Robert Greene Quotes

We do not see people as they are, but as they appear to us. And these appearances are usually misleading.

Passive aggressors who are adept at this will have trained themselves to remain calm, while you get irritated and emotional.

Your life must be a progression towards ownership – first mentally of your independence, and then physically of your work, owning what you produce.

The authority you establish must emerge naturally from your character, from the particular strengths you possess.

The Nihilistic Troll might pretend to be acting in the service of some cause or leader, but don’t be fooled. The cause and their supposedly strong convictions are simply a way to justify and provide cover for their abusive behavior.

I know My God commands, whose power no power resists.

Ambition has become a dirty word, and I believe it is a great evolutionary force for the positive. If people fail or go astray in their ambition I can live with it but not with people lowering their expectations, wasting time, slacking off and glorifying failure and stupidity.

Create a ladder of values and priorities in your life, reminding yourself of what really matters to you.

When I was researching my book ‘The 33 Strategies of War’, I studied Napoleon extensively and I found myself wanting to ask Napoleon questions about things he did, and if was I interpreting his actions correctly.

Every couple of years when your book comes out then you have to go into these fights with the publisher and the publicist and then maybe I bring sort of my knowledge of power into play.

Often people become our friend or follower with an undercurrent of resentment in our having more success than they have. They secretly desire the opportunity to take us down a notch; they have a nose for any misstep on our part they can exploit.

If you change and adapt your persona, you are seen as inauthentic; if you stay the angry young man, you fade from attention or seem tiresome.

A child wants things to be a certain way. When you get to be an adult, you just understand that some people are good, some are not, and you can’t be naive.

Few are drawn to the person whom others avoid and neglect; people gather around those who have already attracted interest.