It’s been a few weeks, but the secret plan to take over the world is back. I don’t think the plan needs any introduction after the first post, but I’ll briefly recap.
From the blog post on 9/9:
“As that student seeks out different methods of improving himself, he comes across a “self-help” book titled, How to Win Friends and Influence People. At first glance, the book seems like it’s not something you want to be seen reading, but upon further research, the student discovers how critically acclaimed it is… The entirety of the book is very structured in the sense that each chapter (If I remember correctly) is a different method of influencing people, so I’ll emulate this post after that and potentially split the blog into parts.”
Now that that’s done, we’ll continue with lesson 3.
- Remember Their Name
We all know how difficult it is to remember someone’s name after first meeting them. Now, picture a time when someone remembered your name after you first met them
(especially those of you with “difficult” names. How did that person remembering your name make you feel? For most people, someone remembering their name makes them feel special and important. In the book, Carnegie writes, “ Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
- Be Genuinely Interested in Other People
I found this one interesting because it highlighted a nuance of conversation that I didn’t really notice much: soliloquies. I’m not necessarily using that word because it fits the context, but I felt it was the best word to describe the situation. While we may not admit it, we love to talk about ourselves. Consequently, people believe you like them when you ask questions about themselves.
Carnegie writes, “You make more friends in two months by becoming genuinely interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” If you break it down, you should listen 75% and only speak 25% of the time.”
- Know the Value Of Charm
As college freshmen, we’ve been through numerous experiences that called on our use of charm. I’m sure you charmed your way to a few bonus points back in high school or charmed a parent for some new technology. Either way, we’ve subconsciously recognized the value of charm in all our lives.
With that said, the biggest takeaway from this aspect of the book was that people would rather spend time with someone they want to be around. That takeaway seems incredibly intuitive, but it serves as a constant reminder, especially considering the applications that such a realization has. Take jobs for example, studies show that recruiters would rather hire individuals they like being around and have mediocre skills over individuals they don’t like being around and have superb skills.
Yet again another very useful piece of work! Very well described and a great way to implement it into your plan to “take over the world”, that in itself intrigued me to find out more. But the fact that you cut down parts of a book to small paragraphs is awesome! Keep at it!
I really really enjoy your blog due specifically to its usefulness in understanding human behavior and societal interaction. I love how you give summaries on the many different lessons of interaction, and this week I specifically liked the “Remember their name”. I personally recognize the importance of this myself, and know the feeling when someone remembers my name. Keep up the good work!