The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: Summary Review & Takeaways
This is a summary review of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind containing key details about the book.
What is The Code of the Extraordinary Mind About?
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind teaches its readers to think for themselves, question, challenge, and break free of the norms and limiting rules that shackle them to ordinary life. This book challenges its readers to re-code themselves - replacing their old, limiting models that hold them back.
Who is the Author of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind?
Vishen Lakhiani is a Malaysian entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker, of Indian descent. He is the founder and CEO of Mindvalley.
How long is The Code of the Extraordinary Mind?
- Print length: 288 pages
- Audiobook: 9 hrs
What genre is The Code of the Extraordinary Mind?
Self Help, Nonfiction, Personal Development, Psychology, Business
What are key takeaways from The Code of the Extraordinary Mind?
Takeaway #1 Standing Out From The Ordinary Is Good
From childhood we're told how to behave and how to think, then comes peer pressure and fitting in with society which tries to determine how we look and how we live from the number of kids we should have to our marital status, job status, income, home, and personal life. If you're already 'outside of the norm' it means that you're on your way to being extraordinary, continue to transcend the culturescape, don't worry about standing out from the crowd, it's a great thing, not a bad thing!
Takeaway #2 Question The Brules
What's a brule? It's a bullshit rule! These are outdated rules that we follow blindly because we've been told to, sometimes for generations, but that hinder us from following our dreams. Education is a great example, we're told that in order to be successful, to get a well-paying job, we need a University education. Is it true? No, just look at what Steve Jobs created, Richard Branson, Alan Sugar, and many more.
Takeaway #3 Upgrading Your Mind
When it comes to technology you probably update regularly to get the new features, can the same be said of your mind? Consciousness engineering, updating the hardware and software of your mind is required if you seek an extraordinary life. In this case, the hardware is your idea of reality aka your beliefs and the software is your system for living, it includes your habits which determine how well you utilize the software.
Think of your systems for living like apps, they are designed to either solve problems or achieve goals. If an app stops working you update it or replace it for something better. How do you update an app inside of you? Through discovery – Reading, watching, asking others for recommendations etc. Extraordinary people know that they must optimize each of their systems regularly including fitness, spirituality, finances etc and then measure how effective the updated system is. Once upgrades have been carried out, you can start re-coding your mind.
Takeaway #4 Bending Reality
Your happiness needs to be top priority. You might be working to achieve a goal that you think will make you happy next month or next year but whilst still keeping hold of that goal (which might be making you feel stressed at the moment), you need to be sure you're having fun, feeling joy, and being happy right now in this present moment.
Takeaway #5 Blissiplining Yourself
You have probably experienced short bursts of bliss but hit a lot when they go again, you'll be pleased to know that when you have an extraordinary mind that feeling of bliss can be made to last longer but you must discipline yourself to feel it aka blissipline yourself! Feeling blissful starts with feeling grateful so don't skip the gratitude practice.
Takeaway #6 Embracing The Journey To An Extraordinary Life
Goals are important but don't confuse mean goals with end goals. A mean goal is something that society believes we should have to be happy I.e kids, a partner, a large home, a good job. An end goal is something that makes you feel happy, fulfilled, and satisfied, it could be the freedom to travel whenever you want, seeing your novel printed, watching your kids discover their passion. Extraordinary people don't look to the outside world to find the motivation to follow their dreams and reach their goals, they depend on themselves and nothing and no one can stop them on their quest for greatness.
What are the chapters in The Code of the Extraordinary Mind?
Chapter One - Transcend the Culturescape
Chapter Two - Question the Brules
Chapter Three - Practice Consciousness Engineering
Chapter Four - Rewrite Your Models for Reality
Chapter Five - Upgrade Your Systems for Living
Chapter Six - Bend Reality
Chapter Seven - Live in Blissipline
Chapter Eight - Create a Vision for Your Future
Chapter Nine - Be Unfuckwithable
Chapter Ten - Embrace Your Quest
What are good quotes from The Code of the Extraordinary Mind?
“The people making you feel guilty for going your own way and choosing your own life are simply saying, ‘Look at me. I’m better than you because my chains are bigger.’ It takes courage to break those chains and define your own life.” So dare to live your precious days on Earth to their fullest, true to yourself, with open heart and thoughtful mind, and with the courage to change what doesn’t work and accept the consequences. You may find that you can fly farther than you ever imagined.”
“One of the questions I asked Ken was “what’s your vision of an ideal education curriculum for children?” This is what Ken told me: Humanity is flying way under its full potential simply because we do not educate for the whole or complete human being. We educate for just a small part, a slice, a fragment of just what’s possible for us. . . . Because according to the great wisdom traditions around the world—not only do humans possess typical states of consciousness like waking, dreaming, or deep sleep, they also possess profoundly high states of consciousness like enlightenment or awakening—and none of our education systems teach ANY of that. Now, all of these factors I’ve mentioned . . . none of these are rare, isolated, esoteric, far-out, strange, or occult. They are all some of the very most basic and most fundamental potentials of a human being everywhere. They are simply human 101. Yet we don’t educate human 101. We educate something like human 1/10. So yes, I firmly believe that we can bring about health on this planet for the planet and the humans on it if we started educating the whole person with all their fundamental potentials and capacities and skills and stopped this fragmented, partial, broken system that we have now. Consciousness”
“Let’s celebrate our extraordinary ability to evolve emotionally, mentally, spiritually throughout life, taking on new ideas, thoughts, philosophies, and ways of being and living.”
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. IT”
“Have big goals—but don’t tie your happiness to your goals. You must be happy before you attain them.”
“If you want to teach people a new way of thinking, don’t bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will lead to new ways of thinking.
“The people making you feel guilty for going your own way and choosing your own life are simply saying, ‘Look at me. I’m better than you because my chains are bigger.”
“We grow through discomfort or insight. But never through apathy.”
“If you’re chasing the forward gap, the chase will never end. No matter how good life gets, you’ll always be chasing the next idea on the horizon. And just like the actual horizon, you can’t catch it. It will always remain ahead of you. Tying happiness to the attainment of some future goal is like trying to catch up to the horizon. It’s always going to be one step beyond your reach.”
“In all of these situations, chances are you won’t literally think, “I’m not enough.” No, the sneaky thing about this model is that if you have it, it’s hard to admit you have it—or even to realize that it’s there. So instead, you bury it and create a model of reality about the person you’re seeking validation from. Your brain’s meaning-making machine goes into overdrive and you decide: My husband’s such an inconsiderate asshole sometimes. That son of mine really doesn’t appreciate me. My sister doesn’t care about her family—how awful of her. My boss is an unappreciative jerk. This is the most disempowering kind of model to have because you’re blaming outside circumstances for what happens in your life. This model robs you of your own ability to control your life. While you can’t control what others do, you can control how you react to others. In order to be truly unfuck with able, you need to lose your need to seek validation or love from others and to judge them when you perceive that they are not giving you what you need.”
“Stop postponing your happiness. Be happy now. Your thoughts and beliefs do create your reality, but only when your present state is joyful.”
“Lawrence Pearsall Jacks wrote: A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.”
― Vishen Lakhiani - The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed on Your Own Terms
* The summary points above have been sourced and summarized from the book, Amazon, and other online publishers. The editor of this summary review made every effort to maintain the accuracy and completeness of any information, including the quotes, chapters, insights, lessons, and key takeaways.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an impact-driven entrepreneur, author, and investor. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living - 1 Man, 10 Years, 100 Life Goals Around the World, has led him to found Elevate Society and other impact-driven ventures.
