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Speaker 1: Direct personal influence. In the last chapter I spoke of

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the effect of mental atmospheres with which people may indue

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surround themselves. You will notice that in my discussion of

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that part of the subject, I spoke only of the

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general influence exerted upon others, and not of the direct

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personal influence exerted by one man upon another in personal intercourse.

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The present chapter in those following it shall be devoted

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to the part of the subject just referred to the

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direct personal influence, the silent mental conflict. As I have

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told you elsewhere, every time two people meet, there ensues

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a silent mental conflict or struggle for supremacy, from which

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one or the other emerges a victor, and which victory

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is fully recognized by both of the parties. To the preceding.

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The mental struggle is usually the combat between the general

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mental powers of the two, without regard to special mental

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states induced at the time. But the man who is

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skilled in the art of mental fascination goes further than this,

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for he recognizes that he may concentrate his menative energy

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into different shape and form, and focus the force of

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his mental imagery direct upon the other person. With such

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force and power that the second person will have a

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similar mental state induced in him along the lines familiar

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to the students of this book, the lines of operation.

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This direct personal influence operates along the lines of both

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desire force and will power. Of course, I have explained

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elsewhere how the will power may be used to awaken

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desire in another and how it may also capture the

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will of the second person. I have also explained how

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desire force induces a similar desire in the second person,

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and also how it is often used to captivate the

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will of the other person. It is not necessary for

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me to repeat these things. You are supposed to be

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fully acquainted with them from your study of this book

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and mental magic, and so I shall proceed to a

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consideration of the instruments of expression of personal influence and

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the methods usually employed by those using it, the instruments

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of expression. These instruments of expression may be classified as follows.

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One suggestive instruments, consisting of a the suggestive manner, and

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b the suggestive tone, and c the suggestive word. Two

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the instrument of the eye, three the instrument of the touch.

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And all of these three forms are of course merely

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the instruments by which and through which the mind expresses

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itself the channel through which pours the menative energy. Let

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us consider them in the above order suggestive instruments. I

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will ask you now to turn to my chapter on

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mental suggestion in my work on Mental Magic. You will

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see there and stated the active principles of mental suggestion,

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with which you should thoroughly familiarize yourself, for I shall

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not repeat the instructions in this book. You will see

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there that suggestion is the outward symbol of the inward

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mental state, and that it is the inner state that

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gives vitality to the suggestion. Get this idea fixed firmly

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in your mind, and always think of the force behind

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the suggestion. I have explained to you also that when

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one receives a suggestion through a physical agent, he has

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induced in himself the mental state corresponding to the one

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originating that physical suggestion. For example, if you feel yourself

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filled with confidence, energy and fearlessness, your outward appearance will

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reflect that inner state, and the outer appearance will become

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a suggestion to others. These others will instinctively feel that

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your inner state is as I have stated, and this

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being so, a physical suggestion made stronger than you usual,

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will produce a deeper impression on others than would any

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ordinary suggestion the suggestive manner. In view of the above,

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you will see why it is that those familiar with

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the subject deem it important to cultivate the suggestive instruments.

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Beginning with a the suggestive manner, you will see why

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it is that we are impressed with the manner of

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a man who manifests energy, self confidence, and power in

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every motion. And also why we have confidence in a

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man whose manner indicates that he is a person used

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to being trusted by others, accustomed to having confidence reposed

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in him. And so I might mention hundreds of examples

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tending to show that if a man's manner conveys the

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impression that he is used to being treated in a

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certain way, and that he is accustomed to acting in

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a certain way, we are very apt to accept the

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suggestion of manner and fall into line with the rest

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of people. And if the man happens to be a

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good act we may be imposed upon and fooled by

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his suggestive manner. The rule works both ways. Not only

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does this law hold good in the case of the

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manner and appearance of success, strength, confidence, et cetera. But

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it also operates along the lines of the appearance and

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manner of failure, weakness, and distrust. Do you not know

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of cases wherein you have felt that certain persons were

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not worthy of confidence, or were not to be depended

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upon where strength of character was required, or were not

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likely to succeed. Of course you have, and you acted

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upon the suggestion too. An illustration. In illustrating this point,

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I have frequently used the illustration of the two dogs,

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the one carrying himself in a manner betokening self respect

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and an ability to prevent and resent undue liberties, and

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the other carrying his tail between his legs in a

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manner and appearance indicating that he expected to be kicked

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and cuffed. The first dog is almost invariably treated with respect,

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even by the most mischievous youngsters, while the second one

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almost always invites to himself the kicks, tin cans, and

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brick bats of the young hoodlums of the neighborhood. And

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this illustration is as true in the case of people

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as in the case of dogs. Better take the hint

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how to acquire this manner? But you may say, how

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is one to acquire the proper suggestive manner. My answer

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is that there is but one sure way, and that

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is to begin to think out the part, visualize it,

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and act it out. You will see the philosophy of

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this in my lesson on mental architecture in my work

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on mental magic. In other words, if you wish to

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convey a suggestive manner of confidence, you must begin to

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think confidence from morning until night, and you must also

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begin to visualize confidence when you have the chance to

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do so. That is, you must make a mental picture

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of yourself as manifesting confidence, and you must also begin

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to act out the part acting out your part. Now,

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about this acting out, I would say that I mean

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not only the playing the part in your interviews with people,

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but I also mean an actual series of rehearsals in private.

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Just as you would do if you were preparing to

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play a part on the stage in public, you must

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form a mental image of how you would look and

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act if you were filled with confidence and were approaching people.

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You will find that practice will improve you very much

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in this way, and that you will soon acquire a

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manner that will be like second nature and will really

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serve to give the suggestion of your manner to others

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with whom you come in contact. And more than this,

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it will actually tend to build up confidence in yourself.

