All about Napoleon Hill | His Bio, Summaries of his Iconic Books, and Quotes

In this article, you will discover a man who was as inspiring as he was controversial: Napoleon Hill. This author is especially famous for his “philosophy of achievement” documented in numerous books and, according to his words, resulting from the encounters that he allegedly had with the most powerful and richest figures in the world! This version of the facts has become very much a subject of discussion and…debate. However, his books and works remain extremely popular. Among them, “Think and Grow Rich” is Napoleon Hill’s best-known book. In this worldwide bestseller, which has sold millions of copies, the author notably develops the link between success and the power of thought.

After a short biography of Napoleon Hill, you will find, in this article, a summary of the three seminal books by Napoleon Hill: “Think and Grow Rich”, “How to Sell Your Way Through Life” and “Outwitting the Devil”. Finally, you will discover at the end of this article 64 famous quotes taken from the work of Napoleon Hill.

Napoleon Hill, The Life of a “Visionary” Writer?

A life Spent Writing about the Philosophy of Achievement

Napoleon Hill was born on October 26, 1883, in Wise County, Virginia, United States. He lost his mother at the age of 10, and his father remarried two years later. It was his mother-in-law who gave him his first typewriter.

Napoleon Hill’s writing career began when he was 13, working as a reporter for small local newspapers. At 25, he was recruited as an editor at Bob Taylor’s Magazine. His job was to describe the career of famous men. It was under these circumstances that he would meet his future mentor, billionaire Andrew Carnegie, the richest man in the world at the time and also one of the most powerful. Inspired by the latter, Napoleon Hill would then set himself the goal of interviewing 500 successful and prosperous men and women, millionaires for the most part, in order to understand what they had in common. Among all these personalities, Napoleon Hill claims to have met, through Carnegie, the famous industrialist Henry Ford and scientist Thomas Edison. The author also claims to have been the special adviser to three American presidents including Franklin Roosevelt.

According to Napoleon Hill, it was 25 years of analytical work from these interviews that would give rise to his writings, such as his very dense work entitled “The Law of Success”, published in 1928.

Controversies

Napoleon Hill’s claims are, however, very controversial today. The author is accused of having lied about the veracity of these encounters, about the origin of his work and his functions as an adviser to political figures. Indeed, there is no photo, letter, nor interview recording, or other evidence to corroborate Napoleon Hill’s statements, apart from a somewhat bizarre photo with Edison:

This is the only evidence of an encounter between Napoleon Hill and one of the people he claimed to have interviewed.

No other photo of him with such famous people exists. This is, according to him, because a fire in the mid-1920s destroyed everything. …convenient. In addition, none of these people who were supposedly interviewed left a single of trace of having met with Napoleon Hill.

Thus, all these unanswered questions cast serious doubt on Napoleon Hill’s allegations:

• Did he really meet Andrew Carnegie? And why did Hill wait until Carnegie was dead to talk about the encounters they allegedly had?
• Did Hill really advise President Wilson during World War I as he claimed? Did he really interview Roosevelt, Rockefeller, Bell, etc.?
• Finally, did Hill really lose all the photos and documents relating to these encounters in a fire?

Napoleon Hill died on November 8, 1970, at the age of 87. Notwithstanding the controversies, his works are still hugely successful.

Napoleon Hill’s Bibliography

Author, speaker, teacher, Napoleon Hill dedicated his life to writing and studying success and the conditions that lead to it. He particularly developed the concept of positive thinking and sought to explain the power of the mind and the role of beliefs in success. In “Think and Grow Rich,” Hill said, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can do”. His favorite themes like the law of attraction and persuasion still influence many readers today.

Here is the list of Napoleon Hill’s works:

• “The Law of Success”, 1928;
• “The Magic Ladder to Success”, 1930.
• “Think and Grow Rich”, 1937;
• “Outwitting the Devil”, 1938 but published posthumously in 2011.
• “How to Sell Your Way Through Life”, 1939.
• “Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude”, 1959.
• “Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion”, 1970.
• “You Can Work Your Own Miracles”, published posthumously in 1971.
• “Road to Success”, published posthumously in 2011.
• “The Master Key to Riches”, published posthumously in 2012.

Summary of Napoleon Hill’s 3 Most Iconic Books 

1 – “Think and Grow Rich”

“Think and Grow Rich” is Napoleon Hill’s best-known and best-selling book with over 60 million copies sold.

