From Powerless to Powerful: Machiavelli's Brutal Philosophy

do you believe you have control over your life that your choices are entirely yours that your success or failure depends solely on your effort if you answered yes to any of these questions you've already fallen for the biggest trick in the social game most people go through life believing they are in control when in reality they are following a script that someone else wrote for them it's as if they were pieces on a board moving forward according to the moves that others have decided this aidea is not new Nicolo makavelli more than 500 years ago

realized that power is not a question of Merit but of strategy he understood that Society is not a space of justice and balance but rather a game where a few dictate the rules and the vast majority just follow without realizing that they are being manipulated what few people understand is that these rules are not a thing of the past they still govern the way the world works today in business in relationships in politics even on social media everything around you is a game the only difference is that some play and some are played the problem

is that nobody teaches us this on the contrary from an early age we are programmed to believe that all we need to do is be a good person work hard and everything will work out but the reality is different success whether at work in social life or in relationships does not belong to the hardest working but to the most strategic whoever understands this can shape their Destiny those who do not understand are shaped by the destiny of others have you ever noticed how some people even though they aren't the smartest or most talented always seem

to be in control they don't get there by chance they know the rules of the game the question is do you know where you stand on this board are you playing or are you being played throughout this video we'll explore the hidden dynamics of the social game revealing how to identify your role how to avoid being manipulated and most importantly how to turn the tables in your favor let's use machi's teachings and adapt them to Modern reality with practical examples that show how these rules still dictate who Rises and who falls behind in the end

you will have two choices remain a piece or learn to really play now let's get into the first big truth social gaming is real and if you don't realize it you're missing out if there is one fatal mistake most people make it is believing that the world is governed by Justice and meritocracy from an early age we are told that all we need to do is be talented work hard and follow the rules to achieve success but if that were true why do we see so many smart hardworking people stuck in mediocrity While others seemingly

less capable dominate the game the answer is simple hard work isn't enough when you're playing a game whose rules are are written for you to lose makavelli already said that power is not given it is taken in life no one will simply look at you recognize your efforts and offer you opportunities what really determines Success is Not competence but the perception others have of you your ability to build alliances and most importantly your ability to understand the hidden rules that govern the world while you work hard waiting for recognition someone else less competent but more

strategic is manipulating the narratives and ensuring that recognition falls into their lap and this happens everywhere at work we see dedicated employees who never get promoted while those who know how to play the game rise through the ranks in relationships we see people who give their all only to be discarded by someone who knows how to position themselves with more emotional intelligence in politics the most charismatic leaders and not necessarily the most capable are the ones who dominate if you still believe that being good is enough to win you've already lost before you even started

the great thing about social gaming is that it is invisible to those who don't know how to play it whoever is in control never reveals the rules because a conscious player is a potential adversary therefore those who hold power prefer to feed the illusion of meritocracy so that you remain obedient thinking that everything will be resolved with effort and patience but time passes and those who hope for recognition end up frustrated watching the true strategists take what could be theirs take the case of Steve Jobs when he was fired from Apple many thought it was

the end of his career but jobs understood the game instead of accepting defeat he rebuilt His Image created a powerful narrative about his reinvention and came back stronger than ever what happened within a few years he regained control of apple and transed formed the company into a technology Empire he didn't do it just with Talent he did it because he understood that the world judges more by perception than reality he wrote his own story before others could write for him and here's the crucial question who is writing your story are you shaping your own narrative

or are you just waiting for others to decide what happens to you social play is not about luck fate or Merit it is about strategy if you don't understand this you are doomed to be a spectator of your own life While others take the opportunities that could be yours now that you understand that the social game exists and that it silently governs everything around you the most important question comes where do you stand on this board the truth is that not all players have the same role in reality most people don't play the game they

are played and this happens because there are three fundamental categories within this system players useful pieces and lost Rebels players are the ones who write the rules these are the people who understand the social game so well that they know how to influence manipulate and move the pieces to get what they want they are not necessarily the smartest or the strongest but they are the most strategic they know how to build narratives form alliances and control perceptions they are leaders business people politicians and strategists who understand that power is not a right it is a

game of influence and perception then we have the useful Parts which represent the vast majority of the population these are the people who follow the rules without question believing that the system is designed to benefit them they work hard are loyal and obedient but never realize that they are being used for the interests of others an employee who works himself to death while his boss climbs the ladder a person who idolizes celebrities and politicians without realizing that they are being manipulated someone who passionately defends a cause without understanding who really benefits from it these are

all useful pieces moved around the board without you even realizing it and finally we have the Lost Rebels these are the ones who realize something is wrong with the game but don't know how to play it properly instead of understanding the rules and using them to their advantage they simply try to break them impulsively and end up getting crushed rushed they are the employees who try to challenge a powerful boss without having enough Leverage The activists who scream against the system without strategy or the people who try to expose stronger players without realizing that this

only makes them more vulnerable history is full of examples of people who tried to challenge the game without strategy and were eliminated before they could even make an impact but how do you know which of these categories you fall into simple if you think being good is enough to win you're a peace if you feel like you're always being manipulated that others get what they want while you're left behind that your achievements seem to depend on the permission of someone more powerful then you're playing on the wrong team see how real players act politicians and

