THE ART AND SCIENCE OF PERSONAL MAGNETISM/PART 18
CHAPTER 18.
THE MAGNETIC DUEL
The laws of personal magnetism are in accord with the
other laws of nature in recognizing the universal fact that there are various
degrees of power, and that, all else being equal, the stronger power will
prevail over the weaker. But, it is likewise true that the individual, by a
superior knowledge of the art of science of defense and offense, may often
triumph over a superior degree of strength in the other person. This fact is as
true of personal magnetism as it is of physical strength. The skilled magnetic
individual may overcome his stronger adversary, just as the skilled boxer may
overcome a stronger man, or a skilled fencer may disarm and defeat a much
stronger opponent.
The conflict between the opposing magnetism of individuals
is to be seen on all hands everyday. In fact, it has been well said that two
persons never meet but that there is at least a preliminary trial of magnetic
strength. At any rate, no two persons ever meet whose interests are in the
least opposed but that there occurs a little tilt of magnetic strength --
sometimes a quite strenuous test, in fact. And in these tests there always is
one triumphant and one defeated. It is true that the circumstances of the case
sometimes affect the result, and the defeated today may be the victor tomorrow,
but the fact remains, that for the time being, at least, there is always one on
top and the other underneath at the finish of the magnetic duel, be it slight
or serious. One has but to recall incidents in their own experience to
recognize this fact.
Oliver Wendell Holmes recognized this magnetic duel, in
one of his books, when he speaks of “that deadly Indian hug in which men
wrestle with their eyes, over in five seconds, but which breaks one of their
two backs, and is good for three score years and ten, one trial enough -
settles the whole matter - just as when two feathered songsters of the
barnyard, game and dunghill, come together. After a jump or two, and a few
sharp kicks, there is an end of it; and it is ‘After you, monsieur’ with the
beaten party in all the social relations for all the rest of his days.”
Dr. Fothergill, a well-known English Physician, now
deceased, once wrote a little book upon the subject of the will. The good
doctor was a close student of personal magnetism, although he did not choose to
use the term itself in his writings, because of the narrow code of professional
ethics then imposed upon the medical profession in Great Britain. I have
personal magnetism, in theory and practice. I therefore take great pleasure in
quoting from him on the particular subject now before us, as follows: “The
conflict of will, the power to command others, has been spoken of frequently.
Yet what is this will power, which influences others? What is it that makes us
accept, and adopt too, the advice of one person, while precisely the same
advice from another has been rejected? Is it the weight or force of will, which
insensibly influences us, the force of will behind the advice? That is what it
is! The person who thus forces his or her advice upon us has no more power to
enforce it than others; but all the same we do as requested. We accept from one
what we reject from another. One person says of something contemplated, ‘Oh,
but you must not,’ yet we do it all the same, though that person may be in a position
to make us regret the rejection of that counsel. Another person says, ‘Oh, but
you mustn’t,’ and we desist, though we may, if so disposed, set this latter
person’s opinion to defiance with impunity. It is not the fear of consequences,
nor of giving offence, which determines the adoption of the latter person’s
advice, while it has been rejected when given by the first. It depends upon the
character or willpower of the individual advising whether we accept the advice,
or reject it. This character often depends little, if at all, in some cases,
upon the intellect, or even on the moral qualities, the goodness or badness, of
the individual. It is itself an imponderable something; yet it carries weight
with it.
There may be abler
men, cleverer men; but it is the one possessed of will who rises to the surface
at these times - the one who can by some subtle power make other men obey him.
The will-struggle goes on universally. In the young
aristocrat, who gets his tailor to make another advance in defiance of his
conviction that he will never get his money back. It goes on between lawyer and
client; between doctor and patient; between banker and borrower; between buyer
and seller.
It is not tact, which enables the person behind the
counter to induce customers to buy what they did not intend to buy, and which
when bought, gives them no satisfaction, though it is linked therewith for the
effort to be successful.
Whenever two persons meet in business, or in any other
relation in life, up to lovemaking, there is this will-fight going on, commonly
enough without any consciousness of the struggle. There is a dim consciousness
of the result but none of the processes. It often takes years of the intimacy
of married life to find out with whom of the pair the mastery really lays.
