Chapter 3 - Our-self

Second, we must control our view of ourselves.Robert Burns wrote the following (loosely translated): "Oh, that some power give us the gift to see ourselves as others see us." (The original is "Oh, wad some power the giftie gie us to see oursel's as ithers see us." I think I did pretty well.).Herb Cohen, who is billed as "The World's Greatest Negotiator," had an interesting take on this. Herb said in his tape series on negotiation that he tends to downplay his failures, or possibly blame them on other people. While it is important for us to keep a reasonably accurate view of our life and our abilities, it's also important for us to not shortchange ourselves, and we are wont to do. Keeping a positive spin on our abilities can make a major difference.


The decisions we make in life are largely determined by the filters we use to judge reality. Few of us will ever be able to take a totally unbiased view of our abilities, because few ever can detach ourselves from our past. If we were able to judge ourselves by the same standards that we apply to our friends and family, we might be able to gain a better viewpoint. The Scottish poet

Only when we can make a reasonable, positive view of our abilities, will we ever gain the upper hand.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment