For the past one month or so, I’ve been binge-reading Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power. It’s a really great book for succeeding in life, gaining influence and as the book says, attaining power.

I’ve practically gone through the book cover to cover and it wasn’t until I had a second read on the 32nd chapter that I was reminded of my transgression of the law.

Play to People’s Fantasies.

Here’s my story;

Immediately I graduated from secondary school, one of my teachers helped me find a parent that I would help homeschool their child. I was chuffed and did that for several months. Along the line, I found another and was feeling on top of the world.

A fresh undergraduate and I was already earning good five figures.

A few months down the line, I found a school to teach in, and having developed a relationship with the principal he knew I was good at teaching and he linked me up with a place to teach private students preparing for WAEC.

I couldn’t have been happier.

But like Denzel Washington said, “At your highest moment, that’s when the devil comes for you.”

I got word that I ought to have been paid higher in the lesson he found for me, and within me I felt cheated and angry.

I was told not to confront or show any emotions but as a naïve teenager I faulted at following the latter instruction.

The next morning, I wasn’t really happy and it showed in the way I greeted him. He called me to his office that morning and fired me and sighted financial constraint as the reason.

Bullcrap.

The part that pained me the most?

I was fired from the lesson too.

Interpretation: The truth is best avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Had it been I had never found out I was being underpaid, I wouldn’t had negative energy that day. You see, I stopped playing to his fantasies of me being happy with the fact he found me a job and it did’t augur well with him.

So, in life, if you want to win play to people’s fantasies.

ImahGabi22:
For the past one month or so, I’ve been binge-reading Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power. It’s a really great book for succeeding in life, gaining influence and as the book says, attaining power.

I’ve practically gone through the book cover to cover and it wasn’t until I had a second read on the 32nd chapter that I was reminded of my transgression of the law.

Play to People’s Fantasies.

Here’s my story;

Immediately I graduated from secondary school, one of my teachers helped me find a parent that I would help homeschool their child. I was chuffed and did that for several months. Along the line, I found another and was feeling on top of the world.

A fresh undergraduate and I was already earning good five figures.

A few months down the line, I found a school to teach in, and having developed a relationship with the principal he knew I was good at teaching and he linked me up with a place to teach private students preparing for WAEC.

I couldn’t have been happier.

But like Denzel Washington said, “At your highest moment, that’s when the devil comes for you.”

I got word that I ought to have been paid higher in the lesson he found for me, and within me I felt cheated and angry.

I was told not to confront or show any emotions but as a naïve teenager I faulted at following the latter instruction.

The next morning, I wasn’t really happy and it showed in the way I greeted him. He called me to his office that morning and fired me and sighted financial constraint as the reason.

Bullcrap.

The part that pained me the most?

I was fired from the lesson too.

Interpretation: The truth is best avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Had it been I had never found out I was being underpaid, I wouldn’t had negative energy that day. You see, I stopped playing to his fantasies of me being happy with the fact he found me a job and it did’t augur well with him.

So, in life, if you want to win play to people’s fantasies.

48 laws of power is a great book in the hands of the reasonable but a terrible book in the hand of crooks and criminal minds.