The Unexpectedly Powerful Life Advice I Found in an Old Get-Rich Book
How to apply the ‘principle of value asymmetry’ in every area of your life
Earlier this year, I stumbled upon a book called The Science of Getting Rich, written by a somewhat obscure author named Wallace D. Wattles back in 1910. While I’m still not sure that I’ll be getting rich any time soon, there’s one principle in the book that has stuck with me — something I’ve found useful not just in the context of wealth creation, but in every area of life.
Wattles writes:
You must so impress others that they will feel that in associating with you they will get increase for themselves. See that you give them a use value greater than the cash value you are taking from them.
Take an honest pride in doing this, and let everybody know it; and you will have no lack of customers. People will go where they are given increase.
I started referring to this as the principle of value asymmetry: In every interaction, aim to “get increase,” as Wattles put it — to provide more value to others than you get back from them. Doing this leverages an important tenet of social psychology: reciprocity. Simply put, most people are compelled to repay what they are given by others.
