This primary message of this book (”the world’s best-selling book” and my personal bible: It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden) is well-summarised in the photos above. I know a lot of people that would do well to read, re-read, understand and re-read it. Ambition—and his offspring: drive, energy, passion, enthusiasm, hope, vigor—rules this world. Talent serves.
19 Comments
Rich and powerful people whose sole is aim to be rich and powerful should be resisted by the rest of society as a menace.
Posted by Simon McGarr at 12:20 pm on 3 December, 2008.
Added it to my wishlist!
Posted by Tim Van Damme at 12:22 pm on 3 December, 2008.
I love every page of this book even if I don’t share every statement. Specially love the quote (and the vision behind) “more famous than Persil Automatic”
Posted by Aitor García at 12:23 pm on 3 December, 2008.
How true; was just commenting these days with a friend that sometimes the hard part is knowing exactly what ones wants, and that getting it is usually easier, in many cases. We see it that if you are unsure about what you want, you divide your efforts; its like growing loads of plants, instead of a solid tree: YOU.
Posted by Angel Luis Gonzalez at 12:30 pm on 3 December, 2008.
Funny i was just reading that again this week. Great book.
Posted by Alan O'Rourke at 1:00 pm on 3 December, 2008.
How do you temper the materialistic side of this book to achieve worthwhile goals? I like the message that hard work, dedication and focus are levers to achieving your goals but I worry some people will read it literally and see anything but being rich and powerful as failure of ambition. The successful but poor scientist or artist is no bad thing.
Posted by Paul M. Watson at 1:11 pm on 3 December, 2008.
Ordered.
Posted by Robin Blandford at 4:32 pm on 3 December, 2008.
Ordered.
Posted by Derek Organ at 5:04 pm on 3 December, 2008.
I’m not sure why anyone would particularly want to be rich and powerful, but having good goals can be handy. However, I’ve found that life has tended to throw me around a bit — I’ve bounced around between specific goals for a long time, and I never would have imagined doing what I’m currently doing, personally and professionally. At the same time, the skills that I’ve very deliberately developed along the way make each opportunity seem like an incremental step up from the previous one, even if it doesn’t mesh with some earlier goal.
I’d rather focus on skills than ambition, any day — it seems much more likely that one will feel fulfilled at the end of the day.
Posted by Breandán at 6:27 pm on 3 December, 2008.
Thanks so much for the comments, everyone.
To clarify, I’m not devaluing talent, I’m just saying it serves ambition. Even if that ambition is getting paid at the end of the month.
Also, I’m not commenting on the value of being a “rich and powerful person”; it’s definitely not for everyone. But for those that do want such a thing—and that’s a whole lot of people—they must realise the importance of a focused ambition.
Posted by Eoghan McCabe at 7:24 pm on 3 December, 2008.
Simon: why? There shouldn’t be limits on what people should be able to achieve in society. If you want to make money, you ought to be allowed.
I think ambition is the most important thing you can have. People who fail in the end fail not because of their own limitations, but because they give up their ambitions. The people who want to be the greatest almost invariably become so.
Posted by Rory Marinich at 8:31 pm on 3 December, 2008.
@Rory There are, and should be, limits on what can be achieved. Anti-trust laws for one.
Posted by Paul M. Watson at 9:35 pm on 3 December, 2008.
Ambition rules, talent serves. This is not a new thought in the world, but it’s historical lineage, and consequences, should give you pause for thought.
“There shouldn’t be limits on what people should be able to achieve in society”
Of course there should be limits on what people are able to achieve - depending on what that is. Like, if ridding the world of Jews was my ambition, for eg.
“The people who want to be the greatest almost invariably become so.”
Almost invariably? This is demonstrably untrue. Every one of the top hundred tennis players in the world want to be the greatest, but only one of them is.
Posted by Fergal at 9:48 pm on 3 December, 2008.
I always keep my copy in my bag to read on the subway ride to work when I’m feeling… not so inspired.
Posted by Andy at 6:48 am on 4 December, 2008.
“Nearly all rich and powerful people are not notably talented, educated, charming or good-looking.”
Looks like it’s going to be particularly challenging for me so, especially if people keep ordering this book.
Posted by Roger at 1:17 pm on 4 December, 2008.
Looks like you should have kept this book to yourself based on the comments here, although it does seem quite well known already!
Never heard of it myself.
Posted by George at 11:23 pm on 4 December, 2008.
Love this book <3
Posted by Lizsu at 4:26 am on 5 December, 2008.
Bought this after reading the post. Read it in one sitting and then ordered another 3 copies for friends for Christmas. Great book!
Posted by Wesley at 5:18 pm on 12 December, 2008.
I received this book a long time ago from an in-law and read it cover to cover as soon as I got some quiet time. The overwhelming message of this book is how the laws of attraction work. If you think you can, you can, because the law of attraction will pull like-minded people your way, helping you succeed. Good stuff.
Posted by CP at 2:57 pm on 30 January, 2009.
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[...] always said that success comes from the desire for success (”It’s not how good you are…” http://www.contrast.ie/blog/its-not-how-good-you-are/), but we’ve got the skills too. Irish people need to WAKE THE FUCK UP and realise there’s more [...]
Posted by Should we all think bigger and head for Silicon Valley and aim for the top at 9:58 am on 20 January, 2009