What would you say are the most interesting topics in the world? Sex, property and religion. By the fist we create life, by the second we maintain it, and by the third we hope to continue it in the world to come.
But it is our sex, our property, and our religion that interest us. Out of the swarm about our egos, we are not interested in a talk on how to make soap in Nigeria, but we may be interested in a talk entitled: How to make our soap.
We are not interested – except, perhaps, out of curiosity – in the religion of the Chinese, but we are vitally interested in a religion that will assure us of endless happiness in the world to come. When a well-known business Mongolian and newspaper owner was asked what people were interested in, he replied with an end of the world that the world was “themselves”.
Do you want to know what kind of person you are? Now this is an interesting topic. We are talking about you. Here’s a way for you to hold the mirror up to your real self and see yourself as you really are. What are your dreams.
What do we understand by dreams?
We all seem to be thinking all the time during our walking hours, and most of us are aware that we continue to think while we are asleep, even more foolishly than when we are awake.
When we are not interrupted by any practical problem, we immerse ourselves in what is now known as daydreaming. This is our favorite, spontaneous kind of thinking. We allow our ideas to take their own course and this course is determined by our hopes and fears, our spontaneous desires, their fulfillment or frustration by our likes and dislikes, our loves and hates and resentments.
There is nothing more interesting to ourselves than ourselves. All thought that is not more or less laboriously controlled and directed will inevitably revolve around the Beloved Ego.
It is funny and pathetic to observe this tendency in ourselves and in others. We learn politely and generously to overlook this truth, but if we dare to think about it, it shone like the sun. Our dreams are a reflection of our nature modified by experiences that are often hidden and forgotten.
Our main interest is ourselves. The person who leads others to talk about themselves and their interests and listens attentively will generally be considered a good conversationalist even though he speaks very little.
The reason so many people are considered bad talkers is that they talk only about things that interest them. That can be boring for others to review the process, bring someone else to talk about your interests, your business, your sport, your success, or if you are a mother to your children. Do that and listen carefully and it will give you pleasure.
An average person will be more worried about a dull razor than a revolution in South America. A woman’s toothache will distress her more than an earthquake in Asia that destroys half a million lives.
She would rather hear you say nice things about her than hear you talk about the ten greatest men in history.