Often the far stronger character, to all appearances, has to yield; it is this
will-element which underlies the statement: ‘The race is not always to the
swift, nor the battle to the strong.’ In ‘Middlemarch’ we find in Lydgate a
grand aggregation of qualities, yet shallow, hard, selfish Rosamond masters him
thoroughly in the end. He was not deficient in will power, possessed more than
an average share of character; but in the fight he went down at last under the
onslaught of the intense, stubborn will of his narrow-minded spouse. Their
will-contest was the collision of a large, warm nature, like a capable human
hand, with a hard, narrow, selfish nature, like a steel button; the hand only
bruised itself while the button remained unaffected.”
If you will substitute the term “magnetic force,” for
“will,” “will power,” etc., in the good doctor’s words, you will see how
perfectly he was in accord with the teachings contained in this book.
The student who has
carefully studied the foregoing pages will have acquired sufficient knowledge
of the theory and practice, the method and the technique of personal magnetism,
to be able to carry himself or herself through a “magnetic duel” with credit to
himself or herself, and credit to myself, the teacher. But remember, that there
is as much in adroitness, and skill, as there is in mere strength of magnetism.
Carry in mind the tactics of the good boxer, or good fencer -- try to reproduce
(in the magnetic duel) the guards, the feints, the unexpected stroke, the
rushes, the overpowering stroke, etc. It will not hurt you to purposely engage
in some of these conflicts, as good practice preparing for the day of a real
test of power on some important point. Assert your will a little, and strive to
have your own way in small matters, particularly if you are opposed therein by
others. The skill and practice, together with the self-confidence you
will gain will prove useful to you in the hour or need.
In addition to the general and special instruction
regarding the use of positive magnetism in relation to other persons, I now
offer for your consideration the following special “flashes,” for use on
special occasions, especially in cases of the “magnetic duel.” You will find
these flashes of great use to you on such occasions, particularly (as is
generally the case) where the opponent does not know the secret of his own
natural power of magnetism, and is not versed in the art and science of using
it. Study over these carefully -- for they are valuable, and represent the
result of years of experience and practice. Here follows the list just spoken
of: “My magnetism is stronger than yours - it is overpowering you.”
“My magnetism is beating down your guard - you are
weakening.”
“I am more positive than you - you are negative and are
beginning to retreat and give in to me.”
“You are beginning to feel afraid of me, afraid, afraid,
afraid of me.”
“Retreat, retreat, retreat, I tell you - I am forcing you
backward.”
“I am scattering your forces - I am dissipating your
energy - I am breaking your magnetism to bits, by the power of my own force.”
“I am standing on the solid rock of power - your feet are on sand, and are
slipping way from you.”
“GET
OUT OF MY WAY - I COMMAND YOU TO GET OUT!”
“I am crowding you back, off your feet; move back, I tell
you - BACK, out of my way, I tell you!”
You may get the spirit
of the above by carefully reading them, repeating them to your image in the
mirror, throwing full force into the words, and the expression into your eyes.
Then you will be able to flash them out to others when the occasion arises,
with ease, power and effect. You need not be bound by the precise words that I
have given you, providing you catch the spirit behind them. You may use your
own words - the very words that you would like to actually
utter to the other person, if you prefer. The thing to do is to get the feeling
and meaning into his mind.
In a succeeding chapter, entitled “Magnetic
Self-Defense,” you will find full instruction for defensive flashes, and
“guards,” which are to be used in connection with the above offensive ones in
the magnetic duel. Beat the opponent off by neutralizing his magnetism,
according to the advice given in the next chapter, and then plunge in your own
mental weapons of attack. The following constitutes a broad-sword mental
weapon, which may often be used with the greatest effect:
“I am pouring into you a strong concentrated current of
magnetic power. Which is overpowering you and conquering you, and bending you
to my will. My magnetism is far stronger than is yours, and I know how to use
it to better advantage than do you. I am overpowering you -- I am conquering
you-- I am bending you to my will. I am MASTERING you, steadily and completely.
I shall command you to do as I will. You MUST do it, and do it now. Surrender,
I tell you - surrender now - SURRENDER to me at once. You MUST, and you SHALL.
I am breaking down your resistance. You are giving up - SURRENDER NOW - SURRENDER
AT ONCE.”
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