How to Analyze People on Sight by Elsie Lincoln Benedict (epub read online books txt) 📕

"he puts his heart and soul into it." This phrase is apropos of almost everything the Muscular does. He makes no half-hearted attempts.

An Enthusiast

¶ "Enthusiasm does all things" said Emerson, and therein explained why this type accomplishes so much. The reason back of the Muscular's enthusiasm is interesting.

All emotions powerfully affect muscles. A sad thought flits through your mind and instantly the muscles of your face droop and the corners of your mouth go down. Hundreds of similar illustrations with which you are already familiar serve to prove how close is the connection between emotions and muscles. The heart itself is nothing more nor less than a large, tough, leather-like muscle.

Possessing the best equipment for expressing emotion, the Muscular is constantly and automatically using it.

Therefore he becomes an enthusiast over many things during the course of his lifetime. This enthusiasm literally burns his way to the things he wants.

The Plain Talker

¶ When deeply moved this type talks well. If the mental element is also strong he can become a good public speaker for he will then have all the qualifications—a powerful voice, human sympathy, democracy and simplicity.

In private conversation he is inclined to use the verbal hammers too much and to be too drastic in his statements, accusations, etc. But he means what he tells you, no more, and usually not much less.

He avoids long words and complicated phrases even when well educated and speaks with directness and decisiveness.

Straightforward

¶ "Straight from the shoulder" might be used to describe the method of the pure Muscular in what he does and says. He does not deal in furbelows, dislikes the superfluous and the superficial. He goes through life over the shortest roads.

Likes the Common People

¶ Plain folks like himself are the kind this type prefers for friends. He enjoys them immensely, but does not cultivate as large a number of them as does the Thoracic, nor have as many "bowing acquaintances" as the Alimentive.

Snubs the Snobs

¶ The snob is disliked by every one but is the especial aversion of this type. Being so democratic himself and living his life along such commonplace lines, he has no patience with people who imagine they are better than others or who carry the air of superiority.

The only person therefore whom the Muscular is inclined to snub is the snob. He is not overawed by him and enjoys "taking him down a peg," whenever he tries his high and mighty airs on him.

Defends the "Under Dog"

¶ Standing by the under dog is a kind of religion with this type. He glories in fighting for the downtrodden. This explains why he is so often a radical. Much of this vehemence in radicalism is due to the fact that he feels he is getting even with the snobs of the world—the plutocrats—when he furthers the causes of the proletariat.

Often on the Warpath

¶ To "have it out" with you is the first inclination of this type when he becomes angry.

He is apt to say atrocious things and to exaggerate his grievances. Everything must yield to his "dander" once it is up. Being possessed of a highly developed fighting equipment, he is like a battleship, with every gun in place, most of the time.

He is frequently in violent quarrels with his friends, and since he does not recover from his anger quickly like the Thoracic, he often loses them for life.

The Most Generous Friend

¶ When they like you the Musculars are the most abandoned in their generosity of all the types. They "go the limit" for you, as the Westerner says, and they go it with their money, time, love and enthusiasm.

All types do this for short periods occasionally and for a very few choice friends. But the Muscular often does it for people he scarcely knows if they strike his fancy or appeal to him.

His heart and his home belong to the stranger almost as completely as to his family, for he does not feel a stranger to any one. He feels from the first moment, and acts, as though he had known you always.

This accounts for his democracy, for his success as an orator, and—sometimes for his being "broke."

Not a Quick Forgiver

¶ But disappoint him in anything he considers vital and he does not overlook it easily. He finds it especially difficult to forgive people who take advantage of the generosity he so lavishly extends. But he does not make his hate a life-long one, as the fourth type does.

With all his own giving to others he seldom takes much from others.

The Naturally Independent

¶ "Standing on his own legs" is a well-known trait of the Muscular. Dependence is bred of necessity. This type being able to get for himself most of the things he wants, rarely finds it necessary to call upon others for assistance.

Love of self-government, plus fighting pluck, both of which are inherent in the Muscular Irish race, are responsible for the long struggle for their independence.

Likes Plain Foods

¶ "Meat and potatoes" are the favorite diet of the average American Muscular. The Alimentive wants richness and sweetness in food, the Thoracic wants variety and daintiness but the Muscular wants large quantities of plain food.

The Alimentive specializes in desserts, the Thoracic in unusual dishes, but the Muscular wants solid fare. He is so fond of meat it is practically impossible for him to confine himself to a vegetable diet.

When He is in Moderate Circumstances

¶ The Muscular is most often found in moderate circumstances. He is rarely far below or far above them. Most of the plain, simple, everyday things he desires can be secured by people of average means. He does not feel the necessity for becoming a millionaire to obtain comforts like the Alimentive, nor for extravagances like the Thoracic.

