How to Analyze People on Sight. Elsie Lincoln Benedict
desires, and ambitions. Each human type differs in its
cravings from each of the others and takes the respective means
necessary to gratify these cravings.
The Alimentive craves those luxuries, comforts and conveniences which
only money can procure for him.
The Fat Millionaire
When the Alimentive is a man of brains he uses his brains to get
money. No fat person enjoys work but the greater his brain capacity the
more will he forego leisure to make money.
When the Fat Man is in Average Circumstances
Any man's money-making ambitions depend largely on whether money is
essential to the satisfaction of his predominating instincts.
If he is fat and of average brain capacity he will overcome his physical
inertia to the point of securing for himself and his family most of the
comforts of modern life.
The average-brained fat man composes a large percentage of our
population and the above accounts for his deserved reputation as a
generous husband and father.
The Fat Man a Good Provider
The fat man will give his last cent to his wife and children for the
things they desire but he is not inclined as much as some other types to
hearken to the woes of the world at large. The fat man is essentially a
family man, a home man, a respectable, cottage-owning, tax-paying,
peaceable citizen.
Not a Reformer
He inclines to the belief that other families, other communities,
other classes and other countries should work out their own salvation
and he leaves them to do it. In all charitable, philanthropic and
community "drives" he gives freely but is not lavish nor sentimental
about it. It is often a "business proposition" with him.
When the Fat Man is Poor
Love of ease is the fat man's worst enemy. His inherent contentment,
accentuated by the inconvenience of moving about easily or quickly,
constantly tempts him to let things slide. When he lacks the brain
capacity for figuring out ways and means for getting things easily he is
never a great success at anything.
When the extremely fat man's mentality is below the average he often
refuses to work--in which case he becomes a familiar figure around
public rest rooms, parks and the cheaper hotel lobbies. Such a man
finally graduates into the class of professional chair-warmers.
Fat People Love Leisure
A chance to do as we please, especially to do as little hard work as
possible, is a secret desire of almost everybody. But the fat man takes
the prize for wanting it most.
Not a Strenuous Worker
He is not constructed to work hard like some of the other types, as we
shall see in subsequent chapters. His overweight is not only a handicap
in that it slows down his movements, but it tends to slow down all his
vital processes as well and to overload his heart. This gives him a
chronic feeling of heaviness and inertia.
Everybody Likes Him
But Nature must have intended fat people to manage the rest of us
instead of taking a hand at the "heavy work." She made them averse to
toil and then made them so likable that they can usually get the rest of
us to do their hardest work for them.
The World Managed by Fat People
When he is brainy the fat man never stays in the lower ranks of
subordinates. He may get a late start in an establishment but he will
soon make those _over_ him like him so well they will promote him to a
chief-clerkship, a foremanship or a managership. Once there he will make
those _under_ him so fond of him that they will work long and hard for
him.
Fat Men to the Top
In this way the fat man of real brains goes straight to the top while
others look on and bewail the fact that they do most of the actual work.
They fail to recognize that the world always pays the big salaries not
for hand work but for head work, and not so much for working yourself as
for your ability to get others to work.
The Popular Politician
This capacity for managing, controlling and winning others is what
enables this type to succeed so well in politics. The fat man knows how
to get votes. He mixes with everybody, jokes with everybody, remembers
to ask how the children are--and pretty soon he's the head of his ward.
Almost every big political boss is fat.
Makes Others Work
One man is but one man and at best can do little more than a good
man-size day of work. But a man who can induce a dozen other
man-machines to speed up and turn out a full day's work apiece doesn't
need to work his own hands. He serves his employer more valuably as an
overseer, foreman or supervisor.
The Fat Salesman
"A fat drummer" is such a common phrase that we would think our ears
deceived us did anyone speak of a thin one. Approach five people and say
"A traveling salesman," each will tell you that the picture this
conjures in his imagination is of a fat, round, roly-poly, good natured,
pretty clever man whom everybody likes.
For the fat men are "born salesmen" and they make up a large percentage
of that profession. Salesmanship requires mentality plus a pleasing
personality. The fat man qualifies easily in the matter of personality.
Then he makes little or much money from salesmanship, according to his
mental capacity.
The Drummers' Funny Stories
You will note that the conversation of fat people is well sprinkled
with funny stories. They enjoy a good joke better than any other type,
for a reason which will become more and more apparent to you.
That salesmen are popularly supposed to regale each customer with
yarns till he gasps for breath and to get his signature on the dotted
line while he is in that weakened condition, is more or less of a myth.
It originated from the fact that most salesmen are fat and that fat
people tell stories well.
Jokes at