Voices in the Dark

LAW 30: Make Your Accomplishments Seem Effortless

Tim Ferriss breaks this Law all the time. So how does he get away with it, and to such great effect? The best magicians, artists and leaders all hide the intensity of their effort from the world's view, so that when they're on stage everything they do seems deeply impressive. And then there's Tim, who specialises in deconstructing the process behind everything he does...

Jon and Dre take on the Ferriss Paradox and much more in Law 30, pondering how we can avoid the danger of seeming to try too hard; how it's possible to share workspace with people and still observe this Law; and why people get so damn angry if you fix their problems 'too quickly'. Law 30 is all about finding the balance between making things look effortless, but not unnoticeable; so what do we put on stage and what do we keep behind the scenes?

Dre reveals his strangely anti-addictive personality traits, claims that all of Apple's best products are the result of taking psychedelics, and (yes, you guessed it) plans to take over the world. Jon, meanwhile, wonders how to observe the Law when it comes to publishing research with footnotes; should we just drop them all, or do we still need to see the working? He then happily rants about the bullshit that is the peer review process. Dre becomes incensed by how people don't Google things to find out if the stories they read are true or not, while Jon belligerently refuses to waste time reading the news at all. And then they bicker over whether 'artificious' is a word. (To Jon's disgust, Dre wins this one, although it's archaic...)

They also consider the ways technology will soon take care of our desires before we even know we have them, and what that might do to us. Will we all become spoilt children, unwilling or unable to work for anything? Or will we manage to create ever more elaborate excuses to avoid getting down to work?

FULL NOTES: http://voicesinthedark.world/2017/01/03/make-your-accomplishments-seem-effortless-exploring-the-48-laws-of-power-law-30/

• How to balance getting help from other people with the need to conceal how hard you're working
• When you should reveal the magic trick and why
• Mastering the art of the spontaneous
• How our problems swell to fill the lives we're living
• Houdini's secrets and what they can teach us
• Why people don't like paying for things you can perform quickly
• Adding performance to your art so people value it more
• Don't end up making things look like a pre-rendered videogame sequence
• Should you go on a news diet?
• Why it's essential to always keep a sense of humour about yourself

• Ned the cat's Instagram account @nedkitteh
• Tim Ferriss's The Four Hour Chef and Tools of Titans
• Law 30 crosses over in various ways with Law 11 – Learn To Keep People Dependent On You
• The glorious Rocky training montages
• And Team America's no less glorious montage (not South Park, as we claimed!)
• The beautiful play Jon mentioned: A Regular Little Houdini – on tour again in 2017, so check it out!
• A modern Houdini – Derren Brown
• Captain Corelli's Mandolin, by Louis de Bernières
• Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo
• Our friend Tone Floreal, master of flow
• The always awesome site, High Existence, and Jon's first article for them on Ayahuasca

Challenge: Don't 'show the working'; practise sprezzatura! If you're complimented by someone, don't do yourself down; remain enigmatic and continue cultivating a sense of mystery.

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene's provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the 'modern Machiavelli', we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they've either observed or transgressed them).

Jon's heading off to Buddhist monastery in Nepal for a whole month of meditation, reflection, and keeping silent most of the day. No internet. No phone. No caffeine. No 'sexual conduct'. Lots of Buddhism.

This is the non-hallucinogenic sequel to Jon's experiences with Ayahuasca in the Amazon just over a year ago, so we decided to create a Before & After interview, with Dre asking the questions: Why's he going? What does he expect to gain from it? Who's he going to be on the other side? And what's the difference between a few doses of psychedelics and 30 days of focused meditation and discussion?

Earlier this year, Jon interviewed Martijn Schirp (editor of the excellent High Existence website) for Talking the Walk. Martijn used to be a professional poker player, but was looking for a lot more from his life. With a bag of money and no sense of direction, he happened to hear about a month-long meditation course at a Buddhist monastery in Nepal. The experience would prove transformational – which is why he's now the editor of a site dedicated to self-development, challenging everything you think you know, and generally opening our minds beyond our cultural programming.

Something about that conversation stuck in Jon's mind, and just a few months later he'd booked himself a place on the same course at Kopan Monastery.