Napoleon Hill claims to have met over 500 of the wealthiest men of his time. His aim? Establish what they had in common to unveil the secrets of their wealth and ascertain whether there was a method to apply in order to become rich.

From the very first chapter, the author gets to the heart of the matter by telling us the story of Edwin C. Barnes. The latter was quite the ordinary young man very eager to work with Thomas Edison. Barnes did not know Edison personally and did not have the means, living far away, to go to his office. However, tenacious as he was, he ended up finding a solution to meet Edison and became one of his employees, and then years later, seized an opportunity that allowed him to make a fortune in turn.

From Chapter 2, Napoleon Hill develops the 13 steps necessary to grow rich:

From desire…

1. Desire

The first step is desire. This is the starting point for any achievement. It is not a simple hope or a wish but a “pulsating desire”. It is thus necessary to have a very precise goal and a “pulsating desire” to obtain it. This is what makes that which seems impossible possible.

2. Faith

The second step is faith. According to Napoleon Hill, it is a state of mind. To acquire it, you should repeat to yourself instructions and positive thoughts. These then enter the subconscious through auto-suggestion, the third step.

3. Auto-suggestion

To be effective, auto-suggestion must be linked to your emotions: it is not enough to repeat your objectives, you have to feel them. Believing that your desire will come true will influence your subconscious.

4. Specialization

The fourth step is specialization. Napoleon Hill explains to us that general culture has no use in getting rich. It is important, on the other hand, to specialize in a specific field and to continually train and learn.

5. Imagination

Imagination is the fifth step defined by the author. He explains that the imagination allows us to create what we want. Ideas are priceless.

6. Organized Planning

After desire and imagination, comes the time to make plans, the sixth step in the process. To go from the abstract to the concrete, the implementation of a plan is a very important phase. It is essential to be persistent and not to give up after your first failure.

… to the sixth sense

7. Decision Making

The seventh step in getting rich is decision making. The ability to make a decision quickly and to stick to it is common among the majority of those who succeed. Don’t be too easily influenced, use your mind and brain to form your own opinions and make your own decisions.

8. Persistence

The eighth step is persistence. If you give up as soon as you fail, you will remain poor. Since persistence is a state of mind, it can quite be cultivated through a few elements: definiteness of purpose, desire, self-reliance, definiteness of plans, accurate knowledge, cooperation, will-power, and habit.

9. Power of the Master Mind

The power of the mastermind is the ninth step explored by the author. You have to know how to surround yourself with intelligent men to become successful.

10. Sexual Emotion

The tenth step is related to sexual emotion. According to Napoleon Hill, successful men are those who have a strong desire for sex while being able to control it.

11. The Subconscious

The subconscious is the eleventh step toward riches. It feeds on our thoughts, so we must transmit positive thoughts such as: desire, faith, love, sexuality, enthusiasm, tenderness, hope, etc.

12. The Human Brain

The twelfth and second-to-last step is the human brain. It works like a radio by emitting and receiving waves.

13. The Sixth Sense

So, we come to the thirteenth and final step: the sixth sense. This step can only be effective if the previous 12 have been fully understood and integrated. The sixth sense is sort of our guardian angel.

A last chapter to conquer one’s fears

Napoleon Hill devotes a final chapter to the six fears that may hold us back and that must be overcome in order to be successful: fear of poverty, judgment, illness, loss of love, old age, and death. The author reiterates that fear is a state of mind and that a state of mind can be controlled. Fear is passed on from person to person: negative people attract negative people while enthusiastic people attract positive people.

Review of “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill

If the reviews are to be believed, this book by Napoleon Hill was a real eye-opener for thousands of readers. The 13 universal principles developed are extremely motivating and highly relevant to readers in search of success and fortune. By approaching wealth in the broad sense (financial but also spiritual), Napoleon Hill offers innovative ideas for his time that are still of extraordinary relevance today. In summary, “Think and Grow Rich” instructs us on how to achieve our dreams by changing our thoughts and beliefs. It prompts us to act, to persevere, and teaches us how to turn our failures into great successes. A must-have!

Strong points:

• The ultra-motivating aspect of the book.
• The author’s timeless and inspiring philosophy, which is based on lengthy research.
• The ease of reading and the many examples included.

