KNIGHTED. Oh, life's perennial Knight, Sir Any Man, I sing no Law of Accident or Birth, No Gift of Fortune by Divine Decree. -THE AUTHOR. 66 CHAPTER XXVII. CONTROL OF OTHERS. IF YOU would work on any man, you must either know his nature and fashions, and so lead him; or his ends, and so persuade him; or his weaknesses and disadvantages, and so awe him; or those that have interest in him, and so govern him."Francis Bacon. The preceding directions and illustrations relate to the control of one's self. Will-power is constantly shown to embrace others as well. Here is one of the most interesting of modern subjects of inquiry. This chapter deals with plain matters. Its subject will be treated further in the volume on "The Personal Atmosphere." There are many things in our life that are not elucidated by what some are pleased to call "Common Sense," and these will in part appear in the discussion of that work. At the outset we may observe certain broad principles. Without exception, these principles are possible to the large and determined Will. According to your Will-faith, so be it! GENERAL PRINCIPLES. First Principle-Belief. Genuine belief in the thing in hand makes mightily for success in the contact with others. Said Emerson: "I have heard an experienced counsellor say, that he never feared the effect upon a jury of a lawyer who does not believe in his heart that his client ought to have a verdict. If he does not believe it, his unbelief will appear to the jury, despite all his protestations, and will become their unbelief. This is that law whereby a work of art, of whatever kind, sets us in the same state of mind wherein the artist was when he made it. That which we do not believe, we cannot adequately say though we may repeat the words never so often. It was this conviction which Swedenborg expressed, when he described a group of persons in the spiritual world endeavoring in vain to articulate a proposition which they did not believe; but they could not, though they twisted and folded their lips even to indignation." Second Principle — Confidence. A prime element in personal influence is confidence. Pizarro, the Spanish adventurer, left with one vessel and a few followers on the island of Gallo, where the greatest dangers and suffering had been endured, was offered relief by an expedition from Panama. "Drawing his sword, he traced a line with it on the sand from east to west. Then, turning towards the south, Friends and comrades!' he said, 'on that side are toil, hunger, nakedness, the drenching storm, desertion and death; on this side, ease and pleasure. There lies Peru with its riches; here Panama and its poverty. Choose, each man, what best becomes a brave Castilian. For my part, I go to the south.' So saying, he stepped across the line." And they followed him. Third Principle — Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is also a large factor in the matter. Samuel Smiles wrote very practically: "There is a contagiousness in every example of energetic conduct. The brave man is an inspiration to the weak, and compels them, as it were, to follow him. Thus Napier relates that at the combat of Vera, when the Spanish centre was broken and in flight, a young officer, named Havelock, sprang forward, and, waving his hat, called upon the Spaniards to follow him. Putting spurs to his horse, he leaped the abattis which protected the French front, and went headlong against them. The Spaniards were electrified; in a moment they dashed after him, cheering for 'El chico blanco l' (the fair boy), and with one shock they broke through the French and sent them flying down hill." Fourth Principle - Self-Mastery. Hence the secret of a large control of others is found in the moral mastery of self. It has been well written: "Keep cool, and you command everybody." A recent author quotes a good remark of Clarendon, who said of Hampden: "He was supreme governor over his passions, and he had thereby great power over other men's." Man may be controlled in an ignoble way by studying and ministering to his weaknesses, but a noble use of self-mastery has sublime privilege in exerting good influence over the weak spot and the foible of humanity. In either instance the strong man is that one whose Will is steady and purposeful. Sooner or later, however, men discover their degradation in manipulated weakness, and, resenting the imposition, throw off the yoke, whenever the motive of fear ceases to restrain them. Fifth Principle-Motives. The character of man's influence over his fellows depends upon the motives which he suggests for their action. One may dominate multitudes by fear-Nero ruled Rome as a buffoon and a madman. Or, love may become the controlling force in personal loyalty - Jesus swayed thousands by the inspiration of His Divine goodness. In the one case influence is coercion, ceasing so soon as fear disappears, or assuming such power as to break in desperation with its own dictates; in the other case motives of fidelity are multiplied, and they become stronger as love's gracious spell continues. Sixth Principle-Insight. The control of others demands ability to penetrate their motives and discover their plans. Of Mirabeau it was said: "It was by the same instinctive penetration that Mirabeau so easily detected the feelings of the assembly, and so often embarrassed his opponents by revealing their secret motives, and laying open that which they were most anxious to conceal. There seemed to exist no political enigma which he could not solve. He came at once to the most intimate secrets, and his sagacity alone was of more use to him than a multitude of spies in the enemy's camp. ... He detected in a moment every shade of character; and, to express the result of his observations, he had invented a language scarcely intelligible to any one but himself; had terms to indicate fractions of talents, qualities, virtues, or vices - halves and quarters and, at a glance, he could perceive every real or apparent contradiction. No form of vanity, disguised ambition, or tortuous proceedings could escape his penetration; but he could also perceive good qualities, and no man had a higher esteem for energetic and virtuous characters." This ability may be successfully cultivated. Seventh Principle-Coöperation. Permanent influence over others flows from the enlistment of their strength. The supremest individual power in this respect is gauged by the pleasure which it offers as inducement to surrender, or by the sense of right to which appeal is made for alliance, or by suggestion of highest self-interest as a reason |