The Daily Laws by Robert Greene [Actionable Summary]

The Book In Three Or More Sentences:

If you feel unqualified to plan your life. Create a path for yourself to follow – taking into account the devious nature of us, humans. The Daily Laws will aid you. Robert Greene – an author I deeply admire – consolidating all of his previous books (check out other book summaries by Robert Greene here, here, here, and here), offers a powerful ally that will prepare your fragile psyche for the monstrosities of the real world. As the titles suggest, the book offers short must-follow daily tips. The end goal is you, transitioning from being blindsided by what people present to the world, to adequately fending all of their moves that are trying to rule you.

The Core Idea:

The world is not what it appears. People, don’t wish you well. They wish you to obey their commands and think the way they think. The goal of The Daily Laws is to help you see behind the masks. Spot what really powers others – greed, envy, desire for power – and also identify what moves you. Eventually, you’ll realize that you are flawed – like everyone else. But instead of moaning, by using the suggestions in the book, you will overcome your own negative traits and figure out what you should do with your life.

Reason To Read:

This book is for everyone who needs a life companion. A comrade to point the way. The way the information is presented offers something truly unique. Daily, you’re provided with something to do that will get you closer to being better at not only the work you do. But also closer to understanding the real incentives of the people around. Both needed to gain the strength required in order to handle the difficulties of life.

7 Key Lessons From The Daily Laws:

Lesson #1: Modern Dangers Are People, Not Leopards

Thousands of years ago. Survival was based on our ability to find food while simultaneously defending ourselves from the wild beasts trying to do the same.

Today, we no longer have to worry about being attacked by a big cat with laser-sharp claws. Survival is based on something much more delicate. Namely, dealing with people.

Yes, our greatest danger is ourselves. We, and the people around us.

We are taught that we should obey our teachers, our bosses, our leaders, imaginary entities that are worshiped around the world.

We are never thought, however, to stop and ask ourselves what we really want. And something Robert Greene points out, whether the person on the other side is actually wishing us well, or simply trying to protect his bottom line.

We become naive, and as the author concludes, “To add to this dangerous brew, our culture tends to fill our heads with all kinds of false notions, making us believe things about what the world and human nature should be like, rather than what they are actually like.”

People don’t want the best for us. They want the best for themselves.

Guided by this simple, at first glance, observation. Robert Greene presents a descriptive yearly plan. A manual that, when used daily, will help you emerge battle-tested, ready for the manipulative and power-seeking individuals we usually identify as friends, colleagues, bosses, and companions.

The Daily Laws is divided into 12 parts – each representing a month from our calendar. Each month focuses on a specific task you need to master so you can get closer to living a fulfilling life. A worthy life.

Once completed, Greene promises that you’ll finally have direction in your life. Finally possess the techniques needed to defend yourself, from yourself. Plus, from the attackers coming from outside people.

Here’s the overview of the content by months:

