Page 146 - Taming Your Gremlin A Surprisingly Simple Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way (Rick Carson)_Neat

One of my clients used an amazing sense of timing, an authoritative
voice, sweeping gestures, and phrases such as “sort of,” “if you will,” and
“wouldn’t you agree” to get one or more listeners to nod their heads in

agreement to his pseudo-intellectual pontification. This method of non-
communication comprised, in part, his act of Benevolent Philosopher. I
once saw him commandeer an entire dinner party for a solid ten minutes
with a spontaneous minilecture that, as near as I could tell, didn’t make a
lick of sense. But he didn’t make a lick of sense with a lot of confidence. He
said things like, “I found the whole event sort of moribund—Kafkaesque, if
you will. Wouldn’t you agree?”

The Benevolent Philosopher had many acquaintances but felt that no

one really knew him. Had he been at all centered and in touch with himself
he would have physically detected his gremlin, for hem-and-hawers often
develop a feeling of tightness in their stomachs, an aching head, shortness
of breath, and a general feeling of discontent. Also, had he been willing to

quit hemming and haw ing long

enough to notice he might have seen puzzled looks, people yawning, and
fixed, insincere smiles.