Volume
Vol. 8, The Privilege of Being Human
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5. The Art of Personality
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Learning the Art
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Vol. 8, The Privilege of Being Human
5. The Art of Personality
Learning the Art
Now you may ask: How does one learn the art of personality? In the same way as one learns the art of painting or drawing. First one learns how to draw a straight line, a horizontal line, a circle, a curve. In the same way, learning the art of personality, one learns how to say a thing and how not to say a thing, how to avoid saying a thing, and how to say a thing without saying it. Then one learns the art of light and shade. This art of light and shade is knowing how to hide a certain part in conversation and how to bring another part to prominence. Then there is the coloring. There is a great variety of colors. Every feeling, every thought, every idea has its particular color, and when a person knows how many of these colors there are, and when he composes with them all he says and does in life, then this becomes an art: the art of personality.
If a person has collected diamonds, or if he has got pearls or rubies, what is it, if he has not developed in his personality that precious quality which makes a person precious? What is it all? All those things are nothing.
The first grade is when a person becomes thoughtful, and so begins to observe his thoughts, to see his actions.The second grade is when he not only observes his thoughts and actions, but is able to control them.The third grade is when a spontaneous out-flow of sympathy comes from that person, when it is natural that his attitude is outgoing, that his personality attracts and becomes a blessing.And the fourth grade is a grade where no effort has to be made by the artist to realize the art of personality. In this grade the artist becomes art itself, and whatever he does - it all becomes a beautiful picture.
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