Robert Greene citations

“Do not fight them. Instead think of them the way you think of children, or pets, not important enough to affect your mental balance”

“When our emotions are engaged, we often have trouble seeing things as they are.”

“Keep your friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent”

“… But the human tongue is a beast that few can master. It strains constantly to break out of its cage, and if it is not tamed, it will tun wild and cause you grief.”

“Power is a game, and in games you do not judge your opponents by their intentions but by the effects of their actions.”

“Many a serious thinker has been produced in prisons, where we have nothing to do but think.”

“person who cannot control his words shows that he cannot control himself, and is unworthy of respect.”

“To succeed in the game of power, you have to master your emotions. But even if you succeed in gaining such self-control, you can never control the temperamental dispositions of those around you. And this presents a great danger.”

“The time that leads to mastery is dependent on the intensity of our focus.”

“Never be distracted by people’s glamorous portraits of themselves and their lives; search and dig for what really imprisons them.”

“Your fears are a kind of prison that confines you within a limited range of action. The less you fear, the more power you will have and the more fully you will live.”

“Hide your intentions not by closing up (with the risk of appearing secretive, and making people suspicious) but by talking endlessly about your desires and goals-just not the real ones.”

“Sadness of any sort is also seductive, particularly if it seems deep-rooted, even spiritual, rather than needy or pathetic—it makes people come to you.”

“Without enemies around us, we grow lazy. An enemy at our heels sharpens our wits, keeping us focused and alert. It is sometimes better, then, to use enemies as enemies rather than transforming them into friends or allies.”

“Events in life mean nothing if you do not reflect on them in a deep way, and ideas from books are pointless if they have no application to life as you live it.”

“Actually, your past successes are your biggest obstacle: every battle, every war, is different, and you cannot assume that what worked before will work today.”

“Sometimes any emotion is better than the boredom of security.”

“Always make those above you feel comfortably superior.”

“When you show yourself to the world and display your talents, you naturally stir all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity… you cannot spend your life worrying about the petty feelings of others”

“Do not leave your reputation to chance or gossip; it is your life's artwork, and you must craft it, hone it, and display it with the care of an artist.”

“There is nothing more intoxicating than victory, and nothing more dangerous.”

“Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies.”

“Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter”

“Never waste valuable time, or mental peace of mind, on the affairs of others—that is too high a price to pay.”

“Despise The Free Lunch”

“For the future, the motto is, "No days unalert.”

“Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act like a King to be treated”

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.”

“No one is really going to help you or give you direction. In fact, the odds are against you.”