The Daily Laws

The Daily Laws is a page-a-day, calendar-style book covering the three big topics of mastery, power, and emotions, sharing Robert Greene’s best lessons from 20 years of research of the dynamics within and between humans.

Over the first three months, the book deals with mastery, about which Greene wrote a book of the same name.

Going back to his own journey to becoming a writer, Greene had loved words since he was a child, but a career in journalism didn’t pan out, and so he began bouncing from job to job. He kept writing on the side, however, and eventually, opportunity struck. Greene published The 48 Laws of Power, a book that sold over two million copies and changed his career.

If you asked him today, however, he’d still tell you he’s constantly learning. Greene believes mastery must be maintained, not attained. After discovering your “life’s task,” a process he likens to “an archaeological dig” rather than a magical revelation, you first must apprentice. Following years of mentorship, you’ll become a master — but that’s not where the journey ends.

In The One Thing, Gary Keller shared a great way of looking at it:

No matter how good you are at your job, how famous you become, or how many books you sell, remember that you must always keep practicing, learning, and growing. Mastery is a path we walk, not a destination we arrive at.

Most of Greene’s writing deals with power: how we attain and lose it, and the games people play to get and keep it. For five months, his daily laws cover various questions around power. One of the most fundamental yet important ones is that humans are always playing power games. Whether you like it or not, people want power, and so wherever humans are involved, power struggles come into play — pun intended. There are only three ways to deal with the fact that life is a never-ending game of power: Embrace it. Many people love power games. Unfortunately, the Machiavellis out there often lose their power due to corruption and being too desperate for it. Ignore it. Others pretend power doesn’t exist or turn up their nose at anyone who gives in to a desire for status. But that’s just opting out of a game everyone else plays. You can — but you’ll also end up with no power. Accept it. A balanced person will choose when and which power games to play. You can sit out some of them but make sure you attain power where it really matters to you, and thus live a good life. Power isn’t inherently good or bad. Like money or status, it’s just a tool. What it…