Chapter 2. There is A Science of Getting Rich
THERE. Is a Science. Of getting rich. It is. An exact science. Like algebra. Or arithmetic. There are certain laws. Which. Govern the process. Of acquiring riches. Once these laws are learned. Obeyed. By any man. He will get rich. With mathematical certainty.
The ownership. Of money. And property. Comes. As a result. Of doing things. In a certain way. Those who do things. In this Certain Way. Whether. On purpose. Or accidentally. Get rich. While those. Who do not do things. In this Certain Way. No matter. How hard. They work. Or how able they are. Remain poor.
It is a natural law. That. Like causes. Always. Produce like effects. And. Therefore. Any man. Or woman. Who learns. To do things. In this certain way. Will infallibly get rich.
That the above statement. Is true. Is shown. By the following facts:
Getting rich. Is not a matter. Of environment. For. If. It were. All the people. In certain neighborhoods. Would become wealthy. The people. Of one city. Would all be rich. While those. Of other towns. Would all be poor. Or the inhabitants. Of one state. Would roll in wealth. While those. Of an adjoining state. Would be. In poverty.
But everywhere. We see rich. And poor. Living side. By side. In. The same environment. Often engaged. In the same vocations. When two men are in the same locality. In the same business. One gets rich. While the other. Remains poor. It shows. Getting rich is not. Primarily. A matter. Of environment. Some environments. May be. More favorable. Than others. But when two men. In the same business. Are. In the same neighborhood. One gets rich. While. The other fails. It indicates. Getting rich. Is the result. Of doing things. In a. Certain Way.
And further. The ability. To do things. In this certain way. Is not due. Solely. To. The possession. Of talent. For many people. Who have great talent. Remain poor. While others who have very little talent. Get rich.
Studying the people who have got rich. We find. They are an average lot. In all respects. Having no greater talents. And abilities. Than other men. It is evident. They do not get rich. Because they possess talents. And abilities. Other men have not. But because they happen. To do things. In a Certain Way.
Getting rich. Is not the result. Of saving. Or "thrift". Many very penurious people. Are poor., While free spenders often get rich.
Nor is getting rich. Due. To doing things. Which others. Fail to do. For two men. In the same business. Often do almost exactly the same things. And one gets rich. While the other remains poor. Or becomes bankrupt.
From all these things. We must come. To the conclusion. Getting rich. Is the result. Of doing things. In a Certain Way.
If getting rich. Is the result. Of doing things. In a Certain Way. And if like causes. Always produce like effects. Then any man. Or woman. Who can do things. In that way. Can become rich. And the whole matter. Is brought. Within the domain. Of exact science.
The question arises here. Whether. This Certain Way. May not. Be so difficult. Only. A few. May follow it. This cannot be true. As we have seen. So far. As natural ability. Is concerned.
Talented people get rich. Blockheads get rich. Intellectually brilliant people get rich. Very stupid people get rich. Physically strong people get rich. Weak. And sickly people. Get rich.
Some degree. Of ability. To think. And understand is. of course. Essential. But in so far as natural ability. Is concerned. Any man. Or woman. Who has sense enough. To read. And understand these words. Can certainly. Get rich.
Also. We have seen. It is not a matter. Of environment. Location counts for something. One would not go. To the heart. Of the Sahara. Expecting. To do successful business.
Getting rich. Involves. The necessity. Of dealing with men. Of being. Where there are people.
To deal with. And if these people are inclined. To deal. In the way. You want. To deal. So much the better. But that is about as far. As environment goes.
If anybody else. In your town. Can get rich. So can you. If anybody else in your state. Can get rich. So can you.
Again. It is not a matter. Of choosing. Some. Particular business. Or profession. People get rich. In every business. In every profession. While their next door neighbors in the same vocation. Remain. In poverty.
It is true. You will do best. In a business. Which you like. And which is congenial to you. And. If you. Have certain talents. Which are well developed. You will do best. In a business. Which calls. For the exercise. Of those talents.
Also. You will do best. In a business. Which is suited. To your locality. An ice-cream parlor. Would do better. In a warm climate. Than in Greenland. And a salmon fishery. Will succeed better. In the Northwest. Than in Florida. Where. There are. No salmon.
But. Aside from these general limitations. Getting rich. Is not dependent. Upon your engaging. In some particular business. But upon. Your learning. To do things. In a Certain Way. If you are now in business. And anybody else. In your locality. Is getting rich. In the same business. While you. Are not getting rich. It is because. You are not doing things. In the same Way. The other person is doing them.
No one is prevented. From getting rich. By lack. Of capital. True. As you get capital. The increase. Becomes more easy. And rapid. But one who has capital. Is already rich. And does not need. To consider. How. To become so. No matter how poor you may be. If you begin. To do things. In the Certain Way. You will begin.
To get rich. You will begin. To have capital. The getting. Of capital. Is a part. Of the process. Of getting rich. It is a part. Of the result. Which invariably follows. The doing. Of things. In the Certain Way. You may be the poorest man on the continent. Be deeply in debt. You may have neither friends. Influence. Nor resources. But. If you begin. To do things. In this way. You must infallibly. Begin. To get rich. For like causes. Must produce. Like effects. If you have no capital. You can get capital. If you. Are in the wrong business. You can get. Into. The right business. If you are in the wrong location. You can go. To the right location. And you can do so. By beginning in your present business. In your present location. To do things in the Certain Way. Which causes. Success.