In the process of clearing my shelves of yellowing and long-neglected tomes I came across a good old book that I bought about twenty years ago and have browsed through from time to time ever since, namely, **Psycho-Cybernetics** by Maxwell Maltz M.D.

<center>![psycho-cybernetics.jpg](https://images.hive.blog/DQmQjD1KBCYd7Ccn6Tc8p3hfwCJNcSHshxr6eXSBHSPCJGn/psycho-cybernetics.jpg)</center>


I was thinking about discarding it as there is a new Kindle edition available with additional commentary by Matt Furey (see https://www.psycho-cybernetics.com/ ). But the pages of my copy are still white and the typeface is very clear so it wasn't long before I found myself reading the first chapter all over again. This book is a "keeper" - at least for now - and part of my "living library"...

## Who Was Maxwell Maltz? ##

If you are not familiar with Maxwell Maltz and his concept of "psycho-cybernetics", here's a brief overview.

Maltz (1899-1974) was a plastic surgeon who wrote a book titled "New Faces - New Futures" that documented the case histories of patients for whom facial plastic surgery *"had opened the door to a new life"*.

However, his success rate was not 100%, not because he botched the surgery, but because some patients *"continued to feel inadequate and expressed feelings of inferiority."*

Maltz concluded that *"reconstruction of the physical image itself was not 'the' real key to changes in personality."* He continues:

*"It was as if personality itself had a 'face.' This non-physical 'face of personality' seemed to be the real key to personality change."*

## The Self-Image and Cybernetics ##

Maltz referred to this non-physical face of personality as the "self image" and set about seeking a method that would effectively change the self image to a more positive and self-affirming orientation.

His search led him to the cybernetics scientist, Dr. Norbert Weiner, who developed automatic aim-and-fire technologies for anti-aircraft guns from which he developed an interest in cybernetics, artificial intelligence and robotics.

The key concept of cybernetics is the feedback-loop that enables systems - whether machines or minds, to turn outcomes of actions into inputs for further actions. 

One example of this process that Maltz uses in Psycho-Cybernetics is the servo-mechanism that controls a guided missile. Guided missiles hit their targets by constantly correcting their course in response to feedback that shows the current path, if maintained, would miss the target. In other words, a guided missile "succeeds" by making numerous errors which the servo-mechanism corrects until it hits the target.


<center>![guidedmissile.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmNNJcdBQZAVFQdh5ekp56D2i2VwbRLTYALv5Pisad3PKj/guidedmissile.png)</center>


There are two types of servo-mechanisms, Maltz notes, one that is used when the location of the target is known, and another which is used when the location is not known.

The two types of servo-mechanism are used by Maltz as metaphors for the two ways that the brain seeks answers to problems.

However, the servo-mechanisms of the brain, be they never so good, will fail, or rather, will not be used to their full potential, if we lack a positive self-image and the imagination and the supporting habits to enable them to chase challenging targets.

And that process of "enabling" your mental servo-mechanisms to work to their full potential is what the rest of the book is about.

If you haven't read it before, Psycho-Cybernetics is well worth reading.

Cheers for now!

David Hurley
#InspiredFocus

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