30 pages • 1 hour read
Og MandinoThe Greatest Salesman in the World
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1968A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Nature of Success
Success is a complex idea that means different things to different people, but “failure is always described one way. Failure is a man’s inability to reach his goals in life, whatever they may be” (54). According to The Greatest Salesman in the World, a person must follow 10 scrolls’ principles to overcome failure. Despite the novella’s portrayal of riches, success is not solely about financial gain. Hafid’s adoptive father, Pathros, a rich man, explicitly advises against a money-driven mindset: “Do not aspire for wealth and labor not only to be rich. Strive instead for happiness, to be loved and to love, and most important, to acquire peace of mind and serenity” (20). Furthermore, a successful person celebrates themselves as unique, born to fulfill a greater purpose.
Each of the 10 scrolls contains a unique lesson related to the nature of success and how to achieve it by living up to one’s potential. The scrolls urge their reader to never allow anyone or anything to stand in the way of their goals. In comparing persistence to a desert that eventually ends, the third scroll paints a clear picture of something beyond failure. By replacing bad habits that hinder progress with good habits, it becomes easier to control one’s emotions and live each day with optimism. A successful person does not let past failures hinder them nor past successes stagnate them; they also do not assume that there will be a tomorrow, instead using each day to its fullest. While experiencing doubt is natural, indulging in it is a bad habit: Hafid struggles with doubt before a courageous sparrow inspires him to seize the day. This emotion must be overcome with humility, acceptance of one’s failures and successes, as well as love for oneself and others. Hafid’s love for Lisha motivates him to pursue sales rather than remain a camel boy, and later, he finds himself motivated by divine power. While his story focuses on success through sales, the scrolls’ principles can be applied to any profession or goal.
The Art and Principles of Sales
The Greatest Salesman in the World is both a guide and a parable designed to help the reader succeed in life. The novella approaches the idea of success through salesmen because their profession can transform someone living in poverty into a wealthy entrepreneur. However, the process is not simple: The 10 scrolls teach sales-related principles that must be learned and lived by. Pathros warns Hafid of these scrolls’ challenges, including the loneliness that comes with a nomadic lifestyle and the temptation that often follows loneliness. It is up to the individual to overcome such obstacles: “Each rebuff is an opportunity to move forward; turn away from them, avoid them, and you throw away your future” (23). In order to face obstacles, a person must be persistent. Pathros imparts this wisdom through the mantra “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough” (26). In other words, he believes success is shaped by ambition, a simplistic idea that ignores differences in privilege and ability. Young Hafid is particularly entrenched in the idea of poverty being the result of “a lack of ability or a lack of ambition” (20), when in reality, physical and mental struggles can inhibit one’s ability to take action.
While imperfect, each of the 10 scrolls seeks to humanize the principles of sales. The second scroll frames love as a tool that can break through the “wall of suspicion and hate” between fellow humans (60). A salesman is often viewed with suspicion, and it is through openness that they can overcome judgment. By giving away half his wealth, as Pathros and the scrolls instruct, Hafid proves to be more than a profiteer. He spends his life building friendships with potential customers, including a positive relationship with his bookkeeper Erasmus. This approach allows him to rise above insults and seek opportunities in unlikely places. Young Hafid’s first act of love, in which he gives a newborn Jesus a red robe, is what makes him worthy of the scrolls’ knowledge. In another telling moment, he overcomes doubt by following the example of a humble sparrow. To be a successful salesman, one must meet every negative emotion with a positive action, thus controlling one’s emotions rather than the other way around. Again, by understanding this cycle, a successful salesperson will be able to rise above insults, as well as capitalize on their unique strengths and prove to be a key person in their marketplace.
Living for Today
Living for today is encouraged by three scrolls, making it particularly important. The first scroll lays the foundation for the others, encouraging the reader to approach each day with optimism: “Today, I shed my old skin which hath, too long, suffered the bruises of failure and the wounds of mediocrity” (51). One’s past should not control their present, especially past failures. To combat the past, one should replace bad habits with good, productive ones. If a person lives by this principle, they will become a source of renewal, spreading it to those around them. They will no longer anticipate failure because doing so often leads to a defeatist mindset and thus an increased chance of failure.
The second scroll dictates the importance of living with love and in the present, to be “born again” as a different person with a different perspective (59). Hafid lives with love when he gives his red robe to a newborn Jesus, knowing he might be sacrificing his own future. Through this selfless act, he is recognized as Pathros’s successor and receives his scrolls. The fifth scroll stresses the need to live for today in the sense of not allowing oneself to dwell on the past or worry about the future: “I will waste not a moment mourning yesterday’s misfortunes, yesterday’s defeats, yesterday’s aches of the heart, for why should I throw good after bad?” (73). This scroll reminds the reader that the past cannot be reversed or relieved and that “tomorrow cannot be known” (74). One should only use the past as a steppingstone but never a crutch. By living this way, one lives with gratitude and strives to make each day their greatest—even if temporary—success.
