The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene

Reviewed Date: July 11th, 2020

📍Since we are social beings, dealing with people is inevitable. We meet several people in our lives; we call them friends, colleagues, and relatives. At first we are blinded to true character, and we tend to think they are good people. As you travel with them, you will get to know their real selves. Some people cheat on us and take advantage of our generosity. We loathe ourselves for not knowing what they truly are.

📍This leads to frustration and stress. As the stress mounts upon you, all your repressed emotions and desires are ready to break into the surface of consciousness. At some point in time, you bust out. Situations like these sabotage your relationships and career.

📍The Laws of Human Nature is a book that teaches you how to deal with people, and it helps you to recognize toxic personalities around you. Not only that, but it also tells you how to know yourself and assess your character, personality, and dark side (shadow in Carl Jung’s words). Every law has a story and its explanation in detail. Robert Greene has a writing style that invites you to read more.

➡️My Takeaways from the Book:

⚡Accept People as Facts: Emotional turmoil comes from our interactions with people. We want to change people and wish them to be something that they can’t be. This will make us upset. Instead, accept people as facts.

⚡Be a Keen Observer: While having a conversation, you must look for indications of akin dislike, embarrassment, and anger in their body language. If the person is interested in your conversation, they show relaxation of facial muscles, they lean forward, they come closer, they nod often, and their legs point towards you. The frequent hoist of eyebrows is a universal sign of curiosity.

⚡Be like Columbus: Just like Columbus explored continents during his endeavors, you must see every person as a continent to be explored and comprehended. Every person is a walking puzzle and a mystery to solve. Understanding people as they are helps us to avoid certain stereotypes and toxic personalities.