Robert Greene describes life as a game of power and we-the reader-must be prepared to understand that our existence is all self-preservation to the highest degree.
The book reminded me of reading Machiavelli’s The Prince. Without Christ, there is no way a person can be good because all thoughts, words, and deeds will always serve some selfish gain, whether from a social perspective or some biological, survival aspect. While the aforementioned statement is the stark truth of human nature, the Christian faith allows a person to strive toward love and goodness through Christ this expresses itself in selflessness that loves the unlovable, pre-forgives those that repeatedly hurt us, and is glad for the individual who profits out of our loss. When reading this book, one must remember that the author Robert Greene is discussing ‘power.’ I say this because as I began, it was disheartening to behold an assessment of the human condition as though we possess nothing good. Ironically, here is where The 48 Laws of Power lurk in wait it’s in the murky confusion of the human condition where power can be abused, purposefully compromising moral absolutes or outright rebelling against objective Truth. The average human soul doesn’t like clarity, so such definitive, distinctive, decisive words as ‘evil’ are considered eccentric, unconventional, extreme, and excessive. ‘Evil’ is a word seldom used it’s been ostracised from the court of English vocabulary because it’s royally distinctive in its meaning. The tragedy is that many readers have proudly received this as a guidebook of self-help, disregarding the transparent fact that this ‘manual’ instructs individuals on the abilities and benefits of evil. I’m glad the author provides a warning about power this is perhaps the only bit of loving, moral, healthy, holistic advice granted. It might even be fair to suggest that I cannot produce an objective review due to my innate, inherent physical and mental reaction to the prose.
Whether at work, in relationships, or in shaping the world around you, The Laws of Human Nature offers brilliant tactics for success, self-improvement, and self-defense.In fact, the message was so blatantly opposed to my current disposition, that it triggered nausea and a continued head-shaking motion, expressed both in the unconscious, consistent, physical shaking of my head and the concurrent, internal, strong disapproval.
Drawing from the ideas and examples of Pericles, Queen Elizabeth I, Martin Luther King Jr, and many others, Greene teaches us how to detach ourselves from our own emotions and master self-control, how to develop the empathy that leads to insight, how to look behind people's masks, and how to resist conformity to develop your singular sense of purpose. Knowing why people do what they do is the most important tool we can possess, without which our other talents can only take us so far. Our very lives depend on our relationships with people. Now he turns to the most important subject of all - understanding people's drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves.We are social animals. From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power comes the definitive new book on decoding the behavior of the people around youRobert Greene is a master guide for millions of readers, distilling ancient wisdom and philosophy into essential texts for seekers of power, understanding and mastery.