The New Psycho Cybernetics Your Self Image and Success

Overview Author: Maxwell Maltz (original) Revised by: Dan Kennedy First published: Original in 1960; revised edition in 2001 Core premise: "A person’s success and happiness are deeply rooted in how they perceive themselves." Central Concept: Psycho-Cybernetics "Psycho" refers to the mind. "Cybernetics" is a term borrowed from engineering—about automatic control systems (like thermostats or autopilots). Together: Psycho-Cybernetics describes how your mind works like a goal-seeking mechanism—you become what you believe. Core Ideas & Takeaways 1. Self-Image Is Destiny Your self-image acts like a thermostat: you cannot perform beyond it. Change your self-image and you change your outcomes. It's not positive thinking alone—but programming your internal system. 2. Imagination Is More Powerful Than Willpower The brain doesn’t distinguish between real experiences and vividly imagined ones. Visualization can reprogram your subconscious mind. 3. The Theatre of the Mind Mental rehearsal is a powerful success tool. Athletes, performers, and top businesspeople use this to "pre-live" success. 4. Dehypnotize Yourself Many are “hypnotized” by failure, criticism, or past mistakes. Maltz encourages undoing these mental patterns by installing new, empowering beliefs. 5. Success Mechanism vs. Failure Mechanism Everyone has an internal success mechanism. Negative emotions (fear, anger, guilt) activate the failure mechanism. Positive emotions (confidence, purpose, love) activate the success mechanism. 6. Forgiveness and Letting Go Emotional scars keep the failure mechanism alive. Forgiveness is a technique to remove emotional blockages. 7. The 21-Day Rule It takes around 21 days to create a significant change in mental image or habit (based on his experience as a plastic surgeon and psychologist). 8. Relaxation & Quieting the Mind Maltz emphasizes relaxation as a gateway to access your subconscious. Daily quiet reflection or “mental programming sessions” are vital. 9. The Power of Rational Thinking Separate fact from fiction—many limitations are imagined. Become a “mental detective” of your own self-talk. 10. Embrace Goal-Setting Your brain works like a servo-mechanism—feed it clear, emotionally compelling goals. Success comes when your conscious goals align with your self-image. Notable Quotes "You can’t outperform your self-image." "Man is not a machine. But man uses a machine. And that machine is the servo-mechanism of the mind." "You act, and feel, not according to what things are really like, but according to the image your mind holds of them." Structure of the Book 1. Understanding the self-image 2. Dissecting success and failure 3. Building mental pictures for success 4. Using relaxation, imagination, and affirmation 5. Fixing the emotional scars and mental blocks 6. Establishing new habits through repetition and goal focus