028 - Exploring The 48 Laws of Power - Enter Action With Boldness - a podcast by Jon & Dre
from 2016-12-19T00:51:35
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!
This episode includes:
- 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'
Mentioned in the Episode:
- 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.
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).
Further episodes of Voices in the Dark
Further podcasts by Jon & Dre
Website of Jon & Dre