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Self-Control Its Kingship and Majesty
an has two creators,—his God and himself. His first creator furnishes him the raw material of his life and the laws in conformity with which he can make that life what he will. His second creator,—himself,—has marvellous powers he rarely realizes. It is what a man makes of himself that counts.
When a man fails in life he usually says, “I am as God made me.” When he succeeds he proudly proclaims himself a “self-made man.” Man is placed into this world not as a finality,—but as a possibility. Man’s greatest enemy is,—himself. Man in his weakness is the creature of circumstances; man in his strength is the creator of circumstances. Whether he be victim or victor depends largely on himself.
Man is never truly great merely for what he is, but ever for what he may become. Until man be truly filled with the knowledge of the majesty of his possibility, until there come to him the glow of realization of his privilege to live the life committed to him, as an individual life for which he is individually responsible, he is merely groping through the years.
When a man fails in life he usually says, “I am as God made me.” When he succeeds he proudly proclaims himself a “self-made man.” Man is placed into this world not as a finality,—but as a possibility. Man’s greatest enemy is,—himself. Man in his weakness is the creature of circumstances; man in his strength is the creator of circumstances. Whether he be victim or victor depends largely on himself.
Man is never truly great merely for what he is, but ever for what he may become. Until man be truly filled with the knowledge of the majesty of his possibility, until there come to him the glow of realization of his privilege to live the life committed to him, as an individual life for which he is individually responsible, he is merely groping through the years.
122 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1907
74 people are currently reading
1157 people want to read
About the author
William George Jordan
156 books36 followersEditor of Book Chat magazine 1886-87 and The Saturday Evening Post 1898-99.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 2, 2017
This is not a self-help book. This is a lifestyle to be adopted by the intellectual.
February 5, 2021
Another good surprise on the list of 100 must reads for men. I really enjoyed most of this book. If I had not decided to tackle this list I would never have read this book. Mr.Jordan is very encouraging in most of what he has written. I recommend this book.
March 6, 2018
This is, for me, more of a textbook or reference guide. While written from a Christian, I believe, Catholic perspective, its tenets of becoming a better person hold true for anyone from any faith. The angst, hurry, fear and self-pity we all feel is a basic human trait, however, the way we deal with them or find ways to ameliorate them is something that we are not taught too well. This is where the spiritual does do for us what we cannot do for ourselves; by getting out of yourself and seeing ourselves as all part of the same struggle and joy, you can step out of your self-absorption and get to work on making the world better by being, simply put, a better person.
The coolest thing about this book: written in 1906. As far as we have come in 100 years, all of the progress, we can look at the human experience as pretty much having the same fears, desires, wishes, angst and struggles. This is timeless.
The coolest thing about this book: written in 1906. As far as we have come in 100 years, all of the progress, we can look at the human experience as pretty much having the same fears, desires, wishes, angst and struggles. This is timeless.
October 29, 2018
A good guide
It's a fine guide to life kind of book. There are similar books that speak on how to live your best life, this is another of those books. It's well written but can feel like your being preached to at times.
It's a fine guide to life kind of book. There are similar books that speak on how to live your best life, this is another of those books. It's well written but can feel like your being preached to at times.
October 31, 2015
Fantastic book with lessons that are just as applicable today as they were when written. This book is part of the growing library I have for my sons...
April 7, 2021
Essential reading for modern life on how to master your actions and refine your thoughts. Packed full of thought-provoking content and as in 1905 at the time of publishing as it is now.
A book I happened upon by accident, it now sits at the centre of both my recommended reading and re-read lists.
Incredibly, given the wealth of practical knowledge contained within, the book is 70 pages long. It has the feel of a self-help book without the padding but with a quality of writing and insight that surpasses most, if not all, of the current best-selling works.
It is broken into 16 chapters with terrific titles such as:
* The Crimes of the Tongue
* The Greatness of Simplicity
* The Majesty of Calmness
* Failure as a Success
* The Royal Road to Happiness
Page after page contain quotes worth abiding by, sharing with others and reading repeatedly. It urges you to be aware, reduce complexities, and take responsibility. With too many quotes to mention, I'll take just one from the first page as a guide for what is published across the remaining 69. Fail to read this book at your peril.
"Man in his weakness is the creature of circumstances; man in his strength is the creator of circumstances. Whether he be victim of victor depends largely on himself."
A book I happened upon by accident, it now sits at the centre of both my recommended reading and re-read lists.
Incredibly, given the wealth of practical knowledge contained within, the book is 70 pages long. It has the feel of a self-help book without the padding but with a quality of writing and insight that surpasses most, if not all, of the current best-selling works.