1. January. Your Life’s Task: Planting the Seeds for Mastery: We are all unique. We don’t only have a unique DNA. But also a unique blend of skills, interests, desires, thoughts. Figure out what’s your exceptional mix of qualities and map out a Life’s Task – as the author calls it.
2. February. The Ideal Apprenticeship: Transforming Yourself: Learning from what others have already mastered is the best way to improve, faster. Every career requires taking a path of apprenticeship. Absorbing the wisdom of the people who are already great in your field of choice is a must.
3. March. The Master at Work: Activating Skills and Attaining Mastery: Becoming great at what you do requires you to keep being great. Inevitably, this means a continuous state of moving, learning, attaining more knowledge. The moment you stop improving is the moment you start decaying.
4. April. The Perfect Courtier: Playing the Game of Power: In life, we are playing a civilized war. We are trying to please our current “master” while retaining a positive relationship with the rest of the “servants”. We don’t want to appear too ambitious because if others notice, they’ll try to bring us down.
5. May. The Supposed Nonplayers of Power: Recognizing Toxic Types and Disguised Power Strategies: Recognizing the main motivating factors of people will help you better adapt your strategy. Everyone appears noble, but not everyone is noble. Identifying the envious and manipulative players will defog their real intentions. Noticing beyond what’s presented is a valuable skill.
6. June. The Devine Craft: Mastering The Arts of Inderection and Manipulation: Interacting with the outside world can be equated to performing. Entertaining the people around you. In this regard, deception and masquerade should be mastered and used to your advantage. Don’t consider these techniques immoral. But ways to convince others in your rightfulness.
7. July. The Seductive Character: Penetrating Hearts and Minds: Given the fact that we are fascinated by outside appearance. The month of July will teach you how to enhance your charm. Seduce. Influence. Cast a spell on others so they can start to feel strangely drawn by you.
8. August. The Master Persuader: Softening People’s Resistance: To lower the guard of the other person, tell a fascinating story. Adjust your tone of voice and the words you use specifically to the person on the other end. Always think about how others think to interest them. It’s about them, not about you. Once this is sensible in your communication with others, you will win more hearts.
9. September. The Grand Strategist: Rising Out of Tactical Hell: Robert Greene defines our lives with the term tactical hell. Our interactions with others are like small battles. We are both trying to dominate the conversation. If you get too consumed by these interactions, you will lose your path. The only solution is setting an actionable strategy that will guide you outside these micro-battles. Elevate you to a higher place, so you can keep your eyes on the big goal.
10. October. The Emotional Self: Coming to Terms with Our Dark Side: We are not fallen angels. We have dark patterns that, if not understood, will lead to self-sabotage and derail. The text in the month of October will help you understand what are our primitive roots. Then, help you protect yourself from your natural flaws.
11. November. The Rational Human: Realizing Your Higher Self: We default to laziness. Always taking the path of least resistance. To win, to conquer, we need to touch base with our higher self. To bring out the best of us. For that to happen, we first need to think rationally. Use the emerging emotions as a stepping stone to take action in the right direction. But before that, take the time to think about the situation thoroughly.
12. December. The Cosmic Sublime: Expanding the Mind to Its Furthest Reaches: Understanding that we are mortals and that our time on earth is limited will create a sense of urgency. Focus you on the most important tasks in life. Stop imagining that you will live forever or that you have time. You don’t. We don’t. Reconnect with your deepest wants and start making progress towards the life you really want for yourself.

“The Daily Laws will take you, the protagonist, on a similar journey through a land full of dangerous and toxic types of people, helping you shed your illusions and hardening you for the battles ahead so that you may find solace and pleasure in seeing people and the world in their true light.” Robert Greene

Lesson #2: Figure Out Your Life’s Task

Keep trying. Keep pushing. Don’t give up.

These are some of the things the author repeatedly told himself throughout the years.

He didn’t become a best-selling author overnight. In fact, the book starts with a short story about his writing career.

Or more precisely, about his failure as a writer.

Robert Greene explains that he received a harsh critique about his way of writing. His boss years ago, while he was working as a journalist, told him, “You are not writer material. Your work is too undisciplined. Your style is too bizarre. Your ideas—they’re just not relatable to the average reader. You should seriously consider a different career.”

Surely painful to hear this. He didn’t give up. He kept pursuing his dream of becoming a writer. Something he decided to become since he was 8 years old.

The first branch – the month of January – will help you figure out your life’s tasks. This is the most important decision in your life because it will give you direction. Allow you to arrange all other areas in your life in a way that best suits your mission.

Here are a couple of ideas from the book about discovering your calling:

• Reconnect with your childhood obsession: We are not afraid to get obsessed with doing different things when we are young. Some of us spend years when young doing something – writing, painting, creating. With age, life gets in the way, and we sadly disconnect from these passions. Think about what were your fascinations as a child. Reconnect with them. See if you can make one of these adorable activities from the past your calling.
• It is already within you: Want you want to do is already somewhere within you. You just need to find the signal and increase the volume. Think about what’s something you’ve always felt a pull toward.
• Change is the law: We love comfort. We do everything possible to reach a comfortable state of existence. That’s why we keep doing things, working jobs, we don’t particularly like. Greene explains that we are not tied to a particular position or a company. We should be only committed to our life’s task. This, of course, requires change. What you are doing now does not mean that it should determine what you will do in the future.
• Depending on others is misery: When you’re dependent on others you’re vulnerable. When you expect others to give you work, show you the way, you are dooming yourself to failure. Find inner power. Don’t underestimate your own abilities. Others are usually not that better than you. They simply appear to be better. The more you depend on yourself, the more powerful you’ll become.
• Embrace your weirdness: If you’re trying to be like everyone else, you won’t get far. Robert Greene suggests doubling down on your weird metrics. Traits. Bizarre obsessions. Use your weirdness as a tool that will differentiate you from the rest.

“Daily Law: Always stick to what makes you weird, odd, strange, different. That’s your source of power.” Robert Greene