So I often look into self help books and this is one I perused lately. My conclusion:
Though all the points (made 85 years ago) are still valid and helpful, some are a little situational.
1. Letting someone else talk- no some people are mongoloid and nothing salvageable can be gleaned from their verbal diarrhea.
2. Telling someone they have a talent in order to help them improve is a straight up lie sometimes and often the brutal truth will help them more. Instead of telling someone who is obviously a bad dancer "You have raw talent and just need practice to be great" you could say, "I like your passion and energy, and with a lot of hard work you could improve especially if you can find the style of dance that fits you best." In other words, sorry to break this to you chief but you dance like a rotten potato on heals, but there's a thousand styles of dance so try some of them out, you could get lucky.
I found myself saying this to someone who was so bad at art I honestly knew 5-yr olds who drew better without practice, including me. I told them, "you've been practicing this style for a while and you're still struggling, you just need to find a style of art that matches your natural talent." In other words, you suck at this dude, stop wasting your time and try something else. Wow, what a sociopath I am.
3. It feels like most people around me are using most of these techniques most of the time and I clearly do without ever having read this book before. So conversations seem a little fake and disingenuous because I can see through these techniques and my ego is bulletproof by now. The honest truth is, "what do you want from me, what do I want from you, and how can we come to an agreement that maximumly benefits me without offending you."
4. Here's one they touch on but I use a lot: give someone direction in the conversation while secretly guiding them to make the statement or conclusion you want them to make so that to them it will feel like their idea. I had a boss who would snub every one of my ideas--this place was toxic. I learned that my boss would accept answers from this other guy without question. One day I told this guy an idea of mine that the boss has already snubbed and asked him to mention it as if it was his own idea. He did and the boss loved it. He didn't even listen to me obviously. So later he came to me with a stupid idea and through a combination of compliments and redirecting him, I made him make a conclusion that was actually useable. How? "I heard you mention this previously and I thought it was a great idea..." or "Hey, you're a smart guy, so I'm sure you thought about this..." or "I know you already know this but can you help me understand..." or "you need to share some of your great ideas [interject misinterpreted retarded words he actually used but in such a way that they actually make sense]. The guy was puddy in my hands after that. Still hated him, still got out of there.
Anyway, yall are like puppies, not at all what I expected from chan-life, practical, intelligent, even anon is cool, so none of this crap is even necessary. You're awake. Man I've known some heavy sleepers.
Anyway thanks for being you, now follow my advice and don't fuck it all up ffs you racist lolicon mongoloid bastards. (Not you Tamamuwu, you seem normal, Ashley finds your posts darling and the Cat pics are above and beyond.) Man, how did Alice let a normie in here?