A good trainer can hear a horse speak to him. A great trainer can hear him whisper.
Interpretation
Understanding subtle communication is key to true connection.
This quote emphasizes the importance of being attentive and perceptive in communication, particularly in the context of working with horses. A good trainer acknowledges the horse's needs and feelings, while a great trainer possesses the deeper ability to sense and interpret the more subtle cues and whispers of the horse, signifying a profound bond and understanding beyond mere vocal expressions.
In practice
In a workshop about animal training, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of empathy.
I had been riding horses before my memory kicked in, so my life with horses had no beginning. It simply appeared from the fog of infancy. I survived a difficult childhood by traveling on the backs of horses, and in adulthood the pattern didn't change.
You must somehow understand that we as horsemen can do very little to teach the horse. What we can do is to create an environment in which he can learn.
For centuries, humans have said to horses, 'You do what I tell you or I'll hurt you.' Humans still say that to each other -- still threaten, force and intimidate. I'm convinced that my discoveries with horses have value in the workplace, in the educational and penal systems, and in the raising of children. At heart, I'm saying that no one else has the right to say 'you must' to an animal -- or to another human.
"Genius is divine perseverance." Divine patience I believe he originally used, perseverance is better in my opinion. Genius I cannot claim nor even extra brightness but perseverance all can have.
Acquire wisdom from the story of those who have already passed.
Prefer punishment to disgraceful gain; for the one is painful but once, but the other for one's whole life.
Treat yourself as your own beloved child.
If you attempt certain things at the right time, they are easy to accomplish - in fact, they almost get done by themselves. If you undertake them before the time is right, not only will they fail, but they will often become impossible to accomplish even when the time would have been right.
We have this myth that extroverts are better salespeople. As a result, extroverts are more likely to enter sales; extroverts are more likely to get promoted in sales jobs. But if you look at the correlation between extroversion and actual sales performance - that is, how many times the cash register actually rings - the correlation's almost zero.
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