48 Laws of Power

Power is a measure of a persons ability to control the environment around them, including the behavior of other persons. The term authority is often used for power perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust; indeed all evil and injustice committed by man against man involve power. The exercise of power seems endemic to humans as social beings. – Wikipedia

Robert Greene refers to power as the “closest thing humans have to becoming Gods themselves”. While I have read his book 48 laws of power a long time ago, the lessons never ingrained in my mind, as I find myself through recent events in a position of no power, of other people having power over me. Only through extremely hard work and effort, as well as the power of those who befriended and helped me (did the right thing) did I narrowly escape an otherwise ugly event that could have resulted in me looking for another job, or worse yet, working for a boss who had power over me and despised me.

In light of these events, I went back to thoroughly study “power”, not for the purpose of controlling others – that was never my goal. Rather, to understand it, so that others cannot control me. In gaining a certain amount of reputation and power, I will be able to thwart those who attack me, as well as launch counter attacks when necessary. Right now, I can only hurriedly try to defend myself.

Fear of Change

I have become accustomed to the routine. This routine involves going to work for the past 1.5 years, same job, same company. This change has been very different than my past, which often involved moving from the east coast to the west, and the different changes that occur from freshman to senior year.

I fear change now, because I have grown used to living in this apartment. I have grown weary and scarred of change. I have become comfortable and somewhat semi-happy with life.

It is in this predicament that I find myself trapped, or somewhat unhappy. There are some things I am happy for:

Cool job
Cool apartment
Cool friends

But there are still many things I am unhappy, or just “content” about:
Location
Lack of quality girls
Lack of events
Boring roommates
Despite cool job, still trapped from 8-5 work week

How do we get out of this rut? That’s the question that’s bugging me, like a splinter in my mind.

Entourage: Season 5

It has been too long. Welcome back to Entourage, season 5. September 7th.

Niccolo Machiavelli on Fortune and how to treat Her

This passage from “The Prince” was a “a-ha!” moment for me in my journey in life:

“To be brief, I say that since Fortune changes and men stand fixed in their old ways, they are prosperous so long as there is congruity between them, and the reverse when there is no. Of this, however, I am well persuaded, that it is better to be impetuous than cautious. For Fortune is a woman who to be kept under must be beaten and roughly handled; and we see that she suffers herself to be more readily mastered by those who so treat her than by those who are more timid in their approaches. And always, like a woman, she favors the young, because they are less scrupulous and fiercer, and command her with great audacity.”