I’m reading the classic American, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. You know, the title kind of gives a different impression. Feels like it’d be sort of manipulative in its nature, but actually, I’m very surprised. I mean, I guess he picked the title, of course, to sell the book. But a more appropriate title would be “How to Be an Agreeable Person.” And it’s surprising how much similarity there is with Marcus Aurelius’ meditations, the thoughts of.
Okay, if I really disagree with someone, let me really put myself in the other person’s shoes, and that’s one thing Carnegie probably repeats at least three, two, three times. If there’s one thing you can get away from his book, is try to think more about the other’s perspective, and those are some reflections you really see in Marcus Aurelius when he’s frustrated, I guess, how things are not going the way he wants to go and whatnot. Just seeing internal politics, people’s individual ambitions and desires getting the way of the common good.
And I guess one, let’s say, follow-up thought that comes up while I’m reading Carnegie’s book is, yeah, I mean, he’s talking about being hearty with praise and approval, and I guess one of the things that we often don’t do in our modern culture, in our independent mindset, is we want to try to do things all on our own, and then we forget to, yeah, to work with others, and I guess to work with others and to be really sincere with our praise.
And approval. We need to give other people the opportunity. So, if there’s one rule that I could add to his set of rules, is make opportunities where you can thank others. Make opportunities where you can thank and praise others.