It is above all in the affairs of ordinary every-day life that poise renders the most valuable service.
If it becomes a question of presenting or discussing a matter of business, the timid man, embarrassed by his own personality, begins to stammer, becomes confused, and can not recall a single argument. He finally abandons all the gain that he dreamed of making in order to put an end to the torments from which he suffers.
He is to be considered lucky if under the domination of the troubles in which he finds himself, he does not lose all faculty of speech.
This failing, so common among the timid, is a further cause of confusion to the victim.
At the bare idea that he may become the prey of such a calamity he unconsciously closes his lips and lowers the tones of his voice.
The man of poise, on the other hand, feels himself the more impelled to redouble his efforts in proportion to the need his cause has for being well defended.
He knows how to arrange his arguments, and to foresee those of his adversary, and, if he finds himself face to face with a statement which he can not refute, he will seek some means of softening the defeat or of changing the ground of the debate in such a way as to avoid confusion to himself.
In any event, such an occurrence will have no profound effect upon him. Vanquished on one point, he will find the presence of mind to at once change the character of the discussion to questions which are at once familiar and favorable to him.
He who goes forth into life armed with poise has also the marked advantage over the timid that comes from superior health.
This phrase should not be the occasion for a smile. Timidity is a chronic cause of poor health in those who suffer from it.