How to Read People Like You Have ESP

Hans, a very clever horse, inspires this next technique. Hans was

owned by Herr von Osten, a Berliner, who had trained Hans to

do simple arithmetic by tapping his right front hoof. So prodigious

was Hans's ability that the horse's fame quickly spread throughout

Europe in the early 1900s. He became known as Clever Hans, the

counting horse.

Herr von Osten taught Hans to do more than just add. Soon

the horse could subtract and divide. In time, Clever Hans even

mastered the multiplication tables. The horse became quite a phenomenon. Without his owner uttering a single word, Hans could

count out the size of his audience, tap the number wearing glasses,

or respond to any counting question they asked him.

Finally, Hans achieved the ultimate ability that separates man

from animal—language. Hans "learned" the alphabet. By tapping

out hoof beats for each letter, he answered any question about anything humans had read in a newspaper or heard on the radio. He

could even answer common questions about history, geography,

and human biology.

Hans made headlines and was the main topic of discussion at

dinner parties throughout Europe. The "human horse" quickly

attracted the attention of scientists, psychology professors, veteri35

How to Read People

Like You Have ESP

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36 How to Talk to Anyone

narians, even cavalry officers. Naturally they were skeptical, so

they established an official commission to decide whether the horse

was a case of clever trickery or equine genius. Whatever their suspicions, it was obvious to all, Hans was a very smart horse. Compared to other horses, Hans was a Somebody.

Cut to today. Why is it when you talk with certain individuals you just know they are smarter than other people—that they

are a Somebody? Often they're not discussing highfalutin subjects

or using two-dollar words. Nevertheless, everybody knows. People say, "She's smart as a whip," "He doesn't miss a trick," "She

picks up on everything," "He's got the right stuff," "She's got horse

sense." Which brings us back to Hans.

The day of the big test arrived. Everyone was convinced it

must be a trick orchestrated by Herr von Osten, Hans's owner. It

was standing room only in the auditorium filled with scientists,

reporters, clairvoyants, psychics, and horse lovers who eagerly

awaited the answer. The canny commission members were confident this was the day they would expose Hans as chicanery

because they, too, had a trick up their sleeves. They were going

to bar von Osten from the hall and put his horse to the test all

alone.

When the crowd was assembled, they told von Osten he must

leave the auditorium. The surprised owner departed, and Hans

was stranded in an auditorium with a suspicious and anxious

audience.

The confident commission leader asked Hans the first mathematical question. He tapped out the right answer! A second. He

got it right! Then a third. Then the language questions followed.

He got them all right!

The commission was befuddled. The critics were silenced.

However, the public wasn't. With a great outcry, they insisted

on a new commission. The world waited while, once again, the

authorities gathered scientists, professors, veterinarians, cavalry

officers, and reporters from around the world.

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Only after this second commission put Hans to the test did

the truth about the clever horse come out. Commission number

two started the enquiry perfunctorily with a simple addition problem. This time, however, instead of asking the question out loud

for all to hear, one researcher whispered a number in Hans's ear,

and a second researcher whispered another. Everyone expected

Hans to quickly tap out the sum. But Hans remained dumb! Aha!

The researchers revealed the truth to the waiting world. Can you

guess what that was?

Here's a hint: when the audience or researcher knew the

answer, Hans did, too. Now can you guess?

People gave off very subtle body-language signals the moment

Hans's hoof gave the right number of taps. When Hans started

tapping the answer to a question, the audience would show subtle signs of tension. Then, when Hans reached the right number,

they responded by an expulsion of breath or slight relaxation of

muscles. Von Osten had trained Hans to stop tapping at that point

and therefore appear to give the right answer.

Hans was using the technique I call "Hans's Horse Sense." He

watched his audiences' reactions very carefully and planned his

responses accordingly.

If a Horse Can Do It, So Can You

Have you ever been watching TV when the phone rings? Someone

asks you to hit the mute button on the television so they can talk.

Because there's no sound now, you watch the TV action more carefully. You see performers smiling, scowling, smirking, squinting,

and scores of other expressions. You don't miss a bit of the story

because, just from their expressions, you can tell what they're thinking. Hans's Horse Sense is just that—watching people, seeing how

they're reacting, and then making your moves accordingly. Even

while you're talking, keep your eyes on your listeners and watch how

they're responding to what you're saying. Don't miss a trick.

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Are they smiling? Are they nodding? Are their palms up? They

like what they're hearing.

Are they frowning? Are they looking away? Are their knuckles clenched? Maybe they don't.

Are they rubbing their necks? Are they stepping back? Are

their feet pointing toward the door? Maybe they want to get away.

You don't need a complete course in body language here.

Already your life's experience has given you a good grounding in

that. Most people know if their conversation partners step back or

look away, they're not interested in what you're saying. When they

think you're a pain in the neck they rub theirs. When they feel

superior to you, they steeple their hands.

We'll explore more body-language specifics in Technique #77:

Eyeball Selling. For the moment, all you need to do is tune to the

silent channel being broadcast by the speaker.