What happens when we make a conscious effort to truly understand the intricacies of human behavior and social intelligence?    In this episode of The Darin Olien Show, I chat with Robert Greene about self-awareness, the ability to recognize our own flaws, and how this recognition propels personal growth. Transitioning to the idea of deception, we emphasize the need to develop a sense of detachment when observing people, drawing on Carl Jung's concept of the enantiodromia to recognize contradictions in character traits. Oftentimes, people show us exactly the opposite of who they really are and most people tend to take this person who is standing right in front of them for face value, hence ending up being deceived in the long-term.   We also discuss the pressing need for authenticity in a digital-driven world. Robert stresses the importance of fostering real-life connections and empathy and to put our phones away.   Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law, Mastery, The Laws of Human Nature, and most recently of The Daily Laws. In addition to having a strong following within the business world and a deep following in Washington, DC, Greene’s books are hailed by everyone from war historians to the biggest musicians in the industry.    What we discuss:   04:00: Why did Robert write his book? 11:20: How can we open up our consciousness?  17:13: How can we build up new skills once we recognize our weaknesses? 23:05: What strategies can we resort to cultivate awareness? 29:56: What can we do better as a society? 45:59: What does our history say about us? 51:21: How has Robert’s stroke affected his life?   Key Takeaway:  

• While many of us tend to prefer interacting online with others, we fail to realize how many cues and messages we lose out on. See, about 95% of the communication we receive from someone is through their non-verbal cues. When chatting with someone online, these are cues you can’t get. Thus, this creates an opportunity for both parties to fall into traps they otherwise may not if they were to interact with these people in person. 

 

• If you can’t detach yourself from your emotions, then you’re most likely an easy target for people who are masters at deceiving others and have their own agenda. That being said, it’s important to develop a sense of detachment from your emotions and being able to observe people objectively. This is because people tell on themselves all the time - but you need to be receptive to the cues.  When you take your emotions out of the equation, you can objectively analyze people who may be on a mission to extract something out of you.  Remember, people always tell on themselves - you just need to actually listen without letting your emotions get in the way to try and rationalize truths. 

 

• It’s human nature to point our finger at others and blame them for deceiving us, hurting us, or manipulating us. This is because it’s the easy way out. When you point the finger at someone, then you immediately relieve yourself of all responsibility to make sure it doesn’t happen to you again… until it does. See, deception starts with you - YOU allowed yourself to be deceived. That’s why it’s important to be self-aware and look inwards. There may be some weaknesses or blind-spots you don’t realize you have that make you an easy prey.

    To learn more about Robert:   Website: https://powerseductionandwar.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertgreeneofficial/   Find more from Darin:   Website: https://darinolien.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Darinolien/ Book: https://darinolien.com/fatal-conveniences-book/ Down to Earth: https://darinolien.com/down-to-earth/   More links:   Shop Therasage and use code DARIN to save 15% on your purchase: https://therasage.com/pages/shop   Shop Bite and use code DARIN20 to save 20% on your Bite subscription: https://trybite.com/darin   Shop Dirt Locker and use code DARIN10 to save 10% on your purchase: http://www.dirtlocker.com