over-coloring your views. A flexible attitude of mind is more likely to
win an opponent to your way of thinking.

Take special pains to enter into the minds and feelings of others. Be
interested in what they want to talk about. Let your interest be deep
and sincere. Adopt the right tone, temper, and reticence in your
conversation.

You should accustom yourself to look at things from the other person's
standpoint. It is surprising how this habit enlarges the vision and
gives a charitableness to speech which might otherwise be absent. It is
well to remember that no person can possibly have a monopoly of
knowledge upon any subject.

Good conversation demands restraint, adaptability, and reasonable
brevity. There is an appalling waste of words on all sides, hence you
should constantly guard yourself against this fault. When there is
nothing worth-while to say, the best substitute is silence.

Practice self-discipline in talking. Correct any fault in yourself the
instant you recognize it. If, for example, you realize that you are
talking at too great length, stop it at once. Should you feel that you
are not giving interested attention to the speaker, check your
mind-wandering immediately and concentrate upon what is being said.

Do not be always setting other people right. This is a thankless as well
as useless task. They probably do not want your assistance, or they
would ask for it. Besides most people are sensitive about their
shortcomings, and prefer to get help and counsel in private.