- Welcome back to part two of "The Laws of Human Nature" by Robert Grant. In this video, you will learn how to
understand human behaviour so you can become 1% better. Let's jump right on in to law 10: envy. You may deny it, but you
compare yourself to others. It leads to low self-worth,
frustration, and hostility. A sudden change in status can trigger envy in your friends and peers, especially among those
in your own profession. The biggest sign of envy
manifests in the eyes. Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer
devised an experiment where he would say
something good about himself and observe the onlooker's
expression of disappointment. On the flip, he would share a misfortune, and it would elicit joy in the onlooker. This is a common phenomenon
known as schadenfreude. Envy also manifests as
offhand comments, gossip, and flattery followed
by negative criticism. So here are five strategies
to transmute envy. Number one is to understand
that someone might look good on the surface, but in reality, they face other troubles. And so your envy loses its power. Number two: compare yourself
to those in dire situations to increase gratitude for
where you're at right now. Number three: practise (speaks in German), a term coined by Nietzsche which means joying with. Actively try to feel the joy of others. Number four: turn envy into
a source of inspiration to reach or exceed their level. And lastly, number five: admire somebody else's achievements in light of human greatness because admiration is
the opposite of envy. Law 11: grandiosity. We have a deep need to
think highly of ourselves. It's this facet of human nature
that is largely responsible for the business idea you think is awesome but actually sucks. We look up to charismatic leaders because of they grandiose energy whether it's rational or not. So here are five strategies
to deal with grandiosity. Number one: understand that it's normal to want to feel superior. Concentrate the energy into one endeavour. Actively seek feedback and criticism. Seek out challenges
above your skill level. And occasionally allow yourself to entertain crazy ideas or projects in order to stay sane. Law 12: gender rigidity. It is in your nature
to want to move closer to what is feminine or masculine, which manifests as
attraction to another person. The shaman is considered the wisest person in primitive cultures. The male shaman had an inner wife he listened to for guidance, and the female shaman
had an inner husband. Greene says that in the myths
of many ancient cultures, Persian, Hebrew, Greek, Egyptian, original humans were believed
to be both male and female. This made them so powerful that the gods feared
them and split in half. The problem in the modern
world is overidentification with masculinity or femininity. Your masculine and feminine qualities are based on genetics and the influence of your parents of the opposite sex. Studies have shown that at an early age, boys are more emotionally
reactive than girls. They are highly empathetic and sensitive. As they age, they learn
to repress their emotions. Girls have an adventurous
spirit that is natural to them. They have powerful wills,
which they like to exert in transforming their environment. But they learn to sacrifice
their assertive side and to put other feelings
before their own. Can you think of an area in your life where you are expected
to take on a certain role and constantly live up to
somebody else's expectations? Law 13: aimlessness. Feeling lost in life isn't your fault. It's a natural response to growing up in modern society and culture. Support systems of the past, like religion and universal
causes to believe in, have mostly vanished at least in the Western world. It's no wonder you experience depression and lose yourself in addictions. Having a strong sense of purpose
acts as a force multiplier in all areas of your life. Your decisions and actions
will have power behind them. You'll be seen as the guy or girl that has their shit together. But beware of false purposes. The pursuit of pleasure is not a genuine or sustainable purpose, nor are some causes,
cults, money, success, attention, or pessimistic nihilism. Here's five strategies
for developing a sense of genuine purpose. Number one is to discover
your calling in life. It may come to others
easily, but for most people, it requires deep introspection and effort. Examine what you did when you were younger and be vigilant of the activities where you enter a state of flow. Number two: use resistance
and negative spurs. In any skill or project you pursue, you'll receive outside criticism, or the work will become frustrating. Greene says that frustration is a sign that you are making progress as your mind becomes aware
of higher levels of skill that you have yet to attain. When things get tedious,
set a deadline for yourself to force yourself to new heights. Number three: associate with others who have purposeful energy and avoid your loser friends who have a low sense of purpose. Break down your long-term
goals into short-term goals to avoid overwhelm. And lastly, eliminate distractions, and lose yourself in the work. Law 14: conformity. A side of your character is
dictated by your interactions with groups of people. There's an impulsion in
you to conform to behave how others behave and how
they expect you to behave. Just look at the George Floyd protests. Notice how normal people stole from stores who wouldn't normally steal. Greene says the only solution is to develop self-awareness
