The man behind the counter at the donut store had been…
““The man behind the counter at the donut store had been somewhat less than courteous ever since I had prematurely tried to hypnotize him during my first month of practice. Now as I re-entered the donut store he fixed me with a chilly glare. I sauntered up to the counter, then I threw upon him my hypnotizingest glare. "You are getting sleep," I told him. "No, you are getting sleepy," he retorted, his hypnotic eyes boring into mine. The son-of-a-bitch had been studying hypnotism too! "You are a young Georage Washington, and you've been chopping down the cherry tree," I asserted, and he became the boy President. "I cannot tell a lie," he piped in a childish voice. But it didn't last, and he shook my control free. "You are Anne Boleyn," he said, and it was true! "Don't cut off my head!" I begged...””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A humorous tale of a narrator trying to control a shopkeeper with hypnosis, only to be outwitted as the shopkeeper adopts various historical identities, highlighting the folly of overconfidence.
In simple terms: A man tries to hypnotize a clerk, who outsmarts him by pretending to be famous figures.
Key Takeaway
Don’t assume control over others; humility wins.
Themes
humor
power dynamics
identity
history
prank
Mood
playful
ironic
light‑hearted
Type
anecdotal
satirical
When to use this quote
- grocery shopping
- street performance
- social experiment
- role‑playing games
Key Concepts
psychology
roleplay
historical reference
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it say about the limits of influence?
- How can humor reveal power imbalances?
A Different Perspective
The joke relies on absurdity; real‑world hypnosis is far less dramatic.