Accepting Realities of Power

Robert Greene says we all strive for power—for control over our surroundings so that we can get what we want. He says it's human nature.

Maybe it is.

While I can't fully align my values and actions with the tactics in his book, 48 Laws of Power, I see the importance of knowing about them. Of being able to spot when someone is manipulating me, and play defense. And, occasionally, to also play offense, but always within reason.

We do have to accept that politicking and manipulation happen all the time. That they're around us. That people do them intentionally and unintentionally.

It is in understanding this reality that we can protect ourselves, avoid becoming pawns, and keep control of our lives and our future.

Accepting the dirt of the world does not make us dirty. It turns us into realists, and better drivers of our own lives.