Voices in the Dark

Kate Armstrong's debut novel, The Storyteller, is a compelling, innovative and at times disturbing tale of depression, recovery, and the fragility of the stories we tell ourselves. A young woman wakes up, paralysed by depression, in a psychiatric hospital; we follow her faltering, dreamlike steps back into life, but there's a twist. Her story is being told by another patient who has her own ideas about what makes a good narrative...

I sat down with Kate in St James's Park in central London to talk about her book and the experiences which led her to write it. We talked about life, breakdowns, hope, art, love and everything in between. We compared notes on our experiences of depression and how it manifests; how it's possible to have imposter syndrome even about your own mental health (was I suicidal enough?); why it can actually be a relief to end up in hospital; what 'asylums' are all about; and the difficulty of communicating what these experiences are like to people who haven't experienced them.

The recent explosion of articles in the mainstream media about depression and anxiety can make it seem like a modern epidemic, but the fact is it's all entirely normal. We talk about the history of 'melancholy' and other, older ideas of mental health issues, and wonder whether the medicalisation and endless prescriptions are an improvement on cultures of acceptance of different kinds of behaviour. Being ill, mentally as well as physically, is part of being human. Instead of rejecting these states, we need to find a balance between accepting and treating them.

This is the kind of conversation that needs to happen in the open and be heard by more and more people. Depression isn't rare and isn't something to be ashamed of or hidden away. But more than that: we need to talk about how it feels, not only so other sufferers don't feel alone, but also to help people who've never experienced it understand how they can help their loved ones.

This is the third episode of 'Talking the Walk', the show that brings you conversations with interesting people doing cool and unusual things. We'll talk about life, people, philosophy, music, politics... Quality pub conversations with a microphone, in short.

Many thanks to Tom McRae for the beautiful theme music!

LAW 22: Use The Surrender Tactic - Transform Weakness Into Power

Law 22 is all about knowing when to surrender and lose a battle so that you may live to fight another day. There is no benefit to being obliterated to prove a point.

How does one reconcile a personal code with the act of giving up? Jon and Dre ponder on the confirmation bias and fetishisation of Hero/Martyr success stories and the difference between upholding what is right and letting it survive so that it may actually become what is possible.

FULL NOTES: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/11/01/use-the-surrende…power-episode-22/

At the next project or team meeting hold back from shooting down and fighting another person's idea even if (in fact especially so) if its terrible. Instead give in in spite of your instincts and observe what happens.

This Episode includes:

• Bernie Sanders' surrender to Hillary Clinton whilst retaining the power to continue the fight for the progressive agenda
• Whether subversive anti-establishment humour more of a tool to maintain your own morale than an actual form of resistance

At the next project or team meeting hold back from shooting down and fighting another person's idea even if (in fact especially so) if its terrible. Instead give in in spite of your instincts and observe what happens.

This Episode includes:

• Bernie Sanders' surrender to Hillary Clinton whilst retaining the power to continue the fight for the progressive agenda

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Derren Brown's Tricks of the Mind
• Our visit and interview at Peter Sage's home in Leicester
• The captivating olfactory memory triggering in the movie Ratatouille
• The transgression of Law 22 of the titular character in the movie Trumbo with Brian Cranston
• Hitler's failure to not buy into his own myth as outlined in the 33 Strategies of War
• The alternation of Vampire and Zombies as the box office draw based on whether Democrats or Republicans are in power as outline by Cracked
• What We Do In The Shadows the offbeat Taika Waititi Vampire Comedy
• Mr Rogers and his fear of not understanding another human being (from Tim Ferriss' podcast not Joe Rogan as Dre mentioned)
• Our new friends the great podcast Diapers Off and their thoughts on personality/identity vs issue based politics

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 21: Play A Sucker To Catch A Sucker – Seem Dumber Than Your Mark

Are you a sucker? Or are you a show-off? Either way, you're not going to be powerful. In Law 21 we explore the delicate art of not alienating people with your smarts, and how potent it can be to make others feel a good deal smarter than you. We discuss the different kinds of trust and how to identify them (or face the consequences); when, why and how to push other people's buttons; and we ponder the #accidentalpower of ignorance.

