As a Man Thinketh

As a Man Thinketh is a literary essay and book by James Allen, published in 1903. It was described by Allen as "... [dealing] with the power of thought, and particularly with the use and application of thought to happy and beautiful issues. I have tried to make the book simple, so that all can easily grasp and follow its teaching, and put into practice the methods which it advises. It shows how, in his own thought-world, each man holds the key to every condition, good or bad, that enters into his life, and that, by working patiently and intelligently upon his thoughts, he may remake his life, and transform his circumstances. The price of the book is only one shilling, and it can be carried in the pocket." It was also described by Allen as "A book that will help you to help yourself", "A pocket companion for thoughtful people", and "A book on the power and right application of thought."

The title is influenced by a verse in the Bible from the Book of Proverbs, chapter 23, verse 7: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he". The full passage, taken from the King James Version, is as follows:

While the passage suggests that one should consider the true motivations of a person who is being uncharacteristically generous before accepting his generosity, the title and content of Allen's work refer to the reader himself.

Allen's essay is now in the public domain within the United States and most other countries. It was released October 1, 2003 as a Project Gutenberg e-text edition.

This book, written in terms of the responsibility assumption, opens with the statement:

Chapter 1 starts with the quote from Dhammapada that explains the effect of karma.

Two verses from the book appear on "Slave Only Dreams to Be King", a track found on Marilyn Manson's ninth studio album The Pale Emperor (2015). The verses are recited by actor Walton Goggins. The lyrics to the song "Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts" by Funkadelic are loosely based on this book.

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