[Great courtiers] are magnets of pleasure — people want to be around them because they know how to please, yet they neither fawn nor humiliate themselves.

The problem is that you often do not know your friends as well as you imagine.

Friends often agree on things in order to avoid an argument.

Since honesty rarely strengthens friendship, you may never know how a friend truly feels.

Only a minority can succeed at the game of life, and that minority inevitably arouses the envy of those around them.

Once success happens your way, however, the people to fear the most are those in your own circle, the friends and acquaintances you have left behind.

To some people the notion of consciously playing power games — no matter how indirect — seems evil, asocial, a relic of the past.

They believe they can opt out of the game by behaving in ways that have nothing to do with power.

Once envy eats away at someone, everything you do only makes it grow, and day by day it festers inside him.

Eventually he will attack.

People feel superior to the person whose actions they can predict.

If you show them who is in control by playing against their expectations, you both gain their respect and tighten your hold on their fleeting attention.

Difference between wealth and money.

(a short 🧵 thread)

1/ As the oxygen crisis during 2nd covid wave in India has reiterated,

wealth = *stuff* we want
money = *numbers* in our bank

2/ Being wealthy is a matter of priorities, while being rich is a matter of luck and hard work.

3/ Our happiness and well being depends on the wealth we have, not the money.

One can have all the money in the world and still be miserable.

However if one has sufficient wealth, happiness is guaranteed (partly because that’s how wealth is defined).

4/ Here’s how to be wealthy without spending a dime:

- Exercise regularly
- Develop deep relationships
- Help other people
- Eat healthy
- Meditate
- Learn and develop skills
- Laugh

@48_quotes Well said.

I highly recommend the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" -Dale Carnegie.

Even if you're not an avid reader, this book is a must.

It’s a mistake to assume that open-minded people have weak opinions.

On the contrary, they are actually strongly opinionated because they actively seek evidence contrary to their beliefs which makes them converge on beliefs that are only updated if there’s compelling evidence.

People that expect the worst of others, bring out the worst in themselves.

Whether negotiating, leading a team, or just having a coffee...expect good things.

How you approach every interaction matters. Your expectations always influence outcomes.

"You won’t have inner peace until you give up your war against the world."

@naval