On the Will to Power
"What is happiness? The feeling that power increases."
“What is happiness? The feeling that power increases — that a resistance is overcome.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
Power is neither good nor bad. What you do with it is what matters.
We give too much power to crooked souls when we complain of being played like pawns.
Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting change, the maxim goes.
It’s essential for anyone ambitious to free power from its unjust incarceration as a scape-goat for being weak and turn our attention to its assailants who, using a smoke screen, misdirect us at how much they're angling for power — not so we can become chronically paranoid as that doesn't help us, but so, with unbridled zeal, we can get power with a clear and focused mind and direct it toward its greater objective — a better end than is apparent, guided by impartiality: virtue.
Some young people feel they’re too cool for power. But their ignorance is catastrophic, if not sad.
Men lesser than them, not in intelligence but in character, decide how much taxes they should pay, where the money will be spent without accountability, what trends to follow, words to chant.
It’s sad because corrupt men cripple the country, while vile ones dishonor our women and children.
Only those who awaken to this grim reality and educate themselves on the pillars of authority and power can find a way to guide the state to a glorious ideal.
You owe it to yourself and your community to gain power.
You want to be treated with respect wherever you go, doors opened for you, get seamless quality service, cigars lighted, your favorite whiskey poured, people to help and gift you unprompted.
Not so you can soften in the furnace of luxury, but to shave off the few minutes you’d have spent in hurdles — for what?
More power.
Here’s the four-fold path to dominion.
I. Self Mastery: The Mind, Body & Soul
“The will to power can only express itself against resistances; it seeks what resists it…all expansion, incorporation, growth, is striving against something that resists…[a strong nature] needs resistance; hence it seeks resistance.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
1. The Mind
To master yourself is the foundation of power.
It helps you gain, maintain, and expand your domain.
You can't wield authority if someone can sway you into treating them with disrespect or dissuade you from a purposeful path.
If you're too cowardly to put a dagger in your ego for a future advantage.
If you're too prideful to acknowledge that the loss of power starts with the idea that you've had enough and your position impenetrable — the Devil wears Prada.
Entropy is the default.
What perturbs or makes you anxious steals from your power.
That's why control is essential.
You’ll do well if you become comfortable with who you are, need no one or anything outside you to feel happy or satisfied, and not desert yourself under pressure.
This doesn’t mean you’re cold and can’t let events and people influence you.
Absolute power is impossible.
But nothing controls you.
You can say no and do what’s right by your principles.
The less attachment you have to your ego, what people expect from you, and your possessions, the freer you'll be.
Freedom is power.
1.1 Emotions
It’s good to learn to do what needs to be done even if you don't feel like it.
Marcus Aurelius said,
"it's a shame for the soul to give up while the body is still going strong."
When you understand fear, anxiety and resistance are only at the beginning, before taking a mighty, well-analyzed step, you can learn to set yourself free.
To beat hesitation, move with Blitzkrieg, having power acquisition as your Northstar.
To trust that you'll land in the benevolent palm of the universe to make good of whatever happens.
It doesn't occur overnight. As Epictetus put it,
"We must undergo a hard winter training and not rush into things for which we haven't prepared…not everything that is difficult or dangerous is suitable for training, but only what will contribute to our achieving the object of our strivings. And what is the object of our strivings? To pass our lives without suffering any hindrance in our desires and aversions. And what does that mean? That we should neither fail to get what we desire, nor fall into what we want to avoid.”
2. The Body
Seneca said,
"The body should be treated rigorously, that it may not be disobedient to the mind."
And Napoleon talked about the first virtue in a soldier being,
"endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue."
You can't reach the heights of power without an innate drive behind your aims.
Your mindset changes when you're brimming with energy and good vibes.
You discover what you’re interested in, spot good opportunities, develop an obsessive interest in excellence, and have an unquenchable hunger to win.
Underestimating the role of dopamine and testosterone in forging a resilient and flourishing mindset is a grave mistake.
Having a high IQ, as all my readers possess, without high energy to propel it is only as good as a Ferrari without fuel — you may push it with all your might but it won’t go far.
3. The Soul
No one can control you if you say no to them.
