
218 THE SIX LAWS OF ABSOLUTE HONESTY
be more successful in his conquests by pretending to be a ‘‘good
listener’’ with his dates. He’s practicing ‘‘instrumental listening.’’ It
may make him seem appealing, especially to women who are hungry
to be listened to, and it may get him what he wants, but in the long
run, his relationships are likely to ring hollow and lack trust.
Not that there is anything inherently wrong with instrumentality
itself. The Disney Company, for example, insists that its theme park
employees smile and greet customers whether or not they feel like it.
That’s instrumental friendliness. Larry had a German exchange stu-
dent live with ...