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Taming Your Mind
Book by Ken Keyes
- GenresSelf Help
246 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 19, 2023
A REPUBLICATION OF A 1950 BOOK
Author Ken Keyes wrote in the introductory section of this 1975 edition, “This book was written about 25 years ago and was originally published under the title ‘How to Develop Your Thinking Ability.’ It was written under the illusion that, if one could think straight enough, it would be possible to arrange people and things so as to enjoy life almost all of the time… About 20 years after this book was written I discovered that this is not how life works. Knowledge yields a certain type of power, but it will not enable a person to experience enough security, enough enjoyable sensations, and enough pride, prestige and power to live a perceptive, wise, fulfilled, happy, and loving life, SOMETHING IS MISSING. Why is it that continuously happy people are about as rare as an eclipse of the moon? Why is it that most of us experience lives of loveless toil with little peace of mind?... How do we keep ourselves trapped in feelings of separation and alienation?...”
“The broad approach to thinking, described in [this book], enabled me to be open to the development of a higher consciousness associated with the integration of both modes of activity. The first part5… explains a way of approaching the thinking process that helps to free us from the verbal traps in which our minds often keep us locked… Part Two … gives us ‘Six Tools for Thinking’ that we can use for taming our minds… The Six Tools … are actual instruments of thought that tune us into the deeper knowledge that lies within us… The Third Part … shows how one may use these Six Tools in getting along with people, living with one person, and being more effective in business.” (Pg. vii-x)
He adds, “This book will have served its purpose if it enables you to be open to the deeper insights implied by the above questions when the on-going events in your life offer you the next steps in your growth. The answers to these questions that have given me the missing 90% that I needed to enjoy my life continuously may be found in ‘Handbook to Higher Consciousness.’ … the Handbook also offers sharp tools for helping you uncover the intuitive wisdom that lies within you.” (Pg. xi-xii)
He explains in the ‘Acknowledgements’ section of the book, “I wish to acknowledge my great debt to the late Alfred Korzybski, the formulator of the science of general semantics whose work has been the inspiration for this book.”
The Six Tools are: #1: Only a God Knows All; #2: Think in Terms of Degrees; #3: Look Who’s Talking; #4: Differences May Make a Difference; #5: Keeping Up-to-Date; #6: Marking the Spot.”
He concludes, “As long as we continue to cripple the intelligence of our children by not teaching them how to think, we should expect to have recurrent wars, poverty, crime, and other ills. This business of teaching children throughout the world to think clearly so they may settle their disagreements by mature discussion instead of the chain reaction of uranium is not something that can be done in a day or a week or a year. It is something we must work toward… We must formulate our ideals. We must explain them to other people. And we must let no opportunities pass for teaching our children to SEE more clearly, THINK more maturely, and FEEL more deeply… As long as we pipe into the heads of children WHAT TO THINK and fail to train them HOW TO THINK, that long will we have various brands of hell on earth… It is up to YOU and it is up to ME.” (Pg. 238)
This 1950s book may appeal to some who enjoyed his (much later) Handbook.
Author Ken Keyes wrote in the introductory section of this 1975 edition, “This book was written about 25 years ago and was originally published under the title ‘How to Develop Your Thinking Ability.’ It was written under the illusion that, if one could think straight enough, it would be possible to arrange people and things so as to enjoy life almost all of the time… About 20 years after this book was written I discovered that this is not how life works. Knowledge yields a certain type of power, but it will not enable a person to experience enough security, enough enjoyable sensations, and enough pride, prestige and power to live a perceptive, wise, fulfilled, happy, and loving life, SOMETHING IS MISSING. Why is it that continuously happy people are about as rare as an eclipse of the moon? Why is it that most of us experience lives of loveless toil with little peace of mind?... How do we keep ourselves trapped in feelings of separation and alienation?...”
“The broad approach to thinking, described in [this book], enabled me to be open to the development of a higher consciousness associated with the integration of both modes of activity. The first part5… explains a way of approaching the thinking process that helps to free us from the verbal traps in which our minds often keep us locked… Part Two … gives us ‘Six Tools for Thinking’ that we can use for taming our minds… The Six Tools … are actual instruments of thought that tune us into the deeper knowledge that lies within us… The Third Part … shows how one may use these Six Tools in getting along with people, living with one person, and being more effective in business.” (Pg. vii-x)
He adds, “This book will have served its purpose if it enables you to be open to the deeper insights implied by the above questions when the on-going events in your life offer you the next steps in your growth. The answers to these questions that have given me the missing 90% that I needed to enjoy my life continuously may be found in ‘Handbook to Higher Consciousness.’ … the Handbook also offers sharp tools for helping you uncover the intuitive wisdom that lies within you.” (Pg. xi-xii)
He explains in the ‘Acknowledgements’ section of the book, “I wish to acknowledge my great debt to the late Alfred Korzybski, the formulator of the science of general semantics whose work has been the inspiration for this book.”
