"You might think that I am flattering you. In your life, you may have encountered many who insincerely complimented you."
"But you can think about it, what's the difference between me and them? What can I possibly gain from spending so much time praising you?"
The question Shiller asked hadn't finished, but Magneto's expression showed that he was already lost in thought.
After Shiller finished his statement, Magneto's first reaction indeed was disbelief, as it sounded too much like flattery.
Furthermore, it seemed more like flattery that missed the mark, tinged with an ironic style.
After Magneto came into fame, many people had approached him with smiles, flattering him.
However, what these people primarily praised was Magneto's powerful strength, the least likely thing to err when complimenting.
These people had done their homework before approaching Magneto, understanding that if they praised his temperament and character, it would sound too much like mockery.
Everyone in the world knows that Magneto has a nasty temper and is a terrorist. If you insist on whispering in his ear, "I admire your character so much", isn't that asking for death?
So, this was almost the first time Magneto heard someone appreciating his personal charm. Therefore, at that moment, his first reaction was disbelief.
Before Shiller's question was asked, Magneto's approach to analysis began to shift from intuition to rational thinking. He was naturally more inclined towards logical judgment in response to anyone's actions.
However, from a logical point of view, this situation became even stranger.
Shiller had no need to compliment him at all, and there would be no additional gain for Shiller from flattery.
Of course, Shiller might want to utilize Magneto's powerful strength again, but Magneto clearly understood that if Shiller adopted the previous transaction method, namely offering benefits to the Mutant Brotherhood and Mutants as a whole, to hire Magneto to help him, it would be not only more efficient but also unnecessary to humble himself.
For a person with strong capabilities, gaining an advantage in social interaction is not necessary.
Shiller was obviously such a person who could direct everyone with his own plan without having to greet anyone with a cheerful countenance, yet he complimented Magneto.
Although Magneto's heart still tended more towards disbelief, some wavering had already begun. And at this time Shiller continued to say:
"I know. You don't believe that I'm truly praising you, but have you ever considered why you don't believe others' compliments? Is that a human nature?"
Magneto had just fallen into thought and hadn't come up with an answer when Shiller answered his own question: "Of course not, humans naturally feel happy about praise from others, this is a common human sentiment."
"Of course, there are some people who lack self-confidence, feel that others' praise is false, and feel that they are not that good. But I don't think you're that kind of person. You have absolute confidence in your own abilities, otherwise you wouldn't have such powerful control."
The action of Magneto tapping on the cup with his fingertips slowly stopped. Although he didn't respond, he knew Shiller was telling the truth.
The control mutants have over their abilities is sometimes subjective -- that is, the more you feel your ability will be out of control, the more likely it is to be out of control.
And the more confident you are, the better you can use your mutant ability, and the more skilled you can become. The powerful Magneto, obviously, fell into the latter category.
Magneto was never a person with low self-esteem, or rather, he had become so arrogant that he believed he could control the cosmos.
But such a confident, even arrogant person, when faced with others' praise, his initial reaction was still disbelief. Clearly, there was a problem.
"Of course, you might suspect that I have ulterior motives. This reaction might come from your suspicion."
"But your reason tells you, if I want to benefit from you, I don't need to sweet-talk you, I have faster and less effortful methods."
"So, even after your reason has come to this conclusion, you still resist believing that I sincerely praise you. Why is that?"
The questions Shiller kept asking left Magneto with no time to care whether he had lost control of the topic.
Each question Shiller asked hit Magneto's heart. He was also puzzled, so he didn't realize he was following Shiller's line of thinking.
Upon realizing that neither personality influence nor rational judgment could explain his resistance, Magneto also began to ponder — why did he feel that Shiller was not sincerely praising him?
As a person inclined toward logic and reason, constantly seeking precise answers in logical links, Magneto was such a person. If there was one link he couldn't understand, he would repeatedly ponder it and ignore everything else.
At this time, Shiller spoke again: "Perhaps the answer is simpler than you think. It has nothing to do with your personality, emotions, or intelligence quotient. Could it be simply 'conformity'?"