Weak points:

• The very “American” perception of the attitude towards money makes the approach less suitable in an international context: personal enrichment is perceived as a goal whereas this is not the case around the world. In some cases, this is even taboo.
• The book was written 80 years ago, which can be felt at times, especially through the author’s examples.

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2 – “How to Sell Your Way Through Life”

In this book by Napoleon Hill, written in 1939, the author reveals the secrets of success in the field of persuasion. He tells us everything about the essential qualities for convincing. For Hill, it is, above all, a state of mind to cultivate. Indeed, he does not believe it is sufficient to know the techniques of salesmanship but rather that the most important aspect is attitude: it is what makes an exceptional salesman. The book is not only aimed at executives but also at employees and anyone who wants to master the art of persuasion.

Part One: Psychology

In this section, Napoleon Hill focuses on the psychological principles that come into play in negotiation and persuasion. He begins by defining what an exceptional salesman is. According to him, he must simultaneously be an artist, strategist, philosopher, analyst, and mind reader. Knowing how to sell is not only helpful for selling a product or a service. It is also helpful in everyday life because it is an art that is useful in all circumstances. He thus defines 3 keys to a successful sale: a good motive, good imagination and creativity, and finally good showmanship through emotions.

Napoleon Hill:

• Lists 28 essential qualities to become a good salesperson, on a professional, relational and personal level.
• Explains the 9 motives you need to know to influence people and divide them into 3 categories: instinct, emotion, and reason.
• Details the 3 principles to be combined in order to influence the subconscious: auto-suggestion, mastermind, and concentration.
• Gives us 11 foolproof tips to increase your leadership as well as the success factors of the greatest leaders.

Part Two: Getting a Job

In this part, Napoleon Hill addresses the mastery of persuasion to sell oneself, within the framework of a job. First of all, he describes the steps for choosing a job: determine the position sought, clarify 5 points (preferred field of activity, type of preferred employer, desired salary, level of service that you are willing to offer, most harmful causes of failure). It is also necessary to set a long-term goal, to make a habit of doing more than what is expected of yourself and to develop a pleasant personality. By pleasant personality, the author refers to a flexible person who adapts easily. He attributes 21 qualities to him. In parallel, he establishes 17 characteristics corresponding to a negative personality.

To succeed in the search for a job, you should know how to cooperate, show imagination, in particular, synthetic imagination. Choosing the right sector of activity is fundamental. According to Napoleon Hill, a business education is a necessity, and he describes the criteria to be taken into account when choosing a business school. The author also believes that managing your schedule properly – ideally by planning 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of activity, 4 hours for leisure and health, 2 hours for learning, and finally 2 hours of volunteering – is an important skill. Finally, following a plan, as specified and detailed by the author, will allow you to succeed in your job search.

Part Three: The Example of Henry Ford

In this third part, Napoleon Hill highlights the example of Henry Ford, one of the author’s first mentors. Henry Ford is a self-made man: he succeeded from nothing, and without studying. The author details the 13 strengths of this man: singleness of purpose, persistence, faith, decision, sportsmanship, humility, the “extra mile”, exceptional salesmanship, accumulation of power, self-control, organized effort, and initiative. Napoleon Hill believes that Henry Ford was successful because he knew what he wanted, he followed a plan and focused his efforts on his goal.

Part Four: Napoleon Hill’s Golden Rule

Napoleon Hill devotes the last part of his work to what he calls the golden rule: an essential rule in human relations. This rule is to say that what we do for someone else, we do for ourselves. In short, if we do good to others, we do good to ourselves. Thus, the author thinks that it is necessary to always do more service and of better quality than what is expected. You should always have the right attitude in order for your value to be recognized and for yourself to be indispensable. You need to be persistent and learn from your failures to then become successful.

Review of “How to Sell Your Way Through Life” by Napoleon Hill

This book is intended for present and future sales representatives, but not exclusively. It would also be of great benefit to anyone who wants to develop persuasive skills in something other than sales or to be successful in life in general. Filled with the author’s analytical work that has lasted many years, “How to Sell Your Way Through Life” is organized as much around technical aspects as it is around points of personal development. Our attitude, our state of mind is, in fact, decisive in convincing and influencing, in an authentic and ethical manner. Written in the 1930s, parts of the book have aged, but much of the advice and theories developed are still very relevant today.

Strong points:

• Extensively detailed persuasion strategies: sales techniques and the mindset to develop in order to be successful.
• The principles outlined in the act of selling and “selling” oneself.
• The ideas raised for concrete improvement of one’s life.