• Jon's Ayahuasca vlogs, chronicling his experiences in the Am
• Check out Jon's popular recent piece for High Existence, 10 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Drinking Ayahuasca

LAW 29: Plan All The Way To The End

Do you know where you're going? Or are you just reacting in the moment, never planning beyond the next emerging crisis? Law 29 is all about overcoming this all-too-common tendency and taking a definitive step back to view the bigger picture of your life.

To avoid overwhelm from events and getting trapped in constant improvisation, we need to get a clear sense of our destination, so Jon and Dre set about untangling how to find the delicate balance between powerful planning and retaining the flexibility we need to 'flow' with the current of events.

They also dive into political waters and discuss how national education systems are all about indoctrinating children and brainwashing you into being certain kinds of people; they return to the vital topic of a universal basic income versus the idea of 'proper jobs'; and why failure is always the most likely outcome of every human endeavour.

There's more on the dangers of pre-worrying, and some debate as to whether you're heteroflexible(!) Jon reveals how he traps himself in unrealistic projections of the future, while Dre explains how he had to relearn how to even have goals after years being told to drop them as 'unrealistic'. On which note, they wonder how to avoid paralysis in the moment when you dream really big, as well as how to avoid sounding insane if you tell anyone about those dreams. Dre also takes the time to declare that he's basically Elon Musk, but just a touch less successful…

As if that wasn't enough, we preview our forthcoming free eBook on how to put The Laws of Power into action in everyday life… This is a packed show, during which they may or may not have been naked.

FULL NOTES: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/12/26/plan-all-the-way-to-the-end-exploring-the-48-laws-of-power-law-29/

• The difficult middle of plans
• The danger of living in the present
• Podcast favourite Otto von Bismarck's examples of how to follow the Law perfectly
• The sad reality of how school systems actively discourage intelligence
• Are you a Wantrapreneur or a Wankerpreneur? Here's a t-shirt for you!
• The need for micro goals
• Why Dan Peña's famous 'smell the leather' practice is often bullshit
• Neil Gaiman's take on how to make it to your mountain
• How and when to talk about your goals
• The delusion of equality between people

• The troublingly familiar planning powers of South Park's underpants gnomes
• Scotland's ill-fated Darien Scheme
• Steve Jobs on connecting the dots only in retrospect
• Neil Gaiman's incredible Sandman graphic novels
• The odd TV show Lucifer
• Neil Gaiman's inspirational commencement speech: Make Good Art
• Aubrey Marcus's online course – Go For Your Win
• Once again, Captain Picard dropping some knowledge – 'It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.'
• The Alain de Botton quote Jon mentioned: 'If you want to turn a stranger into a friend, try telling them some of the ways in which you've failed.'
• Some back history on Tuberculosis, if that got you excited

Challenge: Write down what you goal is for a year's time, then write down what you need to do in (1) the next 6 months; (2) what you need to do in the next 3 months; (3) what you need to do in the next month; (4) then what you need to do this week; and, finally, (5) what you need to do today to get to that goal. (Thanks to Peter Sage for this super effective practice!)

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene's provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the 'modern Machiavelli', we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they've either observed or transgressed them).

LAW 28: Enter Action With Boldness

Don't half-ass it. Don't be the timid one at the back making everyone else feel uncomfortable. Fortune may not always favour the bold, but other people certainly do – and Law 28 is all about why. To celebrate Jon's return from a month meditating in a Buddhist Monastery, your hosts enter the podcast with beer as well as boldness and get stuck into why boldness and timidity are choices, not personality traits; why you're only as powerful as your last interaction with someone; and how society is trying to control you by confusing confidence with arrogance.

What are the cumulative effects of putting up with other people's bullshit? How can we play the long game without tripping up over short-term problems? And what the hell is going on with people who loudly announce 'Oh my god, awkward!'?

Jon and Dre also share their thoughts on the US Presidential election results, the police state that is Theresa May's Britain, and why Dre would rather be living under Stalin (at least he didn't half-ass it). They consider why hesitancy is the enemy of seduction and ask how can we overcome the fear of rejection and stop inventing egotistical stories to explain other people's actions?