FULL LINKS: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/10/24/play-a-sucker-to…power-episode-21/

This Law has been a problematic one for your dear hosts. Dre shares his struggles with keeping his mouth shut; the problem of making 'intelligent' a core part of his identity; and how to reveal that intelligence when necessary without disturbing others. Jon pulls back the curtain to reveal the secretive world of the Oxford University interview system and how easy it is to see through candidates' interview prep... but he also repeatedly falls prey to the Law's cautions about reflexively belittling other kinds of intelligence to your own.

As we try to find the ideal balance between showing you're clever, but not cleverer than your mark, Jon recalls the impact of bullying on his life and perception of his own abilities and worth, as well as the times he's lost connections with people when they discover he's got a PhD; Dre remembers painful betrayals when playing Risk; and both wonder, once again, 'What Would Bismarck Do?'

CHALLENGE TIME:

• Pick a conversation this week to appear dumber than you are. When things shift to an area you know a lot about, don't offer up the right answers; ask the other person what they think. Ask them for information that might seem obvious to you, as though you genuinely need the other person's input. Observe how the social dynamic changes; how does the other person treat you afterwards? Like you're a fool... or more warmly, because you made them feel smart? And then let us know how it went in the comments below!

This Episode includes:

• Does it really benefit you to feel superior to others if you're also powerless?
• Why flashing your intelligence is like flashing your wealth; it's vulgar and alienating to most people
• Winning the argument is not the same as winning someone over
• How to seem more intelligent than you are... but choose carefully where and with whom you try it
• What is cultural capital, and how can we use it successfully?
• The continuing relevance of Law 4: Always Say Less Than Necessary
• The vital differences between practical and theoretical intelligence
• The art of misdirection and how we all at some level want to be deceived
• How to play dumb to let other people believe they're getting one over on you
• Can you trust your friends if they sometimes play tricks on you ?
• The trust game: learning to distinguish between different kinds of trust
• How to signal respect without overdoing it
• Is powerful the same as happy?
• Overcoming the fear of pretending to be an idiot; playing a role doesn't make you that role
• The problem of people batching opinions together: Just because someone thinks ABC, does not mean they automatically think XYZ
• When to put on your Expert Hat
• The eternal problem: if you want to innovate, be prepared for people (especially people close to you) to dislike you and tear you down. Which sounds obvious on paper... but hurts so much more in practice
• Schrödinger's Pudding
• Don't think that interacting with someone will be taken as a compliment. Many people make the mistake of thinking their company is a prize when it's actually experienced as an imposition

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Our friend Ru Wikmann, the Shredded Brainiac. Check out his podcast, including our appearance on it!
• The master of humility while simultaneously showing off: The Rock's instagram
• Jon's experiences with Ayahuasca, which he made a series of vlogs about
• A favourite quote: 'The world wants to be deceived' – Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
• The classic game Risk... Just don't play dumb against Dre
• Eric Thomas on London Real
• Baltasar Gracián's superb The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence – a handbook on power and a key source for The 48 Laws of Power
• Wisdom from Kanye: 'Reach for the stars, so if you fall you land on a cloud'

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 20 Do Not Commit To Anyone

We all like to hear that someone – in love or in business – is committed to us, but talk is cheap and value grows from scarcity. So when it comes to making our own moves, Law 20 teaches us to hold back, weigh our options, keep an air of mystery about ourselves... and only commit to people or to ideas at the last possible moment.

We cover a lot of ground for Law 20, from the way things (and identities) become true just by saying they are, why you should listen to others even when you don't agree with them, how to get people bidding for your attention, and the importance of remaining vague as often as possible. We also ponder the shock millennials face when they enter a real workplace for the first time and discover that all the talk of everyone being equal was only propaganda...