When He is Rich

¶ Philanthropy marks the expenditures of this type whenever he is rich. He does not spend as much of his money for possessions but enjoys investing it in what he deems the real—that is, other human beings.

The most plain and durable things in furnishings, architecture and service characterize the rich of this type in their homes.

The World's Work Done by Musculars

¶ Broadly speaking, the fat man manages the world, the florid man entertains the world, and the muscular man does the work of the world.

He composes most of the day-laborers, the middle men, the manual and mechanical toilers the world around, as we have stated before.

He could get out of his hard places into better paid ones if he did not like activity so well, but lacking the love of ease and show he is willing to work hard for the necessities of life.

Simple Habits

¶ The Muscular's nature does not demand the exciting, the gregarious or the food-and-drink things that lead toward laxity.

He is seldom a dissipator. He likes to go to bed early, work hard and make practical progress in his life.

He leads the simple and yet the most strenuous existence of any type.

Entertainment He Enjoys

¶ Plays about plain people, their everyday experiences, hopes and fears are the kind that interest this type most.

The "problem play" of a decade ago was a prime favorite with him. He likes everything dealing with these everyday commonplace affairs with which he is most familiar.

He frequently goes to serious lectures—something the pure Alimentive always avoids—and he especially enjoys them if they deal with the problem of the here and now.

He cares little for comic opera, vaudeville or revues because he feels they serve no practical purpose and get him nowhere. This type does not attend the theater merely to be amused. He goes for light on his everyday experiences and usually considers time wasted that is spent solely on entertainment.

Music He Likes

¶ Band music, stirring tunes and all music with "go" to it appeals to this type.

Reading

¶ True stories, news and the sport page are the favorite newspaper reading of the Muscular. He does not take to sentimental stories so much as the Alimentive, nor to adventure so much as the Thoracic but sticks to practical subjects almost exclusively.

Being active most of his waking hours, and strenuously active at that, the Muscular is often too tired at night to read anything.

His Favorite Sports

¶ The most violent sports are popular with this type. Football, baseball, handball, tennis, rowing and pugilism are his preferences. All experts in these lines are largely Muscular.

Physical Assets

¶ His wonderful muscular development, upon which depends so much of life's happiness—since accomplishment is measured so largely thereby—is the greatest physical asset of this type. With it he can accomplish almost anything of which his mind can conceive.

He is capable of endless effort, does not tire easily, and because of his directness makes his work count to the utmost of his mental capacity.

Physical Liabilities

¶ A tendency to overwork is the chief physical pitfall of this type. The disease to which he is most susceptible is rheumatism. But owing to his love of activity he exercises more than any other type and thus forestalls many diseases.

Social Assets

¶ His generosity is the strongest social asset of the Muscular. He is usually straightforward and sincere and thereby gains the confidence of those who meet him.

Social Liabilities

¶ His loud voice and his plain ways are the disadvantages under which this type labors in social intercourse. He needs polishing and is not inclined to take it. His pugnacity is also a severe drawback.

Emotional Assets

¶ Understanding, enthusiasm and warmth of heart are the emotional qualities which help to make him the public leader he so often is. These have made him the "born orator," the radical and the reformer of all ages.

Emotional Liabilities

¶ His tendency to anger and combat are shackles that seriously handicap him. Many times these lose him the big opportunities which his splendid traits might obtain for him.

Business Assets

¶ Efficiency and willingness to work hard and long are the greatest business assets of this type.

Business Liabilities

¶ Pugnacity over trifles costs the average Muscular many business chances. He has to fight out every issue and while he is doing it the other fellow closes the deal.

He is inclined to argue at great length. This helps him as a lawyer or speaker but it hurts him in business. Curbing his combativeness in business should be one of his chief aims.

Domestic Strength

¶ Practical protection for the future is the greatest gift of the average Muscular to his family. He is not as lenient with his children as is the Alimentive nor as effusive as the Thoracic, but he usually lays by something for their future.

Domestic Weakness

¶ Cruel, angry words do the Muscular much harm in his family life. They cause his nearest and dearest to hold against him the resentments that follow.

Should Aim At

¶ Taking more frequent vacations, relaxing each day, and curbing his pugnacity should be the special aims of this type.

Should Avoid

¶ Superficial and quarrelsome people, all situations requiring pretence, and everything that confines and restricts his physical activity should be avoided by this type.

Strongest Points

¶ Democracy, industry and great physical strength are the strongest points of this type.

Weakest Points

¶ Inclination to overwork and to fight constitute the Muscular's two weakest links.

How to Deal with this Type Socially

¶ Don't put on airs nor expect him to when you are meeting this type socially. Be straightforward and genuine with him if you would win him.

How to Deal with this Type in Business

¶ Remember, this type is inclined to be efficient and democratic and you had better be the same if you wish to succeed with him in business.

He is intensely resentful of the man who tries to put