and a superior understanding of the changes that occur to us in groups. Whether it's in life or business, Greene suggests you form a reality group, which is a group with a healthy dynamic that's grounded in reality. It exists in order to get things done, to make things, to solve problems. Everybody knows exactly what their role is and what the goals of the group are. Here are five strategies
to conduct a reality group. Number one: instil a
collective sense of purpose. Make sure it's clear and that everybody puts it into practise. Number two: assemble the
right team of lieutenants. Every group with big goals will need others to manage
the execution of ideas. Choose the best person for the role based on their character and competence. Number three: let information
and ideas flow freely. Infect the group with productive emotions. And forge a battle-tested group. In the day to day, your group can seem like
they have it all together. But throw them into a stressful situation, and their inner toughness
will be revealed. For a group to move mountains, group members require inner toughness. Law 15: fickleness. People are ready to turn on their leader the moment they seem weak
or experience a setback. It may not seem obvious on the surface, but humans respond with
hidden contempt and doubt. The solution as a leader is
to develop greater authority. Here are six strategies to
develop greater authority. The first is to find
your authority archetype. It's based on your character
and natural strengths. Pause this video to
identify your archetype, and let me know on the comments
below which one you are. (free-flowing music continues) Number two: focus on
getting others results. See the long-term vision
amongst the short-term chaos. Lead by example. Stir conflicting emotions by
occasionally being absent. And never appear to take. Always give. Your authority erodes
if you promise to give, but fail to deliver multiple times. Law 16: aggression. People appear polite and
civilised on the surface, but beneath, they are
dealing with frustrations. It can turn into manipulative
and aggressive behaviour to gain power over circumstances. The root of aggression is
thought to stem from genetics and the attachment form between
a child and their mother. Psychoanalyst Melanie Klein, who specialised in the study of infants, noticed some babies were more anxious and greedier than others. And according to the psychoanalyst
and writer Erich Fromm, if parents are too domineering, they repress their children's need for power and independence. These children are often the types who later like to dominate
and tyrannised others. Greene shares four strategies in the book. I won't elaborate because
they can be described in one sentence; channel your aggression
into positive energy towards your goals. Law 17: generational myopia. The generation you are born
into shapes the way you behave more than you realise. Each new generation wants
to set a new standard for the world and separate
themselves from others. With an understanding of this law, you can make better sense of
the underlying changes going on in all areas of society and begin to anticipate
where the world is headed, to predict future trends, and to understand the role we
can play in shaping events. Greene shares strategies to
use this law to your advantage, but I believe you will
derive more understanding by first reading "The Lessons
of History" by Will Durant. The last law is death denial. You are going to die. How does that make you feel? (free-flowing music continues) If you're like most
people, you feel anxious. So you distract yourself. But you can never achieve
long-lasting peace without acceptance of death. In his book "The Wisdom of
Insecurity," Alan Watts says, "Suppressing the fear of death
makes it all the stronger. The point is only to know
beyond any shadow of doubt that I and all other things
now present will vanish until this knowledge
compels you to release them, to know it now as surely
as if you had just fallen off the rim of the Grand Canyon. Indeed, you were kicked
off the edge of a precipice when you are born, and it's no help to cling to
the rocks falling with you. If you are afraid of death, be afraid. The point is to get with
it, to let it take over, fear, ghosts, pains, transience,
dissolution, and all. And then comes to the hitherto
unbelievable surprise; you don't die, because
you were never born. You had just forgotten who you are." There's nothing more powerful than changing your relationship with death then facing the immediate
possibility of death. Existential psychotherapist
Irvin Yalom documented the reactions to the impending doom of terminally ill cancer patients. They experienced a rearrangement
of life priorities, a sense of liberation, deeper
communication with loved ones, less fears, less concerns about rejection, and a greater willingness to take risks. Greene share strategies
for dealing with death similar to that of Alan Watts. But I'm disappointed to see
no mention of something. And mentioning that something will probably get us demonetized. But I'm gonna share it with you anyway because I believe in truth. That something is- (instruction whooshes) (free-flowing music continues) Let's recap. In today's video, you
learned the law of envy, grandiosity, gender rigidity, aimlessness, conformity, fickleness, aggression, generational myopia, and death denial. Drop a comment below, and tell me which law you
think is the most important. Let's keep becoming 1% better together. I'm Brandon, and I'll see
you in the next video. (free-flowing music continues)