Plus, brand new examples of #accidentalpower!

LINKS:http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/12/19/enter-action-with-boldness-exploring-the-48-laws-of-power-law-28/

• The difference between being 'real' and simply being comfortable
• You can't hone and develop your skills without overcoming habits and resistance
• How to avoid being the pushover
• Living at the Edge of Incompetence
• The anti-seductiveness of hesitancy and awkwardness
• The psychology of poker: You can do everything right and still lose; you can do everything wrong and still win
• When states want more information about you, be extremely suspicious
• Ask for forgiveness, not for permission
• Betrayal and how to avoid the emotional fallout
• How to practise boldness
• How to reduce worry and become more effective in the moment
• The dangers of pre-worrying and getting stuck in the future
• The limits of 'extreme ownership'

• Kopan Monastery, where Jon was meditating for the past month
• Check out our cool selection of t-shirts, ranging from the offensive to the philosophical
• A welcome reminder of Law 13 – appealing to people's self interest
• The great Terry Pratchett: grandmothers' funerals can be found in Men At Arms, and we also mentioned Hogfather – both the book and the very cool
• Some of Dre's core books: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings; Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy; and the Tarzan books
• Richard Hammond failing to drive an F1 car fast enough to make it work
• Friend of the show, Peter Sage – Check out our powerful interview with him!
• The incredible works of Joseph Campbell – check this out for an introduction
• Captain Picard dropping some knowledge – 'It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.'
• The last time we heard from Count Lustig and his Eiffel Tower antics was Law 12: Use Selective Honesty and Generosity To Disarm Your Victim
• Philip McKernan's indispensable advice: 'In the absence of clarity, take action'
• Neil Strauss's classic book, The Game
• No Regrets from Robbie Williams
• Jocko Willink's Extreme Ownership

Challenge: That thing you've been worrying about... TAKE ACTION! And tell us what happened.

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene's provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the 'modern Machiavelli', we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they've either observed or transgressed them).

LAW 27: Play On People's Need To Believe To Create A Cultlike Following

Even more controversial than usual, Law 27 is a guide to building your own cult and actively duping people! But behind the shock factor, the reality is that people do this all the time, from pyramid schemes to spiritual gurus on- and offline, so, at the very least, we need to learn how to spot a con if we're going to avoid being a victim of one.

Jon and Dre discuss cults old and new and how they continue to gain power over the gullible through evoking emotions and avoiding concrete details as much as possible. They roast their old 'friend', the internet charlatan Tai Lopez; consider why people always seem to hate it when you dare to break with convention; and introduce their newest grumpy hashtag: #intellectuallyvoid.

Not unexpectedly, Dre plots how to set up his own cult, albeit one based around the motto 'Fuck you, don't tell me what to do!', while Jon explains why he won't be giving you points or congratulations for having babies or buying houses. They also ponder how Britain has essentially become a police state (and why we've let this happen); the serious dangers of giving bureaucrats and marketing people power; and... Jon's fetish for elves. Naturally.

FULL LINKS: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/12/12/play-on-peoples-…-of-power-law-27/

This episode includes:

• What's the difference between a cult and a movement?
• How meditation and spirituality became the 21st century's cults
• Celebrities as the modern gods
• The power of being vague
• How to know when someone's entrancing you
• How churches work
• Why 'political religion' is a bullshit idea
• Our lust for hierarchy
• The dark cult of Apple
• The dangerous tyranny of bureaucrats
• The need for conflict in our lives
• Finding stability at the peak of the mountain rather than at the foot of the valley

Mentioned in the Episode

• Our beautiful new Philosophical T-Shirts!
• Daniele Bolelli's excellent Drunken Taoist Podcast
• Aubrey Marcus's Go For Your Win course
• Jon quotes from Terry Pratchett's novel, Witches Abroad
• The Highlander films – there can be only one!
• The Game of Life. Which looks really shit.
• Isaac Asimov's Foundation
• Our good friend Zofia's Dynamic Meditation Classes in London
• The power and beauty of the Moscow Metro
• See Orlando Bloom's haggard form in The Hobbit
• Steve Jobs on the danger of monopolies
• The chilling realism of Fight Club
• Do you need to use the sleep?

