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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Machiavelli for dummies

Power is a sociopath's drug. It's his very reason for living. It's no wonder sociopaths are attracted to positions of power in business, politics, criminal cartels, etc. And who better to learn it from than medieval power brokers like Machiavelli. Here are some comments on Machiavelli's philosophies and their role in the business world, courtesy of Forbes.

It's good cautionary advice for anyone, particularly for minorities like sociopaths who are vulnerable to attack.
[M]isjudging your relationship with powerful people can jeopardize your career, your health and your bank balance. Open any newspaper and you will find the stories of those who abused their power and those who became their victims.
And why we should accept our sociopath selves:
The key to effective leadership is self-knowledge and self-acceptance. This is not what most people imagine when they think of Machiavelli. But men like Borgia were destroyed precisely because they lacked self-knowledge. Had Borgia recognized his weaknesses, he would have taken a different path. But only strong people can acknowledge their weaknesses.

Self-acceptance is equally important. Once we accept our imperfections, they lose their power and others cannot use them to manipulate us. We find the courage needed to speak the truth to power. And we find it easier to accept the imperfections in others. Whether we lead or follow, self-knowledge and self-acceptance are indispensable.
And parting thoughts:
Machiavelli teaches us to take responsibility for our relationship with power. This is not obligatory, of course, but merely wise. Understanding Machiavelli gives us a richer appreciation for human nature. It allows us to foresee problems, defuse dangerous situations and make wiser decisions.

27 comments:

  1. Who knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
    Help, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!

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  2. I dont know all I know is I'm first and tis was a nice post

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  3. Unfortunetely, the Forbes article is gone by now. Nontheless, this is a great explanation of Machiavelli's philosophy.

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  4. machiavelli was a squealing fanboy.

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    Replies
    1. lol.

      They always make the royal villians kind of feminine.

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    2. you just have to read the intro in the prince.

      nothing complicated.

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  5. There are two more episodes, Rich.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, I just read and saved!!! Interesting and steamy! lol

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  6. "And we find it easier to accept the imperfections in others. Whether we lead or follow, self-knowledge and self-acceptance are indispensable."

    It is true.

    It takes control and making softness all around the edges to attract. It is challenging. It is no wonder women have trouble doing power and femininity at the same time.

    That movie "How Does She Do It" made me crazy. In this day and age to still be depicting women struggling for equality is infuriating to me.

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  7. I love the heading to this article "Machiavelli for dummies."

    Not many will embrace this heading theory. Some will make glowing statements but not embrace the intent.

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  8. I was just thinking about the title, actually. How and why that format of x for dummies turned into a marketing concept. Motherhood for dummies.. Machiavelli for dummies. I don't see why people prefer 'dummies' to say 'beginners.'

    Power is the sociopath drug? As opposed to sex or money? Can we honestly say that the highest motivation item for sociopath is power? Would sociopath have a hard time to let go of power for more money? Would that be only for the notion of that money turned into power after acquisition? Is power not sought to gain more sex? So, really, what's the priority sorting of sex, money, and power for a sociopath?

    I can see power being at the top of the list for an npd, I'm not so sure about the sociopath. Soicopath I'd expect be simpler, and go for the tangible rewards, such as sex and money. Power is intangible, I can see sociopath enjoying power as a side benefit, but am havig a trouble seeing it as the top priority, or better yet as his reason for living. Does not add up, somehow.

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    Replies
    1. The "dummies" strategy used in marketing has been quite successful and somewhat correct. I see these books/articles as the lazy man's info but if interested do further research which is needed.

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    2. Money is merely a means to an end. Empath males obtain power as a method of getting sex, so it's likely that for some sociopaths, the hierarchy is as follows: sex > power > money.

      However, for many sociopaths, the possession of power is in itself highly pleasurable and if it exceeds the pleasure of sex, power would become the primary "drug".

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  9. Raven's Complete Lack of SurpriseNovember 25, 2012 at 3:57 PM

    Where the fuck is our sofa story for today's thread, Monica? Chop chop! The sun is setting on the states. It's lame as shit in here!

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  10. There are 4 episodes on yesterdays thread.

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  11. To encourage further writing i advertized the story on the forum and will update it when the author posts new episods.

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  12. This comment makes ME wonder, how is our Sociopath Self "Different" from our Human Self? Are Sociopaths like the ones who victimize and Humans like the ones who are victims in this relationship? Is this relationship sort of like Cain and Able from the Bible? Can someone who is "Different" be nice, or are they not Able? And do Sociopaths have, like, their own language as Different from Humans? These are some questions I ask myself.... Thanks again for your valuable time and energy, and thanks again for your blog. You Beings are doing God's work :)

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  13. genuine question;
    Why google when sometimes it's more useful/necessary to make your own connections?

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  14. To take something from someone without asking is to deny their existence. That's the real loss

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  15. "Everything in the world is about sex except sex, sex is about power."

    Oscar Wilde

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  16. I'd like to clear something up. Borgias downfall wasn't from not accepting his weaknesses. He saw his weaknesses and made preperations should someone try to exploit those vulnerabilities. His downfall was he became very ill at the wrong time

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