Napoleon Hill: A Reference Report on His Major Lists and Frameworks

Introduction

Napoleon Hill built his philosophy of success around a small number of core ideas, restated and expanded across several books through numbered lists and frameworks. This report consolidates the most significant of these — covering fear, achievement, emotion, leadership, and failure — into a single reference document, with a short explanation of each item.

A note on sourcing: Hill's exact wording and the number of items in each list vary somewhat between editions. Some lists below are drawn directly from his published works; others consolidate recurring themes across his writing.

1. The Six Basic Fears

Hill argued these fears often operate beneath conscious awareness, shaping behavior without a person realizing it.

# Fear Description 1 Poverty Anxiety about lacking money, financial security, or material necessities 2 Criticism Fear of being judged, ridiculed, rejected, or embarrassed 3 Ill Health Anxiety about sickness, physical decline, or loss of vitality 4 Loss of Love Fear that someone you love will leave, reject, or replace you 5 Old Age Concern about becoming dependent, losing usefulness, or lacking resources later in life 6 Death Fear of the unknown and the end of physical existence

2. The Thirteen Principles of Think and Grow Rich

The core of Hill's achievement philosophy, and the framework most associated with his name.

Desire — A strong, definite desire gives you a clear destination to pursue.
Faith — Develop confidence that your goal is possible and that you can achieve it.
Autosuggestion — Repeated thoughts and affirmations can influence your subconscious mind.
Specialized Knowledge — Acquire specific knowledge that can be organized and applied toward your goal.
Imagination — Use creative thinking to develop ideas, opportunities, and solutions.
Organized Planning — Turn your desire into a practical, structured action plan.
Decision — Make decisions promptly and avoid being controlled by indecision.
Persistence — Continue pursuing your goal despite temporary setbacks and opposition.
The Master Mind — Combine knowledge and effort with a group of people working toward a shared purpose.
Sex Transmutation — Redirect sexual energy into creative, productive, or ambitious pursuits.
The Subconscious Mind — Feed your subconscious with constructive thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.
The Brain — Think of the brain as a broadcasting and receiving station that connects people and ideas.
The Sixth Sense — Develop intuition and insight through mastery of the preceding principles.

3. The Sixteen Lessons of The Law of Success

Hill's earlier, more extensive success-training system, predating Think and Grow Rich.

The Master Mind — Achieve more through harmonious cooperation with others.
A Definite Chief Aim — Know exactly what you want and organize your life around it.
Self-Confidence — Build faith in your ability to accomplish your purpose.
The Habit of Saving — Develop financial discipline and avoid wasteful spending.
Initiative and Leadership — Take action independently and inspire others to follow.
Imagination — Create new ideas and opportunities through creative thought.
Enthusiasm — Bring energy and emotional commitment to your work.
Self-Control — Govern your emotions, impulses, and reactions.
The Habit of Doing More Than Paid For — Consistently provide more value than people expect.
Pleasing Personality — Develop qualities that make people comfortable and willing to cooperate with you.
Accurate Thinking — Separate facts from opinions and avoid distorted reasoning.
Concentration — Focus your attention and energy on your most important objective.
Cooperation — Work effectively with others instead of trying to accomplish everything alone.
Profiting by Failure — Treat setbacks as lessons that can improve future decisions.
Tolerance — Remain open-minded and avoid prejudice, intolerance, and rigid thinking.
The Golden Rule — Treat others according to the standard you would want applied to yourself.

4. The Seven Positive Emotions

Hill believed dominant emotional patterns shape the subconscious, and that these seven were worth deliberately cultivating.

Desire — Creates motivation and gives you a reason to act.
Faith — Strengthens confidence in yourself and your goals.
Love — Encourages connection, generosity, and constructive relationships.
Sex — Represents powerful emotional and creative energy.
Enthusiasm — Generates energy and makes action more compelling.
Romance — Adds emotional excitement and inspiration to life.
Hope — Keeps you oriented toward a better future.

5. The Seven Negative Emotions

The counterpart list — emotions Hill argued could dominate the subconscious if left unchecked.

Fear — Can cause hesitation, avoidance, and inaction.
Jealousy — Creates insecurity and resentment toward others.
Hatred — Consumes mental energy and damages relationships.
Revenge — Keeps attention focused on past wrongs rather than future progress.
Greed — Creates excessive attachment to money or possessions.
Superstition — Encourages irrational beliefs and dependence on forces outside oneself.
Anger — Can impair judgment and lead to destructive decisions.

6. The Eleven Major Attributes of Leadership

Characteristics Hill associated with effective leaders.

Courage — Face challenges and make difficult decisions despite fear.
Self-Control — Control your emotions and behavior before trying to lead others.
Keen Sense of Justice — Treat people fairly and consistently.
Definiteness of Decision — Make clear decisions rather than constantly wavering.
Definiteness of Plans — Know where you're going and how you intend to get there.
Habit of Doing More Than Paid For — Create value beyond the minimum required.
Pleasing Personality — Develop social qualities that attract cooperation.
Sympathy and Understanding — Recognize and respect the needs of others.
Mastery of Detail — Understand the important specifics of your responsibilities.
Willingness to Assume Full Responsibility — Take ownership of outcomes rather than blaming others.
Cooperation — Build productive relationships and work effectively with a team.

