{"id":52394,"date":"2021-11-07T11:17:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-07T15:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=52394"},"modified":"2021-11-08T13:08:11","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T17:08:11","slug":"psycho-cybernetics-quotes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/psycho-cybernetics-quotes\/","title":{"rendered":"Psycho-Cybernetics: Quotes by Maxwell Maltz"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you looking for Psycho-Cybernetics<\/em> quotes by Maxwell Maltz? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psycho-Cybernetics<\/em> by Maxwell Maltz is a recognized classic in the field of self-help books. The book’s key premise is that you can program your mind<\/a> to achieve success and happiness<\/a> in the same way that you\u2019d program a machine to achieve certain goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a selection of Psycho-Cybernetics<\/em> quotes with explanations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Psycho-Cybernetics: A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In his book Psycho-Cybernetics<\/em>, Maxwell Maltz explains the mechanisms at play when you successfully achieve a goal. He argues that your self-image (how you perceive yourself<\/a>) is the main reason why you tend to succeed or fail in achieving the goals you set for yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following Psycho-Cybernetics<\/em> quotes highlight some of his key ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour nervous system cannot tell the difference between a real experience and one that is vividly imagined.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

According to Maltz, visualization is a vital step to changing your self-image because when you form a clear mental picture of how you intend to perform and how successful you\u2019ll feel, you can improve your skills<\/a> almost as much as if you really practice. Maltz provides scientific evidence that supports the benefits of using your imagination to practice the feeling of success: he cites one research experiment that analyzed the effect of mental practice on improving basketball free throws. The first group of participants practiced throwing the ball every day. The second group of participants only imagined throwing the ball into the hoop every day. The results revealed that after 20 days, the group engaged in physical practice had improved by 24%, whereas the group engaged only<\/em> in mental practice improved by 23%. This experiment helps explain why elite athletes and musicians often place as much emphasis on their mental training as they do on their physical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This research has held up well over time. A 2018 study tested the effectiveness of mental practice on basketball free throws: The results confirmed that mental practice does significantly improve participants\u2019 motor skills and their ability<\/a> to successfully make the shot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment…For imagination sets the goal \u2018picture\u2019 which our automatic mechanism works on. We act, or fail to act, not because of \u2018will,\u2019 as is so commonly believed, but because of imagination.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Maltz argues that one’s self-image (what they imagine true about themselves) is the key determinant of their success potential. The first step to reprogramming your self-image for success is becoming conscious of whether you\u2019re using your imagination constructively (to create positive thoughts<\/a> and feelings) or deconstructively (to create negative thoughts and feelings<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re using your imagination deconstructively, Maltz argues that you need to make a conscious effort to instead use it to form a clear mental picture of yourself as successful\u2014this will allow you to practice feeling successful, and will ultimately improve your approach to life. To replace existing negative beliefs with new successful beliefs, you need to create equally strong impressions in your mind\u2014that is, you need to create positive feelings of excitement and desire. These positive feelings must outweigh your negative feelings so that your self-image can take notice of them and begin to accept them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n