CEOs don't make decisions based on morality they make decisions based on strategy they build alliances not because they like someone but because they need that someone to achieve their goals they create narratives to shape public perception they understand that reality doesn't matter as much as how it is sold that's why the most successful people in the world aren't necessarily the smartest or hardest working they're the ones who know how to position themselves in the game and that brings us to the most important point just because you're in a peace position doesn't mean you have to

stay there the game can be learned and more than that it can be turned to your advantage but to do that you need to stop following the rules that were written to keep you at the bottom of the hierarchy if you've realized up until now that you've spent a good part of your life being a pawn in someone else's game the big question now is how can you get out of that position and become a real player the first thing you need to understand is that being a player does not mean being manipulative dishonest or

cruel the real game is not about deceiving people but about understanding the rules and using them to your advantage without becoming a Target in the process the first step is to learn to control your Public Image if there is something that makavelli understood perfectly it was that people do not judge by reality but by the perception they have of reality this means that what you appear to be is as or more important than who you really are the problem is that most people completely neglect this they believe that all they have to do is be

good at what they do and recognition will come naturally but that's not how the world works the world doesn't reward the most talented it rewards those who know how to sell their own story take the case of James Bond he is not the strongest or most intelligent man in the world but he knows how to project an image of self-confidence and mystery that makes him irresistible and respected this doesn't mean being fake it means understanding that perception matters more than reality if you don't control how others see you someone else will control it for you

but image isn't everything the second step to becoming a player is to master the power of strategic alliances no player wins alone melli said that a prince must avoid being hated because he knew that power is not sustained only by force but by the network of allies that you build and here's the big mistake most people make many people try to network in a desperate way flattering other people or asking for favors without offering anything in return this doesn't work the best alliances are formed when there is mutual value involved if you want to connect

with powerful people you need to first become someone who adds value and finally the third step is to learn to be a social chameleon the world is not fixed it changes all the time successful players are not those who impose their will rigidly but those who know how to adapt without losing their Essence if you're the type of person who only knows how to act one way in any context then you've already lost great strategists know that each environment requires a different approach at work you may need to be more diplomatic in relationships you may

need to be more assertive in certain situations silence is worth more than words in others boldness is what will get you moving forward the problem is that most people always act the same way without realizing that they are playing with the wrong cards if you want to move from being a pawn to becoming a real player you need to learn to control your image build strategic alliances and adapt to change but none of this will help if you don't know how to act at the right time and this is the big difference between those who

dominate the game and those who remain as pawns the ability to make strategic decisions before others realize the opportunity now that you understand the social game have identified your position on the board and know how to start playing comes the most important part how to ensure that you never become a piece again because here's the big problem many people learn the rules but when it comes to applying them they hesitate and this hesitation condemns them Maki was clear opportunities wait for No One those who do not act at the right time time lose to those

who do the first rule to ensure you are never manipulated again is to never reveal your true plan if you tell everyone what you're thinking what you want to do and what your next steps are you become predictable and predictable people are easily controlled great players don't talk they act let others guess your moves this builds respect Intrigue and prevents them from trying to sabotage you before you even get started strategic silence is one of the most underrated weapons in the social game the second rule is to be unpredictable the biggest mistake anyone can make

in any game is to be easily figured out if people always know how you're going to react they can use that against you this is why great leaders and strategists like Elon Musk and Putin keep an element of Chaos in their decisions they never make others comfortable predictability leads to vulnerability if you want to win the game you need to surprise and finally the most important rule of all act decisively at the right opportunities most people fail because they hesitate they see a chance to move forward but they wait too long think too much doubt

themselves and when they finally decide to act it's too late real players make quick calculated decisions While others are still thinking about whether or not they should act if you see an opportunity sees it he who hesitates loses the social game is relentless there is no room for those who passively wait for things to happen the world is not kind to the naive if you want to ensure that you never become Aon again you need to internalize these three rules keep your plan secret be unpredictable and act decisively at the right time