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In This Article
Introduction
I used to feel a lack of purpose for a long time. All throughout my school years I was unable to see a way out.
All my friends did really well in school and they actually listened in class and got good grades.
But I lacked interest in everything, and my future was a complete mystery to me. I had no idea what I wanted to do, who I wanted to become, or what I wanted to achieve.
This lack of purpose eventually led me to anxiety, depression and an overall feeling of being cast astray, as if I was lost at sea.
That is until I read Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill.
Outwitting The Devil Summary
Outwitting The Devil was written a year after Napoleon Hill’s famous Think And Grow Rich book, which still stands as one of the best self-development books ever written.
I remember the first time I picked up this book… It completely changed my life.
Even today, the book sits comfortably in my top 5. It’s a book I go back to reading every now and again.
Unlike Think And Grow Rich, Outwitting the Devil was considered too controversial for publication at the time by many people, including Napoleon Hill’s wife. Because of this, it remained unpublished until 2011—long after Napoleon Hill’s death.
The book writes as a Q&A between Napoleon Hill and The Devil himself, who claims to influence 98% of the population.
He claims to do this through 6 major fears:
6 Major Fears
- Fear of Poverty
- Fear of Criticism
- Fear of ill-health
- Fear of Loss of Love
- Fear of Old Age
- Fear of Death
Are any of these fears present in your life?
When I was younger and had just finished school, I wanted to teach people the life-changing things I read in self-help books. However, at the time, the fear of criticism constantly held me back from taking action.
Actions I knew were in the direction of my goals and dreams.
I was worried what people would think of me. After all, Who would listen to the quiet, weird kid who just reads books and has no experience of the “real world”?
That was my rationalization.
I wanted to please everyone to a point where I would stop myself from suggesting solutions to people who I saw struggling because I feared the way they would react to me.
The Devil suggests that when we fear things, we hesitate; we procrastinate and we make excuses; we will find any reason not to move ahead on something because of our fears.
When we let our fears get the better of us, we can easily begin to drift through the sea of life with no compass or direction. The book refers to this as “The Habit of Drifting”.
Those who are stuck in the habit of drifting are referred to as “Drifters”.
Drifters
Drifters allow themselves to be tossed around in life as a passenger. They allow external influences to dominate their minds and opinions.
They lose the power to think and act independently and almost become robotic.
Drifters go nowhere because they are not using their brains to think.
The Devil claims to introduce people into the habit of drifting through various avenues. For example, the school system is built on the notion of creating drifters from an early age.
Children are taught in schools, not to use their minds, but to adopt the minds of others.
Students are graded on their ability to memorize and regurgitate information, not on their ability to become free thinkers and unique problem-solvers.
Imagine for a moment there was a class in school which taught us how to think for ourselves, or a class which encouraged our individuality and uniqueness. How different do you think the world would be today?
How many more Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs or Elon Musks would there be?
The Devil then claims to influence us through various other substances.
Substances of Control
- Alcohol—which corrupts our power of independent thought
- Cigarettes—which breaks down our power of persistence, our endurance and our ability to concentrate
- And unhealthy foods—which The Devil says overworks our digestion organs, clogging up our bodies and making us slow and sluggish
The Devil then suggests that neglecting to think independently, along with the use of substances like these, causes new habits to form.
Bad habits.
In fact, any habit which causes one to procrastinate—to put off reaching a definite decision—leads to the habit of drifting.
Over time, a drifter’s bad habits begin to enter the subconscious mind, meaning drifters start to repeat these bad habits without even consciously being aware of it.
But if these are not fixed, these habits become permanent. This is what The Devil calls “The Law of Hypnotic Rhythm,” a law which also works for the the good as well as the bad, works both ways, depending on our habits.
For example, if they’re good, we’re propelling towards our goals and dreams.
However, if they’re bad, we end up filled with regret on our death beds wondering where the hell the time went.
How to Outwit The Devil
So, we know The Devil’s wicked tactics, but how do we outwit him?
To put it simply: Become a non-drifter.
In the book, Napoleon Hill forces the Devil to share everything with him, thus also the solutions for breaking free from his control.
The Devil goes on to say:
“A non-drifter is described as someone who is always engaged in doing something definite, through some well-organized plan which is definite. Someone who never blames others for his or her mistakes. Someone who knows exactly what is wanted and is determined to get it, no matter how long it may take or what price must be paid. Someone whose mind is an inspiration to all who come into contact with it, not a mind which has been influenced. A mind used for all purposes.” – Napoleon Hill, Outwitting The Devil
So, how do you become a non-drifter?
There are 7 Principles from Outwitting The Devil which can be put into action immediately to help you stay on the track of a non-drifter, far away from the habit of drifting.
The 7 Principles
1. Definiteness of Purpose
Choose a purpose, a big goal—a life mission—and move towards it relentlessly. When you do something with purpose, you do it with determination. When your activities have a purpose, you have an aim or intention in mind.
2. Mastery over Self
Discipline equals freedom. Be sure to say yes to the things that serve you, and have the will to say no to the things which don’t. If impulse and self-gratification drives your life, you’ll go nowhere, like a drifter.
3. Learning from Adversity
Indeed, failures are just failures. We can either let them consume us, or use them as lessons for our next trials and tribulations. It’s up to us.
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill, Outwitting The Devil
4. Controlling Environmental Influences
Remember, you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Who you hang out with matters. The environment in which you work and life matters. Successful people surround themselves with other successful people.
5. Time
Time can make drifting and negativity permanent, but it can also make positivity and wisdom permanent. In an age of self-gratification and dopamine buttons in every app, it’s easy to forget that the best things in life take time to manifest.
6. Harmony
In order for you to balance mental, spiritual and physical aspects of your life, you must be the main actor. Put yourself first in situations and do not try to please everyone. If you focus on trying to please everyone, you will lose sight of your own purpose and values.
7. Caution
Always act, but always think before you act. Planning in advance is essential to becoming a non-drifter. Think about it, if a football team failed to plan before a game, how much more would it affect them out on the field? They’d probably lose, right?
Closing
Finally, getting what you want from life requires positive thinking, a definite plan of action, and a clear purpose.
While this summary of Outwitting The Devil doesn’t do the book justice, it should give you the tools to ensure you don’t become a drifter.
By following the 7 Principles and making a conscious effect to implement as much of this into your life, you give yourself back the power.
The power to control your thought patterns and habits; to build a better life; to be self-aware. And the ability to ignore or reject external influences which do not serve your purpose in life.
The ability to think for yourself.
“Remember that your dominating thoughts attract, through a definite law of nature, by the shortest and most convenient route, their physical counterpart. Be careful what your thoughts dwell upon” – Napoleon Hill, Outwitting The Devil
This book is over 80 years old and it still holds its weight.
And even though a lot has changed since then, but people really haven’t changed that much.
Before I read this book, I used to think that motivation was the most important thing.
I was wrong.
Because motivation is a feeling. Because motivation comes and goes.
I mean, it’s great as a temporary push towards taking action, but I feel it is in fact discipline which is key to living the life of a non-drifter.
Because discipline is forever if mastered.
It is discipline which eventually breaks down the barriers of old negative habits, allowing you to respect yourself enough to say no to things which do not contribute towards your purpose.
And it is discipline which gives you the power to say yes to the habits which propel you towards it, laying the foundation for new positive habits, and a better, brighter future.
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