A Chat With Robert Greene

“Leroi, you fell off” Robert Greene said to me in a disappointed tone.

“Not really, I just wanted to be humane”

“But you ended up trusting people who were playing manipulative games around you, I can’t believe you were once my disciple, jeez!”

“I didn’t want to live a Machiavellian lifestyle. I am a nice guy. One must be simple, kind, gentle and generous. Of course, I recognized all the power games and manoeuvres but…”

“See where being gentle and nice has landed you!” Robert Greene interrupted, exclaiming and continued, “When you read the 48 laws of power didn’t you see how the application of the laws got you influence in all your circles? When you read “The Art of Seduction” in school, didn’t you see how the hot girls were all over you leading to some male students and even lecturers beefing you especially over that fair beautiful Igbo girl? Why did you abandon my principles as you grew older?”

“Because I wanted to be like Christ!” I exclaimed.

Greene shook his head, “How many times have I told you that your Jesus Christ was an astute power player? Have you not read the Bible verse where he says that all power in heaven and earth has been given onto him?”

“Well, it’s a matter of perspective”

“Not really, it’s factual, that’s why you Christians pray in the name of Jesus because of the power in the name, isn’t it?”

“Well….”

“You are not thinking right. You’ve grown soft over the years, no wonder you’ve allowed people to ride roughshod over you”

“Please what must I do to get back my thunder?” I pleaded.

“Go back to that shelf of yours, dust off all my books and read them again! Then use the knowledge to put all these rifraffs in their place!” Greene ordered.

I walked towards the shelf and took down the books…

The 48 Laws of Power

The Art of Seduction

The 50th Law

The 33 Strategies of War

“Add ‘The Laws of Human Nature’ and ‘Mastery’ to the list” Greene commanded and suddenly vanished into the wall.

I gasped in astonishment for some seconds and took up one of the books.

As I pored over the pages of the 33 Strategies of War, a paragraph jumped into my eyes and I shouted, “Eureka!”