How You Can Survive and Even Thrive in the Real World

[zeitgeist]

I am reading the book The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and my blood is chilling - actually, this is a good thing as it is really hot these days in Boston. But back to the topic, how on earth can a spiritual traveler dare to survive if we meet these scheming sharks in the real world?

Well, time will tell as far as I am concerned, since I have made it my mission to test my Tao in the financial world. Actually, I plan to write books about my experiment since I think that we are entering the next stage in human consciousness when light workers slowly but surely penetrate all corners of business and politics.

My hypothesis is that you can speak your mind freely as long as you happen to be perfectly in-tune with everything that is going on in your environment. Your friends, colleagues and foes invite you sometimes to speak and sometimes to shut up. You can see the clues in their faces, when you hear their voices and you can observe the energy dynamics in your environment.

Never miss an opportunity to shine, and never miss an opportunity to shut up! If you think you can speak your mind freely, butt in like an elephant in a china shop and the dear Lord will be cleaning up behind you, then you likely will be in for a lesson. But if you walk the Tao moment by moment and create, lead and withdraw in harmony with your surroundings, professional success and Psalm 23 will apply to you as well:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me.
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely, goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

May your path be blessed,
Zeitgeist

Reflections: How to Survive and Even Thrive in the Real World

[Curtis2011]

Originally Posted by zeitgeist

I am reading the book The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and my blood is chilling

I read through parts of that book before in a PDF file. I didn't like it.

Most of the laws of "power" were actually about manipulating people in order to achieve some sort of egoistic gain.

In reality, people who have real power are not fearful of others, thus they have no desire to control others via manipulation.

I would personally suggest that you do not take anything from that book as honest or healthy advice.

[VinceG]

You're not going to learn anything from Robert Greene's book the first time you read it. I know I didn't the first time I read it. It was only after I came back to the book years later when I could even read the book with a clear head. I don't know if you really need years before you can make them work for you, but I've seen the same reactions from people who've had brief interludes with it. Brain-melting followed by moral rejection.

The ideas in there are powerful and they take a certain mindset to pull off properly. It's training for your mind. Any kind of training takes time and an period where you try them out and make mistakes. What it's not is a system of morals. You're expected to bring those yourself. If you're looking for a holistic approach to life, you won't find it in Greene's books.

His books force you to look in the mirror. Can you trust yourself with the abilities the text promises? If you can't, then you're going to blame the book for being morally bankrupt when it is in fact you who hasn't come to grips with your own morality.

[Mist]

Robert Greene is an author. He observes and write. I don't think he wrote the book from his experience though.