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The Laws of Human Nature QUOTES

The Laws of Human Nature QUOTES

1 " If you come across any special trait of meanness or stupidity . . . you must be careful not to let it annoy or distress you, but to look upon it merely as an addition to your knowledge—a new fact to be considered in studying the character of humanity. Your attitude towards it will be that of the mineralogist who stumbles upon a very characteristic specimen of a mineral. —Arthur Schopenhauer "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

2 " You like to imagine yourself in control of your fate, consciously planning the course of your life as best you can. But you are largely unaware of how deeply your emotions dominate you. They make you veer toward ideas that soothe your ego. They make you look for evidence that confirms what you already want to believe. They make you see what you want to see, depending on your mood, and this disconnect from reality is the source of the bad decisions and negative patterns that haunt your life. Rationality is the ability to counteract these emotional effects, to think instead of react, to open your mind to what is really happening, as opposed to what you are feeling. It does not come naturally; it is a power we must cultivate, but in doing so we realize our greatest potential. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

3 " everyone lives in a world of his own. The world in which a man lives shapes itself chiefly on the way in which he looks at it "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

4 " Rationality is not a power you are born with but one you acquire through training and practice. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

5 " Man will only become better when you make him see what he is like. —Anton Chekhov "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

6 " Learn to question yourself: Why this anger or resentment? Where does this incessant need for attention come from? Under such scrutiny, your emotions will lose their hold on you. You will begin to think for yourself instead of reacting to what others give you. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

7 " Our continual connection to social media makes us prone to new forms of viral emotional effects. These are not media designed for calm reflection. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

8 " Not to become someone else, but to be more thoroughly yourself. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

9 " We want to learn the lesson and not repeat the experience. But in truth, we do not like to look too closely at what we did; our introspection is limited. Our natural response is to blame others, circumstances, or a momentary lapse of judgment. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

10 " What if we could find out what causes us to lie about who we are, or to inadvertently push people away? "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

11 " As Abraham Lincoln said, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

12 " we tend to think of our behavior as largely conscious and willed. To imagine that we are not always in control of what we do is a frightening thought, but in fact it is the reality. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

13 " You can recognize deep narcissists by the following behavior patterns: If they are ever insulted or challenged, they have no defense, nothing internal to soothe them or validate their worth. They generally react with great rage, thirsting for vengeance, full of a sense of righteousness. This is the only way they know how to assuage their insecurities. In such battles, they will position themselves as the wounded victim, confusing others and even drawing sympathy. They are prickly and oversensitive. Almost everything is taken personally. They can become quite paranoid and have enemies in all directions to point to. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

14 " If you come across any special trait of meanness or stupidity … you must be careful not to let it annoy or distress you, but to look upon it merely as an addition to your knowledge—a new fact to be considered in studying the character of humanity. Your attitude towards it will be that of the mineralogist who stumbles upon a very characteristic specimen of a mineral. —Arthur Schopenhauer "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

15 " Making money or being successful should be a natural result of this ideal and not the goal itself. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

16 " We are all self-absorbed, locked in our own worlds. It is a therapeutic and liberating experience to be drawn outside ourselves and into the world of another. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

17 " If you are observing someone you naturally dislike, or who reminds you of someone unpleasant in your past, you will tend to see almost any cue as unfriendly or hostile. You will do the opposite for people you like. In these exercises you must strive to subtract your personal preferences and prejudices about people. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

18 " Do not swallow the easy moralism of the day, which urges honesty at the expense of desirability. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

19 " We see people not as they are, but as they appear to us. And these appearances are usually misleading. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature

20 " The survival of our earliest ancestors depended on their ability to communicate with one another well before the invention of language. They evolved new and complex emotions—joy, shame, gratitude, jealousy, resentment, et cetera. The signs of these emotions could be read immediately on their faces, communicating their moods quickly and effectively. "

― Robert Greene , The Laws of Human Nature