Probably the most accurate index of a person’s position on the Tone Scale is speech.

Unless a person talks openly and listens receptively he cannot be considered very high on the Tone Scale.

In column 10 of the Hubbard Chart of Human Evaluation, “Speech: Talks—Speech: Listens,” there are double boxes: one set referring to talking, the other to listening. It may not have occurred to some people that communication is both outflow and inflow. An observation of how a person both listens and talks will give an accurate indication of his position on the Tone Scale.

It is interesting to note that with this column one can conduct what we call a “two-minute psychometry” on someone. Psychometry is the measurement of mental traits, abilities and processes. The way to do a two- minute psychometry is simply to start talking to the person at the highest possible tone level, creatively and constructively, and then gradually drop the tone of one’s conversation down to the point where it achieves response from the person.

An individual best responds to his own tone band; and an individual can be lifted only about half a point on the Tone Scale by conversation. In doing this type of “psychometry,” one should not carry any particular band of conversation too long, not more than a sentence or two, because this will have a tendency to raise slightly the tone of the person and so spoil the accuracy of the test.

Two-minute psychometry, then, is done, first, by announcing something creative and constructive and seeing whether the person responds in kind; then, giving forth some casual conversation, perhaps about sports, and seeing if the person responds to that. Getting no response start talking antagonistically about things about which the person knows—but not, of course, about the person—to see if he achieves a response at this point. Then give forth with a sentence or two of anger against some condition. Then indulge in a small amount of discreditable gossip and see if there is any response to that. If this does not work, then dredge up some statements of hopelessness and misery. Somewhere in this range the person will agree with the type of conversation that is being offered—that is, he will respond to it in kind. A conversation can then be carried on along this band where the person has been discovered, and one will rapidly gain enough information to make a good first estimate of the person’s position on the chart.

This two-minute psychometry by conversation can also be applied to groups. That speaker who desires to command his audience must not talk above or below his audience’s tone more than half a point. If he wishes to lift the audience’s tone, he should talk about half a point above their general tone level. An expert speaker, using this two-minute psychometry and carefully noting the responses of his audience, can, in two minutes, discover the tone of the audience—whereupon, all he has to do is adopt a tone slightly above theirs.

The Tone Scale and the Chart of Human Evaluation are the most important tools ever developed for the prediction of human behavior. Employ these tools and you will at all times know who you are dealing with, who to associate with, who to trust.