The 48 Laws of Power: My 10 Most Insightful Lessons (Part 2)
Five more reflections on the most eye-opening quotes from Robert Greene's infamous bestseller
Hi everyone,
I’ve published a new article about The 10 Most Insightful Quotes From The 48 Laws of Power. Below you’ll find part two as a piece of bonus content.
Thank you for reading,
Chris
We cannot opt out of the game of power, Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power insists. Whether it’s a king at an ancient court or a bunch of people getting together in a modern office. Someone will assert himself or herself as the boss and the others will position themselves around the wannabe leader. The inevitable game for attention and power begins — however indirectly.
The dynamics that guide human behaviour have not changed with society becoming more civilised. The only thing that may be different is that we think we’re above it all. But everyday power games rarely revolve around coercion and open intimidation. Rather, Greene frames them as the art of deception, patience and most of all indirection. His book distils the rules of the game down to 48 laws.
5 More Lessons from The 48 Laws of Power
Let’s dive into the final five of my ten most insightful lessons from Robert Greene’s infamous bestseller.
6. Master the Art of Timing (Law 35)
Never seem to be in a hurry — hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment: sniff out the spirit of times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.
This quote from The 48 Laws of Power focuses on the significance of a factor we haven’t really touched on so far. Timing and pacing can make or break pretty much anything. The speech you give at that conference, the joke you crack to warm up your audience, and that long-awaited promotion.
What Greene suggests is to think of time as a malleable concept. To the very least we can influence our own perception and that of other people so as to achieve our goals. For that purpose, Greene distinguishes between three concepts of time:
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