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Outwitting the Devil

By Napoleon Hill

In this Simpleology Summary you will discover:

• How “the devil” hypnotized you into failure
• How to outwit him and use his tools to win
• The 7 principles of financial, mental, and
physical freedom
• The 4 great obstacles all men must overcome

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CONTENTS
03 Introduction

04 Drifting

07 Hypnotic Rhythm

09 Freedom

12 Conclusion

13 About the Author

14 About Simpleology Summaries

14 Further Reading

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Introduction
Napoleon Hill wrote Outwitting the Devil in 1938 as a sequel to Think and Grow
Rich. However, Hill’s wife believed the book to be too controversial to publish
and the manuscript was shelved. When she died in 1984, 14 years after Hill’s
death, the manuscript passed to her nephew, Dr. Charles Johnson, president of
the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Dr. Johnson’s wife also believed the manuscript
was too controversial and made her husband promise not to publish it while she
was alive.

Following the death of Dr. Johnson’s wife, Outwitting the Devil was finally
published - 73 years after it was written.

In Outwitting the Devil Hill identifies the greatest obstacles we face in reaching
our personal goals: fear, procrastination, anger, and jealousy. These hidden
methods of control lead us to failure. However, he also reveals seven principles
which allow us to triumph over them and reach complete personal freedom.

This Simpleology Summary is based on Hill’s original 1938 manuscript and

presents his powerful messages as he intended. It clearly explains the self-limiting
beliefs which prevent us from achieving the success we deserve, and, how to
break free of them.

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Drifting

“A drifter is one who is too lazy mentally to use his own brain”
Most people drift aimlessly through life. They lack goals. They are easily distracted.
They don’t know how to be productive. This habit of “drifting” is the cause of
failure in their life. Drifters permit themselves to be influenced and controlled by
circumstances outside of themselves. They accept whatever life throws in their way
without protest or fight. Being a drifter totally removes any individual initiative they
may have had.

Drifting often takes hold during youth. Parents, schoolteachers, religious

instructors, and other adults unknowingly destroy in children the ability to think
for themselves. Parents and religious instructors teach children to believe as they
do. Schoolteachers teach children to adopt the thoughts of others rather than use
their own minds.

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Those who become drifters as adults often do so after they meet with failure.
Failure breaks down their morale, destroys their self-confidence, subdues their
enthusiasm, and dulls their imagination. This causes them to stop thinking for
themselves. And, those who do not think for themselves will always drift. However,
people who think for themselves never drift.

Non-drifters are engaged in doing something definite. They have a well organized
plan. They have a major goal in life toward which they always work. They know
exactly what they want and are determined to get it - no matter how long it may
take or what price they must pay. These are the qualities which allow the non-
drifter to permanently succeed in any undertaking.

Take Action

Everyone is able to protect themselves against becoming a drifter.

Become a non-drifter with these 10 simple methods:

1. Do your own thinking.

2. Decide definitely what you want from life. Create a plan for
attaining it and be willing to sacrifice everything rather than
accept permanent defeat.

3. Analyze temporary defeat. Extract from it lessons for future

success.

4. Be willing to engage in work equivalent to the value of the

material things you desire.

5. Recognize your brain can be attuned to receive communications

from the Infinite Intelligence.

6. Recognize your greatest asset is time. Budget it so none is wasted.

7. Recognize fear is a state of mind which you can control by

replacing it with faith in your abilities.

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 Take Action
8. Never beg. Demand what you want and insist upon getting it,
with no substitutes.

9. Recognize life is often cruel. There is no halfway point. Never

accept from life anything you do not want.

10. Lastly, remember your dominating thoughts can materialize

physically. Be careful what your thoughts dwell upon.

BONUS:

Enroll in Juggernaut Academy to develop the unshakable

habit of persistence.

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Hypnotic Rhythm

“Undesirable habits can be broken. They must be broken before they

assume the proportions of rhythm”
Any thought the mind repeats over and over forms a rhythm. This rhythm is the
very last stage of habit. It is the terminal stage where a habit has become so
ingrained it can no longer be broken. Nature has taken the habit over and made
it permanent.

