Wanting more without guilt
He thought the desire for riches was the desire for a fuller life.
- Is it wrong to want to be rich?
- I feel guilty about wanting more.
- Does wanting money make me a worse person?
Personal Development
Talk to The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles
The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles
- 1910
- English
- Public domain
The book that produced most of what came after it. Wattles wrote it in 1910, died a year later, and it went quiet for most of a century until it was rediscovered as the acknowledged source for The Secret.
Its argument is that there is a "certain way" of thinking and acting that produces wealth reliably, and that anyone doing it will get results regardless of talent, education or circumstance. He calls this a science. It is not one, in any sense a scientist would recognise, and it's worth being clear about that before reading.
What survives the scepticism is the half about action. Wattles is insistent that thought alone does nothing, that you must do today's work today and do it efficiently, and that you should get into a business where your ability actually fits. That part is sound. Bring the rest to it and argue.
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What you can ask it
Clarity about what you actually want
A vague longing, he argued, produces nothing.
- I want more but I can't say what.
- How do I get specific about a goal?
- Why do I keep changing my mind about what I want?
Acting in the present
Do today's work today. He repeats it constantly.
- I'm always planning and never starting.
- What should I actually do today?
- How do I stop waiting for a better opportunity?
Doing your work efficiently
Every act efficient in itself — the least mystical part of the book.
- How do I do ordinary work well?
- I'm in the wrong job for my abilities.
- How do I make each day count for something?
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Message the consciousness of The Science of Getting Rich
Ask Wallace D. Wattles's The Science of Getting Rich a question and hear it answer in its own voice — no uploads, no summaries.
- Is it wrong to want to be rich?
- I want more but I can't say what.
- I'm always planning and never starting.
What The Science of Getting Rich actually is
The Science of Getting Rich is a short book published in 1910 by Wallace D. Wattles, an American writer associated with the New Thought movement.
It sets out what Wattles calls the certain way: form a clear mental image of what you want, hold it with faith and gratitude, and act on every opportunity in front of you, efficiently and today, in a business suited to your capacities. He is emphatic that wanting more is not shameful — that a person cannot fully develop without the means to do so.
Its influence is enormous and mostly indirect. Rhoda Byrne credited it as the direct inspiration for The Secret, and the modern manifestation industry descends from it. Wattles himself is considerably more practical than his successors: roughly half the book is about doing the work.
In its words
Passages
You must form a clear and definite mental picture of what you want.
By thought, the thing you want is brought to you; by action you receive it.
You can advance only by being larger than your present place.
Do, every day, all that can be done that day.
Frequently asked
Questions readers ask
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Message the consciousness of The Science of Getting Rich
Ask Wallace D. Wattles's The Science of Getting Rich a question and hear it answer in its own voice — no uploads, no summaries.
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