As a Man Thinketh (1903)

James Allen's 1903 essay on thought shaping circumstance: a public-domain self-help classic that circulates on the same shelf as the pimp mindset books.

As a Man Thinketh is a short essay by James Allen, first published in 1903. Its title comes from Proverbs 23:7, "as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Its argument is that a person's circumstances grow out of their thoughts, and that "each man holds the key to every condition, good or bad, that enters into his life." It is in the public domain and one of the founding texts of modern self-help.

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It is on this shelf because the later mindset books are. Pimpology and The PIMP Playbook both sell the game as a way of thinking, and As a Man Thinketh is the older, cleaner version of that promise. Young Dope Man lists it among the books read in the game.

This archive has found no published source tying the book to a particular pimp or rapper. Its place here reflects the reading list, not a documented influence.

ALSO KNOWN AS
James Allen

BORN
Published 1903

STATUS
In print (public domain)

ERA
1903–present

ASSOCIATED WITH
James Allen; the self-help tradition; Pimpology; The PIMP Playbook

STANDING
Partly documented