hey kings, in this 1937 text by psychologist Henry C. Link, a book Dale Carnegie himself advised people to read, he wrote: “If you want to develop a more pleasing personality, a more effective skill in human relations, let me urge you to read The Return to Religion, by Dr. Henry Link.” I’ll point out the topics from the book, interested to hear your thoughts.
Chapter I: My Return to Religion
Dr. Henry C. Link explains that his return to religion was not caused by depression, aging, or personal misfortune, but by his professional experiences advising thousands of normal people as a psychologist. Though he had lost his faith during his highly intellectual college education, he gradually realized that modern scientific psychology's emphasis on outward action and unselfishness was essentially a rediscovery of traditional religious teachings.
Chapter II: I Go to Church
The author admits that he attends church despite disliking many aspects of it, primarily because it requires the discipline of doing something he does not want to do. He argues against the psychological trend of solving problems through endless introspection or psychoanalysis. Instead, he asserts that a healthy personality is built through action and good works, mirroring the Biblical principle that "faith without works is dead" and that one must lose their life to find it.
Chapter III: The Achievement of Happiness
Happiness is achieved by developing extroverted (unselfish) habits, which involve expending energy outward toward other people and dealing with the world actively. Conversely, introversion involves hoarding energy, withdrawing from unpleasant tasks, and prioritizing immediate selfish desires, which ultimately leads to emotional instability. Link compares the psychological process of continuous effort required to move from natural, selfish infancy to active extroversion to the religious concept of being "born again".
Chapter IV: Fools of Reason
Link warns against the glorification of pure intellect, arguing that reason is a tool for living, not an end in itself. Individuals who over-analyze often paralyze themselves with logic, destroying the foundational beliefs necessary to navigate life. He argues that a fundamental, even irrational, faith in God is necessary; without it, people become dupes to pseudo-scientific fads, intellectual excuses, and political panaceas.
Chapter V: Wine at Weddings
Using Christ’s social miracle at Cana as a metaphor, Link emphasizes the importance of participating in cooperative social activities. He strongly advocates for activities like playing bridge, dancing, a serving job, because they force individuals to practice tact, subordinate their own selfish impulses, and pay meticulous attention to the pleasure of others. He also praises the successful businessman, noting that the act of organizing workers and serving customers requires a high degree of unselfish, extroverted character.
Chapter VI: Children Are Made
Link sharply criticizes "progressive" education and the modern parental trend of allowing children to choose their own religion and express their whims freely. His psychological testing reveals that children who attend Sunday School, are forced to do chores they dislike, and participate in competitive sports develop far superior personality traits. Parents must use unreasoning discipline and the absolute moral authority of religion to force children to overcome their natural laziness and build character.
Chapter VII: Love and Marriage
Dismissing the psychoanalytic obsession with sex, Link argues that character, unselfishness, and the mechanics of cooperative living are the true foundations of a successful marriage. Psychological studies show that happily married couples are significantly more extroverted, emotionally poised, and socially active, while divorced individuals tend to be more introverted and self-centered. Marriage itself is an extroverting obligation that forces two imperfect individuals to unite and struggle for perfection.
Chapter VIII: Social Planning
The desire to radically change the social order or the economic system often stems from an individual's "inferiority complex" and their personal failure to master their own immediate environment. Link opposes social reforms that relieve individuals of their personal responsibilities, arguing that such paternalism destroys character. He asserts that Christ was a reformer of men, not a social reformer, and that a better society can only be built by demanding more of individual characters, not by changing the economic system.
Chapter IX: The Vice of Education
Prolonged formal education can become a "vice of absorption," where students spend years passively reading and listening without producing anything or facing reality. Psychological evidence shows that higher education does not generally improve personality and can actually deteriorate it by fostering intellectual arrogance and introversion. Furthermore, the educational idol of the "liberal mind" dangerously strips youth of traditional moral restraints without replacing them with compelling new ideals.
Chapter X: The Abundant Life
The true "abundant life" cannot be defined by a guaranteed $2,500 income, material wealth, or government-provided security, but only by the individual's character and active habits. Link praises the rigorous, enforced discipline of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps for building character through hard work and shared adversity. He warns that the national obsession with "getting something for nothing"—whether through gambling, radical wealth redistribution, or avoiding work—is a form of covetousness that will ultimately rot the American character.
