Applied Psychology: Driving Power of Thought

The book opens by treating thought as a real source of energy, arguing that every idea we entertain carries a built‑in impulse that can set our muscles into action. It points to early pioneers such as Prince, Binet and Janet, who first harnessed this vitalizing force for therapeutic purposes, and then urges readers to go further—using the same principle to achieve everyday goals.

From there the author separates the mind’s work into two streams. The sense‑perceptive process gathers raw impressions, while the judicial process interprets them, producing two distinct kinds of thought: causal judgments that ask “why” and classifying judgments that sort experience into categories. A simple illustration follows the infant’s first, vague attempt to link the warmth of a bottle to an unseen cause, showing how even the youngest mind reaches for meaning.

Building on these foundations, the text offers concrete exercises for shaping attention, refining judgments, and channeling mental energy toward personal and business efficiency. Readers learn to recognize the hidden influence of ideas, replace vague impressions with clearer mental pictures, and apply the mind’s “judicial” tools to plan, decide, and act with greater confidence.