7. The Thirty Major Causes of Failure

Hill's longest and most cited list of tendencies that prevent success. Exact wording varies by edition; major themes below.

# Cause # Cause 1 Lack of a Well-Defined Purpose 16 Intolerance 2 Lack of Ambition 17 Inability to Cooperate 3 Insufficient Education 18 Dishonesty 4 Lack of Self-Discipline 19 Egotism 5 Procrastination 20 Vanity 6 Lack of Persistence 21 Guessing Instead of Thinking 7 Negative Personality 22 Lack of Accurate Thinking 8 Lack of Controlled Sexual Urge 23 Fear of Criticism 9 Uncontrolled Desire for "Something for Nothing" 24 Fear of Poverty 10 Lack of a Well-Defined Decision 25 Fear of Ill Health 11 Choosing the Wrong Vocation 26 Fear of Loss of Love 12 Lack of Concentration 27 Fear of Old Age 13 Lack of Enthusiasm 28 Fear of Death 14 Lack of Controlled Spending 29 Lack of a Master Mind Alliance 15 Lack of Enthusiasm for Learning 30 Failure to Learn From Defeat

8. The Thirty-One Major Causes of Fear

An expansion of the six basic fears into the specific forms Hill believed they take in daily life.

# Cause # Cause 1 Indecision 17 Loss of Status 2 Doubt 18 Loss of Reputation 3 Worry 19 Economic Insecurity 4 Procrastination 20 Competition 5 Poverty 21 Loneliness 6 Criticism 22 Unpopularity 7 Ill Health 23 Unemployment 8 Loss of Love 24 Dependence on Others 9 Old Age 25 Loss of Control 10 Death 26 Physical Insecurity 11 Uncertainty 27 Mental Insecurity 12 Failure 28 Social Rejection 13 Rejection 29 Future Uncertainty 14 Embarrassment 30 Failure to Prepare 15 Change 31 Lack of Faith 16 Responsibility

9. The Three Categories of Knowledge

Hill distinguished knowledge by how — not just whether — it is used.

General Knowledge — Broad information that gives you awareness but may not directly produce results.
Specialized Knowledge — Specific expertise that can be applied to a particular profession or goal.
Organized Knowledge — Knowledge deliberately structured and combined with planning so it can produce a definite result.

Key idea: Knowledge itself is not power; organized and applied knowledge is what creates power.

10. The Three Types of People in Relation to Goals

People Who Know What They Want — Have a definite purpose and can organize their efforts toward it.
People Who Know What They Don't Want — Can identify what to avoid but may lack a positive direction.
People Who Don't Know What They Want — Drift between opportunities and are easily influenced by others.

Hill strongly favored the first group.

11. The Three Enemies of Decision

Indecision — Failing to choose keeps you stuck.
Doubt — Questioning every decision prevents commitment.
Fear — Fear of consequences can stop you from acting.

Together, Hill argued, these create a cycle: indecision → doubt → inaction.

12. The Four Steps to Developing Persistence

Definiteness of Purpose — Know exactly what you want.
Desire — Want the goal strongly enough to keep going.
Self-Reliance — Believe you can follow through.
Definiteness of Plans — Have a practical strategy for moving forward.

Persistence, in Hill's view, becomes easier once you have a compelling goal paired with a clear plan.

13. The Four Steps of the Master Mind

Definite Purpose — The group needs a shared objective.
Harmony — Members must cooperate rather than constantly compete.
Complementary Knowledge — Different people contribute different strengths.
Collective Intelligence — The group can produce ideas and solutions beyond what one person could create alone.

14. The Five Forms of Fear's Influence

Indecision — Fear makes choosing difficult.
Doubt — Fear causes you to question your abilities.
Worry — Fear repeatedly focuses your attention on negative outcomes.
Procrastination — Fear encourages you to delay uncomfortable action.
Inaction — At its extreme, fear prevents you from acting altogether.

15. The Six Steps for Turning Desire Into Wealth

Hill's practical, step-by-step formula from Think and Grow Rich for converting a desire for money into a definite objective.

Determine the Exact Amount — Decide precisely how much money you want.
Determine What You Will Give — Define the value, service, or effort you will exchange for it.
Set a Definite Date — Establish a specific deadline for achieving the goal.
Create a Definite Plan — Develop a concrete strategy and begin immediately.
Write a Clear Statement — Put your goal, deadline, exchange, and plan into writing.
Read It Twice Daily — Review it regularly while visualizing yourself already possessing the desired result.

Synthesis: The Big Picture

Taken together, these fifteen lists reduce to a fairly simple cycle:

Know what you want → Believe you can achieve it → Learn what you need → Make a plan → Decide → Act → Persist → Learn from failure → Work with others → Control fear and emotion.

For a practical self-audit in Hill's own framework, the five most useful lists to study together are:

List Question it answers The Six Basic Fears What is holding you back? The Thirty Causes of Failure What behaviors are sabotaging you? The Thirteen Principles What should you actively develop? The Sixteen Lessons How do you build a complete success philosophy? The Eleven Leadership Qualities How do you become more effective with people?

Read in sequence, they form a workable audit: identify your fears, identify your weaknesses, choose the principles you need, and turn them into daily habits.

Compiled as a reference report on Napoleon Hill's major frameworks. Wording and item counts vary somewhat between editions of his original works.