Weak points:

• Some passages in the book have not aged that well, especially regarding the context of employment.
• The book often repeats the same ideas.

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3 – “Outwitting the Devil”

This book by Napoleon Hill is exceptional in more ways than one. First, it laid dormant for over 70 years before it was finally revealed to the world! Second, it is not simply a theoretical work, but one with an ingenious staging: a dialogue between the devil and the author. Finally, some of Napoleon Hill’s points are truly visionary: the book has not aged a bit!

Part 1: The Author Tells Us His Story

It all started with Napoleon Hill meeting Andrew Carnegie in 1908. Following this meeting, the author begins his long work of analysis on the causes of success. He then goes on to study more than 25,000 men and women who were unsuccessful in their lives and more than 500 people who, on the contrary, achieved success. He then establishes 17 principles leading to success and 30 causes of failure that he notably details in his books, “The Law of Success” and “Think and Grow Rich”.

“Outwitting the Devil”, written a year later than “Think and Grow Rich”, seems to mark Napoleon Hill’s spiritual awakening. In fact, following two significant setbacks, the author discovers what Carnegie called the “other-self”, that is to say, the sixth sense, or intuition. While in a difficult situation, Napoleon Hill hears a small voice inside him telling him what to do. It is by following the instructions given by this voice that he goes on to achieve success. Doing so, he discovers that failure is in fact a step towards success. He completely changes his state of mind and puts his faith into this “other-self”, a source of peace and satisfaction.

Part 2: Discussion With The Devil

In the second part of the book, the author dialogues with the devil. It does not matter whether this interview is real or imaginary, only the content is important. Moreover, although the concept of questions and answers is reminiscent of a courtroom, the author provides no information concerning the context. The dialogue begins with a description of the devil: without a physical body; he is negative energy that lives in people’s minds.

Fear and illness, allies of the devil

The devil has two great allies to help him: fear and illness. The devil lists 6 effective fears: that of poverty, of criticism, of illness, of the loss of love, of old age, and of death. The fear of poverty and death are, according to the devil, the two most powerful fears. His most formidable weapon would be collective fear, like the world war at the time of the author, or terrorism for our current time.

The habit of drifting: cause of failure

The most common cause of failure is the habit of “drifting”, that is, of letting go. Drifters are people influenced by the devil from childhood. He also believes that many adults are doing him a service with children, especially religious instructors, parents, or even the national education system which does not teach to think but demands children to memorize information. The devil identifies the different areas in which he incites people to drift: health, marriage, occupations, savings, the environment.

The devil’s tricks to manipulate people

After establishing the profile of a drifter and a non-drifter, the author tells us about the tricks used by the devil to manipulate people: flattery, failure, propaganda, and corruption. Then, he outlines the 10 points to follow in order to become immune to this habit. The second-to-last chapter of this second part of the book explores the concept of hypnotic rhythm: a thought or a gesture, repeated many times, becomes a habit and is therefore transformed into an organized rhythm. This explains, according to the author, that luck does not exist.

Part 3: 7 Principles For Freedom

Through this dialogue with the devil, Napoleon Hill outlines 7 principles allowing to achieve spiritual, mental, and physical freedom.

1. The first principle is definiteness of purpose. It has two obstacles:

1. • Lack of self-determination, especially when we are young
   • Love: if uncontrolled, it can obscure our will and our reason.
2. Self-discipline is the second principle: it allows us to constantly move forward with definiteness of purpose.
3. The third principle, learning from adversity, teaches to seize opportunities.
4. Our environment plays an important role, so it is necessary to surround yourself with positive people: this is the fourth principle.
5. Time, the fifth principle, makes our thoughts into habits.
6. Harmony, the sixth and second-to-last principle, is a reminder of how nature always works in an orderly manner.
7. Finally, the seventh and last principle is caution: the devil explains that excessive caution does not exist.

Napoleon Hill also details 5 key elements of spirituality in personal fulfillment: duty, prayers, positive and negative forces, faith, and human potential power.

