Speaker 1: Direct personal influence. In the last chapter I spoke of
the effect of mental atmospheres with which people may indue
surround themselves. You will notice that in my discussion of
that part of the subject, I spoke only of the
general influence exerted upon others, and not of the direct
personal influence exerted by one man upon another in personal intercourse.
The present chapter in those following it shall be devoted
to the part of the subject just referred to the
direct personal influence, the silent mental conflict. As I have
told you elsewhere, every time two people meet, there ensues
a silent mental conflict or struggle for supremacy, from which
one or the other emerges a victor, and which victory
is fully recognized by both of the parties. To the preceding.
The mental struggle is usually the combat between the general
mental powers of the two, without regard to special mental
states induced at the time. But the man who is
skilled in the art of mental fascination goes further than this,
for he recognizes that he may concentrate his menative energy
into different shape and form, and focus the force of
his mental imagery direct upon the other person. With such
force and power that the second person will have a
similar mental state induced in him along the lines familiar
to the students of this book, the lines of operation.
This direct personal influence operates along the lines of both
desire force and will power. Of course, I have explained
elsewhere how the will power may be used to awaken
desire in another and how it may also capture the
will of the second person. I have also explained how
desire force induces a similar desire in the second person,
and also how it is often used to captivate the
will of the other person. It is not necessary for
me to repeat these things. You are supposed to be
fully acquainted with them from your study of this book
and mental magic, and so I shall proceed to a
consideration of the instruments of expression of personal influence and
the methods usually employed by those using it, the instruments
of expression. These instruments of expression may be classified as follows.
One suggestive instruments, consisting of a the suggestive manner, and
b the suggestive tone, and c the suggestive word. Two
the instrument of the eye, three the instrument of the touch.
And all of these three forms are of course merely
the instruments by which and through which the mind expresses
itself the channel through which pours the menative energy. Let
us consider them in the above order suggestive instruments. I
will ask you now to turn to my chapter on
mental suggestion in my work on Mental Magic. You will
see there and stated the active principles of mental suggestion,
with which you should thoroughly familiarize yourself, for I shall
not repeat the instructions in this book. You will see
there that suggestion is the outward symbol of the inward
mental state, and that it is the inner state that
gives vitality to the suggestion. Get this idea fixed firmly
in your mind, and always think of the force behind
the suggestion. I have explained to you also that when
one receives a suggestion through a physical agent, he has
induced in himself the mental state corresponding to the one
originating that physical suggestion. For example, if you feel yourself
filled with confidence, energy and fearlessness, your outward appearance will
reflect that inner state, and the outer appearance will become
a suggestion to others. These others will instinctively feel that
your inner state is as I have stated, and this
being so, a physical suggestion made stronger than you usual,
will produce a deeper impression on others than would any
ordinary suggestion the suggestive manner. In view of the above,
you will see why it is that those familiar with
the subject deem it important to cultivate the suggestive instruments.
Beginning with a the suggestive manner, you will see why
it is that we are impressed with the manner of
a man who manifests energy, self confidence, and power in
every motion. And also why we have confidence in a
man whose manner indicates that he is a person used
to being trusted by others, accustomed to having confidence reposed
in him. And so I might mention hundreds of examples
tending to show that if a man's manner conveys the
impression that he is used to being treated in a
certain way, and that he is accustomed to acting in
a certain way, we are very apt to accept the
suggestion of manner and fall into line with the rest
of people. And if the man happens to be a
good act we may be imposed upon and fooled by
his suggestive manner. The rule works both ways. Not only
does this law hold good in the case of the
manner and appearance of success, strength, confidence, et cetera. But
it also operates along the lines of the appearance and
manner of failure, weakness, and distrust. Do you not know
of cases wherein you have felt that certain persons were
not worthy of confidence, or were not to be depended
upon where strength of character was required, or were not
likely to succeed. Of course you have, and you acted
upon the suggestion too. An illustration. In illustrating this point,
I have frequently used the illustration of the two dogs,
the one carrying himself in a manner betokening self respect
and an ability to prevent and resent undue liberties, and
the other carrying his tail between his legs in a
manner and appearance indicating that he expected to be kicked
and cuffed. The first dog is almost invariably treated with respect,
even by the most mischievous youngsters, while the second one
almost always invites to himself the kicks, tin cans, and
brick bats of the young hoodlums of the neighborhood. And
this illustration is as true in the case of people
as in the case of dogs. Better take the hint
how to acquire this manner? But you may say, how
is one to acquire the proper suggestive manner. My answer
is that there is but one sure way, and that
is to begin to think out the part, visualize it,
and act it out. You will see the philosophy of
this in my lesson on mental architecture in my work
on mental magic. In other words, if you wish to
convey a suggestive manner of confidence, you must begin to
think confidence from morning until night, and you must also
begin to visualize confidence when you have the chance to
do so. That is, you must make a mental picture
of yourself as manifesting confidence, and you must also begin
to act out the part acting out your part. Now,
about this acting out, I would say that I mean
not only the playing the part in your interviews with people,
but I also mean an actual series of rehearsals in private.
Just as you would do if you were preparing to
play a part on the stage in public, you must
form a mental image of how you would look and
act if you were filled with confidence and were approaching people.
You will find that practice will improve you very much
in this way, and that you will soon acquire a
manner that will be like second nature and will really
serve to give the suggestion of your manner to others
with whom you come in contact. And more than this,
it will actually tend to build up confidence in yourself.