No one can avoid the influence of hypnotic rhythm. It permanently fixes the
dominating thoughts of drifters and non-drifters alike. In fact, the non-drifter
embraces the influence of hypnotic rhythm, because it is favorable to them. It
converts their aims, plans, and purposes into physical existence. Just as negative

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thoughts of poverty lead to actual poverty, nature will also permanently fix positive
thoughts of prosperity and actual prosperity will follow.

When you think in terms of power, success, and opulence, you establish a rhythm
which attract them. If you think in terms of misery, failure, defeat, discouragement,
and poverty, you establish a rhythm which attract them. This explains why both
success and failure are the result of habit. Habit establishes one’s rhythm of
thought, and rhythm attracts the physical manifestation of your dominating
thoughts.

Take Action

Break habits before they become rhythms. Nature does not need your
consent to place you under the spell of hypnotic rhythm. It needs only
to find you off guard. Regularly scan your thoughts for the following
four types of thinking which cause you to become off guard and fall
into a negative hypnotic rhythm:

1. An indifference toward life generally.

2. A lack of ambition.

3. Fear, particularly of death and poverty.

4. Lack of definiteness of purpose

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Freedom

“It may drag one down to slavery through loss of the privilege
of freedom of thought, or it may help one rise to great heights of
achievement through the free use of thought”
Hypnotic rhythm can be made to serve you rather than destroy you. There are
seven principles which, when applied, use the power of hypnotic rhythm to force
life to bring you financial, spiritual, mental, and physical freedom.

1. Definiteness of purpose
Having a definite purpose is the starting point of all achievement. It frames your
path to success. Your definite purpose is the “why” of your life. It is the reason
for your existence. People who have defined their purpose are driven. They never
give up. By taking the time to establish your definite purpose, you demonstrate to
the universe you will not settle for anything less than exactly what you want.

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2. Mastery over self
The person who is not master of himself can never be the master of others. Lack of
self-mastery is the most destructive form of indefiniteness. By mastering the three
appetites responsible for most of one’s lack of self-discipline you can achieve self-
mastery.

The three appetites are:

(1) the desire for food,
(2) the desire for recreational sex, and
(3) the desire to express unorganized opinions.

3. Learning from adversity

Few people know that every adversity brings with it an equivalent advantage. Still
fewer people know the difference between temporary defeat and failure. Every form
of defeat brings with it the seed of opportunity. Keep on fighting until you win. Success
is often one short step beyond the point where you are tempted to quit.

4. Environmental Influence
Environment consists of all the mental, spiritual, and physical forces which influence
you. The most important part of your environment is your association with others. You
absorb, consciously or unconsciously, the habits of those with whom you associate.
Choose your associates with great care. Strive to associate with people whose
dominating thoughts are positive, friendly, and harmonious.

5. Time
Time is the law of hypnotic rhythm. It divides all thoughts into negative thoughts
and positive thoughts. Time penalizes you for negative thoughts and rewards you
for positive thoughts. It does this through the development of wisdom. You are not
born with wisdom, you are born with the capacity to think. And, through the lapse of
time thoughts can become wisdom. But, wisdom will only come if you form positive
thoughts as a dominating force in your life. Those whose dominating thoughts are
negative will never acquire wisdom.

6. Harmony
All natural law moves in an orderly manner - through harmony. Everything within
an environment becomes harmoniously related. Manifestations of harmony may be
positive or negative. If you place yourself in negative environments, nature sees to it
that this negative influence is impressed upon you. However, place yourself in positive
environments and nature will impress positivity into your thoughts.

7. Caution
The most dangerous human trait is the lack of caution. People drift into hazardous
circumstances when they do not exercise caution. The drifter always moves without
caution. They act first and think later. The non-drifter always uses caution. Carefully
think through your plans before beginning them. Make allowances for the human
frailties of your associates and plan ahead to manage them. Take nothing for granted.

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 Take Action

Use the following applications of the principles learned above to force

life to bring you financial, spiritual, mental, and physical freedom:

1. Have definiteness of purpose

Your definite purpose is the “why” of your life. It is the reason for your
existence.

2. Master yourself
Master your appetites for food, recreational sex and to express
unorganized opinions.

3. Learn from adversity

Every form of defeat brings with it the seed of unborn opportunity.
Keep on fighting until you win.

