Tuesday 17 May 2011

Respect traditions & be human.. not perfect

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Law 45

Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once

Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.

I think this is really important to understand. Too much change will really freak people out. You really have to respect traditions and changing too many things too fast can really bite you in the butt. It can make you seem disrespectful and no one wants that.

Law 46

Never appear too Perfect

Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.

Again, you have to show humility. And apparently, it's good to have a few enemies. It'll keep you on your toes. Fortunately, no one is perfect but even someone acting perfect can put a bad taste in your mouth.

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