As we begin to internalise the Laws of Power and enter a flow-state as we practise them, there's still plenty of time to recall our fuck-ups. Jon gets blackmailed, Dre reflects on the complexities of love and sex, and both think back to them times they've been caught in the middle of other people's fights. We end with a powerful discussion of how and when to make decisions, and the abiding wisdom that sometimes 'I don't want to' is the only reason you need.

FULL LINKS: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/10/18/do-not-commit-to…power-episode-20/

This Episode includes:

• Make yourself someone's lesser or equal, and they'll treat you accordingly. You can't keep authority if you try to be someone's friend
• Like all primates, people will test you and your authority
• Why you should retain an air of mystery about your decision-making and your reactions to other people
• How Apple trains its staff to meet their emotional needs
• The importance of social proof: if some people treat you as important or cool, other people will assume you are
• Recursive success: how things snowball in popularity due to positive feedback loops
• Don't rush to support someone: it automatically devalues what you're offering
• Sex, value, and power: how do we disentangle the Big Three? And what do Bonobos have to tell us about it?
• The need to stay out of other people's battles – don't become the peacemaker between toxic people
• What to do when someone tells you 'that's not how things are done'
• Avoid taking sides in a fight, or their agenda inevitably becomes yours
• Why you should (almost) never be absolute
• How and when to make decisions
• Dre's mantra: Try to be kind... and do what you want
• Keeping your power and poise while not committing – don't seem unprincipled, but deeply insightful

Mentioned in the Episode:

• The finger-tip feel: Fingerspitzengefühl
• The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
• The wonderful song 'Smoke Alarm' by Carsie Blanton. Remember to enjoy the moment and not get caught up in the 'Good Opinion of Other People'
• The relationship compatibility test app: 36 Questions
• As Battlestar Galactica's Admiral Adama reminds us – sometimes you have to roll the hard six
• Chris Ryan's always-thought-provoking and fun podcast, Tangentially Speaking

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 19 Know Who You're Dealing With – Do Not Offend The Wrong Person

'Don't you know who I am?!' screamed the insecure person... But maybe you really should know who they are before you offend them: insecure or otherwise, offending the wrong person can have disastrous long-term consequences. Law 19 is all about not making enemies needlessly; although there's plenty of toxic personalities under discussion here, things are a bit different this week: after all, this law is all about being nice to people and avoiding conflict.

In Law 19 of the 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene unpacks the major character types of insecure and vengeful people – the people you can't afford to offend – and we consider how to spot them in real life and how to avoid inciting their ire. From the crazy ones who'll never forgive and forget and spend the rest of their lives looking for revenge, to the bitterly bitchy who'll gnaw away at you as long as they can over some imagined slight, we guide you to places of greater safety. Although they often talk about justice and fair play, these people are plain dangerous and must be avoided or managed at all costs.

This week we dig into why so many people go through the world only seeing what's familiar to them already; why curiosity is in short demand for many; the vital importance of being able to laugh at yourself; and why 'Justice' is actually 'Revenge Lite'. Jon and Dre both reveal the times they've set about destroying their own enemies (and just how badly that went); Dre needlessly offends Liverpool, and also updates us yet again on his attempts to correctly pronounce 'Genghis Khan'. Let's get offensive!

FULL LINKS: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/10/10/know-who-youre-d…power-episode-19/

CHALLENGE TIME!

• See if you can get someone you're sizing up to laugh at themselves; say something a little bit at their expense in a playful way and see what happens. Then let us know how it goes – what did you learn?

This Episode includes:

• Don't talk to someone in another 'language' – speak to their values and interests
• The need for curiosity to be good humans
• Why it's better to assume that everyone is joking with you
• Never offend someone unnecessarily – apart from anything else, you never know who they might become
• How can you cleverly manipulate people who are too unimaginative to take the hint?
• Is righting a wrong always a good thing?
• Why 'Justice' is a delusional fetish – and a destructive one
• When honest and kind people lash out and why it's often far worse than when 'bad' people do
• What's the difference between the original and the copy in art and in life?
• The power of historical locations
• Work out who someone is before you try to win them over
• Treat people how they want to be treated, now how you might want to be treated
• The difference between instinct and knowledge
• The huge dangers of contempt
• Why Russians don't smile in photos

