128 THE PRINCIPLES OF SELF-MASTERY
believe they are wise, and "Poor Sinner" on the brow of those who
believe they are saints.
Translated into workaday language, this means that none of us knows
very much, and by the very nature of our being can never know as much
as we need to know in order to live sanely and enjoy life while we live.
Humility is a forerunner of success!
Until we become humble in our own hearts, we are not apt to profit
greatly by the experiences and thoughts of others.
Sounds like a preachment on morality? Well, what if it does?
Even sermons, as dry and lacking in interest as they generally are,
may be beneficial if they serve to reflect the shadow of our real selves
so we may get an approximate idea of our smallness and superficiality.
Success in life is largely predicated upon who we know!
The best place to study the human animal is in your own mind,
by taking as accurate an inventory as possible of yourself. When you
know yourself thoroughly (if you ever do) you will also know much
about others.
To know others, not as they seem to be but as they really are, study
them through:
- the posture of the body and the way they walk
- the tone of the voice, its quality, pitch, volume
- the eyes, whether shifty or direct
- the use of words, their trend, nature, and quality
Through these open windows you may literally "walk right into a
person's soul" and take a look at the real human being!
Going a step further, if you would know people, study them:- when angry
- when in love
- when money is involved