Book Ponder

The Daily Laws by Robert Greene is a daily devotional that pulls lessons from his best works.  Greene’s books are great, but the daily laws outshine them all by bringing the best of all his works into one collection.  It was a great refresher into my favorite parts of his books I may have forgotten and gave me a peek into some of his books I have not yet read.  This book was jam-packed with lessons, and these are my top 5.

In the Beginning, We Are Outsiders

One of the best feelings in the world is the excitement to try something new.  It may be starting a new hobby or learning a new skill, we run to the store and purchase all the necessary supplies and prepare the perfect environment for the given task.  Then once we start, we begin to realize how difficult the task is and the longer we stick with it the more the excitement starts to leave, and boredom begins to creep in.  Robert Greene teaches us that if we can get past these emotions, mastery, and excitement begin to return to us. 

“In the beginning we are outsiders, when we first study the piano, the keyboard looks rather intimidating—we don’t understand the relationships between the keys, the chords, the pedals, and everything else that goes into creating music. Although we might enter with excitement about what we can learn, we quickly realize how much hard work there is ahead of us. The great danger is that we give in to feelings of boredom, impatience, fear, and confusion. We stop observing and learning. The process comes to a halt. If, on the other hand, we manage these emotions and allow time to take its course, something remarkable begins to take shape. As we continue to observe and follow the lead of others, we gain clarity, learning the rules and seeing how things work and fit together. If we keep practicing, we gain fluency; basic skills are mastered, allowing us to take on newer and more exciting.” 

Robert Greene

You Are the People You Hang Around

We’ve all heard the old cliche that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Robert Greene doubles down on this lesson and says that we should be purposeful about who those people are and prioritize spending time with them once we find them.

“Daily Law: Make a list of the people in your life who live with purpose. Prioritize spending more time with them.”

Robert Greene

Put Yourself in Their Shoes

Have you ever tried to convince someone to do something they don’t want to do?  It’s nearly impossible.  Sometimes we wish we could have the power to influence people better and Robert Greene explains that to be able to influence people we need to start thinking about what they want. 

“Just as I have the power to influence the reader when I start thinking about what the reader wants, you have the power to influence people when you start thinking about what they want.”

Robert Greene

The best way to know what makes others click or to better be able to help someone is to put yourself in their position.  Odds are they are going through different things than you or have had different life experiences than your own which impact the way they think or are influenced.  You must put yourself in their place to get to know a person. 

Do Not Make Decisions While Filled With Emotion

How many times have we said something rude in the spur of the moment or made a rash decision and later looked back and thought we could have been smarter if only we had some time to cool off or step back before making the decision?   Greene explains that one of the few times it’s okay to procrastinate is when the emotions are high.

“When some event or interaction requires a response, you must train yourself to step back. This could mean physically removing yourself to a place where you can be alone and not feel any pressure to respond. Or it could mean writing that angry email but not sending it. You sleep on it for a day or two. You do not make phone calls or communicate while feeling some sudden emotion, particularly resentment. If you find yourself rushing to commit to people, to hire or be hired by them, step back and give it a day. Cool the emotions down. The longer you can take the better, because perspective comes with time.”

Robert Greene

It may seem difficult to step away or return to something later but even in certain situations that we can’t step away from we always have the power to take a deep breath and practice removing the emotion from the current situation. 

Assume You’re Misjudging the People Around You

We have all met that person we thought we could trust only to realize they were fake.  It is truly rare to know someone completely, how many people know you completely?  There is always a part of us that is reserved, that no one knows about.  Our deepest thoughts and feelings usually never reach the surface, and you must have that mindset with dealing with others too.  Even lifelong friendships can be full of surprises because the person was not who you thought they were.  Build great relationships, but always have some reservations.  Like Ronald Reagan used to say, “Trust but verify.”

“The greatest danger you face is your general assumption that you really understand people and that you can quickly judge and categorize them. Instead, you must begin with the assumption that you are ignorant and that you have natural biases that will make you judge people incorrectly. The people around you present a mask that suits their purposes. You mistake the mask for reality. Let go of your tendency to make snap judgments. Open your mind to seeing people in a new light. Do not assume that you are similar or that they share your values. Each person you meet is like an undiscovered country, with a very particular psychological chemistry that you will carefully explore. You are more than ready to be surprised by what you uncover.”

Robert Greene

 

The Daily Laws by Robert Greene 

I would recommend The Daily Laws to long-time followers of Robert Greene and to people just getting into his work.  It is a great refresher for those who have already read his books and I think it is better to read The Daily Laws instead of rereading the other books.  For new readers, it gives you the best of Robert Greene and if quotes from one of his books resonate with you, you can dive more deeply into that piece of work.