No one can tell you what to do if you don't take the money, the gifts, the relationships, and the endorsements that don't align with your worth, values, and vision, however attractive they might be.
No one can turn you into something you're not for short-term gain if you don't prostitute your art. Your mind. Soul.
So you must learn to believe in yourself and want to possess all you do amidst tempting offers while you craft your space in the world.
It's a shame to give in to the pressure. To stop betting on yourself.
Always think long-term.
II. Craft
“…joy is only a symptom of the feeling of attained power…one does not strive for joy…joy accompanies.” - Friedrich Nietzsche
Robert Greene aptly says that,
"Everything in life can be taken away from you and generally will be at some point. Your wealth vanishes, the latest gadgetry suddenly becomes passé, your allies desert you. But if your mind is armed with the art of war, there is no power that can take that away. In the middle of a crisis, your mind will find its way to the right solution. Having superior strategies at your fingertips will give your manoeuvres irresistible force."
True power lies in the possession of your time, skill, work, customers, and creative footprint.
This philosophy is against working a 9-5 for another person or company, at least not for the rest of your life.
You set yourself up for this freedom and expansion by taking responsibility for what you want to become the best at, who you want to work with, and how you spend your time and resources.
You remove most of the influence chance has on your life, as you'd be foolish to trust its consistency, at the expense of working a bit harder and being more intentional with your time and attention.
You won't need to worry about people taking credit for your work and sucking up to other political games, infinitely fighting the zero-sum corporate battle, because your eyes are set elsewhere — mastery.
Not because you can't compete.
But because you don't want to unload the workplace frustration on your wife and children.
You want creative freedom. Not to cut out what matters in your art to conform and go viral because you fear you’ll go broke.
In the pursuit of mastery, you don't have to worry about getting fired because you want to go on a hike, spend time with your loved ones, or attend your favorite concert.
The way to get out of this prison is to learn a high-leverage skill, not for money, but for fun — one that aligns with your interests, not what's hot right now.
The more you chase riches, the less likely you'll get them because you're focused on a byproduct rather than the work you’d exchange for monetary value.
Like a woman, you don't focus on getting her clothes off, you work on your vibe, confidence, and fun.
Build a connection with your supporters.
Instead of doubling down on the money you can get, an outcome not within your control, you'd be wise to be in the best mind to get ideas for your work, decide how much effort you’re putting in and to what standard, and if you show up to execute the process.
But if you glaze around the quality of your craft, thinking details tedious and unworthy of your effort, it brings you bad reviews and less customers your way.
Mastery of a craft is a long and tedious path because it takes years. But it lasts.
It's why you'll benefit from thinking in decades — where you look at your perilous reality at the moment with confidence while doing your best in the belief that you'll prevail in the end.
You have a great destiny ahead of you.
You'll burn a lot of time, energy, and sometimes money to bootstrap your business, but if you find pleasure in the build-up, in the little impact you're making, and with time, the people who come to support your work, you'll survive.
III. Relationships
Social skills are an invaluable asset I wish I knew about earlier.
You get to gather a lot of information, opportunities, exchange ideas, practice kindness — enjoy being a human being, make long-term friends pushing you to be better, and even gather potential customers to whom you can provide your services.
Relationships enhance your power. Politicians know about it. Great people know its imperative.
This is why I’d like you to be competent at talking, connecting, and having fun with people. Practice.
Curb your pride. Don’t make the mistake of only connecting with popular groups or people in high positions.
Make it a point to be curious about everyone you meet and treat them with kindness and respect.
Bet on people.
Assume they’re working on an idea that'll blow up.
Don't blow your chances at the chance to help or collaborate with them.
But remember you need to be a man of caliber or show the potential for it. A person people want to associate with because you're undoubtedly great.
That's why acquiring competence in the other subtopics: self-mastery and craft is an essential part of your development because people are driven by self-interest and like to associate themselves with what’s elevated.
IV. Learning
The pursuit of wisdom is a long and arduous journey.
The key subjects I recommend everyone learn are:
1. Leadership
You don't want to force people to do your bidding.
Leadership is how you wield authority without being resented for commanding.