I finally understand what Machiavelli meant when he said, "Never play fair in a game where others cheat." It doesn't mean become evil. It means stop being naive. Stop bringing honesty to people who study manipulation, stop giving access to people who weaponize closeness, and stop expecting clean hands from people who already showed you they'll throw dirt. Sometimes wisdom is not revenge. Sometimes wisdom is learning the rules of the room before the room uses your goodness against you.
"The majority of men are not capable of thinking, but only of believing, and are not accessible to reason, but only to authority."
— Arthur Schopenhauer
the best witchcraft i've learned is to say everything you're doing before you do it. even walking into a room. say "i'm walking into the kitchen and getting a drink," etc. after a couple of weeks, your mind has gotten used to doing what you say will happen. now your mind believes your words more and will more naturally work to make them happen.
I’m in love with this sentence:
“Every pattern in your life repeats until you learn the lesson. The moment you choose differently, the loop ends and growth begins.”