4. Control your associations

Strive to always associate with people whose dominating thoughts are
positive, friendly, and harmonious.

5. Cultivate wisdom
Wisdom will come to you if you form positive thought-habits as a
dominating force in your life.

6. Use harmony
Place yourself in positive situations and nature will impress positivity
into your thoughts.

7. Exercise caution
Carefully think your plans through before beginning them.

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Conclusion
Most people drift aimlessly through life. They lack goals. They are easily distracted.
They don’t know how to be productive. This habit of “drifting” is the cause of
failure in their life. Drifters permit themselves to be influenced and controlled by
circumstances outside of themselves. They accept whatever life throws in their way
without protest or fight. Non-drifters are engaged in doing something definite.
They have a well organized plan. They have a major goal in life toward which
they always work. They know exactly what they want and are determined to get
it - no matter how long it may take or what price they must pay. These are the
qualities which allow the non-drifter to permanently succeed in any undertaking.

To become a non-drifter:

1. Do your own thinking.

2. Decide definitely what you want from life.
3. Analyze temporary defeat.
4. Be willing to engage in work equivalent to the value of the material things
you desire.
5. Recognize your brain can be attuned to receive communications from the
Infinite Intelligence.
6. Recognize your greatest asset is time. Budget it so none is wasted.
7. Recognize fear is a state of mind which you can control by replacing it with
faith in your abilities.
8. Demand what you want and insist upon getting it, with no substitutes.
9. Recognize life is often cruel. There is no halfway point. Never accept from life
anything you do not want.
10. Be careful what your thoughts dwell upon.

Any thought the mind repeats over and over forms a rhythm. This rhythm is the
very last stage of habit. It is the terminal stage where a habit has become so
ingrained it can no longer be broken. Nature has taken the habit over and made
it permanent.

Break habits before they become rhythms. Then, use the power of hypnotic
rhythms to bring you financial, mental, and physical freedom:

1. Have definiteness of purpose

2. Master yourself
3. Learn from adversity
4. Control your associations
5. Cultivate wisdom
6. Use harmony
7. Exercise caution

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© Simpleology®
About the Author

Disclaimer: The below represents a summary of Napoleon Hill’s official

biography.

Napoleon Hill was born into poverty in 1883. He began a career as a journalist at
13 years old. Later, he was assigned to write a series of success stories of famous
men. Eventually he was asked to interview steel-magnate Andrew Carnegie. Mr.
Carnegie commissioned Hill to interview over 500 millionaires to find a success
formula which could be used by the average person. These included Thomas
Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, Elmer Gates, Charles M. Schwab,
Theodore Roosevelt, William Wrigley Jr, John Wanamaker, WIlliam Jennings
Bryan, George Eastman, Woodrow Wilson, William H. Taft, John D. Rockefeller,
F. W. Woolworth, Jennings Randolph, among others.

It took Hill over 20 years to produce his book, a classic of personal development,
Think and Grow Rich.

Napoleon Hill passed away in November 1970.

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About Simpleology Summaries

Books are important. Books entertain us, ignite our imagination, improve our
ability to reason, and help us discover ourselves. Most importantly, books impart
wisdom - the progressive, incremental wisdom upon which humanity has built
itself.

But books do something else: they take time. Time to read and time to comprehend.
Given we are all busier than ever, it is no surprise book reading is in decline.
Even if you are a committed reader, there are so many powerful, life-changing
books in print you’ll never find the time to read them all. Imagine the wealth of
knowledge you are missing out on.

What if there were an easier way?

What if you could read just a few pages but felt as if you had read the entire
book?

Simpleology Summaries take those special books capable of transforming

your life and distill them into their most important ideas. More than that, we make
those ideas easily understandable and actionable in your daily life.

Further Reading
Juggernaut Academy - a Simpleology training system that habitualizes the mindset
described in Think and Grow Rich (and more) so it becomes an unshakable part
of your identity.

Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill

Simpleology Summary of The 48 Laws of Power By Robert Greene

Simpleology Summary: Learned Optimism By Martin E. P. Seligman

Simpleology Summary: Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz

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