You have to learn from the example of Churchill, who though he did not fare well at school, through sheer self-confidence and self-education, became the Prime Minister of England. He enlisted in the army at a young age. When he later entered politics, he trained himself to become an effective public speaker. Before going to a meeting, he would practise before a mirror how he would address the meeting and what kind of impression would he make on the audience by his gestures and movements. By correcting himself in this way, he developed great self-confidence and acquired an impressive public personality. He became a master in the art of repartee.

(Sir Winston Churchill)

At an election meeting he was railing out the opposition without mincing words. A woman in the audience who was greatly provoked by Churchill’s attack, got up and shouted: ‘Shut up.’ She remarked: ‘If I had been your wife I would have administered poison to put an end to your life.’

Churchill coolly replied: ‘If I had been your husband I would thrust the poison down your throat.’ The woman was put to shame and remained silent thereafter. On another occasion, an opposition MP was replying to Churchill’s speech. Seeing that Churchill was keeping his eyes closed during the speech and appeared not to be listening to him, the Opposition member complained that Churchill was asleep while he was replying to Churchill’s speech. He said that this was unparliamentary. Churchill immediately got up and said: ‘I would have been immensely happy if I had gone to sleep. It was because I could not get sleep, I had to endure the member’s speech.’ That reply plunged the House in laughter. You have to practise the art of silencing criticism by humorous replies.

After the hands and the tongue, you have to learn how to purify the mind. The mind is said to be constantly wavering and getting out of control. But when it is directed in the right way, it will be in the proper state. The rectification of the mind is Jnana Yoga. (SSS Vol.22, pp. 6-7)