How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

As Dale Carnegie explains in his Preface, he wrote How to Stop Worrying and Start Living in response to an existing need. The author recognized that worry was a significant preoccupation for many of the students in his self-development classes. However, when he searched for texts on overcoming the habit of worrying, few existed.

Carnegie’s self-help guide was partially a reaction to the unease caused by a period of significant societal change. The book was released only three years after the conclusion of World War II. The US economy was also slowly recovering from the financial crisis of the Great Depression (1929-1939). In 1948, when Carnegie’s book was published, Americans were still suffering from the trauma of conflict, mass loss of life, and extreme economic austerity. The author’s focus on overcoming worry resonated with readers at a time of uncertainty and heightened anxiety. Carnegie recognized that worry, if left unchecked, caused unhappiness, impacted mental and physical health, and hindered productivity. He aimed to provide readers with practical coping mechanisms to help them regain a sense of control over their lives.

Many of the illustrative examples in Carnegie’s book reflect the era in which it was written. The author frequently references influential figures current to his original readership, including British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and the singer/movie star Gene Autry. The case studies Carnegie selects from ordinary people also highlight the personal challenges men and women faced during this historical period. The effects of the Great Depression are brought to life through tales of individuals like Homer Croy, who lost his business and home and had to start again from scratch. Many other stories recount experiences from World War II. For example, Ted Bengermino’s account conveys how the responsibility of recording the dead and sending their possessions to loved ones pushed him to the point of nervous exhaustion. Meanwhile, the accounts of Robert Moore and Frederick J. Mahlstedt describe the overwhelming fear of death faced by service men during the conflict: Moore in a submarine under attack and Mahlstedt in a Normandy trench. Also common are stories from war widows facing grief, despair, and financial difficulties.

While much of Carnegie’s content resonated with mid-20th-century concerns, much of How to Stop Worrying and Start Living is not confined to any particular era. Carnegie’s references to ancient philosophers such as Socrates and Marcus Aurelius emphasize that worry is a universal experience that humans have grappled with for centuries. Many of the author’s case studies relate to worries common to any historical period, such as fear of mortality, illness, and criticism. Furthermore, many of the ideas and techniques in Carnegie’s book seem surprisingly contemporary—mostly because his work and its incredible success jump-started the self-help genre, much of which still borrows from his writing. The power of positive thinking, the importance of gratitude, focusing on the present, and relaxation methods are concepts that continue to form the basis of current well-being practices.