Robert Greene citations

Page 2

“People around you, constantly under the pull of their emotions, change their ideas by the day or by the hour, depending on their mood. You must never assume that what people say or do in a particular moment is a statement of their permanent desires.”

“People are more complicated than the masks they wear in society.”

“12--Lose Battles, But Win The War: Grand Strategy

Grand strategy is the art of looking beyond the present battle and calculating ahead. Focus on your ultimate goal and plot to reach it.”

“Remember: The best deceivers do everything they can to cloak their roguish qualities. They cultivate an air of honesty in one area to disguise their dishonesty in others. Honesty is merely another decoy in their arsenal of weapons.”

“do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”

“Never whine, never complain, never try to justify yourself.”

“friendship and love blind every man to their interests.”

“The key to power, then, is the ability to judge who is best able to further your interests in all situations. Keep friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent.”

“The human tongue is a beast that few can master.”

“An emotional response to a situation is the single greatest barrier to power, a mistake that will cost you a lot more than any temporary satisfaction you might gain by expressing your feelings.”

“When you meet a swordsman, draw your sword: Do not recite poetry to one who is not a poet.”

“Nothing is stable in the realm of power, and even closest of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies.”

“He who poses as a fool is not a fool.”

“Become who you are by learning who you are.”

“If we experience any failures or setbacks, we do not forget them because they offend our self-esteem. Instead we reflect on them deeply, trying to figure out what went wrong and discern whether there are any patterns to our mistakes.”

“The passive ironic attitude is not cool or romantic, but pathetic and destructive.”

“It is in fact the height of selfishness to merely consume what others create and to retreat into a shell of limited goals and immediate pleasures.”

“All masters want to appear more brilliant than other people.”

“Fools say that they learn by experience. I prefer to profit by others’ experience.”

“The conventional mind is passive - it consumes information and regurgitates it in familiar forms. The dimensional mind is active, transforming everything it digests into something new and original, creating instead of consuming.”

“There is too little mystery in the world; too many people say exactly what they feel or want.”

“If, for example, you are miserly by nature, you will never go beyond a certain limit; only generous souls attain greatness.”

“A man said to a Dervish: “Why do I not see you more often?” The Dervish replied, “Because the words ‘Why have you not been to see me?’ are sweeter to my ear than the words ‘Why have you come again?”

“Most people are perpetually locked in the present. Their decisions are overly influenced by the most immediate event; they easily become emotional and ascribe greater significance to a problem than it should have in reality.”

“The key then to attaining this higher level of intelligence is to make our years of study qualitatively rich. We don't simply absorb information - we internalize it and make it our own by finding some way to put this knowledge to practical use.”

“Our natural tendency is to project onto other people our own belief and value systems, in ways in which we are not even aware.”

“You must understand the following: In order to master a field, you must love the subject and feel a profound connection to it. Your interest must transcend the field itself and border on the religious.”

“Any titles, money, or privilege you inherit are actually hindrances. They delude you into believing you are owed respect.”

“Never take your position for granted and never let any favors you receive go to your head.”