The Six Ways used for Influencing People
This is the First Post for the Blog Secrets of a Whole Lot of Things for Making Your Life a Success.
Recently on one quiet evemomg the imperturbable Gurrie and I were perusing Lord Chesterfields letters and the nugget that appealed to him, probably because he practiced it, was this –
“Learning is acquired by reading books but the much more necessary learning, which is knowledge of the world, is acquired by reading men and studying their various facets. You have to look into people as well as at them and take the tune of the company around you.”
That got us into discussing stuff regarding how most men and women resorted to one or more methods to influence others to help get their way or crudely put, control them.
We listed some half dozen methods used by smart or clever folk to get their way. Here is a look at these one by one.
One. At the bottom of the list is Selfishness and Sex and the quid pro quo thing. You buy guys with money, favors and even use women or women use you. Basic low level cheap stuff which sadly is much too common and too rampant since the beginning of time.
Two. Slightly above comes the ‘Bullying’ method to brow beat. Here the guy uses ‘Accusation’ or ‘Challenge’ and even ‘Threatens’ one to get his or her way. All crude and rather common place for the martinet types.
Three. Now we come to the refined levels where guys use ‘Generosity or Liberality’ and that coupled with ‘Politeness’ to captivate and charm. These never fail to attract and please one and all.
Four. Lots more refined than the above is the method of ‘Harmony’ used by the cleverer guys where they seem to be aligned with your views and values but ever so slowly and most subtly they gradually shift the view point to which they are more attuned.
Five. Next comes ‘Humor’. Like ‘Harmony’ this needs great finesse because Humor is never the telling of jokes or the dirty stuff. Indeed, and this is what Gurrie loved to repeat over and over again because it is so difficult to get, ‘Humor is seeing the ludicrous in the serious’. And one should seldom resort to it until one is able to wholly master this subtle and sublime art.
Six. Here come those emotions most commonly used consciously or unconsciously to get one’s way in this world. These are ‘Interest’, ‘Sympathy’ and ‘Kindness’. All very easy to apply but sadly not that widely or commonly employed. That is the sorrowful part because they cost so little and do so much. More importantly they add value to life.
Did not the guy say, “If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive!”
So, lets look around and see how these are being used by one and all to get their way in life and all over the world. These help make the difficult easy! Why not take recourse to at least the Numbers Five and Six.
And so Adieu till next time.
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