The Power of the Eye
The most potent means of influencing others - The
reasons - The trained eye, a powerful weapon - Mental vibrations
conveyed by the eye - Its power over wild beast and savages - Steady
gaze almost unbearable - Proper use of the eye - Fascination and
hypnotic attraction - The magnetic gaze - The beginning of the
interview - How to use the eye to command attention - How to hold
attention - How to regain attention - Get what you want before you
leave - Self-protection - How to prevent others from influencing you
- How to say "No!" - How to give suggestions.
The eye is one of the most potent means of influencing others. It
not only serves to hold the attention of the person to whom you are
talking, thereby rendering it easier to impress your suggestions
upon him; but it is also a power in itself, which when properly used
is the means of impressing your will upon another. It attracts,
fascinates, and holds spellbound the Active partner, and gives you a
chance to talk with the easy-going brother. The eye of the man, who
has mastered the law of mental control, is a powerful weapon. It
conveys the strong mental vibrations direct to the mind of the other
party, at short range. You have heard of the power of the human eye
over wild beast and savages, and many of you have met with men who
seemed to look clear through you and whose steady gaze was almost
unbearable. I will give you a few exercises, in our next lesson,
which will aid you in acquiring what is known as the "magnetic
gaze," a most important acquisition for the student of personal
influence. In this lesson, I will assume that you have already
acquired the "magnetic gaze." The proper use of the eye, in
interviews with other persons, will enable you to exert an influence
over them something akin to fascination or hypnotic attraction. This
is the result of strong mental vibrations conveyed at short range by
means of the magnetic gaze of the trained eye.
You, of course will be governed by the circumstances of each
particular case, and it is difficult to give you general directions
applicable to all cases. You must adapt these general instructions
to suit the emergence of each particular case as it arises.
One of the most important things about the beginning of an
interview is that you should look the other person squarely in the
eye, with a firm, steady "magnetic gaze." You need not stare at him,
but your gaze must be steady and firm, and indicative of strong will
power and concentration. During the conversations you may change the
direction of your gaze, but whenever you make a proposition,
statement or request, or whatever you wish to impress him strongly,
you must direct a firm, steady magnetic gaze towards him, looking
him straight in the eye. This is highly important and must not be
neglected. When you are talking business, have an earnest,
determined look or manner and hold the other man's attention. If you
have a request to make, make it in a clear, dignified, earnest
manner, keeping your eyes fixed upon his, and willing at the same
time that he will do as you say. By all means prevent him from
looking away from you at this point. You must hold his attention at
all hazards. If you have his whole attention, the Active brother,
will be too engrossed to bother about his easy brother, and the
latter will draw near and hear what you are saying. If the other
party avoids your gaze, you can sometimes regain his attention by
looking away yourself (watching him all the time out of the corner
of your eye) and as soon as he finds that you are looking the other
way he will be opt to steal a glance at you. You must watch for this
stolen glance, and the moment you find his eye turned towards your
face you must quickly turn you eye and give a quick, sharp
determined look, keeping your eyes fastened upon his, and holding
his look by an effort of the will. Right there is a good point for
you to drive in your little nail. You have him at a disadvantage,
and the psychological moment has arrived for driving in a strong
suggestion.
If you cannot get him to look at you in the way above mentioned,
it is a very good plan to have something to show him; a sample,
picture, or some other object ascertaining to your business. You
will find that after he looks at the object shown him, he will raise
his eyes to yours. He will do this every time, and you must be ready
for him with a firm, magnetic gaze and a strong suggestion. If you
can keep a mans attention, and can manage to look squarely at him
during the interview, you will surely influence him to a greater or
lesser extent; unless he is well posted on this subject in which
case it will be very difficult to influence him by direct means.
Very few people, however, possess this knowledge and you need not
figure that element into the ordinary calculation. You may find that
the other man will begin to feel that you are gaining some sort of
influence over him, and he may in self-defense endeavor to terminate
the interview. This you must not permit, for you have gained an
influence and you must follow it up. Do not leave him until you get
what you came for.
In this connection it may be well to suggest to you that,
inasmuch as it is difficult for anyone to reason or deliberate
clearly whilst they are under the influence of the magnetic gaze of
another, it will be well for you to guard yourself against the use
of this power at the hands of anyone else possessing the secret. You
must preserve a positive mental attitude when you find that someone
is trying to influence you, and hold the thought, firmly, that you
are strong and beyond such influence. This mental attitude will
protect you and you must, of course, reverse the instructions given
you for influencing others. If a man is endeavoring to interest you
in a proposition, do not allow him to hold your gaze uninterruptedly
during the conversation. You may without seeming to avoid his gaze,
look away reflectively at intervals, in an easy way. This will give
you time to reflect a little, and maintain your balance. When he
makes you a proposition, look away from him in a deliberative manner
as if you are carefully considering every word that he is saying. If
he manages to drive in a sudden suggestion, or proposition, when he
holds your eye, do not answer him until you have taken your eyes
away for a minute and regained your positive balance. Then, if your
answer is "No," look him square in the eye with a positive glance
and say your "No," firmly and deliberately, but of course politely.
When in doubt, say "No." Keep a sharp lookout for insidious
suggestion given at a psychological moment, for this is where much
of the danger lies. Let your own "Active partner" be alive to his
duties and do not let the other fellow get in a word with your
Passive partner. They will want to get a word with each other, but
you must put down your Active foot on it. The man, who is doing the
talking, if he understands his business, always is the positive
factor in a conversation, whilst the listener is more or less
passive. The more intently and earnestly he listens, the more
passive he is. The positive is stronger than the negative, and
people should always be on their guard to avoid having positives
suggestions forced upon them when they are in a negative condition.
You should learn to give suggestions in an earnest, firm;
positive manner, your voice showing that you expect them to be acted
upon, and your mind assuming the belief that such will be the case.
If you have not this desirable quality you should take a few lessons
from some good suggestors, and practice on his subjects. The
experience thus gained will be most useful. It is almost impossible
to convey in a written lesson the manner and tone of voice best
adapted for this purpose, which information I always impart to my
personal classes by means of actual experiments, under my
supervision. If you will form a mental picture of what is implied by
the two words Confident Earnestness, you will be able to grasp the
idea I intend to convey when I tell you to make your suggestions "in
the proper manner." The lesson on Concentration will also aid you in
the respect Our next lesson will be devoted to the "Magnetic Gaze."
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