The Dark Side of Goodness: Lessons from Machiavelli
When you’re always there, when you give without measure, people start taking your presence, your effort, your generosity for granted. This doesn’t just apply to politics or power; it applies to relationships, work, and life itself. When you give too much, you become disposable. When you’re always available, you become a resource, not a person of value.
Think about it: how many times have you given everything for someone, only to have them not appreciate it? How many times have you been there for everyone, only to be ignored when you needed it? It’s no accident; it’s human nature. What is abundant is despised; what is scarce is valued.
That’s why you must learn to regulate your presence, to dose your attention, to manage the perception of your availability. Don’t always respond immediately. Don’t always be within reach of everyone. Make your absence noticed; make your presence felt. Because when you learn to disappear at the right moment, when you learn to regulate your energy, people will start looking for you.
The problem is that most people fear disappearing. They fear that if they step back, they will be forgotten. But here’s the brutal truth: if your only way of being remembered is by always being there, then you were never truly valuable. Those who really have an impact are not the ones who shout the loudest but those who know how to handle silence, who know when to withdraw and when to reappear.
Look at any great figure in history. The real players are not everywhere; they don’t wear themselves out in every battle. They show up when it really matters, and when they do, everyone pays attention. This brings us to another key point: emotional control as a tool of power. Here is where most people fail.
Continue reading on the next page
Sharing is caring!
