The Laws of Human Nature and why you need to learn them
Robert Greene is back after a six-year hiatus with his latest book, [amazon link="1788161556"]. This is Greene's sixth bestseller, two of which I've reviewed here on the blog before. Both The 48 Laws of Power and Mastery should be on your reading list if you haven't read them. Greene hasn't disappointed this time around either. The Laws of Human Nature is the best book I read in 2018 and one of the best books I've read ever. The book is a perennial seller and in typical Greene style it contains social psychological lessons from human history you can use as a point of reference time and again. According to Greene, The Laws of Human Nature was around five years in the making. Although this could be him giving a nod to Law 16 in The 48 Laws of Power to "use absence to increase respect and honour." That said, with 624 pages, the book is dense and his most comprehensive one to date. Compared with Mastery (352 pages) and The 48 Laws (480 pages), both of which are not pamphlets themselves, The Laws of Human Nature is a long read. If you're interested in social psychology and understanding how thoughts and emotions control human behaviour you'll find it fascinating. Kudos to Greene on how much extensive and thorough research has gone into writing the book. I read the entire thing once and have gone back to re-read a few chapters again. I also bought the audiobook version to listen while I'm on the move. The Laws of Human Nature is one of those books you have to read multiple times to get a comprehensive understanding of all the laws included in it. What are Greene's Laws of Human nature, exactly? The Laws of Human Nature are the collection of forces that make us think, act and react the way we do. These forces include the particular wiring of our brains, the configuration of our nervous system, the way we process our emotions and moods, and the impact our upbringing and the groups we associate with have on us. All of which have developed and emerged over the course of the five million years in the evolution of our species. Our concept of free will is a myth and often what we say is not what we mean. The book goes well beyond the surface level of appearances and into deep psychological territory. Greene draws on the vast literature of psychology from the last 100 years from the likes of Freud, Yung, Klein, Kahneman, Nietzsche, Aronson and many others. He ties these psychological concepts in with historical figures and events including the likes of Coco Chanel, Lyndon Johnson, Napoleon, Martin Luther King Jr and many others. Greene has identified 18 laws of human nature, all of which are categorised into an individual chapter. He makes the point upfront that once you have an understanding of the laws of human nature you can address them dispassionately. Indeed, the first chapter is The Law of Irrationality with the key takeaway message being to understand how to be rational so it's to your advantage. Greene says by distancing yourself when someone acts against you, the situation can be examined without emotion to determine the deep unconscious motive behind it. As Schopenhauer who is quoted in the book noted. "If you come across any special trait of meanness or stupidity, you must be careful not to let it annoy or distress you but to look upon it merely as an addition to your knowledge. A new fact to be considered in studying the character of humanity. Your attitude towards it will be that of the mineralogist who stumbles across a very characteristic specimen of a mineral." Arthur Schopenhauer There are 18 chapters in total, each one outlining an individual law of human nature to help you become aware of each one in both yourself and in others. Greene's 18 laws of human nature are: IrrationalityNarcissismRoleplayingCompulsive behaviourCovetousness Shortsightedness Defensiveness Self-sabotage RepressionEnvy Grandiosity Gender rigidity Aimlessnes...