Mentioned in the Episode:

• The excellent Digital Communion podcast
• Jon was recalling a quote from Alan Watts: 'if you don't argue with me, I don't know what I think'.
• The quote Dre was recalling was: 'If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart' – Nelson Mandela
• The amazing documentaries The Union and The Culture High on the failed war on drugs and cultures of prohibition
• How the great city of Liverpool voted on the Brexit referendum
• QI explains why cracker jokes are always terrible
• Plenty of Game of Thrones references this week!
• Eminem's movie 8 Mile, and the final rap battle
• The peculiar hilarity of nuns doing normal things
• Malcolm Gladwell's book, Blink

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).

FULL LINKS: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/10/10/know-who-youre-d…power-episode-19/

Law 18 Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation Is Dangerous

Think you're safe hidden away behind those walls, excuses, or personal assistants? Think again: isolation and being hidden from view will be your undoing. This week we guide you through Law 18 and discuss how to bring the public to you; how introverts can still practise this Law effectively; what lessons we can learn from history's great (and not so great) leaders... and why this Law doesn't actually contradict Law 16: Use Absence To Increase Respect And Honor. Law 18 is also, at its core, all about networking, but, we'll explain, when done properly, this doesn't have to be weird and icky.

This Law throws up some tense reflections from Dre as he considers what it means for anyone who, like him, works from home (although they, unlike him, we discover, probably didn't invent their own alphabet at age 14). We also explore how to create social power out of nowhere, share perhaps the most terrifying, nightmare-inducing story ever created, and advise you not to invade Russia in winter.

FULL NOTES: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/10/03/do-not-build-for…power-episode-18/

This Episode includes:

• Finding the balance: when to be more and when to be less visible
• Lessons from the dictators – did Hitler and Stalin transgress this Law?
• The dangers of overestimating our productivity and refusing to go out and take breaks
• The ultimate power games at court: Louis XIV's Versailles
• If you keep yourself in a container, you lose the ability to flow; you become shaped by the container and lose your power
• Reaching out and being sociable isn't good in itself – remember to be discerning
• Creating a new personality to gain social power
• Why this Law is actually all about networking... but that doesn't have to be a dirty word
• The need for both order and chaos in our lives
• The times when you do need to find some solitude

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Clearing up the Chinese history question: This Law features Ch'in Shih Huang Ti, who was the very first Emperor of China, and was of the Qin dynasty. Liu Pang from Law 15 would crown himself Emperor, taking the name Han- Kao-tsu, and was the first emperor of the Han dynasty, which came later (apologies for inconsistent transliteration – I have no idea how it works for Chinese!).
• The incredible Team America movie
• The TV show, Versailles
• The right kind of isolation: the float tank!

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).

Keep Others In Suspended Terror - Cultivate An Air Of Unpredictability

You'd have enormous power if you could predict the future. Learning to predict other people is the next best thing to a crystal ball... but, of course, your own behaviour must remain nebulous, fluid and unpredictable if you want to keep that advantage. This week, we talk about the international chess wars between the USA and the USSR; the costs of using Law 17 on the wrong person; how and uncover more examples of #accidentalpower.

FULL NOTES: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/09/26/keep-others-in-s…power-episode-17/

What are you telling the world by the way you present yourself, and how can you control the message other people receive? We ponder when unpredictability shades into a reputation for being a loose cannon; Dre's junior school trauma from being treated as a 'sensitive boy'; and how hard-wired the limitations of his autism may be when it comes to predicting and understanding other people's behaviours.

Jon reflects on the recent death of a friend – someone who always sidestepped expectations and was always unapologetically himself, in bursts of unpredictable creativity and confusion – and thinks how wrong he was to try to make that friend fit into a familiar categories. We think about what it means to be a genius, and whether the truly special people inevitably have traumatic lives because they simply cannot and will not fit into neatly-defined boxes.

