Hey. Daily Taoist here. Buddha Zhen.
Hey by the way, I’m doing everything here for free. You should go to my ShaolinInteractive.com website. And sign up for my Kung Fu classes. Yeah. That’s my advertisement.
Okay. This is– I’m reading from the Dao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Written 2,000 or some years ago. 2,500 years ago. 2,200. And I made my own version of it called– you can see back here over my shoulder: The Tao of Taoism – Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Daily Life.
Here we go. I’m on page 26 and this is NUMBER 15. Now in this case. What we’re talking about, he’s got — I’m looking at it. It says, FOUR LEVELS OF INFLUENCE. And there’s four numbers here and four things.
Number 1: These are “Four Levels of Influence.” Condemnation of Conduct.
In other words, “condemn.” We’re telling someone they’re doing something bad. That’s how you can influence somebody. That’s one. You condemn their conduct.
Number 2: Fear of punishment or denied rewards.
Now he’s saying, “If this is bad–This is gonna happen.”
Number 3: Motivate by loyalty, honor, self-interest, money, rewards and flattery.
That’s a positive, but you’re bribing.
First one is you condemn them. You make them feel bad.
The second one is you actually make them fear something that makes you disliked.
Third one is to be bribed.
And the fourth one is to influence without those being influenced being aware of it.
So, can you just communicate with people and get them to kind of go along with you without effort. So in that way, you’re influencing them without them realizing you are influencing them. So through slogans, and emotions, or– There’s lots of ways you can do that.
I’m watching our President do this– It’s amazing watching politics 2020. I never realized how corrupt and evil and whatever it is–and can so easily be. It’s going to be interesting to see how in the future people can use politics to create good things for the purpose of good. Because we’re really seeing it used for the powers of corruption. Those wheels in power could be changed to where corruption isn’t making all the final decisions. I’m in an interesting world. So the future has some interesting possibilities. See what happens.
So anyway, FOUR LEVELS OF INFLUENCE.
So regarding those now under your influence or that you influence: students, children, your employees: How do you use condemnation of conduct to influence and control them?
So how do you condemn. Like, make a rule: “No spitting on the sidewalk.” You’ve condemned it. How do you condemn their conduct?
Number 2 or next: How do you use fear of punishment or denied reward: “Spit on the sidewalk is a $50 fine.” Okay answer that. Take it up a notch.
How do you use fear of punishment or denied reward?
How do motivate by loyalty, honor, money, rewards and flattery?
Hey! Those who don’t spit on the sidewalk can join my special club and have free pizza. [laughs]
How do use motivate by loyalty, honor, money, rewards or flattery to get people to do what you want?
And fourth: How do you influence without those being influenced being aware of it? So how do you influence people without them being aware of it?
That’s more subtle. Like by good example. Nicest one is set a good example and that influences people’s behavior.
I’ve caused a lot of trouble over the years by picking up trash. When I’d walk my kids to school, I just couldn’t ignore it. So me and my kids started picking up the trash. When we moved to Tujunga there was a lot of trash. So little by little cars started honking at me. As they went by. They’d see what we were doing. And then next thing I know the neighbors of course are talking about it. The whole street all the way up to the school was not one single piece of trash. [laughs] And so we kind of got a reputation. I started to see other people do it.
Similar thing happened at an apartment complex where I was living. Most of the people there– The landlord was getting subsidized by the government for bringing people from South America and Central America. That type for some reason. That’s what he told me. In fact he said he’d previously been getting subsidies for another race, but I won’t get into that. He was just picking any way he could make a profit. So anyway, he had all these immigrants in this part of the building I moved into and, boy: I learned a lot about knife fighting and women fighting I saw. I saw more violent face shredding than I’d ever seen in my life during that time I lived there at the apartments.
Anyway, it turns out that in Central America one of the ways you lower a woman in marriage and families. Really the only business for a woman down there. If you can scar a woman and scratch her face, then not only do you win that fight– but now within the local pool of marriageable women–you’ve now become the better choice than the woman who’s got a scarred face. So I saw that. That was weird. I could have gone my whole life without imagining that kind of thing.
But anyway.
Which of these four techniques do you use most?
So of those four things, which do you use the most? Everybody has a tendency to use one more than the other. So which one of those?
Which of the four techniques are you best at?
Which obviously means you’ve used it the most too. So of all those four techniques–which are you best at? Bribing. Giving honor. Humiliating. Or punishing? Which are you best at?
And punishing can just be denying something too. Just not giving that something. Or not giving them your love. That’s punishment.
How can you improve your–
Oh, Which of these four techniques SHOULD you use more?
Which of these four techniques should you use more?
Maybe your life has changed. So reconsider. You’re dealing with a different type of people. Maybe they’re not kids–they’re adults. So you have to change you have to change your mode of operation here.
How can you improve your ability to motivate others?
Yeah, reconsider. Reconsider which modes to use. And use the right one. I’m not saying what’s right or wrong. I’m just saying, know what you’re doing and make sure you’re using the right one.
— Which of these techniques work best on YOU? And why?
Now there’s a very good question. Are you better if someone threatens you? If they flatter you? Or whether they punish you. Or you’re bribed. Which do you work best under.
What is the basis of your self-discipline and motivation?
So everyone has some amount of self-discipline and motivation. Some people have very little. Bu push youut still, what is the basis of it. How come you have whatever you have? What is it? What are you self-motivated to do? What can you push yourself to do. And if you can push yourself to do something, beyond just wanting to eat or take a shower when you start to smell– How do you do it on a regular basis.
How do you do something that’s disciplined, regulated?
And what is the basis of that training?
How can you be motivated without any external rewards?
So, in other words: what does it take for YOU to be motivated to do something?
If I want you to do something for me–wash my car. [laughs] How could I get you to do it? Without bribing you? How could I get you to do it without bribing you? Might be pretty hard but-
How willingly do you sacrifice your spare time for money? Spare time for money.
So that’s time you don’t have to work. So you’re working and maybe you’ve got extra time. You’re not married and you don’t have kids. You could watch football. Or maybe you could actually take on a part-time job.
So, how willingly do your sacrifice your spare time for money? That’s specific.
Next. Last one: What is the least amount per hour you’ll work for and why? That’s an interesting question of course.
What’s the least amount you’ll work for, per hour, and why that particular amount.
Okay. Daily Daoist here. And that was NUMBER 15: “4 Levels of Influence“
How are you influenced?
So this is yuour relationship with your Tao. The Tao. Remember the Tao includes people with jobs and stuff too. It’s part of the Nature you live in. If it’s a little unnatural it’s still part of your Tao. Your Nature you live in. So all those things affect you .
So your relationship with your job, your money, your work…
Anyway, if you’re HERE, you must be interested in understanding yourself.
The Daily Taoist out.