It is broken into 16 chapters with terrific titles such as:
* The Crimes of the Tongue
* The Greatness of Simplicity
* The Majesty of Calmness
* Failure as a Success
* The Royal Road to Happiness
Page after page contain quotes worth abiding by, sharing with others and reading repeatedly. It urges you to be aware, reduce complexities, and take responsibility. With too many quotes to mention, I'll take just one from the first page as a guide for what is published across the remaining 69. Fail to read this book at your peril.
"Man in his weakness is the creature of circumstances; man in his strength is the creator of circumstances. Whether he be victim of victor depends largely on himself."
February 3, 2019
Insightful read. A lot of these ideas aren't really new to me but I don't think I've ever seen them worded in such a thought provoking way. I took pleasure in finding some concepts in this book completely resonating with me.
This is a book I would definitely recommend and I believe it rightly warrants at least second read from me.
One quote I found striking:
If there be one place in life where the attitude of the agnostic is beautiful, it is in the matter of judging others. It is the courage to say: "I don't know. I am waiting further evidence. I must hear both sides of the question. Till then I suspend all judgement." It is the suspended judgement that is the supreme form of charity.
This is a book I would definitely recommend and I believe it rightly warrants at least second read from me.
One quote I found striking:
If there be one place in life where the attitude of the agnostic is beautiful, it is in the matter of judging others. It is the courage to say: "I don't know. I am waiting further evidence. I must hear both sides of the question. Till then I suspend all judgement." It is the suspended judgement that is the supreme form of charity.
September 14, 2019
This work's strength and weakness is its length. It is very, very short. Quick read. But the chapters' conclusions are quickly conclusive platitudes that, while good reminders of the needs for self-control and self-reliance, do not even begin to scratch the surface of the needed changes to one's psyche to develop those attributes. I would have preferred longer sections on the "The Red Tape of Duty" and "Syndicating Our Sorrows" but they ended fecklessly brief.
When this was first written and to someone uninitiated in self-control, this would have been a useful read. If you have even discovered this book in the modern era, it's likely the concepts herein are familiar enough to you already that the contents lack any immediate usefulness. Hopefully I'm wrong.
When this was first written and to someone uninitiated in self-control, this would have been a useful read. If you have even discovered this book in the modern era, it's likely the concepts herein are familiar enough to you already that the contents lack any immediate usefulness. Hopefully I'm wrong.
April 1, 2022
There's a lot packed into the few pages this book contains.
I don't know if I'd call this a self help book in the strictest sense. It's more of a guide towards ideas and ideals. Those ideals though, they are timeless ones and reach through from the author's time period to today to remain relevant as ever. The brevity of the book allows you to grasp these important concepts and then make of them what you will. Will you make the a foundation for your own life or will you disregard them and move on?
I don't know if I'd call this a self help book in the strictest sense. It's more of a guide towards ideas and ideals. Those ideals though, they are timeless ones and reach through from the author's time period to today to remain relevant as ever. The brevity of the book allows you to grasp these important concepts and then make of them what you will. Will you make the a foundation for your own life or will you disregard them and move on?
December 18, 2020
I love how this book talks directly at the reader. It's straightforwardness and simplicity doesn't leave room to wonder what the author may mean but tells you directly what each lesson means and how to go about attaining the qualities mentioned throughout the book. I would suggest this book to someone battling staying on course with duties, knowing what's right and not acting on it, and someone who honestly needs self control over self and bad habits.
April 6, 2018
Great Insights About Life Self- Improovement and Good Morals. Incredible uses of Analogies. Its content is pure gold and much better than today's shallow self-help books. It is much more than Self-Control in our contemporary sense. I heard about it reading the art of Manliness. What a hidden Treasure!
October 15, 2018
I like this book because it's quick to read but packed with important information. Takes about a day to read which is good because I recommend coming back to this book multiple times to refresh on it's thinking.
It's not even a religious book by nature, it references but it's truly a book of humanity and guidelines on how to live life.
It's not even a religious book by nature, it references but it's truly a book of humanity and guidelines on how to live life.
February 9, 2020
This book is less of a self-help guide and more a collection of short essays arguing either for the benefit of living in accordance with certain virtues, or otherwise identifying those influences and attitudes which may strip an individual of their personal power. It's purely rhetorical and with a clear Christian slant but I found it fun regardless, if a little preachy.
February 7, 2020
Many passages in this book are repeats with "The Majesty of Calmness," an earlier read of mine. What's new here is for the most part equally rewarding. But the repeat passages seem to be the high point. Still phenomenal.
May 23, 2023
Essential reading!
This chapter title (written in 1907) had me laughing: 'Hurry, the Scourge of America'. Since the creation of this book the amount of hurrying (all over the world) probably increased by a hundredfold, imagine that. This goes to show how the way 'we' are living is utterly ridiculous and unsustainable, and I think this book is an important pointer in the right way (back to a simpler, more authentic, virtuous way of living).