Imagine yourself as approaching strange people, and then act out
the part the best you know how, improving a little
in ease and smoothness of action. Each day. Think of
how the actor on the stage impresses you, and then
remember that the manner was acquired by constant practice and work.
And you may do the same and may manage to
impress other people just as the actor does you. And
what is true in the case of confidence is true
regarding any character that you wish to play. Any and
all characters may be played out in this way, and
an appearance and manner acquired which will give the suggestion
to others. I wish I could make you realize how
much there is in this method. If you could realize
how some men have used it to acquire qualities that
have enabled them to prey upon the public, you would
realize how important it might be for you for legitimate
and honorable use. Practice makes perfect In this acting out,
you must remember that the practice will make you so
perfect that the part will appear natural when you play
it in public, but without practice, an attempt to play
it in public will make one ridiculous. Remember the illustration
of the real actor, and you will have the secret
of acting out. And also remember this that in the
measure that you throw your mind into the part, so
will be your success. When you practice. You must throw
your mind into the acting, just as you would if
you were in earnest. It is the mind back of
it all. Remember the suggestive tone. The suggestive instrument is
the suggestive tone. This too may be acquired by acting out.
You must practice until you are able to express your
meaning with feeling that all who hear may be impressed.
You should begin your practice by choosing some simple words
in everyday use good morning, for instance. Try it now
and see how roughly, clumsily and crudely you give the
morning greeting. Then try to imagine that you are full
of good, cheer, energy and brightness, and then throw your
feeling into your good morning, and see how different it seems.
Practice this a while, and you will soon acquire a natural, cheery,
bright and invigorating tone when you say good morning. You
will not need a teacher in elocution to tell you
how to do this, try to feel the part, and
you will express it naturally. Make your feelings more flexible,
and your tones will reflect them. After you have mastered
the simpler terms of expression, work up to larger sentences
and speeches. Try them on the chairs in your room,
in imagining that people are seated therein speak to them
feelingly and with expression. Until you acquire the art, you
will not realize how much you may gain by such
practice until you actually try it. I wish that you
could hear the testimony of some people to whom I
have taught this thing the importance of it. There is
no nothing more important in personal influence than a good
suggestive tone. Think of the people that you know, and
then remember what an influence their voices have on you,
not only the quality of the voice, but the tone.
You readily recognize the difference between the tone of the hesitating, timid,
self doubting person and that of the confident, self reliant individual.
There is a subtle vibration about the tone of the
latter that causes one to feel confidence and respect, and
which exects obedience in a quiet, calm way, devoid of
bluster or rant. Read what I have said on this
subject in my lesson on personal influence, in my work
on mental magic, examples of its use. If you will
read the part of the present book dealing with psychological experimentation,
you will see that much depends upon the tone. You
will see that when you say to a subject you can't,
the tone in which you say can't goes a long
way toward producing the response. And so it is with
the suggestive tone. No matter what it is made to express,
it always impresses upon one that the speaker using it
means what he says. And that is why many public
men practice year after year in mastering this instrument of influence,
the suggestive tone. Again, I would refer you to the
example of the actor. See how he manages to throw
feeling into his tone, and you may do likewise if
you will but practice in earnest and throw your mind
into the work. Think of the thing you wish to express,
visualize it, and then act it out in your tone,
you will be surprised at the rapid progress that you
will make. Remember, always, though the tone is but the
instrument of expression of the mind, back of it, use nerves,
not muscles. Many people make the mistake of speaking with
the muscles instead of with their nerves, as one writer
has expressed it. In other words, they seem to throw
muscular force into their tones instead of nervous energy, and
in so doing they make a great mistake, for the
former has a dull, non penetrating effect, whereas the latter
vibrates subtly and reaches the feeling part of one's mind.
Feel feel, feel when you wish to speak impressively, and
your tones will reflect the same and induce a corresponding
feeling in others. The suggestive word. The third form of
the suggestive instrument is the suggestive word. I may be
able to explain this more clearly when I call your
attention to the fact that each word is a crystallized
In every word, there is an imprisoned thought, And when
you lodge a word in the mind of another person,
the crystal covering is dissolved and the released thought manifests itself.
And this being so, it becomes important for one to
carefully choose the crystallized thoughts or words which he wishes
to implant in the mind of another. I have spoken
of this in my larger work, in my lesson on
mental suggestion, to which I refer you, But I wish
here to say to you again that you should study
words until you are able to distinguish between those which
carry a live, active, feeling thought and those less strong examples.
Take the word strong, for instance, Does it not make
you feel strength when you hear it forcibly and feelingly pronounced.
Take the word kind and see what feelings it arouses
in you. Pronounce the words lion and lamb and see
the different feelings you experience from the differing sounds. Take
the word crash and see how it suggests the crashing, crunching, tearing,
startling thing for which it stands. Compare the sound of
the words rough and smooth, and you will see what
I mean. The only way that I can point out
to you to the use of suggestive words is to
study words themselves. Listen to the words used by others
and note their effect on you. Take a small dictionary
and run over its pages, and you will soon have
a collection of good, strong, effective terms for handy use
when occasion demands. A man does not have to be
highly educated in the usual sense of that term in
order to use strong suggestive words. Some instinctively choose vital
words charged with feeling and such make their words felt.
Think over this matter nutshell instructions and the use of
all the three suggestive instruments. Remember that the object is
to make others feel the mental state you are expressing.
That is the whole thing in a nutshell