“If a person gave away your body to some passerby, you’d be furious. Yet you hand over your mind to anyone who comes along, so they may abuse you, leaving it disturbed and troubled — have you no shame in that?”
Epictetus
It’s easy to let someones actions or opinions get to you. It happens to me every day, try as I might. And while it’s impossible to float through life without getting annoyed or letting someone under your skin, your reaction is completely under your control. As a rule in business and in life, the more you show your hand, the less power your have in a situation. This is especially true for people actively trying to gain the upper hand on you. Law 3 in the book, The 48 Laws of Power, details how you can overcome an enemy or opponent trying to get you to show your hand. Robert Greene goes on to write, “Always keep your intentions obscured. This way, your opponents cannot defend themselves. Lead them astray, and by the time they realize your plans, it will be too late.” You should always strive to be good-willed and forthcoming, but never underestimate the lengths people will go to see you fall to the bottom. Use tools like Robert Greene’s book and others to prepare yourself for the dog-eat-dog world we live in and never, let someone else control your actions.