雙語智慧書·揪出他人的把柄

26．揪出他人的把柄
　　揪出他人的把柄。這是控制他人意志的藝術(shù)。與其說需要決心，毋寧說需要技巧。你必須懂得如何著手。每一決斷都有其特定的動機，并隨個人品味之異而異。所有人都有崇拜情結(jié)：重名、重利，或者如多數(shù)人那樣，重個人愉悅。控制人們的訣竅是：明了他們的崇拜物是什么，從而牽著他們的鼻子走。掌握某人行事的主要動機，就等于擁有了開啟其欲望之門的鑰匙。你所需尋找的初始動機，并非總是人性中最高尚的部分，更多時候，它常常是人性中最卑下的東西，因為世人秉性不良者比秉性良善者要多。揣測一個人的主要興趣，以言語要求他，以誘惑促其行動，他必為你所用。

26．Find out each man's thumbscrew
　Find out each man's thumbscrew. It is the art of setting their wills in action. It needs more skill than resolution. You must know where to get at any one. Every volition has a special motive which varies according to taste. All men are idolaters, some of fame, others of self-interest, most of pleasure. Skill consists in knowing these idols in order to bring them into play. Knowing any man's mainspring of motive you have as it were the key to his will. Have resort to primary motors, which are not always the highest but more often the lowest part of his nature: there are more dispositions badly organized than well. First guess a man's ruling passion, appeal to it by a word, set it in motion by temptation, and you will infallibly give checkmate to his freedom of will.