Outwitting the Devil: Chapter 9 Summary

Outwitting the Devil: Chapter 9 Summary

Chapter 9: Characteristics of Drifters and Non-Drifters

The Root of All Failure
Drifting represents the most common cause of failure. Drifters become easily manipulated puppets who cannot receive help from the Devil’s opposition because they are “soft and useless” — lacking the mental strength necessary for salvation.

The Economics of Mental Control
Poverty functions as a “contagious disease” found exclusively among drifters, while non-drifters possess most of the world’s wealth. The ability to acquire wealth proves contagious among those who think independently, while drifters acquire only what no one else wants — the scraps of life.

Industrial Leaders: The Devil’s Enemies
Industrial leaders threaten the Devil’s cause by providing infrastructure, technology, and opportunities that encourage independent thought and prevent drifting. Their creations empower human potential and challenge his dominion.

The Drifter’s Profile
Typical drifters exhibit devastating characteristics: total lack of major purpose, absence of self-confidence, inability to accomplish anything requiring thought, spending all they earn, frequent illness, little imagination, no enthusiasm or initiative, emotional instability, un-magnetic personality, opinions without knowledge, lack of cooperation, repeating mistakes, narrow-mindedness, expecting much while giving little, starting many things but completing nothing, criticizing without solutions, avoiding decisions, overeating, avoiding exercise, and tendency toward dishonesty.

The Non-Drifter’s Power
Non-drifters remain always engaged in something definite with well-organized plans and major goals. They exhibit self-confidence, directness, strategic generosity, proactive behavior, honest self-assessment, sharp memory, personal responsibility, and inspire others. Their distinguishing feature: having “a mind of his own and uses it for all purposes.”

The Universal Birthright
The difference between drifters and non-drifters lies in exercising one’s prerogative to use their own mind and think independently — a right equally available to everyone at birth but abandoned by most.

The Cure and the Devil’s Weakness
To cure drifting, one must “wake up and give some form of service useful to as many people as possible.” The Devil admits powerlessness to stop this truth’s publication because he fears truth above all else — revealing his ultimate vulnerability.