Challenge: Join Dre's cult and don't be a cunt... Let us know how that goes!

Be silly. Be kind. Be weird.

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene's provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the 'modern Machiavelli', we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they've either observed or transgressed them).

LAW 26: Keep Your Hands Clean

Have you ever scapegoated someone? Law 26 is about keeping your hands clean, a law which makes Jon uncomfortable. Together with Dre he explores why a scapegoat doesn't always have to be a negative thing.

Once again the need for subtlety and an understanding of the emotional needs of others is a key subject, with Dre and Jon discussing their views on being wronged and apologies and why being an unsung hero feels meaningless to them.

Jon shares his opinions on free speech and why he refuses to tone himself down, Dre teaches Italian pronunciation and the pair share their experiences in sibling scapegoating.

Finally they discuss how with this law, seeming vulnerable and as a victim can be beneficial, rather than the infallible power usually needed for leadership.

This episode includes:

• Authoritarian regime – Putin and the FSB
• The importance of a scapegoat and how they can help to diffuse situations
• The connection between loyalty and the scapegoat
• The ingrained sexism of statutory rape cases
• Why finding peace with your own conscience is more important than being seen as a hero
• Celebrity scapegoats and PR-led public apologies
• The difference between a powerful refusal of apology and a sneering one
• Unacceptable jokes vs. censorship and repression
• Scapegoating in the office environment – passing the buck
• The ritual of apologies
• Social media and how being a victim can be empowering

Mentioned in this episode:

• Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the Clintons - http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/debbie-wasserman-schultz-bernie-sanders-scapegoat-230767
• The West Wing - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200276/
• Hulk Hogan vs Gawker - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollea_v._Gawker
• South Park: Miss Teacher Bangs A Boy - http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/SouthParkS10E10MissTeacherBangsABoy
• Cao Cao of Han Empire China - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cao_Cao
• The unapologetic wisdom of Charlie Sheen - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/8359242/Top-10-Charlie-Sheen-quotes.html
• Cesare Borgia and Remirro de Orco - https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/p/the-prince/summary-and-analysis/chapter-7
• Dexter - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0773262/
• Donald Trump – "I grab women by the pussy" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHMAV2n0dV0
• Ukraine and Holodomor - http://www.holodomorct.org/history.html

Challenge: Blame upwards, to someone who won't be harmed by it, eg. Corporate. Recognise when you scapegoat someone.

Be silly. Be kind. Be weird.

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene's provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the 'modern Machiavelli', we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they've either observed or transgressed them).

LAW 25: Re-Create Yourself

As Law 25 explores identity and the benefits of recreating yourself, Dre and Jon give you a peek into their personal lives as they discuss the different nicknames they've been given over the years. Find out who is known as Dr Muscles and who aspires to be King of the Humans.

Law 25 is a playful, relatable law for the pair and they both enjoy discussing it, sharing personal experiences and musings on their own identity and reinventions. They discuss becoming the hero of your own life, why they are lobbying to make the phrase "forge it til you make it" happen and the balance between good-weird and bad-weird.

Jon and Dre also talk about personal transformations they have made in their lives, and how using a nickname and focusing on different personality aspects helped them get out of their pigeonholes. Finally Dre discusses 'wearing' Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jon hates on Catcher in the Rye and the pair share unusual self-development techniques.

This episode includes:

• How places can modify our personality and identity
• The ritualistic nature of modern society
• Why starting when you are almost ready can be the most beneficial
• How cultural background and personality can affect the response to trauma
• Paederasty, how ancient boy/man love was seen as healthy and an act of mentorship
• How holding onto labels can limit our future possibilities and growth
• Empty Nest Syndrome and how it can affect our identity
• The need for balance in all aspects of life

Mentioned in this episode:

• Julius Caesar and Crossing the Rubicon - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Rubicon
• Aurore Dupin Dudevant aka George Sand - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sand
• Modern Androgyny - http://www.styleedit.co.uk/blog/2014/07/a-short-history-of-modern-androgyn/
• Christopher Ryan; Sex at Dawn, Civilized to Death - http://chrisryanphd.com
• The Sambia and Etoro tribes of Papua new Guinea and semen ingestion - http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo3645482.html
• Joe Rogan's podcast and the act of censorship - http://podcasts.joerogan.net
• Peter Sage - http://petersage.com
• A study on how we embody characteristics of our favourite fictional characters - http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/exptaking.htm
• Anthony Green and the Chubbuck Technique - http://www.chubbucktechnique.co.uk
• Jacque Fresco's influence on the Klu Klux Klan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WbZqFQFA-s & https://youtu.be/42RYbA_3ImU

Challenge: Find yourself a new group of people – yoga class, board game club or other social club. See how they treat you and what box you were put in. Be neutral or air a side of you that you don't normally show to others.

Be silly. Be kind. Be weird.

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene's provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the 'modern Machiavelli', we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they've either observed or transgressed them).

We're pursuing knowledge and philosophising over the morality and practicality of Robert Greene's book The 48 Laws of Power. In episode 24 ½ we're halfway to being excessively powerful.

This episode will explore some of the key themes from the book, the main realisations we've had, how we've managed to integrate the Laws of Power into our lives and we'll discuss our favourite laws so far.

The 48 Laws of Power is often read in prisons and by people with potentially nefarious intentions due to the claims it can help you manipulate and be a modern Machiavelli, however Jon and Dre have discovered the book to be much more focused on social intelligence rather than using cunning to get one over on people. They discuss how being powerful, and getting ahead is much more about creating a space for yourself rather than obliterating your rivals.

Jon discusses why he feels naivety can be advantageous when faced with human calculation and cunning, and why seeing the best in people is important and Dre once again wishes he was a 14th Century prince.

Both Jon and Dre agree on their favourite law from the book, and discuss the impact it has had on their lives, and discuss why Talleyrand was such a successful conversationalist.

Dre shares his views on seduction, Jon muses over how an ended relationship is not always a failed relationship and the pair jump from Steve Jobs to Ratatouille for inspirational quotes.

And finally we discuss how we think the book has improved our lives, and the impact it has had on us, and why our aim is to become the Bruce Lee of Psychology.

This episode includes:

• The subtle art of seduction and how insincere and obvious actions can leave us feeling bad
• The relational nature of power, and how isolation can be dangerous
• The effect of a revolution and the human craving for consistency
• The difference between being powerful and egotistical
• How mindful and considerate communication is often the key to powerful interactions
• A discussion on whether men find the perceived notion of women being emotional and unpredictable attractive
• The hierarchy of relationship
• Why it might be better to ask your rivals for favours than your friends
• Why just mimicking a successful person isn't enough to create your own success

Mentioned in this episode:

• A riddle from Game of Thrones: "Three great men sit in a room, a king, a priest and the rich man. Between them stands a common sellsword. Each great man bids the sellsword kill the other two. Who lives? Who dies?" – Varys
• "Every constitution, then, and every law, naturally expires at the end of nineteen years. If it be enforced longer, it is an act of force, and not of right." – Thomas Jefferson
• The Sage Business School - http://petersage.com/
• The Ben Franklin effect - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Franklin_effect
• Steve Jobs and the inspiration for Apple - http://www.leemunroe.com/steve-jobs-calligraphy
• Ratatouille - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382932
• "Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity" – Seneca the Younger
• Fingerspitzengefühl - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerspitzengef%C3%BChl
• "Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own" – Bruce Lee

Be silly. Be Kind. Be weird.

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene's provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the 'modern Machiavelli', we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they've either observed or transgressed them).

LAW 24: Play the Perfect Courtier

Law 24 seems to be a combination of previous laws, and about taking stock and measuring your success so far, which makes it the perfect law to hit our midway point with. Jon and Dre focus on the laws within the law, and ponder their roles as courtiers

What do high school students have in common with apes? Potentially more than you might realise. Jon and Dre dig into the art of flawless courtiership, and how that fits in with modern hierarchies. They discuss how understanding the rules of court can help you get ahead at work and life.

Learn how to give a terrible, generic compliment from Jon, hear why Dre is considering dressing like a Renaissance prince and join the pair as they explore how to thrive as a courtier.

