The Law of Death Denial We don’t like to think about death, but we should. By reminding ourselves of our own mortality forces us to think more clearly about the future, wasting less time on things that don’t matter. When I look back at the past and think of all the time I squandered in … Read more
The Law of Conformity We like to think of ourselves as individuals, but in truth, we are all products of our social groups. We must dress, act, and speak the same. If we deviate too much, the group will unconsciously renounce us. It offends us to think of ourselves as unoriginal copies of our group, … Read more
The Law of Aimlessness Martin Luther King Jr. had a domineering father who intervened strongly in his life. But MLK had a sense of purpose, different from his brother, who lived under the shadow of King Sr. MLK was more easy-going than his father and was primarily motivated to make life better on earth, rather … Read more
The Law of Gender Rigidity Based on Carl’s Jung discovery of the anima and the animus, Greene writes about the dangers of over identifying with your gender, and how you can connect to the repressed feminine if you are male, and to the repressed masculine if you are female. As children, boys are extremely sensitive, … Read more
The Law of Grandiosity Grandiosity is a feeling we have when we are children, it is a feeling of invulnerability, but as we grow older, we realize that we have many limitations. It is best not to downplay the role of luck in our success, and to always stay grounded. Signs of Grandiosity Too much … Read more
The Law of Envy In some parts of the world, the idea of the “evil eye” still exists. These people believe that a look of envy can have physical repercussions, such as illnesses or bad luck. Envy is an old emotion, it is tempting to think that we have outgrown it, that only children feel envy, … Read more
The Law of Repression People are not what they seem. Beneath their polite exterior is a dark side filled with insecurities and aggressive, selfish impulses that are repressed and carefully concealed. Richard Nixon Richard Nixon was a man who publicly valued the ideals of hard work, ambition and resilience. He set an example for others and … Read more
The Law of Self-Sabotage The greatest discovery of my generation is the fact that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. William James Anton Chekhov came from a poor family in Russia. His father was a merchant by had an artist’s temperament, he drank frequently and took out his anger … Read more
The Law of Defensiveness Lyndon Johnson had a humble background. He grew up in Texas and early on learned about the importance of hard work. In his rise to power, he exhibited all the right characteristics of a competent politician. He was studious, he attended every parliamentary session, he took detailed notes – of even … Read more
The Law of Shortsightedness I can calculate the motion of bodies, but not the madness of people. – Isaac Newton There is an animal part of you that is highly tuned to the present – the latest news and trends, the opinions of people around you, or whatever is most dramatic. You should learn to … Read more