Principle 2: Give honest and sincere appreciation.
"Sigmund Freud said that everything you and I do springs from two motives: the sex urge and the desire to be great."
In the first part of chapter 2 Carnegie reminds us of the importance of the ego in personal communications. Each person around us is trying his hardest to feel that he has done something of importance. Some people have huge aspirations and others have more modest ones, but ultimately we are all seeking that confirmation.
For this reason, we should be careful when we interact with others. We should let people know that they're doing a good job, and we should be sincere about it.
At the end of the chapter, Carnegie quotes Emerson saying, "Every man I meet is my superior in some way." Imagine if we all lived this example, if we embraced the great lessons that every single person in our lives has to teach us.
Here's my challenge to you and me: the next time you are working with someone who you really don't like, reflect on what that person has to teach you. When it's appropriate show them your appreciation, sincerely.
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