Two ways to please people
I’ve recently been studying the lives of some very powerful, very unique people - people who are somehow able to “bulldoze” their way through life yet still maintain the respect, admiration and even love of others. It would seem that these two qualities would be incompatible.
How do these people almost “force” the world to conform to their wishes without pissing off people so bad that they are hated and despised? In order to gain the goodwill of others aren’t we supposed to take their wishes into account? Doesn’t this require a certain passivity on our part? And wouldn’t this preclude “forcing oneself” into the world?
This is a paradox I just can’t seem to get out of my head. I hope to write more on it in the future, but for now here’s my take on what is happening:
There are two ways of pleasing other people. The first is to become what they want you to be and you will satisfy them. The second is to become what they wish they could become and you will inspire them. The first is the path of the passive. The second is the path of the powerful.
Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 at 08:18 PM
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