Law 2: Never Put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn How to Use Enemies (The 48 Laws of Power)

Pinochet Kissinger Reunion Don’t trust friends, they are likely to betray you because they are predisposed to envy. Hire a former enemy, and he will be more loyal than a friend – he has more to prove. In the 9th century A.D, Michael III, a young man assumed the throne of the Byzantine empire. He … Read more

Chapter 6: Civilization (21 Lessons for the 21st Century)

Chapter 6: Civilization The ‘Clash of Civilizations’ thesis has been revived by recent events in the world. The Syrian civil war, the rise of the Islamic State, Brexit, and the uncertainty surrounding the EU are all indicators that the clash between the West and Islamic civilization is irreconcilable. The attempt to impose western ideals such … Read more

Chapter 5: Community (21 Lessons for the 21st Century)

Chapter 5: Community Humans have bodies After the 2016 U.S elections, Silicon Valley’s assumptions had been disrupted. They were used to seeing themselves as part of the solution to bigotry, but now could not deny that they may be part of the problem. They immediately looked for an engineering solution. Facebook’s business model was in … Read more

Chapter 4: Equality (21 Lessons for the 21st Century)

Those who own the data own the future The Separation The result of globalization might not have a fairy tale ending, it may result in ‘speciation’, the divergence of humans into separate biological castes or species. In the 20th century, ‘barbarians’ were considered useful because of the labor they provided, but in the 21st century, … Read more

Law 44: Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect (The 48 Laws of Power)

Law 44: Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect The Mirror Effect is about using people’s narcissism against them. And, as Greene shows, there are many variations of this technique. You should decide which one to use based on your objective. By mirroring people’s actions and sentiments, you can gain their trust. The skill involved … Read more

The Prince Summary (7/10)

The Prince by Machiavelli is an introduction to realpolitik. It’s important to understand that Machiavelli’s audience is a prince. Few can consider themselves princes in the modern world, and many of insights in this book involve warfare, how to successfully build and maintain an empire, and how to treat your subjects – none of these are … Read more