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How To Get What You Want - 4. DISCOURAGEMENT A DISEASE - HOW TO CURE IT - Orison Swett Marden (1917)
Published 2 years, 4 months ago
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How To Get What You Want - 4. DISCOURAGEMENT A DISEASE - HOW TO CURE IT - Orison Swett Marden (1917) - HQ Full Book.
In Chapter 4 of How To Get What You Want, titled “Discouragement a Disease—How to Cure It,” Orison Swett Marden tackles one of the most corrosive enemies of human progress: discouragement. Writing during the early 20th century but drawing on timeless wisdom, Marden portrays discouragement not as a mere mood or fleeting emotion, but as a psychological affliction—a disease of the spirit and will—that must be treated with urgency and intention. Marden, a pioneering voice in the self-help movement and founder of Success Magazine, was a strong believer in the power of personal attitude, ambition, and self-faith. In this chapter, he continues to advance his core thesis: that anyone can get what they want from life if they learn to master themselves. But where previous chapters focus on desire and determination, this one shifts to the darker valleys of experience—the times when, despite effort and vision, the path seems blocked, progress halted, and hope dimmed.
Discouragement as a Mental Disease
Marden’s metaphor of discouragement as a disease is a powerful one. Like a physical ailment, discouragement can weaken, debilitate, and incapacitate a person. It undermines energy, clouds judgment, and eats away at confidence. In Marden’s view, discouragement spreads like an infection—subtly and silently—often after a single failure, a lost opportunity, or a harsh criticism. The danger, he emphasizes, lies in letting this state of mind take root and become habitual. What’s striking about Marden’s treatment of this subject is that he doesn't see discouragement as a weakness or moral flaw, but as a condition—a treatable one. He insists that those afflicted must not pity themselves or wallow in it, but rather see discouragement as something that can be challenged, cured, and eventually transformed into new strength.
The Sources of Discouragement
Marden identifies several common causes of discouragement: repeated failure, lack of visible progress, criticism from others, physical illness, financial strain, or sheer weariness. However, he argues that the true root of discouragement lies within ourselves—specifically, in how we interpret our circumstances. A person of strong faith in themselves may meet adversity with resolve, while another, lacking inner belief, will crumble at the first sign of trouble. He stresses that even the most successful individuals have experienced frequent moments of despair, but what separates them from others is their refusal to surrender to discouragement. Instead, they use it as a signal to dig deeper, adjust their course, or renew their sense of purpose.
The Power of Mental Attitude
At the heart of Marden’s cure is the idea that mental attitude determines everything. He insists that no external force is as powerful as our internal narrative. If we believe that we are defeated, then defeat becomes reality. But if we maintain hope—even in small doses—it can act as a lifeline, pulling us through the worst storms. Marden encourages readers to cultivate a “buoyant mental attitude”—a mindset of optimism, courage, and expectancy. He warns that thoughts of defeat, failure, or hopelessness must be rejected the moment they arise, just as one would shut a window to keep out a poisonous vapor. The mind, he argues, is too powerful and too impressionable to allow such negative influences to linger. This idea anticipates modern psychological approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which also emphasizes the central role of thought patterns in emotional well-being. Marden was ahead of his time in understanding that how we think about life shapes what we experience in it.
Suggestions for the Cure
To help readers cure themselves of discouragement, Marden offers several practical suggestions, many of which feel remar
In Chapter 4 of How To Get What You Want, titled “Discouragement a Disease—How to Cure It,” Orison Swett Marden tackles one of the most corrosive enemies of human progress: discouragement. Writing during the early 20th century but drawing on timeless wisdom, Marden portrays discouragement not as a mere mood or fleeting emotion, but as a psychological affliction—a disease of the spirit and will—that must be treated with urgency and intention. Marden, a pioneering voice in the self-help movement and founder of Success Magazine, was a strong believer in the power of personal attitude, ambition, and self-faith. In this chapter, he continues to advance his core thesis: that anyone can get what they want from life if they learn to master themselves. But where previous chapters focus on desire and determination, this one shifts to the darker valleys of experience—the times when, despite effort and vision, the path seems blocked, progress halted, and hope dimmed.
Discouragement as a Mental Disease
Marden’s metaphor of discouragement as a disease is a powerful one. Like a physical ailment, discouragement can weaken, debilitate, and incapacitate a person. It undermines energy, clouds judgment, and eats away at confidence. In Marden’s view, discouragement spreads like an infection—subtly and silently—often after a single failure, a lost opportunity, or a harsh criticism. The danger, he emphasizes, lies in letting this state of mind take root and become habitual. What’s striking about Marden’s treatment of this subject is that he doesn't see discouragement as a weakness or moral flaw, but as a condition—a treatable one. He insists that those afflicted must not pity themselves or wallow in it, but rather see discouragement as something that can be challenged, cured, and eventually transformed into new strength.
The Sources of Discouragement
Marden identifies several common causes of discouragement: repeated failure, lack of visible progress, criticism from others, physical illness, financial strain, or sheer weariness. However, he argues that the true root of discouragement lies within ourselves—specifically, in how we interpret our circumstances. A person of strong faith in themselves may meet adversity with resolve, while another, lacking inner belief, will crumble at the first sign of trouble. He stresses that even the most successful individuals have experienced frequent moments of despair, but what separates them from others is their refusal to surrender to discouragement. Instead, they use it as a signal to dig deeper, adjust their course, or renew their sense of purpose.
The Power of Mental Attitude
At the heart of Marden’s cure is the idea that mental attitude determines everything. He insists that no external force is as powerful as our internal narrative. If we believe that we are defeated, then defeat becomes reality. But if we maintain hope—even in small doses—it can act as a lifeline, pulling us through the worst storms. Marden encourages readers to cultivate a “buoyant mental attitude”—a mindset of optimism, courage, and expectancy. He warns that thoughts of defeat, failure, or hopelessness must be rejected the moment they arise, just as one would shut a window to keep out a poisonous vapor. The mind, he argues, is too powerful and too impressionable to allow such negative influences to linger. This idea anticipates modern psychological approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which also emphasizes the central role of thought patterns in emotional well-being. Marden was ahead of his time in understanding that how we think about life shapes what we experience in it.
Suggestions for the Cure
To help readers cure themselves of discouragement, Marden offers several practical suggestions, many of which feel remar