Law 35 - Master The Art of Timing | Exploring The 48 Laws of Power - a podcast by Jon & Dre

Do you have your shit together? Drowning under to-do lists? Time is the one resource you can never replenish, so mastering how to use it wisely is not only powerful, but essential. Law 35 gives us a bracing confrontation with the ways we let time use and abuse us, before showing how we can make it serve us instead... Not least, as a tool to influence other people.

In this episode, we consider how to master the art of timing during revolutionary periods – how can you escape the guillotine over and over again while still remaining in a position of power?  Why do revolutionaries rarely end up in power in the long term? And what's the difference between recognising and running with the spirit of the times?

Picking your moment is essential to practising this Law, so we ponder just how wise it is to 'burn the boats', 'go all in', and place yourself on 'death ground'... it's called death ground for a reason! We also discuss where the line really lies between giving a project the time it needs, and simply procrastinating from fear of failure.

Dre reveals how he discovered deep patience and tenacity through psychedelics; Jon gets lost trying to understand the physics of inertia; and we explain why you've really got to stop tonguing each other's buzzwords, you filthy perverts. We also have a good rant about why going on protest marches often strokes your ego rather than stoking real change, and explain the smart way to use an attitude of 'everything will work itself out' (even in Trump's America).

Dre reveals the online marketing techniques that companies keep using against you; we break down what the '10,000 hour rule' really means; and Jon introduces you to his new nicotine habit while burning himself in the mouth. We could not be more classy.

This episode includes:

• What quantum has to tell you about patience (no, really)
• Is slowly always surely?
• How to feel the spirit of the times
• The dangers and powers of the civil service
• Protesting against Trump – worthwhile, or idiotic?
• Always play for time – so much more can happen than you might expect
• Putting yourself in the place of possibility
• Taking control of your emails – using timing to nourish your power
• Online marketing techniques that warp your sense of time
• The power of the deadline
• Stalin as an example of flow
• Playing with power like a jazz musician

Mentioned in the episode:

• The philosophical tshirt Jon's been wearing: 'Sometimes, even to live is an act of courage' – Seneca
• Our awesome interview with Jamie Alderton – Mindset With Muscle
• The Ned Stark quote Dre mentioned: 'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?' – Bran Stark. 'That is the only time a man can be brave.' – Ned Stark.
• The British sitcom, Yes Minster and Yes Prime Minister
• The entertaining if light-on-evidence biography of Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore, Stalin: Court of the Red Tsar
• Puppet sex, uncensored, from Team America!
• Neil Strauss's amazing book, The Game
• Robert's superb book, Mastery, which was itself written in 'end time'
• Nassim Nicholas Taleb's The Black Swan
• The Radiolab podcast... which we don't recommend
• Odysseus's wife was indeed called Penelope

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

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