Back

Wisdom Vault — onlinknow.co.za

The Science of Getting Rich

by Wallace D. Wattles

Chapter 2 of 17 • 470 min read • Published 1910

Chapter 2. THERE IS A SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH.

There is a Science of getting rich, and 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 and 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.

Advertisement

But everywhere we see rich and poor living side by side, in the same environment, and often engaged in the same vocations. When two men are in the same locality, and in the same business, and one gets rich while the other remains poor, it shows that 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, and one gets rich while the other fails, it indicates that 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 that they are an average lot in all respects, having no greater talents and abilities than other men.

Advertisement

It is evident that they do not get rich because they possess talents and abilities that 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 a bankrupt. From all these things, we must come to the conclusion that 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.

Advertisement

The question arises here, whether this Certain Way may not be so difficult that 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, and blockheads get rich; intellectually brilliant people get rich, and very stupid people get rich; physically strong people get rich, and weak and sickly people get rich.

onlinknow.co.za

Free Spiritual Library — 50+ Public Domain Classics

onlinknow.co.za offers 50+ free public domain books including As a Man Thinketh (1903), The Science of Getting Rich (1910), Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Tao Te Ching, Bhagavad Gita, The Art of War, The Kybalion, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, and 40+ more classics. All books are verified public domain and free to read online without login or download. Perfect for spirituality, self-development, mind power, and meditation readers.

© 2026 onlinknow.co.za|About|Contact|Privacy|Terms|Blog

All books are public domain.

We use cookies for ads and analytics to keep onlinknow.co.za free. By continuing you accept our Privacy Policy.

base44
Edit with Base44