@RobertGreene Engage with others on their own terms.
Speak their language and address their passions.
True connection happens when you meet people where they are, not where you wish them to be.
One way of elevating your reputation is to claim unearned moral virtue.
And so, a huge part of what motivates the “Woke” nonsense that insists that the mere reflexive act of feeling sorry for someone constitutes a moral virtue, is an attempt to claim a reputational status without having to do any of the work whatsoever.
To be a good person, you have to be productive. That's hard. And you have to be generous. And that's hard. And you have to play medium to long-term stable, voluntary games with other people. And that's hard.
Nothing but diligent, upward-oriented work over the years puts you in that position.
Whereas if you make an unwarranted moral claim, “I'm compassionate,” then instantly, you're with the angels. It also allows you to derogate those whom you regard as predatory and enhances your moral virtue.
“Not only am I compassionate, and that makes me good, but and I'm on the side of the angels, but there are the snakes, and they're not in me at all because I'm saintly in all regards”.
The snakes have to be somewhere. And the most convenient place to put them is in someone else.
Disappear, invest in yourself, but don’t forget to reappear; many people fall in love with the comfort of being alone, they take the time to upgrade themselves, it’s very therapeutic, and they forget that the best version of themselves is on the path of doing something for others
I have a mental illness that makes me think that people will change their minds if I present the correct arguments with the appropriate facts and data.
In 2 pages @JeffBezos teaches you more about high standards than you'll learn from reading 2 books. The art of summarising that which resists summary is critical to achieving greatness. The world will forget you, except what you've written down, then what you've written down well