This chapter title (written in 1907) had me laughing: 'Hurry, the Scourge of America'. Since the creation of this book the amount of hurrying (all over the world) probably increased by a hundredfold, imagine that. This goes to show how the way 'we' are living is utterly ridiculous and unsustainable, and I think this book is an important pointer in the right way (back to a simpler, more authentic, virtuous way of living).
February 6, 2019
Really loved this book. It had a lot of novel ideas and though it's not that lengthy it's really loaded. Short and sweet.
August 28, 2019
Definitely recommend. It mentions religion a little more than I would like, but still a wonderful book filled with great advice.
October 6, 2019
Mr. Jordan writes about matters one knows, but cannot state them as eloquently as he does, sublimely. Wisdom.
December 31, 2020
Some very powerful words of motivation and inspiration written here. I’ve highlighted quite a few passages and plan on rereading some sections. A good way to end my reading of 2020!
August 22, 2021
Amazingly powerful
This little book is full of wonderful prescriptions for how to impact others and lead a meaningful life. A worthy read and application opportunity.
This little book is full of wonderful prescriptions for how to impact others and lead a meaningful life. A worthy read and application opportunity.
March 11, 2022
Very thought provoking and full of ways to improve yourself. Definitely one of those books you would come back to as a reference.
March 16, 2022
Has some good ideas and insights to potentially live by in order to make the world a better place
February 28, 2023
Great author
February 14, 2024
He’s onto some stuff. Worth a short read (a few times). Misses the deep weird around the topics but scrapes the important surfaces.
April 9, 2024
For my son
April 28, 2024
Pedantic and repetitive
A short preachy paean of days gone by...with some useful and common aphorisms tucked in. Extraordinarily repetitive. There are better choices out there.
A short preachy paean of days gone by...with some useful and common aphorisms tucked in. Extraordinarily repetitive. There are better choices out there.
December 8, 2019
Great read. A lot of wisdom is handed down by a very intelligent and gifted writer.
November 6, 2021
Context & Why I read this book
"Self-Control" was on my reading list since I am currently doing wide reading about what is loosely termed willpower.
What is the book about as a whole?
Were it not for me actively seeking out books with titles that include "willpower", "self-control" etc this year, I never would've come across this treasure. This book is about much more than self-control. It's about Character, Happiness, Success, Power, Mindfulness, Simplicity and the Good Life. It's on of the classical and "true" Self-Help books that stood the test of time.
The book's structure
The short book is divided into 16 short essays (each only about 4 pages long):
I. The Kingship of Self-Control
II. The Crimes of the Tongue
III. The Red Tape of Duty
IV. The Supreme Charity of the World
V. Worry, the Grease American Disieas
VI. The Greatness of Simplicity
VII. Living Life Over Again
VIII. Syndicating Our Sorrows
IX. The Revelations of Reserve Power
X. The Majesty of Calmness
XI. Hurry, the Scourge of America
XII. The Power of personal Influence
XIII. The Dignity of Self-Reliance
XIV. Failure as a Success
XV. Doing Our Best at All Times
XVI. The Royal Road to Happiness
One lesson
The lesson I have taken from this first read-through relates to the definition of "regrets" in life. I've for a long time maintained a list of things to engage in, so that I "won't regret not having done them"; considering "having regrets" as something bad. But Jordan makes clear in his book, that a "life without regret" is a life in vain and without gain. Jordan defines regret as "the light of fuller wisdom, from our past, illumining our future" and he maintains that if "regret remains merely 'regret'" it is indeed useless. But if instead it is used as a means for new "revelation of new possibilities" and "inspiration" then it's a source of strength for new wisdom and power. Contemplating and acknowledging the regrets you already have as well as not fearing regrets in the future and using them to fuel your actions can make for truly great experiences.
Reading Recommendation / Who should read this?
I immediately added this to my to-read-again list. I definitely would recommend reading it. It is a very short and worthwhile read and I expect most people to get something out of this. Overall this is a 8 out of 10 (⭑⭑⭑⭑) on my personal scale.
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Find my other book reviews at: https://www.dennisnehrenheim.com/read
"Self-Control" was on my reading list since I am currently doing wide reading about what is loosely termed willpower.
What is the book about as a whole?
Were it not for me actively seeking out books with titles that include "willpower", "self-control" etc this year, I never would've come across this treasure. This book is about much more than self-control. It's about Character, Happiness, Success, Power, Mindfulness, Simplicity and the Good Life. It's on of the classical and "true" Self-Help books that stood the test of time.
