1960
Psycho-Cybernetics
His classic. It explains the self-image, the success mechanism, mental rehearsal, relaxation and happiness as a habit, with exercises throughout. Still widely read and recommended today.
Learn · Self-image
Maxwell Maltz and Psycho-Cybernetics
The plastic surgeon who discovered that changing someone's face often didn't change how they saw themselves, and wrote one of the most influential books on self-image ever published.
Who was Maxwell Maltz?
Dr Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) was an American cosmetic surgeon in New York. Over years of operations he noticed something surprising: some patients felt transformed after surgery, while others still felt ugly or inferior even when the change was dramatic. Their outside had changed, but their inner picture of themselves hadn't.
That led him to study what he called the self-image, and in 1960 he published Psycho-Cybernetics. The book became a huge bestseller and influenced generations of coaches, athletes and self-help authors. Many ideas we now take for granted, such as visualisation, mental rehearsal and the self-image, owe a lot to him.
Maltz's main ideas
The self-image sets your limits
Everyone carries a mental picture of who they are. You act, feel and perform in line with that picture, so lasting change in behaviour needs a change in self-image.
Your built-in success mechanism
Maltz compared the mind to a guided missile, a goal-seeking system that corrects its course automatically. Give it a clear target and it works toward it; give it a negative picture and it works toward that instead.
The theatre of your mind
He recommended spending quiet time each day vividly imagining yourself acting the way you want to, in detail. He believed the nervous system responds to vividly imagined experience much as it does to real experience.
Dehypnotise yourself
Maltz described false beliefs about ourselves as a kind of hypnosis we accepted without question. Change begins when you see those beliefs weren't true and stop obeying them.
Relaxation lets the mind work
Trying too hard creates tension. He taught that the success mechanism works best when you relax and let go of strain.
Happiness is a habit
He saw happiness as a mental habit you can practise by choosing what you focus on, rather than something that depends on circumstances.
The 21-day idea
Maltz observed that it usually took a minimum of about 21 days for people to adjust to a change, like a new face or a lost limb. This is where the popular “21 days to form a habit” idea comes from.
About those 21 days
Maltz said a minimum of about 21 days, but the idea is often quoted as if 21 days were the rule. Later research on habit formation found it varies a lot from person to person and habit to habit, often taking longer. The lesson is to give your mind daily repetition and keep going even after three weeks.
That's why my RTT clients listen to their personal recording every day for at least 21 days, and keep using it for as long as it helps.
Using Psycho-Cybernetics in daily life
A simple routine inspired by Maltz's book:
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Find a quiet 30 minutes
Sit somewhere you won't be disturbed, close your eyes and relax your body.
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Picture the new you
See yourself acting the way you want to: calm in the meeting, confident on the date, free of the habit. Use as many senses as you can.
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Notice the old picture
When a limiting belief comes up, ask: is this really true, or something I accepted long ago?
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Repeat daily
Do it every day for at least three weeks. The new picture becomes familiar.
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Act as if
Take small actions that fit the new self-image, and notice each success.
Maxwell Maltz's books
Psycho-Cybernetics is the one to read. His later books build on the same ideas.
1953
Doctor Pygmalion
His autobiography as a plastic surgeon, later retitled Doctor Psycho-Cybernetics. It tells the stories from his practice that led to his ideas about self-image.
Later work
The Magic Power of Self-Image Psychology
Applies Psycho-Cybernetics to everyday situations, with a focus on building a healthy, realistic self-image.
Later work
Creative Living for Today
Short, practical chapters on living with purpose and confidence and using the success mechanism day to day.
Updated edition
The New Psycho-Cybernetics
A modern update of his work, edited by the Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation with Dan S. Kennedy, adapting his exercises for today's readers.
Ready to update your self-image?
Hypnosis is one of the most direct ways to change how you see yourself. Book a free 20-minute call and let's talk about it.