7 Ways the Devil Has You Trapped

Secretes to Freedom and Success in Life from “Outwitting The Devil” by Napoleon Hill

Parker Klein ✌️

Published in

TwosApp

4 min readOct 30, 2024

These seven principles came from Napoleon Hill’s book “Outwitting The Devil.”

Hill shares his secrets to freedom and success in life.

I hope as you go forward in your life and find obstacles in your way, these may serve you.

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1. You lack definiteness of purpose

Decide definitely what you want from life; then create a plan for attaining it and be willing to sacrifice everything else, if necessary, rather than accept permanent defeat.

Be definite in everything you do and never leave unfinished thoughts in the mind. Form the habit of reaching definite decisions on all subjects.

Any human being who can be definite in his aims and plans can make life hand over whatever is wanted.

Once any person hesitates, procrastinates, or becomes indefinite about anything, he is just one step removed from the devils control.

2. You lack mastery over self

One must gain mastery over self. The person who is not master of himself can never be master of others.

Master the three appetites responsible for most of one’s lack of self-discipline. The three appetites are (1) the desire for food, (2) the desire for expression of sex, (3) the desire to express loosely organized opinions.

People who eat wisely and keep their body sewers clean handicap the devil because a clean body sewer generally means a sound body and a brain that functions properly.

3. You don’t learn from adversity

Every adversity brings with it the seed of an equivalent advantage.

Analyze temporary defeat, no matter of what nature or cause, and extract from it the seed of an equivalent advantage.

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and got everything you gain, you lose something else.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

4. You don’t control your environmental influence (associations)

The proper relationship is one that brings to all connected with it, or affected by it, some form of benefit.

Take a moment to inventory your relationships, at home, at work, and at play. List the relationships that seem in need of improvement and keep them in your mind as you read.

An improper relationship is any relationship between people which damages anyone or brings any form of misery or unhappiness to any of the individuals.

Nothing contributes more to one’s success and happiness than carefully chosen associates. Caution in the selection of associates becomes, therefore, the duty of every person who wishes to become happy and successful.

The person who exercises due caution in the choice of associates never allows himself to be closely associated with any person who does not bring to him, through the association, some definite mental, spiritual, or economic benefit.

5. You have negative thought habits

Keep the doors of your mind tightly closed against all thoughts which seek to limit you in any manner whatsoever, and you will be safe.

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.

6. You aren’t in harmony physically, mentally, and spiritually

The first duty of every human being is to himself.

Sin is anything one does or thinks which causes one to be unhappy! Human beings who are in sound physical and spiritual health should be at peace with themselves and always happy. Any form of mental or physical misery indicates the presence of sin.

An unhealthy body discourages thinking.

It is a sin to overeat because that leads to ill health and misery. It is a sin to over-indulge in sex because that breaks down one’s will power and leads to the habit of drifting. It is a sin to permit one’s mind to be dominated by negative thoughts of envy, greed, fear, hatred, intolerance, vanity, self-pity, or discouragement, because these states of mind lead to the habit of drifting. It is a sin to cheat, lie, and steal, because these habits destroy self-respect, subdue one’s conscience, and lead to unhappiness. It is a sin to remain in ignorance because that leads to poverty and loss of self-reliance. It is a sin to accept from life anything one does not want because that indicates an unpardonable neglect to use the mind.

7. You don’t think before you act

Be careful what you set your heart upon, for it surely shall be yours.

Whatever man believes to be true has a way of becoming true.

All deeds follow thoughts. There can be no deeds without their having first been patterned in thought.

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