Enthusiasm is contagious. Use it carefully is a powerful reminder that your energy directly impacts others. It’s not just about being positive, but about being strategic with that positivity to build genuine connections and avoid coming on too strong.
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Table of Contents
Meaning
Your energy isn’t just yours—it’s a force that spreads to everyone around you, for better or worse.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out a thousand times. A leader walks into a room buzzing with anxiety, and with one genuinely enthusiastic, focused comment, the entire atmosphere shifts. It’s like flipping a switch. But here’s the crucial part everyone misses: unfocused enthusiasm is just noise. It can come off as naive, even annoying, if it’s not calibrated to the situation. You have to be a surgeon with it, not a sledgehammer. Aim it. Use it to validate someone’s idea, to spark a stalled conversation, to show you’re truly locked in. That’s when it becomes a superpower for building rapport and trust.
Quote Summary
Reading Level63
Aesthetic Score80
Origin & Factcheck
This gem comes straight from Leil Lowndes’s classic 1999 book, How to Talk to Anyone, published in the United States. You won’t find it mistakenly attributed to Dale Carnegie or other communication gurus—this is pure Lowndes, focusing on the subtle, psychological levers of interaction.
Attribution Summary
Author Bio
Leil Lowndes writes about striking conversations with unknown people and how to put others at ease and maintain relationships. Her techniques are straightforward and practically usable that readers can apply immediately in their workplace, and everyday life. Her book list includes How to Talk to Anyone and Goodbye to Shy which have reached international audiences.
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Enthusiasm is contagious. Use it carefully |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 1999; ISBN: 978-0-07-141858-4; Last edition: 2018; Number of pages: 368. |
| Where is it? | Chapter 18: Enthusiasm—Handle with Care, Approximate page 78 from 2018 edition |
Context
In the book, this isn’t just a feel-good line. It’s a tactical tool nestled among 92 other “tricks.” Lowndes frames it within the art of making people feel good about themselves when they’re with you. The careful use of enthusiasm is about emotional calibration—matching and then gently elevating the other person’s state to create a powerful, positive connection.
Usage Examples
So how do you actually use this? Let me give you a couple of scenarios from my own playbook.
- For a Team Leader: Your team is deflated after a project setback. Instead of a generic “We’ll get ’em next time!” you lean in, make solid eye contact, and say with measured intensity, “Okay, I see where we went wrong. And that gives us a clear shot at nailing it. Let’s break this down.” You’re using careful enthusiasm to fuel a solution, not just paper over a problem.
- In a Sales or Client Meeting: A client mentions a minor pain point. Instead of overwhelming them with a full-blown sales pitch, you respond with focused interest: “That’s a fascinating challenge. Tell me more about how that impacts your team day-to-day.” Your enthusiasm is directed at understanding them, which is far more powerful than enthusiasm for your own product.
- For a Mentor or Coach: Your mentee shares a half-formed idea. You don’t just say “Great idea!” You light up and ask a specific, probing question that shows you’re genuinely engaged with their thought process: “Whoa, the implications of that are huge. What would the first step look like?” You’ve just used your energy to validate and elevate their thinking.
To whom it appeals?
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FAQ
Question: How can enthusiasm ever be a bad thing?
Answer: Great question. It’s bad when it’s mismatched. Imagine someone is sharing a serious concern and you respond with over-the-top, bubbly excitement. It feels dismissive. It invalidates their reality. That’s the “use it carefully” part—it has to be appropriate.
Question: What’s the difference between this and “fake it till you make it”?
Answer: A key distinction. “Faking it” is about your internal state. This is about your external impact. You don’t necessarily have to feel 100% enthusiastic to project a focused, positive energy that lifts others up. It’s an act of service, not an act of self-deception.
Question: Can an introvert use this principle effectively?
Answer: Absolutely. In fact, introverts often master this better because their enthusiasm tends to be more measured and genuine. It’s not about being the loudest person in the room. It’s about a quiet, intense focus that makes the person you’re with feel like they’re the only one that matters. That’s incredibly powerful.
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