Quotes from the book " The Laws of Human Nature"
Quotes from the book "The Laws of Human Nature" - Robert Greene.
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.
We see the results - our thoughts, moods, and actions- but have little conscious access to what actually moves our emotions and compels us to behave in certain ways.
Man will only become better when you make him see what he is like - Anton Chekhov.
Like everyone, you think you are rational, but you are not.
Learn to question yourself: Why this anger or resentment? Where does this incessant need for attention come from?
Evolution has led to the higher mammalian brain being composed of three parts. The oldest is the reptilian part of the brain, which controls all automatic responses. Above that is the old mammalian or limbic brain, governing feeling and emotion. And on top of that has evolved the neocortex, the part that controls cognition and, for humans, language.
Low-grade emotions continually affect our thinking, and they originate from our own impulses.
On either end of the spectrum-attraction or repulsion, you will tend to be irrational, and you will desperately need to distance yourself.
When some event or interaction requires a response, you must train yourself to step back.
The longer you can resist reacting, the more mental space you have for actual reflection.
Being able to tame the Emotional Self leads to an overall calmness and clarity.
In general, you will notice a smoother ride through life as you avoid unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings.
The deepest principle of Human Nature is the craving to be appreciated - William James.
Get a read on each person's particular psychology and what motivates them.
They have no mental space left over for simple observations.
The three categories of the most important cues to observe and identify are dislike/like, dominance/submission, and deception.
Learn how to consciously put yourself in the right emotional mood.
Know your audience and shape your nonverbal cues to their style and taste.
Character is destiny - Heraclitus.
As a student of human nature, your task is twofold: First, you must come to understand your own character. Second, you must develop your skill in reading the character of the people you deal with.
I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people. - Sir Isaac Newton.
It is always better to walk away from a circular battle, no matter how deeply you feel personally invested in it. Your energy and your spirit are important considerations.
The years teach much which the days never know - Ralph Waldo Emerson.
People's self-opinion that are nearly universal: "I am autonomous, acting of my own free will"; "I am intelligent in my own way"; and " I am basically good and decent."
The unexamined life is not worth living.
By accepting people, by understanding and, if possible, even loving them for their human nature, we can liberate our minds from obsessive and petty emotions.
The shadow consists of all the qualities people try to deny about themselves and repress. This repression is so deep and effective that people are generally unaware of their shadow; it operates unconsciously.
People who feel envy in the first place are often motivated to become our friends.
He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how. - Friedrich Nietzsche
When we try to manufacture happy moments, they tend to disappoint us.
Man would rather have the void as purpose than be void of purpose.
When people operate in groups, they do not engage in nuanced thinking and deep analysis. Only individuals with a degree of calmness and detachment can do so. People in groups feel emotional and excited.
When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other. - Eric Hoffer.
What they miss most of all is not simply the presence of people near them but the eyes of others looking back at them.
This is the social force at its most basic level - only the eye of other people can reassure us that we are real and whole and that we belong.
No matter the type of culture or how disruptive it might have been in its origins, the longer a group exists and the larger it grows, the more conservative it will become. This is an inevitable result of the desire to hold on to what people have made or built, and to rely on tried-and-true ways to maintain the status quo.
Love, friendship, and respect do not unite people as much as common hatred for something.
Madness is something rare in individuals, but in groups, parties, peoples, and ages, it is the rule.
Before any impulse to take aggressive action, aggressors are unconsciously processing feelings of helplessness and anxiety. They often perceive threats that are not really there or exaggerate them.
A person who is truly strong from within can endure criticism and open discussion without feeling personally threatened.
Almost nothing in the world can resist persistent human energy. Things will yield if we strike enough blows with enough force.
I will either find a way or make a way.
You are a product of the times as much as anyone.
Happy Reading !!!
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