The goal is to (i) recognize deep narcissism to avoid being drawn into toxic relationships, (ii) be honest about your true nature, and (iii) move to healthy narcissism by developing 4 empathic skills: 9. Law of oppression: Confront your dark side. We all have a dark side (for example, the selfish, greedy or aggressive parts of ourselves) that we hide to conform and be loved/respected. Recognize the 7 common emphatic qualities that hide a darker side and use 4 steps to tap into your full range of creative energies and become an integrated human. 12. Law of Gender Rigidity: Reconnect with your masculinity/femininity. Everyone has male and female qualities, genes and hormones. Learn to recognize 6 types of gender projections and release your suppressed qualities/energies to become more flexible, balanced and effective. In life, we will inevitably encounter difficult people who will make us feel frustrated, upset, confused or helpless. How can you understand human behavior, understand others and your own emotions/actions? Human nature (the way we act instinctively) comes from the way our brains are wired after millions of years of evolution.
Through an in-depth study of the literature on psychology and philosophy, Robert Greene explains the 18 laws of human nature to help us understand why people behave like us. Ideas will help you become a better judge of the character, manage your thought patterns, empathize with others, and motivate/influence them more effectively. In this summary of the laws of human nature, we will briefly describe these 18 laws. For all the details, examples and ideas, get a copy of the book or get a detailed overview with our comprehensive set of book summaries. We will now introduce the 18 laws of human nature and take a closer look at 2 of them. For the full mojo on the remaining laws, click here for a copy of our full 23-page summary. [Note: Some laws have been slightly paraphrased] This is a complete book divided into 5 sections with 18 laws of human nature. Each law is presented with at least 1 long history (about historical figures such as Milton Erickson, Anton Chekhov, Richard Nixon, Mary Shelley, Martin Luther King Jr. and Queen Elizabeth I), detailed with Greene`s interpretation, additional information about human nature, as well as strategies and tips for managing it. Get a copy of the book for all the details, or get our full summary file for an overview of the different ideas and tips.
In our full version of the Summary of the Laws of Human Nature, we explain the remaining 16 laws of human nature (click here for a full summary of the book). Here is a brief overview: 5. Law of Greed: Become an elusive object of desire. It is the human tendency to desire what we do not have. Learn and apply the 3 strategies to stimulate desire. Here are five of the most common forms of false lenses that have fallen into the hands of humans since the beginning of civilization. What Pericles did with the growing surplus of money frightened and astonished the citizens: instead of using it to buy political favors, he launched a massive public construction project in Athens. He commissioned temples, theaters, and concert halls and employed all Athenian craftsmen. Everywhere you looked, the city became more sublimely beautiful. He preferred a form of architecture that reflected his personal aesthetic – orderly, highly geometric, monumental and yet soothing to the eye.
His greatest commission was that of the Parthenon with its huge statue of Athena forty feet high. Athena was the guiding spirit of Athens, the goddess of wisdom and practical intelligence. It represented all the values that Pericles wanted to promote. Pericles alone had changed the appearance and spirit of Athens, and she entered a golden age in all the arts and sciences. You like to imagine being in control of your destiny and consciously planning the course of your life as much as possible. But you are largely unaware of how much your emotions dominate you. They make you gravitate towards ideas that calm your ego. They allow you to look for evidence that confirms what you already want to believe. They allow you to see what you want to see based on your mood, and this separation from reality is the source of the bad choices and negative patterns that haunt your life. Rationality is the ability to counter these emotional effects, to think instead of reacting, to open your mind to what is actually happening, as opposed to how you feel.
It does not come by itself; It is a strength we must cultivate, but in doing so, we realize our greatest potential. • Analytical empathy: Collect information about the other person in order to get to know them (e.g., family relationships, values, emotional triggers). The evil romantic: For the woman in this scenario, the man who fascinates her – often older and prosperous – may look like a rake, the guy who can`t help but chase away young women. But it is also romantic. • Use direct/indirect feedback to develop your empathic skills: ask questions about their thoughts/feelings to check your assumptions and observe their reactions and relationships. People think that we are rational and in control of our lives, when in reality we are driven by irrational emotions. We often let ourselves be guided by our emotional impulses – we seek pleasure, avoid pain and do things to calm our ego. People have the natural ability to empathize and connect with others. Unfortunately, we are blinded by egocentrism.
Our self-esteem is related to the attention we receive and the quality of our interactions. The problem arises when we rely on the attention and affirmation of others to feel worthy and alive. Below are some of the most common types you`ll find. Four signs of myopia and strategies to overcome it The tough guy: He projects a rough masculinity designed to intimidate. «I could give you many other reasons,» he concluded, «for which you should rely on the final victory if you choose only not to expand the Empire while the war is ongoing, and not to do everything possible to get caught up in new dangers. What I fear is not the enemy`s strategy, but our own mistakes. The novelty of what he proposed sparked a great debate. Neither the hawks nor the pigeons were satisfied with his plan, but in the end, his reputation for wisdom prevailed and his strategy was approved. A few months later, the fateful war began. 10.
Law of Envy: Beware of the fragile ego. People constantly compare us to each other and deny our own envy/jealousy. Learn to decipher and dispel envy before it becomes dangerous. Learn the signs of craving, the 5 types of craving, the situations that often trigger active craving, and how to boost your self-esteem. 8. Law of self-sabotage: Your attitude shapes your situation. Our attitude influences the way we interpret and react to events/people, thus achieving a self-fulfilling effect. Overcome 5 restricted parameters and adopt expansion to improve your situation. Or check out other books by Robert Greene: The 48 Laws of Power and Mastery. The favorite and the punching bag: These two guys occupy the highest and lowest rungs of the place. One day towards the end of 432 BC. J.-C., the citizens of Athens received a very disturbing news: representatives of the city-state of Sparta had arrived in the city and presented new conditions of peace to the Board of Directors of Athens.
If Athens did not accept these conditions, Sparta would declare war. Sparta was Athens` sworn enemy and, in many ways, its polar opposite. Athens ruled a league of democratic states in the region, while Sparta ruled a confederation of oligarchies known as the Peloponnese. Athens depended on its navy and wealth – it was the exceptional trading power in the Mediterranean. Sparta depended on his army. It was a total military state. Until then, the two powers had largely avoided direct war, as the consequences could be devastating – not only could the defeated side lose its influence in the region, but its entire way of life could be jeopardized – certainly for Athens its democracy and wealth. Now, however, war seemed inevitable, and a sense of impending misfortune quickly spread to the city. The Stirrer: This guy is usually riddled with insecurities, but skilled at hiding them from those in court. The elusive woman of perfection: he believes he has found the ideal woman. She will give him what she lacked in her previous relationships, whether it`s a little savagery, comfort and compassion, or a creative spark.
Then, after so many years of endless war, in the year 415 BC. Chr., several Athenian leaders had an interesting idea of how to deliver the mortal blow. The city-state of Syracuse was the rising power on the island of Sicily. Syracuse was an important ally of the Spartans and provided them with indispensable resources. If the Athenians with their great navy could launch an expedition and take control of Syracuse, they would gain two advantages: it would contribute to their empire and deprive Sparta of the resources it needed to continue the war.