The 10 Best Business Books for Entrepreneurs (2024)

Have you ever read the book ‘Think & Grow Rich’?

If you’re a regular visitor to Wealthy Gorilla, then you definitely should have read the book by now!

Think & Grow Rich was written by Napoleon Hill and is considered to be one of the best self-development books of all time.

The book teaches the 13 principles of turning your desires into riches and contains hundreds of golden nuggets you can use to transform your life…

The 30 Major Causes of Failure

Within one of the chapters of Think & Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill lists the 30 major causes of failure. These are the reasons why 99% of people are failing in their lives.

The purpose of featuring and explaining these ‘major causes of failure’ within this article, is to show you why people fail, and how you can avoid doing the same thing in your own life.

Here are the 30 major causes of failure as described by Napoleon Hill:

1. Unfavourable Hereditary Background

The reason why this was put first on the list, was because Hill says it’s one of the toughest issues for people to overcome.

This basically means that someone is perhaps not naturally intelligent, and lacks certain brainpower. They can take all the measures needed to improve their knowledge and become smarter, but they are still at a disadvantage.

2. Lack of a Well Defined Purpose in Life

If you don’t have a definitive goal that you’re setting out to achieve, a purpose that you’re trying to fill, you won’t become successful. You have nothing to hit, nothing to aim at. And therefore your direction is unidentified.

Summary

Here’s a recap on the 30 major causes of failure from Think & Grow Rich:

1. Unfavourable Hereditary Background
2. Lack of a Well Defined Purpose in Life
3. Lack of Ambition to Aim Above Mediocrity
4. Insufficient Education
5. Lack of Self-Discipline
6. Ill Health
7. Unfavourable Environmental Influences During Childhood
8. Procrastination
9. Lack of Persistence
10. Negative Personality
11. Lack of Controlled Sexual Urge
12. Uncontrolled Desire for ‘Something for Nothing’
13. Lack of a Well Defined Power of Decision
14. One or More of the Six Basic Fears
15. Wrong Selection of a Mate in Marriage
16. Over-Caution
17. Wrong Selection of Associates in Business
18. Superstition & Prejudice
19. Wrong Selection of a Vocation
20. Lack of Concentration of Effort
21. The Habit of Indiscriminate Spending
22. Lack of Enthusiasm
23. Intolerance
24. Intemperance
25. Inability to Cooperate With Others
26. Possession of Power Not Acquired Through Self-Effort
27. Intentional Dishonesty
28. Egotism & Vanity
29. Guessing Instead of Thinking
30. Lack of Capital

How many major causes of failure have you been guilty of? Leave a comment below.