As a Man Thinketh

"As a Man Thinketh," which was written by James Allen and first published in 1902, is a profound view of the cause and effect relationship between thoughts and experiences. It is short, but dense with ideas. These are revolutionary ideas about controlling what happens in our life based on the way we think about things. "As a Man Thinketh" illustrates the power of thought to increase personal capabilities. Although Allen himself never achieved great fame or wealth, "As a Man Thinketh" is now considered to be a classic self-help book and continues to influence people around the world. Its underlying premise is that noble thoughts make a noble person, while lowly thoughts make a miserable person. The lyrics to the song Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts by Funkadelic are loosely based on "As a Man Thinketh," and it is often quoted by other writers.