Psycho-Cybernetics is a self-help classic and bestseller. I picked it up after a recommendation by @jackbutcher.

It mixes ideas from psychotherapy and the discipline of cybernetics that emerged during World War II.

A thread with key takeaways.

Everyone is capable of achieving great outcomes, but people are often limited by their self-image.

An inadequate self-image creates negative goals that our minds subconsciously work toward.

To improve your self-image, practice regularly recalling past successes, even small ones like being able to ride the bicycle for the first time.

The mind is similar to a self-guided missile. Its built-in servo mechanism reacts to negative feedback and makes small corrections until it's moving in the right direction.

"Failure" is nothing but negative feedback — an opportunity to learn and improve.

Humans are engineered for success.

Be intentional and specific in defining your goals. Tell your mind that it's possible to achieve, and it will figure out a way to get there.

Imagination is a powerful tool for preparing for high-stakes situations.

Experiments have shown that people who practice throwing imaginary darts at a target actually improve their aim.

Use your imagination to prepare for job interviews, sales calls, speeches.

False and negative beliefs about yourself will prevent you from improving.

Bad students don't often improve in school because they truly believe they are bad students.

It's important to practice regular physical and mental relaxation. It helps improve our beliefs and attitudes.

Leverage rational thinking to reprogram your subconscious mechanisms.

Once you've learned a lesson from a mistake, you must consciously forget it. Obsessing over past failures gives your mind a goal to fail again.

Concentrate on what you want to happen, not what you don't.

Relaxation also helps with creativity. Ideas and solutions come to us during activities that aren't cognitively demanding (e.g. shower thoughts).

To solve a problem, study it thoroughly in every detail. If the solution isn't obvious, go and do something else for a while.

The key to being happy and successful is to enjoy life NOW.

Don't live life on a deferred payment plan. Never say "I'll be happy when I get X". It doesn't work.

Recall pleasant memories from the past to help you feel happy in the present.

Components of SUCCESS:

- Sense of direction
- Understanding
- Courage
- Compassion
- (Self-)Esteem
- Self-confidence
- Self-acceptance

Symptoms of FAILURE:

- Frustration
- Aggressiveness
- Insecurity
- Loneliness
- Uncertainty
- Resentment
- Emptiness

Be your true self. Never go out of your way to make a good impression on someone. You will fail.

When feeling uncomfortable around people, imagine having dinner or drinks with close friends.

Consciously practise caring less about what people think.

When the phone rings, you don't have to react and pick it up right away.

Practice "letting the phone ring" in uncomfortable situations. If you feel the urge to leave and hide, delay the reaction at least by a couple of minutes. It will become a habit eventually.

Always capture what it's like to win.

If you know clearly how success feels like, your brain will have no problem believing that your goals are achievable.

The more you recall stories with good endings, the more conditioned your brain becomes to operating in success mode.

There's a relationship between your mindset and how your physical body reacts to stress and time.

Those who are happy and positive recover more quickly from major medical procedures. They often also outlive others.

More positive goals — more life fuel.

Thank you for reading so far! If you found this valuable, I'd appreciate if you could retweet the first tweet in the thread.

For a more in-depth summary and notes, check out my website: https://siim.me/psycho-cybernetics?utm_campaign=Psycho-Cybernetics_Thread&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

If you’re going to read just one self-help book, that’s a great choice.

Grab it here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399176136/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399176136&linkCode=as2&tag=siimm-20&linkId=d604d2dcc55625d71fd20303b8d3dc73