This episode includes:

• "The perfect courtier thrives in world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters yields to superiors and asserts power over others in the most oblique and graceful manner. Learn and apply the laws of courtiership and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court."
• The impact of gracefulness and indirectness on being a good courtier, including key behaviours and strategies that you should always be employing.
• The difference between good courtiership and obsequious, over-the-top worship.
• How facts can be appropriated by another to strengthen their own opinion rather than changing to yours.
• The important of a balance between effortlessness and hard work.
• How politeness can help shape people and events.
• Does sexuality affect how people view your sartorial choices?
• The importance of tailoring your speech and behaviour for the situation – why burping at the table would lead to cheers in one country and a scolding in another.
• Beau Brummel's fall from grace, and why you should never joke about appearances or taste.
• Alexander the Great vs Callithenes, or why you shouldn't always speak your mind.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Rupaul's Drag Race
• The 'gay gene' study
• "It is a wise thing to be polite; consequently, it is a stupid thing to be rude. To make enemies by unnecessary and willful incivility, is just as insane a proceeding as to set your house on fire. For politeness is like a counter--an avowedly false coin, with which it is foolish to be stingy. A sensible man will be generous in the use of it." - Arthur Schopenhauer
• Game of Shame – the Game of Thrones shame app
• The Apprentice TV show

Challenge:

• Pick one the elements described that you do worst and give examples of where you go wrong. Email us at "hello AT voicesinthedark DOT world" with an example and we will give you back a 'try this' task to help you play the perfect courtier.

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene's provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the 'modern Machiavelli', we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they've either observed or transgressed them).

LAW 23: Concentrate Your Forces

We're almost at the halfway point, so we're aiming to do a review at the halfway mark, considering what we've done and reviewed so far. We hope to integrate some stories from our listeners and have a look forward to what's coming up next.

If you like what we're doing please remember to click the like button on Facebook, and share your favourite post. The more people who join, the more we can learn together.

FULL NOTES:http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/11/08/concentrate-your…power-episode-23/

Is it better to focus your force and energies to keep them concentrated at their strongest point? For once both Jon and Dre feel uneasy about one of the laws. Discussing the merits and pitfalls of focusing heavily on one task leaves Jon and Dre coming to some realisations about their own projects as they question whether this has been a successful technique for them.

We also debate the impact of modern life on the ability to focus your attention, with both financial and time constraints, and a lack of modern patrons of the arts.

Could it be that we only been hearing about the best of the rich? And there could be people better than Isaac Newton and Louis Pasteur, who just don't have the financial security to refine a singular interest?

Dre talks delegating to his brother, Jon picks on Stephen Fry and together they ponder the irony that a section primarily about concentration of forces seems to be the most unfocused and confusing so far.

This episode includes:

• Is being dedicated to one aspect of life suited to modern times, when people are constantly being taught to multitask and have multiple skill sets.
• Is the law more suited to people with a rich background who don't have to take a dead-end job just to pay the bills?
• Could Universal Basic Income be used to empower the masses and allow them the freedom to concentrate their forces?
• Is it a reasonable expectation to concentrate your forces when most people in modern life are stuck doing a job we don't want to be able to afford doing things we want which already splits us between two things.
• The law of diminishing returns and the impact of that on being hyper-focused on one task.
• The difference between diversification and overstretching.
• Internal flexibility, and why sometimes eating icecream and Netflix can be helpful.
• The use of psychedelics in helping to process experiences and feelings.
• Pavlovian response and habit.
• Robert Greene's conflicting ideas about insular ideals and views.
• The additive feel good factor of a steady drip of Push notifications

Mentioned in the Episode

• Tim Ferriss, batching and the 80/20 Principle
• http://highexistence.com
• Isaiah Berlin's philosophical parable The Hedgehog and the Fox
• Robert Greene's book Mastery
• Cesare Borgia and the diminution of his power following the death of his father
• A quote by Casanova "I have always believed, he reflects with a certain delight, that when a man takes it into his head to see some project through and attends to it exclusively, he will inevitably be successful, whatever the difficulties"

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene's provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the 'modern Machiavelli', we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they've either observed or transgressed them).