Robert Greene?’ the young woman remarked, a hesitant inflection in her voice. ‘I don’t know. Isn’t his stuff a bit… evil?’
‘I can see why you think that,’ I said. ‘But I don’t really look at it that way.’
‘Isn’t it like… telling you how to manipulate people.’
I paused to think. I couldn’t really deny that. ‘I guess so. That’s not really my takeaway though.’
If you haven’t heard of Robert Greene, he’s the author of multiple bestselling books such as The 48 Laws of Power and The Laws of Human Nature—the latter was the subject of my latest YouTube video. In some circles he divides opinion which is what I wanted to discuss that today. This not a criticism or defense of Greene, but my reflections on a curious duality that goes beyond this single, culturally significant figure, into the broader world of human analysis, education, attempts to impart insight and direct others in how to behave and handle life situations.
First, a bit of background for those who have never heard of Robert Greene.
A bit of background
If you’re a student of human behaviour and psychology, his books are worth checking out, though as my friend remarked all those years ago, the tone can be considered dark, Machiavellian and scheming. I mean, his website domain is literally ‘powerseductionandwar.com’.
I always joke that there are two types of people who read Robert Greene books—the power-hungry hyper self-conscious narcissists he’s writing about, and Joe Wehbe, the prolific young author born in 1994.
Greene’s unique, distinct writing style is very engaging. He cleverly breaks down psychological phenomena and deep aspects of human nature through stories of famous people from history, because there is more available information about their lives. In The Laws of Human Nature he unpacks people like Josef Stalin, Howard Hughes, Jeanne De Belciel, Leo Tolstoy, Ernest Shackleton, Coco Chanel and others, telling their stories and using them to extrapolate broader ideas, lessons, and insights relating to the human condition. From there he often gives advice, actionables and guides on everything from how to navigate toxic people in the world as well as how to gain advantage and advance in the world.
This is where things get a bit darker
For example, here are the first seven laws in another of his famous books, The 48 Laws of Power:
Law 1: Never outshine the master
Law 2: Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies
Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions
Law 4: Always say less than necessary
Law 5: So much depends on reputation, guard it with your life
Law 6: Court attention at all costs
Law 7: Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit
Not quite a warm and cuddly vibe, is it? Not exactly Finding Nemo, or It’s A Wonderful Life.
So, while I find Greene’s psychoanalytical breakdowns insightful, I normally put the ‘Court attention at all costs’ stuff to one side. The perfect analogy is heavy metal music—it’s not for me, but I can appreciate that others are into it. There’s something a bit dark and deranged going on, but it doesn’t get me up in arms. Ultimately I’m content to leave it be.
This is however the point where things get especially interesting for me, and why I’ve titled this article ‘The Two Faces of Robert Greene.’ I’m struck by the difference between his writing voice and his speaking voice. Whenever I hear Robert Greene talk in interviews, he seems to convey something very different—genuine warmth and a peaceful demeanour. It feels a stark contrast to his writing voice, a lot less ‘Court attention at all costs’, and more prosocial and positive.
I don’t know if anyone else notices this, I don’t know if anyone else cares, but the people-watcher in me sees this difference and wonders—why!? The clues, I think, lie in Greene’s backstory.
The Context
If you look into Robert Greene’s background and life before his books, he spent many years travelling. Over this time he had many different jobs and endured all sorts of toxic bosses. The pinnacle, it appears, was the time he spent in Hollywood which he’s described as being full of fake, two-faced, power-hungry people. It was after this experience he went away and wrote his first book—The 48 Laws of Power. He didn’t write directly about the people in Hollywood, but acknowledges he had them in mind.
It’s no wonder Greene has such deep insight into and knowledge of the best, worst and deepest tendencies of people. I think this why a lot of his writing veers into strategies and guides that have dark and manipulative undertones. Sure, you can say these tactics are ways of defending ourselves against bad people, but they are also blue prints to asserting one’s own interests and pursuit of power.
The Power Rebound
When we’re subjected to negative experiences, are victims of deeply toxic behaviour, especially early in life, we’re made to feel powerless. It’s logical, then, that we look for power in response. This doesn’t mean it’s a good or worthwhile thing to do, but that it’s a natural and understandable reaction. Actually, this sort of response typically leads us into the very behaviours we’ve been victims of and subject to—only when we perpetrate them, we feel justified. ‘The world is a dark place filled with savage people—therefore, I need to be savage if I’m to survive.’
Okay, but why might a tone like this come out in Greene’s writing rather than when he speaks?
Certain mediums draw out certain aspects of our character—or rather, make it easier for these parts of our character that are usually dialed down to express themselves. Just think of keyboard warriors. The anonymity of a YouTube or Twitter (X) comment allows us to be more savage and unhinged, with the usual social inhibitors absent. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received an exasperated, emotional, demanding or passive-aggressive email for a client or customer, only to pick up the phone and find them totally calm and reasonable. I believe formats, especially written formats, bypass the filters we have and let out whatever crap we have stored in our basement. The more crap we store in the basement, the more eagerly it looks for a chance to get out.
Again, while it sucks to be on the receiving end of, and while we shouldn’t justify it, it’s not an inherently bad thing in and of itself. It’s just this thing called H U M A N N A T U R E.
The Shadow
If you want to be fancy, this ties into this thing Carl Jung called ‘The Shadow.’ The Shadow as I understand it refers to the aspects of our personality we don’t like to identify with or acknowledge, so we hide them ‘in the shadow.’ This helps us to walk around in our everyday lives with more self-esteem and high self-opinion. But whatever is in our shadow can’t remain hidden forever. It’s inevitably going to rear its ugly head at some stage.
It’s like me exceeding my dairy quota. I might be fine that night, but I could end up paying in the morning—or at least, my toilet bowl will. Darn you, tiramisu. Why do you tempt me so?
This is basically my long-winded way of saying, the Two-(or more)-Faced phenomenon in anyone is probably a consequence of these dynamics. For a Robert Greene-type, I believe this is the part of him that remains jaded by the experiences he’s had, the shock or trauma of uncovering dark things about people and being treated with hostility. To reiterate my point that I don’t wish to criticise or have a go at him, here’s just one of many examples of dark pieces I’ve written, and I suspect it’s for the same reasons.
Looking Beyond
As I mentioned, this little foray was part of a broader point. Often the part of us that tries to educate or advise people comes from this sort of shadowy place. It projects our fears and past experiences onto others, and is inevitably part of our ongoing self-directed therapeutic efforts. That, for me, is a bias that has to be acknowledged. It will naturally slant how and what we communicate to others, as well as why.
As usual, I return to that oh-too-frequent destination. Just as a McDonald’s stop is the inevitable destination waiting at the end of a big night out, the destination at the end of a little paddle down the river of curiosity feels inevitable…
When the drive is to bring awareness to others, the real focus is bringing more awareness to oneself.
