© Elliot Essman 2005. All rights reserved.

These pages contain the complete text of Human Action, public speaking trainer Elliot Essman's philosophy of human achievement.

Elliot Essman Public Speaking Training
Human Action Table of Contents
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Napoleon Hill in his classic Think and Grow Rich devotes an important chapter to the “Power of Sexual Transmutation.” What this wise and reflective man meant by sexual transmutation, I think, involves something similar to the vectoring of the sex drive toward creative ends that we've been discussing in this chapter. Remember, despite its biological connection, the human sex drive is not something basic, animal, and simple to grasp and understand. It is rich, complicated, many-faceted, and so powerful that it pushes in many, often conflicting directions. What's more, since it is a human drive, the drive differs from human to individual human. I think Napoleon Hill was wise enough to understand this, which is why he doesn't get too specific in telling us how to transmute the drive. An answer or method that suited some of us would fall short for others.

You don't transmute the sex drive by turning to celibacy. The drive represents more than the actual sexual act. Intelligence and reflection as we've seen can make all forms of spontaneous and sexual expression more productive, more regenerating and relaxing. But we can turn this around. That strong drive for sex and Escape can itself generate the passion, and not merely the sensible decision, to achieve. The sensible vectored person is ahead of the person with no control, of course, since the unvectored person either wastes creative energy, becomes dull and goes nowhere, or else sends creative energy into destructive channels. But the passionate vectored person is at the top of the game. That person doesn't stop at cooperating with the Kinetic Human Core and the Trans-Biological Imperative using Dynamic Balance and Human Integration. He or she goes on to tap into and use the mysterious and powerful forces of sex and Escape to reach greater creative heights.

Exercise: Vectoring the Drive

• Let's have fun here. Using an appropriate sheet of paper, draw a large circle in the middle. Within the circle create a symmetrical design, like a mandala. Around the design write in statements that reflect your beliefs, your inner fire, what you want, all the great things you know you are capable of accomplishing.

• Once you are satisfied that the sheet of paper reflects your Kinetic Human Core, fold it up into a paper airplane. A sleek, jet-like design is best. This jet, of course, is an Icon.

• Now it's time to choose a goal. A shelf across the room is good for this. Aim your airplane. Feel the kinetic energy in your arm as you prepare to throw. Feel the importance of the moment. But when the time comes for you to throw, forget everything—just throw.

• If you don't hit the goal, try again. Plan and concentrate if you need to, but at the proper time let the airplane throw itself. You'll get the hang of it.