The Cure for “Nice Guy Syndrome”

Confession:  I’m a “nice guy.”

I endeavor to treat people well …  I strive to conduct myself with politeness and respect …  I believe in the value of building a more compassionate world …

But this stance comes with many inherent weaknesses.

For example, many people will see your “niceness” as an opportunity for exploitation.  Those who value niceness often believe all others do as well.  It’s not so.

Indeed, many even hold “nice guys” in great contempt.

Sometimes this contempt is well-placed …  (There are those who appear nice on the surface but use it as cover for the most sinister guile.  And those who use niceness as self-deceptive cover for lazy weakness.)

And sometimes not … (There are many genuine neo-Nietzschean / neo-Machiavellian types who truly believe it is the right – even the duty – of the strong to exploit the weak.)

So, how does a would-be nice guy overcome these problems without losing his humanity along the way?

Step 1.  Realize There is Both Good and Evil in the World

Divest yourself of all illusions.  The universe is full of duality.  Perhaps only duality.  And perhaps this is a good thing.  Could one appreciate joy without knowing suffering?  Could one know light without having known the darkness?

Step 2.  Strengthen Yourself – First and Foremost

Physically.  Mentally.  Relentlessly.

No one respects a weak person.  We can even grow to resent those we love deeply when they are chronically weak.  As you grow stronger you’ll make yourself a less tempting target.  And the slings and arrows that do arrive will not cause as much damage.

Step 3.  Train Yourself in the Nature of Power

You cannot become powerful yourself without understanding the nature of power.  And even if you have no ambition, leaving yourself blind and defenseless to the ways of power will leave you in a near-constant state of confounded misery.

One of the best primers on the nature of power is often referred to in Hollywood (a notoriously cut-throat business battlefield) as “the backstabbers bible.”  It has been hailed as “essential reading” by famous practitioners of power ranging from Fidel Castro to Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

To make this massive tome even more manageable, we’re breaking its Simpleology Summary into four parts to be released in succession.

Warning:  this book is completely amoral by design.  As with any weapon, whether it is used for self-defense or attack … or for good or ill … is completely up to he who wields it.

Simpleology Summaries:
The 48 Laws of Power – Part 1:  Laws 1-12
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