Dale Carnegie

"My popularity, my happiness and sense of worth depend to no small extent upon my skill in dealing with people."

little upward and downward shadings of the voice tell more truly what we mean than our words.

Oh, he's all right." Note how a rising inflection may be made to express faint praise, or polite doubt, or uncertainty of opinion. Then note how the same words, spoken with a generally falling inflection may denote certainty, or good–natured approval, or enthusiastic praise, and so on.

inflection deals mostly in subtle, delicate shading within single words, and is not by any means accomplished by a general rise or fall in the voice in speaking a sentence.

only real way to master inflection is to observe, experiment, and practise.

It is the power of inflection to change the meaning of words that gave birth to the old saying: "It is not so much what you say, as how you say it."

careful not to over–inflect. Too much modulation produces an unpleasant effect of artificiality,

h, no!" or "Oh, I see," or "Indeed," and by patient self–examination see how many shades of meaning may be expressed by inflection. This sort of common–sense practise will do you more good than a book of rules. But don't forget to listen to your own voice.

emphasizing important words, subordinating unimportant words, variety of pitch, changing tempo, pause, and inflection. If these principles are applied you will have no trouble with monotony.

Attention of this sort is the prime condition of the most productive mental labor.