Review of “Outwitting the Devil” by Napoleon Hill

This book is a real gem! First, through its incredible history and its visionary character: this long-hidden manuscript dates back to the 1930s but could just as easily have been written today. It is timeless. Second, its brilliant and original setup plunges us into a special atmosphere and provides us with some fascinating reading. Finally, as in his other books, Napoleon Hill uses a fine analysis that is always relevant to success. The author shares with us a remarkable study on self-made prisons in which man traps himself and which prevents him from accomplishing his personal goals. In “Outwitting the Devil”, we ultimately learn to understand everything that controls our actions and thus slows down our personal development and our entrepreneurial spirit (fears, procrastination, negative thoughts, manipulation).

In short, “Outwitting the Devil” directs each of us towards a personal and spiritual approach targeting mental and material freedom. It is a must-read book!

Strong points:

• The originality of the setup brings us to reflect on our successes and our failures in life.
• The author’s visionary approach to personal and spiritual development.
• Keys to understanding one’s personal life motives.

Weak points:

• A lot of ideas are reformulated but ultimately repeated throughout the book.
• The esoteric approach, at times, might not be suitable for some readers.

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Napoleon Hill Quotes

On Determination and Persistence in Self-actualization

• “Your only limits are those that you set in your own mind.”
• “Any human being who can be definite in his aims and plans can make life hand over whatever is wanted.”
• “Every difficulty carries with it the seed of an equal or greater advantage.”
• “You can do it if you believe you can.”
• “A stubborn man is more likely to succeed with a bad plan than a man with a perfect plan who hesitates and falters when it comes to implementing it.”
• “If a man has formed a strong character, what people say about him doesn’t matter because, in the end, he will succeed.”
• “You only reap what you sow.”
• “A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.”
• “The starting point of any achievement is desire. Always keep that in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”
• “Man is the maker of his own destiny and his thoughts and actions are the tools with which he creates it.”

On Failure and Defeat

• “There can be no failure for the one who continues the struggle.”
• “Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success.”
• “Failure is always a blessing when it forces one to acquire knowledge or to build habits that lead to the achievement of one’s major purpose in life.”
• “We must refrain from accepting any defeat as a failure until we have had time to analyze the end result.”
• “Before success comes in any man’s life, he’s sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. This is exactly what the majority of men do.”
• “Success without setbacks would result in a feeling of omnipotence and unquestionable boredom, and setbacks without success would kill ambition. Be willing to accept a little of both, and don’t expect success without temporary defeat, it’s impossible.”
• “The world has produced thousands of inventors with greater abilities than the late Thomas A. Edison. But these men have never been heard of, while Edison’s name will go down in history, because he knew how to convert failure into a stepping stone to achievement, while others used it as an alibi for not producing results.”
• “Failure is a trickster with a keen sense of irony and cunning. It takes great delight in tripping one when success is almost within reach.”
• “If you try and fail, if you’ve strategized and seen your plans fail, just remember that the achievements of the greatest men of all time are the fruit of courage, and courage is born in the cradle of adversity.”

On Success and Achievement

• “Success usually is but one short step beyond the point where one quits fighting.”
• “No man can achieve remarkable success, in any field, without organizing his efforts, consciously and unconsciously, and working with a defined strategy for a specific goal!”
• “Woe to him who, either through ignorance or self-worship, imagines that he can navigate this sea of life in the frail boat of independence.”
• “Success in life cannot be achieved unless it is through cooperative, harmonious and peaceful effort. Nor can it be achieved alone or independently.”
• “Money alone does not bring success. Success, in its highest and noblest form, demands the peace of mind, joy and happiness that come only to the man who has found the work that he likes best.”
• “The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.”
• “To succeed in this changing world, you have to capture the spirit of the great figures of the past, whose dreams have given civilization all that it has precious.”
• “Never in the history of the world has there been such abundant opportunity as there is now for the person who is willing to serve before trying to collect.”
• “Non-drifters do not wait for the opportunity to be placed in their way. They create opportunities to fit their desires and demands for life!”

On the Law of Attraction and Nature

• “If your mind fears poverty, your mind will attract poverty. If your mind demands opulence and expects it, your mind will attract the physical and financial equivalents of opulence. This in accordance with one of the immutable laws of nature.”
• “No man can become great without feeling humble and insignificant in comparison to the world around him, the stars that look down upon him, and the harmony with which nature does its work.”
• “Nature maintains, in the universe, a perfect balance between all the elements and all the energy. You see the stars and planets moving with perfect precision, each keeping its place in time and space. You see the seasons follow one another over the years with unchanging regularity. And you observe that an acorn becomes an oak and that the pine grows from a seed of its kind. An acorn never becomes a pine and a pine seed never produces an oak.”
• “Nature puts everything in the universe in relation to other elements of a similar nature. Negative influences will be forced to associate with each other, whatever they may be. Positive influences are just as definitely forced into association with one another.”
• “You have a mind which you can control, and in so far as that mind can penetrate Infinite Intelligence, you have at will the answer to all your problems and the means by which you can acquire all the material goods you need.”