As ever, we are your guides to this, Law 17, and we discuss how to use it and how it can apply to real life situations. But this episode is also the most revealing, personal, and reflective that we've done; it might very well be our best to date.

This Episode includes:

• People's unceasing desire to put you in a box so you're neatly labelled and categorised. Resist the limitations they try to impose on you and reap the rewards!
• Visual communication: what are you telling the world by the way you dress? And can you control the way you'll be interpreted?
• Are there limits to free expression without incurring violence and backlash?
• How stereotypes and shortcuts shape (and control) the way we think – how can we avoid thinking in hieroglyphics?
• The power of making illogical statements confidently
• Predicting other people's behaviour – why are humans better at this than other animals?
• How do psychological conditions affect people's ability to observe Law 17?
• The people who make you go with their flow – and how
• The blurry lines between being crazy and being a genius
• Don't try to be wild and crazy for the sake of attention: people can smell desperation and it will drive them away
• The death of Robin Williams and how unpredictability doesn't have to be manipulation at all, but an expression of and a need for love
• When you're at the top, you get to make the norms, even if you were previously seen as a lunatic
• The inevitability when reaching success of losing touch with what made you successful in the first place
• How Law 17 relates to Law 6 – Court Attention At All Cost
• Is drama and unpredictability gender- or sexuality-specific?
• Be unpredictable, but remember you need to do it in an interesting way
• Dre and Jon design a holiday fling dating app – comments and programmers get in touch below!
• The secret of Law 17: You need to establish your reputation enough that people have something to expect from you in the first place
• The need for internal consistency, whatever your public behaviour

Mentioned in the Episode:

• The relaxing and refreshing world of the Russian banya (the bathhouse). For those in or visiting London, check out Banya No.1!
• Clothes and communication – the comedy bit Dre mentioned was actually from Dave Chappelle, here
• Daniel Kahneman's book, Thinking, Fast and Slow
• The brilliant novel by Iain M. Banks, The Player of Games
• The classic Disney film Hook starring Robin Williams, along with the recent cast reunion pictures
• Neil Strauss's brilliant book, The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships
• Ronda Rousey's loss to Hollie Holm – unpredictability sometimes doesn't work out
• The boys' past favourite, Age of Empires!

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).

There is a reason why a sizeable majority of London Real fans when asked "what is your favourite interview" reply Peter Sage without missing a beat.

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Peter has led an incredibly interesting life, beginning quite early to pursue serial Entrepreneurship; at first out of a desire for money and success, but increasingly as life threw challenge after challenge at him he has transformed into something more. In his trademark hierarchy of enlightenment he now strives to operate from "As me" the fourth and highest level of mentality and attitude to life.

I have attended his MBS program earlier this year and it changed my life. What is perplexing was that as a 4 Hour Work Week disciple and Entrepreneur I had been learning and hacking my lifestyle for 5-6 years and knew a lot of the content. But seeing so succinctly and expertly organised into a 3 day life journey AND seeing a room of hundreds of people experience and learn what took me years to accumulate in such a short time was transformational. The collective experience of a room full of people being awakened to the possibilities of abundance hyper charged my motivation and drive.

Peter is about to launch a new and improved event, now called SBS and if there was one thing I could prescribe to any one friend, family or colleague to do this year to improve their life this would be it. Peter was kind enough to not only give us his time and insights for this interview but to also provide to our listeners and viewers a special 25% Off this year's Sage Business School don't hesitate, it will seriously change your life.

Law 16: Use Absence To Increase Respect And Honor

In Law 16 it's time to make yourself a limited edition and never outstay your welcome. The more you're available, the less value you'll have in the eyes of others; time to cultivate that air of mystery and distance if you want to be desired rather than taken for granted. As we dig into this one, we ask how Law 16 impacts relationships and love, and is this, like so many Laws of Power, really more about about controlling your own emotions and egotistical need for attention than anything else? Dre also discovers hidden love messages written on the bathroom mirror, and Jon explains that we're not living a life on rails – actually, we're laying the train tracks ourselves... but the tracks are actually made of sausages.