The Six Tools are: #1: Only a God Knows All; #2: Think in Terms of Degrees; #3: Look Who’s Talking; #4: Differences May Make a Difference; #5: Keeping Up-to-Date; #6: Marking the Spot.”
He concludes, “As long as we continue to cripple the intelligence of our children by not teaching them how to think, we should expect to have recurrent wars, poverty, crime, and other ills. This business of teaching children throughout the world to think clearly so they may settle their disagreements by mature discussion instead of the chain reaction of uranium is not something that can be done in a day or a week or a year. It is something we must work toward… We must formulate our ideals. We must explain them to other people. And we must let no opportunities pass for teaching our children to SEE more clearly, THINK more maturely, and FEEL more deeply… As long as we pipe into the heads of children WHAT TO THINK and fail to train them HOW TO THINK, that long will we have various brands of hell on earth… It is up to YOU and it is up to ME.” (Pg. 238)
This 1950s book may appeal to some who enjoyed his (much later) Handbook.
August 25, 2018
I was a dissapointed because I was expecting another subject judging by the title of the book. In its own subject though it's not a bad book, I didn't enjoyed the first 35 pages because I didn't relate to the metaphor the author is teaching, but after that it became an easy reading reminding us of good thinking habits in order to be more open minded and have better relationship. The last chapter for me was of great value, touching the subject of teaching children How to think not only what to think.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2019
Very easy read and full of useful ways on how to think straight. The book is best summarized by this quote by Rudyard Kipling: "I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew) ;Their names are WHAT and WHY and WHEN And HOW and WHERE and WHO". When looking at a situation you can use the tools in this book to respond appropriately and navigate your way to a win-win resolution.
The book also is full of cartoon illustrations which were funny but thought provoking. I enjoyed reading this book and hope I can apply the tools discussed to my personal and business life.
The book also is full of cartoon illustrations which were funny but thought provoking. I enjoyed reading this book and hope I can apply the tools discussed to my personal and business life.
January 23, 2014
Fairly short, stuffed with pithy advice, wrapped in simple language,and sprinkled with a few cartoons to hammer the points home.
Six tools for thinking more effectively. These ideas are so simple - the danger is you'll ignore them.
Sound fun? Here's one to whet your appetite:
Thinking tool number 5: "The When Index" - two opposing ideas could BOTH be correct, if a context of WHEN is provided.
Example: A friend says the following over dinner: "Egypt is a great place to go on holiday!".
You've never been to Egypt yourself. Your current idea of Egypt, is based upon some fuzzy facts about ancient Egypt you picked up in school, and more recently - the last few years say - a whole lot of negative talk on the news. Rioting, killings, sectarian strife, political instability etc... so you think to yourself...
"Yea right, sounds like a nightmare! I'll stick to The Bahamas thanks..."
Who has a better grasp on reality? You or your Egypt-loving buddy?
Perhaps BOTH of you are correct, up to a point...(another tool there;)
Egypt, when your friend went - in 2008, might have been wonderful, and peaceful. Egypt - 2014, maybe not so much...
Both of you are correct if we take each position, and give it a date. You can apply this to so many other examples, I believe this kind of thinking will diffuse many a potential argument, and enrich one's understanding.
Six tools for thinking more effectively. These ideas are so simple - the danger is you'll ignore them.
Sound fun? Here's one to whet your appetite:
Thinking tool number 5: "The When Index" - two opposing ideas could BOTH be correct, if a context of WHEN is provided.
Example: A friend says the following over dinner: "Egypt is a great place to go on holiday!".
You've never been to Egypt yourself. Your current idea of Egypt, is based upon some fuzzy facts about ancient Egypt you picked up in school, and more recently - the last few years say - a whole lot of negative talk on the news. Rioting, killings, sectarian strife, political instability etc... so you think to yourself...
"Yea right, sounds like a nightmare! I'll stick to The Bahamas thanks..."
Who has a better grasp on reality? You or your Egypt-loving buddy?
Perhaps BOTH of you are correct, up to a point...(another tool there;)
Egypt, when your friend went - in 2008, might have been wonderful, and peaceful. Egypt - 2014, maybe not so much...
Both of you are correct if we take each position, and give it a date. You can apply this to so many other examples, I believe this kind of thinking will diffuse many a potential argument, and enrich one's understanding.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews