The 18 Laws of Human Nature and What They’ve Taught Me
Reading Robert Greene’s The Laws of Human Nature helped me understand people, situations, and even myself with greater clarity. Over the years, I’ve lived through kindness and betrayal, freedom and struggle, inspiration and disappointment, and each experience revealed a different side of human nature.
Here’s how I see each law reflected in my own journey.
1. The Law of Irrationality – Mastering My Emotions
There was a time when anger and frustration ruled my reactions, especially when people acted unfairly. Yoga taught me that emotions are like waves. They rise and fall, but they do not define me. Learning to observe instead of react has been one of my greatest forms of freedom. However, this is easier said than done. I still fall back to reacting when experiencing unfairness.
2. The Law of Narcissism – Seeing Beyond Myself
In my corporate years, I worked with a former boss who thought very highly of himself and looked down on almost everyone else. He believed he was admired, yet what most people saw was insecurity disguised as confidence. It was a living example of how ego often masks fear, the fear of being ordinary, of being questioned, or of not being enough.
That experience taught me one of the most valuable lessons about human nature. Those who need constant admiration are often the most fragile inside. Instead of reacting with frustration, I began to observe with compassion. It helped me understand that arrogance is not power; it is a shield.
Through that awareness, I also learned to look inward, to recognize my own need for validation and to gently let it go. True strength comes not from being admired, but from being at peace with who you are, even when no one is watching.
3. The Law of Role-Playing – Seeing the Masks People Wear
I’ve learned that people rarely show their true selves, especially in professional or competitive settings. Many wear masks of charm or competence to hide insecurity. I’ve also learned to be mindful of the roles I play, to stay authentic even when others are not. I have learnt to see through these masks and take everything people say and do with a pinch of salt.
4. The Law of Compulsive Behavior – Breaking Old Patterns
Leaving my corporate career was part of breaking a cycle of overwork and self-sacrifice. I used to equate busyness and career success with worth. There is this unsaid and compulsive need to do more, to climb corporate ladders and to earn more. Now, I see that calm focus creates far more meaning than constant motion.
5. The Law of Covetousness – Wanting What Others Have
Comparison is one of the most dangerous traps. I’ve caught myself looking at others’ success and wondering why doors closed for me. But now I understand that what is meant for me will come in its time, and that craving for things that are not yours, blocks creativity, while gratitude fuels it. I have outgrown the need for branded clothes, shoes and bags. I have also outgrown the need to chase success. I no longer need such things.
6. The Law of Shortsightedness – Seeing Beyond the Moment
Rejection once felt devastating. Now I see it as redirection. Sometimes the universe closes doors to save us from greater losses. I’ve learned to step back, look at the long view, and trust that short-term pain often clears the path to long-term growth. I am still trying to get over a rejection that came from nowhere with no reason. Again, it is easier said than done.
7. The Law of Defensiveness – Learning How to Influence Gently
In the past, I tried too hard to convince people to see reason. Now I realize that hearts and minds rarely change through confrontation. Calm confidence and example are far more persuasive than argument.
8. The Law of Self-Sabotage – Changing My Inner Story
For years, I doubted whether I was “good enough” to live as a full-time artist. That fear quietly limited me. Once I replaced doubt with belief and took consistent action, my reality changed. Our outer world reflects the story we tell ourselves. Always remember Murphy’s Law, once you believe something will happen, it happens.
9. The Law of Repression – Embracing My Shadow
For a long time, I pushed aside emotions I didn’t want to face, anger, disappointment, resentment, and sadness. I convinced myself that staying positive was the right thing to do, repeating kind affirmations and forcing smiles even when I was breaking inside. But I later realized that this was not healing, it was toxic positivity.
Toxic positivity is when we try so hard to be cheerful and grateful that we silence our real feelings. It tells us that sadness is weakness and anger is wrong. In doing so, we repress what the body and heart are trying to say. For me, it showed up as fatigue, back pain, and quiet frustration that I couldn’t explain. I recently met someone who wanted to enforce toxic positivity on everyone, showing any form of negativity is a sin. This, to me, is repression.
Through yoga and art, I learned to release instead of suppress. On the mat, I learned to breathe through discomfort rather than pretend it isn’t there. On the canvas, I allowed emotion to flow freely l, the joy, the fear, and everything in between. Both practices taught me that true healing is not about staying positive all the time, but about being honest with how we feel.
I learned that light only exists because of shadow. When I stopped pretending everything was fine and began to honor my truth, the tension slowly dissolved. My body softened. My mind became still. And in that space, I finally found peace.
Now, when difficult emotions arise, I no longer silence them with “good vibes only.” I acknowledge them with compassion, knowing they are simply passing visitors, guiding me back to balance and authenticity.
10. The Law of Envy – Recognizing It and Letting It Go
I’ve seen envy ruin relationships and teams. It often hides behind subtle remarks or “helpful” criticism. Instead of taking it personally, I now see envy as a reflection of another’s pain. When I focus on creating, it loses its power over me.
11. The Law of Grandiosity – Staying Grounded in Success
Whenever I achieve something, whether selling a painting or being featured in an exhibition, I remind myself to stay humble. The moment ego takes over, growth stops. Every success is just another beginning.
I have also met a person who behaves like a Mister-Rich and Mister-know-it-all. It reeks of insecurity in his perceived grandiosity.
12. The Law of Gender Rigidity – Balancing Energy
In my old corporate life, I had to rely heavily on logic, structure, and control. Everything is about power and control. Through art and yoga, I rediscovered my feminine side, intuition, patience, and flow. Balancing both energies brought peace and creativity into my life.
13. The Law of Aimlessness – Finding My True Purpose
For years, I followed goals that looked successful on paper but felt empty inside. Becoming a full-time artist gave my life direction. Now, every painting, class, and reflection carries meaning because it aligns with who I truly am.
14. The Law of Conformity – Thinking Independently
I’ve learned that not every “expert” or institution deserves trust. Recently, I was told that to be a successful artist, you must paint large pieces. On top of that you must do X, Y and Z, like all the other “successful” artists, coming from people who are not even successful in their field. I realised that doing my own research and forming my own judgment has saved me from misplaced faith in authority and so-called gurus. Authentic paths rarely follow the crowd. Just like investment, during economic downturn, the wise will invest more, but the majority of the unwise will start to sell out of panic.
15. The Law of Fickleness – Letting Go of Others’ Opinions
Public opinions change fast, and praise can turn into criticism overnight. In my art journey, I’ve learned to stay anchored in my purpose. Approval feels nice, but peace comes from knowing I am true to my voice. This is so true in the art world. One day, you are the darling of the art world, the next day, you are nothing. The world is fickle.
16. The Law of Aggression – Channeling Energy Creatively
Anger can destroy or create. When I faced unfair treatment or betrayal, I poured that energy into my paintings. Art became my safe rebellion, a way to turn pain into power and beauty. I remembered working with a colleague who was my peer, who tried to bully me with his aggressive language, in order to take my position in my company. I ignored him totally, making him look like a rabid barking dog. I learnt to stand my ground and let rabid dogs bark. I just stay away and do my job well. In the end, he was forced to leave the company.
17. The Law of Generational Myopia – Seeing the Bigger Picture
Every era believes it is modern and right. Leaving my old job and embracing art full-time taught me that fulfillment is not about fitting into society’s timeline but living my truth in my own rhythm. I am still adjusting to the new rhythm and erasing the past programming in my mind.
No longer are the days of iron rice bowls. Working hard and doing the same job for 40 years is no longer workable. In this age, we must embrace change, innovate, and pivot faster than before. Change is the new norm.
18. The Law of Death Denial – Living Fully
Watching my mum’s dementia progress has been one of the hardest lessons in impermanence. It reminds me daily that life is fragile and time is precious. That awareness makes me treasure every sunrise, every painting, every shared meal with the people I love. Some of us live like they will never die. Unfortunately, death is inevitable. I believe we will have to answer to all the bad things we do in this life. Karma is real.
Closing Reflection
Human nature is both light and shadow, kindness and self-interest, truth and illusion. I no longer see these opposites as contradictions but as teachers. Each experience, the good, the hurtful, the unfair, the kind, has shaped me into who I am.
Understanding human nature has not made life easier, but it has made it clearer. It helps me forgive faster, trust myself more deeply, and walk forward with calm confidence in the universe’s timing.
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