Culture

I Read Robert Greene's Best-Selling Books And This Is Why I Recommend Them To Every Woman In My Life

Robert Greene is a strategist, a master at comprehending human nature, and a best-selling author of numerous books such as "The 48 Laws of Power" and "The Laws of Human Nature." And I think every woman should read his work.

By Ramsha Afridi3 min read
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The popular author uses lessons from history and the experiences of famous figures to discuss a variety of successful strategies, power dynamics, and self-development for readers to apply to their own life.

You might be thinking that all of this sounds very intense and that a high-level politician or businessman would be a better fit for his work, not us everyday gals. However, after having read three of Robert Greene's books, I am convinced that women especially can benefit from his writing.

Our modern world is becoming more complex, changing at a rapid pace, and becoming more competitive and cutthroat on a daily basis. All this can make life incredibly confusing and difficult for women as society teaches us the fundamentals of life but doesn’t provide us with the tools and social strategies to succeed and even protect ourselves in this ever-changing world.

Understanding Power Dynamics 

The core of Greene's work is understanding power dynamics, which lay at the heart of social situations, relationships, and everyday life. Greene believes that everyone has access to power, even those who aren't politicians or business people. He says within every human being is a yearning to grow and improve as an individual.

According to Greene, all humans, whether they be men or women, must have some measure of control over their lives because we’re hardwired to want to grow and outperform our limits. In the end, we must hone our abilities and gain "power" in order to achieve what’s most important to us. Power has the potential to have a greater impact and sense of self-direction on our lives and the events that revolve around us.

The more skilled you grow at wielding power, the more you will improve as a person.

Robert Greene says the more skilled you grow at wielding power, the more you will improve as a person and also develop the ability to have meaningful relationships. Ultimately, he says you can resolve disputes and establish more emotionally secure and balanced relationships by being aware of common power dynamics, which he explains in his best-selling book The 48 Laws of Power

Ultimately, this book is an instruction manual for the various skills required to understand power dynamics. Greene presents 48 maxims for strategies to succeed in society, work, and other aspects of daily life in this book, with many of these laws based on his own life experiences. He gives examples of how each rule has been applied in the past, as well as examples of those who have disobeyed the rules.

This all may sound very manipulative at first, but Greene revealed in a recent interview with psychologist Jordan Peterson that he was not inspired to write The 48 Laws of Power for the purpose of trickery or manipulation, but rather for the sake of power ideals founded on logic and common sense, which can aid individuals in defending themselves against those who might try to take advantage of or manipulate them. 

Understanding the Truth about Human Nature

In his books, Robert Greene tries to make his readers understand that all humans have a dark side, which means that we all have negative emotions like envy, self-absorption, and the ability to harm others. But this doesn’t mean that we, as humans, are inherently bad; it simply means that we should be aware of our dark side as rational, self-aware human beings.

In his book The Laws of Human Nature, Greene makes the case that we’re not always in control of our own behavior and are susceptible to forces that operate below our level of consciousness and come from deep within us. We can observe the outcomes, such as our thoughts, moods, and behaviors, but we rarely have conscious influence that genuinely affects our emotions and drives our behavior.

By mastering our emotions, we can improve our mental clarity and our ability to effect positive change.

Ultimately, he says we can become aware of our darkest emotions if we can step outside ourselves and recognize our flaws. For example, there may be instances where we feel compelled to behave in anger or rage, causing harm to others. He says that when we are angry, we don’t analyze or act rationally; instead, we simply ride the feeling, and sometimes even blame others for our behavior.

Greene argues that if we’re honest and take the time to delve a little deeper, we will realize that the core reasons for many of our negative emotions, such as anger, fury, and frustration, are actually far deeper. He contends that if we’re conscious of these flaws in ourselves, we can change and break these destructive patterns. He further argues that by mastering our emotions, we can improve our mental clarity, self-awareness, and the ability to make positive changes in our lives and to the people around us. 

Closing Thoughts

Robert Greene’s books are unconventional, unique, and most importantly, incredibly refreshing. His books dwell on uncomfortable truths about human nature, society, and the harsh realities of life, which so many of us are shielded from in our politically correct world. His work is carved out of historical texts and ancient wisdom, founded on truth, reason, and virtue, and for this reason, his books will without a doubt benefit women who appreciate these values.

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