The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene (Critical Review)

I was writing a chapter for Bony to Beastly about stress. So I dug through the history of it, about all these cruel experiments on lab rats proving that stress is horrible for us. But when I looked at modern research, a different picture emerged. Stress is hard on us, yes, but we adapt to it.

Stress isn’t so different from lifting weights. It stimulates a beneficial adaptation. As we recover from the stressor, we grow more robust. So the trick isn’t to REDUCE stress but to RECOVER from it.

It gets more interesting.

Review

It turns out that people who manage higher levels of stress tend to feel a greater sense of meaning than people who manage lower levels of stress. It’s easy to imagine why. Imagine someone who works hard, challenges themselves to create great things, has kids, works out, and travels. All of these things add stress to our lives. But they also add purpose, joy, and value.

Even considering pure hedonism, people tend to have a better time working than when relaxing. We want to DO things with our lives.

Anyway, as I was reading about stress, I encountered Nietzsche’s concept of Amor Fati, or “the love of fate.” That led me down a rabbit hole, and right there, at the bottom of the hole, I found Robert Greene preaching the value of embracing our fate and finding passion in the struggle of life. I had heard of Robert Greene, and I didn’t particularly like his writing.

Years ago, I tried to read the 48 Laws of Power. I bounced right off it. I didn’t care enough about power. I didn’t relate to the Machiavellian writing style.

This book is different. This book is about passion, about creating beautiful things, and perhaps most of all, about running towards challenge. It’s written in a Nietzschean writing style. It’s a whole different thing.

The book’s format is the same as Greene’s other Law books. He starts every chapter with a historical story, then he explains how we can apply the lessons to our own lives. It’s all very well-written and engaging. Greene does a great job of making thousands of years of philosophical insights enjoyable to read about.

Chapter Overview

The Laws of Human Nature has 18 chapter. They all build towards the final chapter, about embracing your fate, recognizing that death can come swirling down at any moment, and thus making the case that we should live with a deep sense of urgency, purpose, and passion.

1. The Law of Irrationality: Recognizing and overcoming emotional influences in decision-making
2. The Law of Narcissism: Understanding self-absorption and managing ego-driven tendencies
3. The Law of Role-playing: Identifying and adapting to social masks and personas
4. The Law of Compulsive Behavior: Recognizing and dealing with repetitive, self-destructive patterns
5. The Law of Covetousness: Understanding envy and how it shapes human behavior
6. The Law of Shortsightedness: Developing long-term vision and strategic thinking
7. The Law of Defensiveness: Managing insecurities and developing empathy
8. The Law of Self-sabotage: Identifying and overcoming internal barriers to success
9. The Law of Repression: Uncovering and dealing with repressed emotions and memories
10. The Law of Envy: Understanding the power of envy and how to manage it
11. The Law of Grandiosity: Recognizing and managing unrealistic ambitions and delusions of grandeur
12. The Law of Gender Rigidity: Understanding and transcending gender stereotypes
13. The Law of Aimlessness: Developing a sense of purpose and direction in life
14. The Law of Conformity: Recognizing and challenging social pressures and norms
15. The Law of Fickleness: Navigating the changing nature of human loyalty and commitment
16. The Law of Aggression: Understanding and managing aggression in oneself and others
17. The Law of Generational Myopia: Appreciating the impact of generational differences and learning from history
18. The Law of Death Denial: Confronting mortality and living with a sense of urgency

Recommendation

I loved this book. If the chapter topics interest you, I think you’ll love it, too. On the other hand, if this whole idea of embracing fate, accepting your mortality, and living a life overflowing with passion doesn’t appeal to you, then it probably isn’t the right time to read The Laws of Human Nature. Save it for when you need it.