On Power and Leadership

• “Power has to be taken; it cannot be given.”
• “There are two types of leaders in the world. One resorts to power and controls those who follow him with fear; others resort to persuasion and control those who follow them with their skill in the art of influencing. Men of the latter type are exceptional salesmen, whatever their field.”
• “The whole world gives way to a man who knows exactly what he wants and is determined to get it. It suffices for a man to hesitate and thus express a lack of confidence, and the crowd will walk all over him.”
• “Everyone must gain self-mastery. The person who is not master of himself will never be master of others. A lack of self-mastery is the single most destructive form of indefiniteness.”
• Flattery is a bait […] for all those who wish to take control of others. It has a great power of attraction because it operates through two of the most widespread weaknesses in humans: vanity and egotism.”
• “Propaganda is any device, plan or method that allows people to be influenced without them knowing that they are being influenced, or the source of this influence.”
• “Flattery is […] a cheap psychological trick that charlatans and dishonest people sometimes use to coax others. [It is] the main tool of all men who take advantage of the trust of others.”

On Thought Habits

• “Time is the ally of the person who trains their minds to develop positive thinking habits and, conversely, the enemy of the person who indulges in negative thinking habits.”
• “You are where you are and what you are because of your thoughts AND deeds.”
• “You are definitely the sole master of your destiny, the captain of your soul, because if you are what you are, it is the result of your own habits of thought.”
• “Be definite in everything you do and never keep unfinished thoughts in mind. Form the habit of reaching definite decisions on all subjects.”

On Selling and Persuading

• “The salesman who appeals to his buyers through emotions or feelings will make 10 sales to 1 made by the salesman who appeals to his buyers through their reason alone.”
• “Anything unusual or unexpected, be it good or bad, leaves a lasting impression on us.”
• “A good salesperson […] does not seek to sell his prospect a product that he himself would not buy if he were in the position of the potential buyer.”
• “Selling is above all about communicating, helping, persuading, serving others and respecting them.”
• “An exceptional salesperson is able to master others because he has become master of himself!”
• “Selling is the art of implanting in the minds of others a motive encouraging them to take favorable action.”
• “People buy personalities and ideas much more quickly than they buy merchandise. For this very reason, the salesman who is an efficient showman makes sales where other salesmen cannot.”
• “Today performing is no longer enough, you must strive for excellence, both in the way you practice your art and in the way you sell it.”
• “Most people are not influenced largely by reason; they are first swayed by emotion or feeling. The man who is not capable of arousing his own emotions very deeply is not apt to be able to appeal to others through their emotional nature.”

On Work and Education

• “No one should deliberately choose an activity where he does not feel he could give his heart and soul.”
• “What tires you is not excessive work, but the lack of interest in the activity in question.”
• “Enthusiasm undoubtedly arises from a deep faith in oneself, from a mission that one carries out properly, and from the good that one does in his work, more than anything else.”
• “Schoolchildren are not educated to develop and use their own minds, but to adopt and use the thoughts of others.”
• “The whole world now needs, and is demanding, a new group of pioneers who have the capacity to conceive new plans, new ideas, new inventions; men and women who also have the courage and initiative to blaze new trails in every walk of life.”

On Fears

• “Fear is the tool of a man-made devil.”
• “The fear of poverty and the fear of criticism are two of man’s greatest enemies. They deprive men of their initiative. They hold back the hand and the spirit of the genius who could advance civilization a thousand years in a single generation.”
• “If you don’t learn to control your fears, then your fears will control you.”

On Freedom and Humility

• “Human desires cannot be satisfied with only material goods. Happiness is not possible without the freedom of body and mind. Freedom is a goal for which every human being strives, whether this fact is recognized or not.”
• “Men who know, and who are aware of the fact that they know, are always more humble than those who have only vague notions of knowledge.”

What about you, do you know of any other inspiring Napoleon Hill quotes? Have you read a book by Napoleon Hill that has made a difference in your life? Come and share your comments!