The Four Agreements

Synopsis

Don Miguel Ruiz proposes four short agreements — be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, always do your best — as a personal code that gradually undoes the limiting beliefs absorbed in childhood.

Editorial review

Four agreements, pitched as ancient Toltec wisdom, that have helped millions of readers. Skeptical readers will find the framing somewhat loose; the agreements themselves are durably useful and short enough to actually remember.

Key takeaways

• 1

  Words are creative acts — they shape your inner reality before they shape the world.

• 2

  Other people's behavior is rarely about you, even when it appears to be.

• 3

  Most relational pain comes from assumptions you forgot were assumptions.

• 4

  'Always do your best' is itself self-compassionate, because your best changes day to day.