FULL NOTES: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/09/19/use-absence-to-i…power-episode-16/

This Episode includes:

• Your presence is a commodity and your value is not intrinsic – it all depends on perception and availability
• Does this Law contradict Law 6 – Court Attention at All Costs?
• How our monkey brains compel us to desire things that are less available or unavailable
• The politically correct script young men are taught about relationships today... and why it's total bullshit
• The need to synchronise yourself to other people's energies if you want to communicate effectively and go where you want to go
• Stalin and the Cult of Personality – politicians remaining powerful by staying off-stage at the right time
• Use a simple psychological trick: treat people the way you want them to act (hint: don't treat them like they're untrustworthy bastards!)
• The benefits of being open, but the dangers of being too open, too soon
• Everyone loves you when you're dead... but you can get the same effect without having to die right now
• We introduce the hashtag #accidentalpower
• How to save a broken relationship – grovelling never works

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Our friend Nic Gregoriades (Nic Gabriel) – check out his fantastic podcast Digital Communion, with Thomas Faustin-Huisking.
• Our recurring favourite, the mind-expanding Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse
• Michel Foucault's theories of the modern state and its need to watch you (and have everyone watch each other) – check out Discipline and Punish
• Neil Strauss's Everyone Loves You When You're Dead
• Dre mentioned YouTube star PewDiePie, but he's too awful to actually link to
• Van Morrison's song about Greta Garbo, who just wanted to be alone
• The uncomfortable insights of relationship expert, Esther Perel

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).

FULL NOTES: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/09/19/use-absence-to-i…power-episode-16/

Law 15 Crush Your Enemy Totally:

Perhaps the most controversial Law of all – Crush Your Enemy Totally! As ever, we are you guides to when a Law like this can be applied in a world beyond the battlefield. What does it mean to crush an enemy in the modern world? When does it become necessary to wipe out an enemy, and can you pull it off with a clear conscience? And what do we even mean by 'enemy'? Historical examples are joined by tales of when Jon's enemy came back to haunt him and Dre took revenge in the playground... Before we take time to indict the USA for hypocrisy and consider the difference between criminal trials, justice, and actually moving forward peacefully. This one's bursting with hot topics and controversy!

FULL NOTES: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/09/12/crush-your-enemy…power-episode-15/

This Episode includes:

• When to use Law 15 today when you're not a military leader
• What Chinese history has to teach us about the fundamentals of Power (via lots of blood and intrigue!)
• The importance of crushing your enemy's spirit
• Doing something with aplomb can excuse a lot more than you'd think
• When to bring in an authority figure and when you need to win the battle yourself
• Don't confuse enemies who can be used productively with enemies whose animosity means there is no option but to destroy them
• The dangers of holding out unrealistic hopes of reconciliation
• What's more important to you: achieving your goals or your self-image?
• Lessons from professional wrestling on beating your competition... but at what cost to creativity and competition?
• Lessons, too, from Nintendo, Apple and Steve Jobs
• The dangers of negotiating
• Did the Treaty of Versailles go too far, or not far enough?
• The serious dangers of humiliating your enemy (or anyone else)
• The reality of power today: the great powers don't play by the rules they want to enforce on everyone else
• The end of the Second World War – were the Nazis crushed... or not?
• Winston Churchill on how to move forwards when conflict is over

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Conan tells us what is best in life
• Dan Carlin's Hardcore History series on the Mongols, Wrath of the Khans
• The classic and continuing Mortal Kombat games
• Amazon's Marco Polo series
• Plenty of Game of Thrones references this week!
• The WCW vs. WWF Monday Night War
• The augmented reality madness that is Pokemon Go
• The movie 47 Ronin
• Daniele Bolelli on Moses as terrorist
• The history of the Jews in Egypt
• Jon's friend Jan Martin Lemnitzer on surprisingly mundane, non-moralistic origins of international criminal law

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).

FULL NOTES: http://voicesinthedark.world/2016/09/12/crush-your-enemy…power-episode-15/