Why is YOU such a powerful word? Because when we were infants, we thought we were the center of the universe. Nothing mattered but ME, MYSELF, and I. The rest of the shadowy forms stirring about us (which we later learned were other people) existed solely for what they could do for us. Self-centered little tykes that we were, our tiny brains translated every action, every word, into, “How does that affect ME?”

People haven’t changed from that infant stage. Adults camouflage their self-centeredness under a mask of civilization and politeness. Yet the human brain still immediately, instinctively, and unfailingly translates everything into terms of “How does that affect ME?”

Use the Pleasure-Pain Principle

The pleasure-pain principle is a guiding force in life. Psychologists tell us everyone automatically gravitates toward that which is pleasurable and pulls away from that which is painful. For many people, thinking is painful.

How do successful people use the pleasure-pain principle to their advantage when they wish to control, inspire, be loved by, sell to people, or get them to go to dinner? They do the thinking for them.

They translate everything into the other person’s terms by starting as many sentences as they can with that powerful little three-letter word, YOU. Putting YOU first gets a much better response, especially when you’re asking a favor, because it pushes the asker’s pride button.

Suppose you want to take a long weekend. You decide to ask your boss if you can take Friday off. Which request do you think he or she is going to react more positively?

“Can i take Friday off, Boss?”

Or this one: “Boss, can YOU do without me Friday?”

When you use Comm-YOU-nication and learn to sprinkle YOU as liberally as salt and pepper throughout your conversation, your listeners find it an irresistible spice.

Get more Success Quotes from:

Talking the Winner’s Way: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Business and Personal Relationships

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