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Imagine yourself as approaching strange people, and then act out

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the part the best you know how, improving a little

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in ease and smoothness of action. Each day. Think of

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how the actor on the stage impresses you, and then

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remember that the manner was acquired by constant practice and work.

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And you may do the same and may manage to

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impress other people just as the actor does you. And

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what is true in the case of confidence is true

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regarding any character that you wish to play. Any and

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all characters may be played out in this way, and

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an appearance and manner acquired which will give the suggestion

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to others. I wish I could make you realize how

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much there is in this method. If you could realize

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how some men have used it to acquire qualities that

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have enabled them to prey upon the public, you would

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realize how important it might be for you for legitimate

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and honorable use. Practice makes perfect In this acting out,

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you must remember that the practice will make you so

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perfect that the part will appear natural when you play

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it in public, but without practice, an attempt to play

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it in public will make one ridiculous. Remember the illustration

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of the real actor, and you will have the secret

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of acting out. And also remember this that in the

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measure that you throw your mind into the part, so

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will be your success. When you practice. You must throw

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your mind into the acting, just as you would if

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you were in earnest. It is the mind back of

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it all. Remember the suggestive tone. The suggestive instrument is

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the suggestive tone. This too may be acquired by acting out.

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You must practice until you are able to express your

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meaning with feeling that all who hear may be impressed.

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You should begin your practice by choosing some simple words

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in everyday use good morning, for instance. Try it now

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and see how roughly, clumsily and crudely you give the

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morning greeting. Then try to imagine that you are full

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of good, cheer, energy and brightness, and then throw your

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feeling into your good morning, and see how different it seems.

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Practice this a while, and you will soon acquire a natural, cheery,

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bright and invigorating tone when you say good morning. You

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will not need a teacher in elocution to tell you

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how to do this, try to feel the part, and

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you will express it naturally. Make your feelings more flexible,

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and your tones will reflect them. After you have mastered

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the simpler terms of expression, work up to larger sentences

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and speeches. Try them on the chairs in your room,

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in imagining that people are seated therein speak to them

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feelingly and with expression. Until you acquire the art, you

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will not realize how much you may gain by such

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practice until you actually try it. I wish that you

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could hear the testimony of some people to whom I

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have taught this thing the importance of it. There is

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no nothing more important in personal influence than a good

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suggestive tone. Think of the people that you know, and

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then remember what an influence their voices have on you,

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not only the quality of the voice, but the tone.

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You readily recognize the difference between the tone of the hesitating, timid,

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self doubting person and that of the confident, self reliant individual.

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There is a subtle vibration about the tone of the

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latter that causes one to feel confidence and respect, and

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which exects obedience in a quiet, calm way, devoid of

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bluster or rant. Read what I have said on this

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subject in my lesson on personal influence, in my work

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on mental magic, examples of its use. If you will

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read the part of the present book dealing with psychological experimentation,

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you will see that much depends upon the tone. You

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will see that when you say to a subject you can't,

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the tone in which you say can't goes a long

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way toward producing the response. And so it is with

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the suggestive tone. No matter what it is made to express,

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it always impresses upon one that the speaker using it

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means what he says. And that is why many public

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men practice year after year in mastering this instrument of influence,

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the suggestive tone. Again, I would refer you to the

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example of the actor. See how he manages to throw

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feeling into his tone, and you may do likewise if

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you will but practice in earnest and throw your mind

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into the work. Think of the thing you wish to express,

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visualize it, and then act it out in your tone,

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you will be surprised at the rapid progress that you

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will make. Remember, always, though the tone is but the

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instrument of expression of the mind, back of it, use nerves,

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not muscles. Many people make the mistake of speaking with

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the muscles instead of with their nerves, as one writer

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has expressed it. In other words, they seem to throw

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muscular force into their tones instead of nervous energy, and

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in so doing they make a great mistake, for the

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former has a dull, non penetrating effect, whereas the latter

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vibrates subtly and reaches the feeling part of one's mind.

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Feel feel, feel when you wish to speak impressively, and

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your tones will reflect the same and induce a corresponding

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feeling in others. The suggestive word. The third form of

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the suggestive instrument is the suggestive word. I may be

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able to explain this more clearly when I call your

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attention to the fact that each word is a crystallized

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In every word, there is an imprisoned thought, And when

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you lodge a word in the mind of another person,

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the crystal covering is dissolved and the released thought manifests itself.

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And this being so, it becomes important for one to

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carefully choose the crystallized thoughts or words which he wishes

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to implant in the mind of another. I have spoken

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of this in my larger work, in my lesson on

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mental suggestion, to which I refer you, But I wish

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here to say to you again that you should study

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words until you are able to distinguish between those which

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carry a live, active, feeling thought and those less strong examples.

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Take the word strong, for instance, Does it not make

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you feel strength when you hear it forcibly and feelingly pronounced.

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Take the word kind and see what feelings it arouses

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in you. Pronounce the words lion and lamb and see

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the different feelings you experience from the differing sounds. Take

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the word crash and see how it suggests the crashing, crunching, tearing,

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startling thing for which it stands. Compare the sound of

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the words rough and smooth, and you will see what

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I mean. The only way that I can point out

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to you to the use of suggestive words is to

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study words themselves. Listen to the words used by others

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and note their effect on you. Take a small dictionary

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and run over its pages, and you will soon have

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a collection of good, strong, effective terms for handy use

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when occasion demands. A man does not have to be

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highly educated in the usual sense of that term in

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order to use strong suggestive words. Some instinctively choose vital

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words charged with feeling and such make their words felt.

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Think over this matter nutshell instructions and the use of

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all the three suggestive instruments. Remember that the object is

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to make others feel the mental state you are expressing.

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That is the whole thing in a nutshell