The Laws of Human Nature
Reviews
A blueprint for the human mind and soul. Highly recommend to read this before even considering therapy. You mind not need to if you self-reflect on ever page.
One of the best books in my entire life! It is jam-packed with so much information, and suddenly things on how we function start to make sense. I especially like the style every chapter is structured. It starts with a story, then the interpretation of it, and then extra knowledge about the topic with smaller examples. 100% recommend!
The core idea of the book is to help you understand what drives people so you can avoid and defend yourself from the life-sucking bastards who want to hurt you or use you as a stepping-stone for their careers. We'll inevitably encounter individuals who will make our lives difficult and unpleasant. The general idea of Robert Green is to assist you with spotting who those guys are and swiftly disarming them.
I was incredibly disappointed with this book. Robert Greene is a lot more direct in some of his other books, and although I found some of that directness in some chapters, I felt like this book was overall a little long winded. I’d say the most fascinating insights provided by the book are: - humans are extremely complex and irrational - we don’t necessarily show our true nature to the world
Highlights
Accept people as facts. Interactions with people are the major source of emotional turmoil, but it doesn't have to be that way. The problem is that we are continually judging people, wishing they were something that they are not. We want to change them. We want them to think and act a certain way, most often the way we think and act. And because this is not possible, because everyone is different, we are continually frustrated and upset. Instead, see other people as phenomena, as neutral as comets or plants. They simply exist. They come in all varieties, making life rich and interesting. Work with what they give you, instead of resisting and trying to change them. Make understanding people a fun game, the solving of puzzles. It is all part of the human comedy. Yes, people are irrational, but so are you. Make your acceptance of human nature as radical as possible. This will calm you down and help you observe people more dispassionately, understanding them on a deeper level. You will stop projecting your Own emotions on to them. All of this will give you more balance and calmness, more mental space for thinking.