Martin Hicks

“Without enemies around us, we grow lazy. An enemy at our heels sharpens our wits, keeping us focused and alert. It is sometimes better, then, to use enemies as enemies rather than transforming them into friends or allies.”
― Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power

“Her seductive power, however, did not lie in her looks [...]. In reality, Cleopatra was physically unexceptional and had no political power, yet both Caesar and Antony, brave and clever men, saw none of this. What they saw was a woman who constantly transformed herself before their eyes, a one-woman spectacle.

Her dress and makeup changed from day to day, but always gave her a heightened, goddesslike appearance. Her words could be banal enough, but were spoken so sweetly that listeners would find themselves remembering not what she said but how she said it.”
― Robert Greene, The Art of Seduction

“Power is a game, and in games you do not judge your opponents by their intentions but by the effects of their actions.”
― Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power

“Sometimes any emotion is better than the boredom of security.”
― Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power