughts, the more manly, upright, and righteous he becomes, the greater will be his success, the more blessed and enduring will be his achievements.”
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “And he who would pursue this science successfully must learn to stand alone, and to toil unrewarded, as far as any outward emolument is concerned.”
— James Allen, The Mastery of Destiny - “If you will become possessed of this faith you will not need to trouble about your success or failure, and success will come.”
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “Until you succeed in doing this you cannot hope to direct your mental forces upon the problems and pursuits of life with any appreciable measure of success. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity - “Confine it within the narrow limits of self-interest, and even though you become a millionaire your influence and success, at the final reckoning will be found to be utterly insignificant. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity
Suffering, Growth, and Transformation
- “Suffering does not originate in the perfect but in the imperfect; it does not mark the complete but the incomplete; it can, therefore, be transcended.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “No situation can be difficult of itself; it is the lack of insight into its intricacies, and the want of wisdom in dealing with it, which give rise to the difficulty.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Do not regard your difficulties and perplexities as portentous of ill; by so doing you will make them ill; but regard them as prophetic of good, which, indeed, they are.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “Numbers of people are today suffering the fiery torments of an unforgiving spirit, and only when they make an effort to overcome that spirit can they know what a cruel and exacting taskmaster they are serving.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “It is the same with the spirit: it must be regularly nourished in solitude on pure and holy thoughts or it will lose its freshness and strength, and will at last cry out in its painful and utter starvation.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The path must be sought and then carefully followed, and the climber must not give up and go back because of the labour involved and the difficulties to be overcome, nor on account of aching climbs, otherwise his object cannot be accomplished.”
— James Allen, Byways to Blessedness - “The energetic man may pass through temporary periods of unemployment and suffering, but it is impossible for him to become one of the permanently unemployed.”
— James Allen, Eight Pillars of Prosperity - “The consequences are certain and cannot be escaped, and they will be of the nature of the thought and act which produced them—painful or blessed.”
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “He who clings to that which is impermanent cannot escape sorrow, and the intensity of his sorrow will be measured by the strength of his clinging.”
— James Allen, Light on Life’s Difficulties - “Not by learning will a man triumph over evil; not by much study will he overcome sin and sorrow.”
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “Only by conquering himself will he conquer evil; only by practising righteousness will he put an end to sorrow. “
— James Allen, Morning And Evening Thoughts - “The man of faith does not succumb when difficulties present themselves; he does not despair when troubles overtake him.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “Having conquered self, they have conquered all delusions; have triumphed over sin, they have triumphed over sorrow; having purified themselves, they see the Perfect Cosmos.”
— James Allen, The Life Triumphant: Mastering the Heart and Mind - “Thoughts marshaled, commanded, and directed upon a given point, are invincible; confusion, doubt, and difficulty give way before their masterly approach.”
— James Allen, The Mastery of Destiny - “To possess those inward qualities which constitute goodness is to be armored against all the powers of evil, and to be doubly protected in every time of trial; and to build’ oneself up in those qualities is to build up a success which cannot be shaken, and to enter into a prosperity which will endure forever. “
— James Allen, The Path to Prosperity