example, the chemical formula H2O (meaning the combining of two atoms of hydrogen with one atom of oxygen) changes these two elements into water. One atom of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen will not produce water; moreover, they cannot be made to associate themselves in harmony!
There are many known elements which, when combined, are immediately transformed from harmless into deadly poisonous substances. Stated differently, many well known poisonous elements are neutralized and rendered harmless when combined with certain other elements.
Just as the combining of certain elements changes their entire nature, the combining of certain minds changes the nature of those minds, producing either a certain degree of what has been called a “Master Mind,” or its opposite, which is highly destructive.
Any man who has found his mother-in-law to be incompatible has experienced the negative application of the principle known as a “Master Mind.” For some reason as yet unknown to investigators in the field of mind behavior, the majority of mothers-in-law appear to affect their daughters’ husbands in a highly negative manner, the meeting of their minds with those of their sons-in-law creating a highly antagonistic influence instead of a “Master Mind.”
This fact is too well known as a truth to make extended comment necessary.
Some minds will not be harmonized and cannot be blended into a “Master Mind,” a fact which all leaders of men will do well to remember. It is the leader’s responsibility so to group his men that those who have been placed at the most strategic points in his organization are made up of individuals whose minds CAN and WILL BE blended in a spirit of friendliness and harmony.
Ability so to group men is the chief outstanding quality of leadership. In Lesson Two of this course the student will discover that this ability was the main source of both the power and fortune accumulated by the late Andrew Carnegie.
Knowing nothing whatsoever of the technical end of the steel business, Carnegie so combined and grouped the men of which his “Master Mind” was composed that he built the most successful steel industry known to the world during his life-time.
Henry Ford’s gigantic success may be traced to the successful application of this selfsame principle. With all the self-reliance a man could have, Ford, nevertheless, did not depend upon himself for the knowledge necessary in the successful development of his industries.
Like Carnegie, he surrounded himself with men who supplied the knowledge which he, himself, did not and could not possess.
Moreover, Ford picked men who could and did harmonize in group effort.
The most effective alliances, which have resulted in the creation of the principle known as the “Master Mind,” have been those developed out of the blending of the minds of men and women. The reason for this is the fact that the minds of male and female will more readily blend in harmony than will the minds of males. Also, the added stimulus of sexual contact often enters into the development of a “Master Mind” between a man and a woman.
It is a well known fact that the male of the species is keener and more alert for “the chase,” let the goal or object of the chase be what it may, when inspired and urged on by a female.
This human trait begins to manifest itself in the male at the age of puberty, and continues throughout his life. The first evidence of it may be observed in athletics, where boys are playing before an audience made up of females.
Remove the women from the audience and the game known as football would soon become a very tame affair. A boy will throw himself into a football game with almost superhuman effort when he knows that the girl of his choice is observing him from the grandstand.
And that same boy will throw himself into the game of accumulating money with the same enthusiasm when inspired and urged on by the woman of his choice; especially if that woman knows how to stimulate his mind with her own, through the law of the “Master Mind.”
On the other hand, that same woman may, through a negative application of the law of the “Master Mind” (nagging, jealousy, selfishness, greed, vanity), drag this man down to sure defeat!
The late Elbert Hubbard understood the principle here described so well that when he discovered that the incompatibility between himself and his first wife was dragging him down to sure defeat he ran the gamut of public opinion by divorcing her and marrying the woman who is said to have been the main source of his inspiration.
Not every man would have had the courage to defy public opinion, as Hubbard did, but who is wise enough to say that his action was not for the best interest of all concerned?
A man’s chief business in life is to succeed!
The road to success may be, and generally is, obstructed by many influences which must be removed before the goal can be reached. One of the most detrimental of these obstacles is that of unfortunate alliance with minds which do not harmonize. In such cases the alliance must be broken or the end is sure to be defeat and failure.
The man who has mastered the six basic fears, one of which is the Fear of Criticism, will have no hesitancy in taking what may seem to the more convention-bound type of mind to be drastic action when he finds himself circumscribed and bound down by antagonistic alliances, no matter of what nature or with whom they may be.
It is a million times better to meet and face criticism than to be dragged down to failure and oblivion on account of alliances which are not harmonious, whether the alliances be of a business or social nature.
To be perfectly frank, the author is here justifying divorce, when the conditions surrounding marriage are such that harmony cannot prevail. This is not intended to convey the belief that lack of harmony may not be removed through other methods than that of divorce; for there are instances where the cause of antagonism may be removed and harmony established without taking the extreme step of divorce.
Side note: If you cannot do great things yourself, remember that you may do small things in a great way.
While it is true that some minds will not blend in a spirit of harmony, and cannot be forced or induced to do so, because of the chemical nature of the individuals’ brains, DO NOT BE TOO READY TO CHARGE THE OTHER PARTY TO YOUR ALLIANCE WITH ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LACK OF HARMONY—REMEMBER, THE TROUBLE MAY BE WITH YOUR OWN BRAIN!
Remember, also, that a mind which cannot and will not harmonize with one person or persons may harmonize perfectly with other types of minds. Discovery of this truth has resulted in radical changes in methods of employing men. It is no longer customary to discharge a man because he does not fit in the position for which he was originally hired. The discriminating leader endeavors to place such a man in some other position, where, it has been proved more than once, misfits may become valuable men.
The student of this course should be sure that the principle described as the “Master Mind” is thoroughly understood before proceeding with the remaining lessons of the course. The reason for this is the fact that practically the entire course is closely associated with this law of mind operation.
If you are not sure that you understand this law, analyze the record of any man who has accumulated a great fortune, and you will find that they have either consciously, or unconsciously employed the “Master Mind” principle.
You cannot spend too much time in serious thought and contemplation in connection with the law of the “Master Mind,” for the reason that when you have mastered this law and have learned how to apply it new worlds of opportunity will open to you.
This Introductory Lesson, while not really intended as a separate lesson of the Law of Success course, contains sufficient data to enable the student who has an aptitude for selling to become a Master Salesman.
Any sales organization may make effective use of the law of the “Master Mind” by grouping the salesmen in groups of two or more people who will ally themselves in a spirit of friendly co-operation and apply this law as suggested in this lesson.
An agent for a well known make of automobile, who employs twelve salesmen, has grouped his organization in six groups of two