The book's structure
The short book is divided into 16 short essays (each only about 4 pages long):
I. The Kingship of Self-Control
II. The Crimes of the Tongue
III. The Red Tape of Duty
IV. The Supreme Charity of the World
V. Worry, the Grease American Disieas
VI. The Greatness of Simplicity
VII. Living Life Over Again
VIII. Syndicating Our Sorrows
IX. The Revelations of Reserve Power
X. The Majesty of Calmness
XI. Hurry, the Scourge of America
XII. The Power of personal Influence
XIII. The Dignity of Self-Reliance
XIV. Failure as a Success
XV. Doing Our Best at All Times
XVI. The Royal Road to Happiness
One lesson
The lesson I have taken from this first read-through relates to the definition of "regrets" in life. I've for a long time maintained a list of things to engage in, so that I "won't regret not having done them"; considering "having regrets" as something bad. But Jordan makes clear in his book, that a "life without regret" is a life in vain and without gain. Jordan defines regret as "the light of fuller wisdom, from our past, illumining our future" and he maintains that if "regret remains merely 'regret'" it is indeed useless. But if instead it is used as a means for new "revelation of new possibilities" and "inspiration" then it's a source of strength for new wisdom and power. Contemplating and acknowledging the regrets you already have as well as not fearing regrets in the future and using them to fuel your actions can make for truly great experiences.
Reading Recommendation / Who should read this?
I immediately added this to my to-read-again list. I definitely would recommend reading it. It is a very short and worthwhile read and I expect most people to get something out of this. Overall this is a 8 out of 10 (⭑⭑⭑⭑) on my personal scale.
-----------
Find my other book reviews at: https://www.dennisnehrenheim.com/read
October 14, 2023
A nifty little book (mine was 70 pages) written in 1905 containing loads of manly maxims. It’s a book written by a man for men, and I liked it. I’ve already gifted it to a few folks who I thought might appreciate it. It's an old fashion manual of self actualization to remind one that, ”at each moment of a man’s life he is either a King or a slave. The author’s pretty sure he knows how to avoid servitude.
Jordan believed that individuals should act right because it is right, rather than out of duty, which he considers a mechanical process for making men do things that love would make easy.”
The most charitable thing a person can do for another is not to judge them, which is a great unfairness.
Worrying is a colossal waste of time and energy. He calls it America’s most popular form of suicide. One should take action!
Other points he contends is that simplicity in all things is best. One should never syndicate one’s sorrows i.e. complain. It’s cowardly. Moreover, doing one's best at all times almost assuredly leads to happiness. Doing so keeps him ”keen, active, and wide-awake”.
When our washing machine backed up this last weekend, with the overflowing water making it’s way under the floating wood floor I had to hastily pull up, I became irritated in a way that my wife interpreted as blame. The entire atmosphere of the home turned upside down as I stormed down the hall spouting, "I guess I'll go put my contacts back in". In the middle of hunting for various tools a few minutes later, some of Jordan’s points in one of his chapters entitled The Majesty of Calmness came to mind. They were reminders that there was a nobler, more effective, way of handling things. As a cooler head began to replace my earlier nonsense, it wasn't long before we were all able to retire peacefully with a clear plan in place for the next day. Per William Jordan,
I am unable to disagree.
Jordan believed that individuals should act right because it is right, rather than out of duty, which he considers a mechanical process for making men do things that love would make easy.”
The most charitable thing a person can do for another is not to judge them, which is a great unfairness.
"Men who pride themselves on being shrewd in discovering the weak points, the vanity, dishonesty, immorality, intrigue and pettiness of others, think they understand character – they know only the depths to which some men may sink; they know not the heights to which some men may rise”.
Worrying is a colossal waste of time and energy. He calls it America’s most popular form of suicide. One should take action!
Other points he contends is that simplicity in all things is best. One should never syndicate one’s sorrows i.e. complain. It’s cowardly. Moreover, doing one's best at all times almost assuredly leads to happiness. Doing so keeps him ”keen, active, and wide-awake”.
When our washing machine backed up this last weekend, with the overflowing water making it’s way under the floating wood floor I had to hastily pull up, I became irritated in a way that my wife interpreted as blame. The entire atmosphere of the home turned upside down as I stormed down the hall spouting, "I guess I'll go put my contacts back in". In the middle of hunting for various tools a few minutes later, some of Jordan’s points in one of his chapters entitled The Majesty of Calmness came to mind. They were reminders that there was a nobler, more effective, way of handling things. As a cooler head began to replace my earlier nonsense, it wasn't long before we were all able to retire peacefully with a clear plan in place for the next day. Per William Jordan,
”Calmness is the rarest quality in human life. It is the poise of a great nature, in harmony with itself and its ideals. It is the moral atmosphere of a life centered, self-reliant, and self-controlled. Calmness is singleness of purpose, absolute confidence, and conscious power, ready to be focused in an instant to meet any crises".
I am unable to disagree.
February 2, 2024
I’ve read this book multiple times, it’s a yearly read. One Of my favorite books. It is actually The Kingship of Self-Control and The Majesty of Calmness published as a single book. Each time I read it I use a different color highlighter or pen for underlining, and each time I catch something new. Simple concepts on living your best life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews