Napoleon Hill Is on the Air!: The Five Foundations for Success

by Napoleon Hill

Speaking for a moment on the subject of anger, you hear people say every day how they became so angry at someone for what they said or did. Now, no one can make you angry without your cooperation—you have to cooperate. I defy you to make me angry unless I want to become angry. Of course, I might do it on my own account without your help, too. But I certainly am not going to let you boil me over and cause me to lose my head and do some unsound thinking and say something I will regret. If I am using my head properly, and if I have the right amount of discipline, I will never let that occur.

somebody makes a statement that you are not sure about, or that you doubt, or that you question, ask a four-word question: “How do you know?” Then wait for an answer and see them back up. Instead of getting into an argument and making an incident

unfavorable; if it is friendly analysis, I like it because I can improve on it. But if it is unfriendly criticism, then I resent it. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t.

biased. If you have self-discipline, you are not going to be influenced by that kind of a person. Number nine: remember

definite purpose and a definite plan. You need self-discipline in connection with that, because if you don’t have it, you are not going to adopt

need self-discipline in taking possession of your mind, which is the one thing nature intended that you should do. Make it a habit. Make it a series of habits. Take possession of your own mind, and do not allow the circumstances of life or other peoples’ words, or other peoples’ thoughts, or other peoples’ beliefs, or anything else, to deprive you of the privilege of making your mind whatever you want it to be. That is the greatest form of self-discipline

habit of limiting yourself to insufficient self-confidence. In the final analysis there

Number one is the emotion of love. Number two is the emotion of sex. Number three is the emotion for material wealth. These are known as the Big Three, and it has been said that these three emotions practically govern the entire world, and I don’t think that is an overstatement by any means. Number four is the desire for self-preservation, and number five is the desire for freedom of body and mind. Number six is the desire for personal expression and recognition; that is an outstanding motive. Number seven is the desire for perpetuation of life after death. Those are the seven positives. Now, here come the two negative motives that influence your lives very often more than the positives, and these are the ones you have to look out for. Number eight is the desire for revenge, and you would

fear, and

basic fears, six things that you have to be on the lookout for constantly all the way through life. Number one is the fear of poverty. Now, why anyone should be afraid of poverty in a great nation like this, where opportunity abounds on every hand, is more than I can understand. But I do know that the vast majority of my students have to be treated first for the fear of poverty; they have to be made success-conscious. You will never be successful in anything until you become success-conscious.

of the six basic fears is the fear of criticism, and you are lucky indeed if you have come this far in life, all of you or any of you, without having suffered the fear of criticism, the fear of what “they” will say. And I have heard so many people say, “Well, I would do so-and-so if it weren’t for what ‘they’ would say,” and I have never yet found out who “they” are. They are entirely imaginary human beings, but you would be surprised how powerful they are. They stupefy enthusiasm, they cut down your personal initiative, they destroy your imagination, and they make it practically impossible for you to accomplish anything above medi...

Number four is the fear of a loss of love from someone, upon which that form of schizophrenia known as jealousy is based. Jealousy doesn’t require a reason; it can be just as violent and just as destructive where there is no basis for it, as where there is a basis. But it is a motivating force and a fear. Number five is the fear of old age. I don’t know why men and women should be afraid that they are going to dry up and blow away when they get to that nice ripe old age of forty to fifty. The real achievements of the world were the result of men and women who had gone well beyond the age of fifty, and the greatest age of achievement was between sixty-five and seventy-five, so I don’t know why one should be afraid ...

afraid of dying. Before you finish listening to these broadcasts, I hope we will prepare you to eliminate all of these basi...

Burning Desire

logical means” and “a burning desire.” A burning desire is one you take to bed with you at night. You give it over to your subconscious

mind at night, and you get up with it in the morning. You eat with it, you sleep with it, you first get it and then it gets you; now that is what a burning desire is. You may have to talk about it, you may have to think about it; however,

desire, plan, or purpose backed by that state of mind known as faith