1 Power and Freedom

I have a question, and I might answer it.

Question: Is having power in life important? (By power, I mean the ability to manipulate, seduce, strategize, deceive, think critically, control your emotions, etc.)

Freedom is what we want in life: the freedom to be who we want to be, the freedom to make our own decisions, the freedom to believe what we want to believe, the freedom to wear what we want to wear, to eat, to drink, etc. However, all of these freedoms will disappear if we do not have the power to protect ourselves. The feeling of power in life is crucial. As you know, in our world today, people always judge others based on appearance. For instance, if they see something about you that they do not like, they may initially show respect, but once you turn your back, the respect is no longer there; backstabbers. This causes powerless people to change their appearance to fit people's standards. Another example is when you appear to be good at something or simply enjoying yourself. Some may show vicariousness, some may not care, but people who dislike you will hate you, and the consequences can be great. As Niccolo Machiavelli once said, "Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence, a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good and use or refrain from using knowledge as necessity requires."

So the answer to the question is "yes."

The world is a dangerous place to live. Enemies are everywhere, and they will do anything they can to be on top, even if it means pulling you down. In this world, never discriminate against whom you trust or whom you observe. Observe everyone, as they can betray you imminently.

The way I see the world today is like a game: the law is the rules, the people are the players, and the key to winning this game is to manipulate people's actions and events to my benefit. One of the most important skills I always train is mastering my own emotions because emotions cloud my reasoning, and if I cannot see the situation clearly, I cannot prepare for and respond to it with any degree of control.

As for me in my life right now, I expected that this day would come when I would have to stay sharp and constantly observe people while maintaining the appearance of a fool to avoid drawing too much attention. Sometimes, I do attract attention just by asking questions that I already know the answer to. However, this creates the first impression of my appearance where people doubt that I am not that stupid. As a wise man once said, "Know how to make use of stupidity: The wisest man plays this card at times. There are occasions when the highest wisdom consists of appearing not to know; you must not be ignorant but capable of playing it." Do you see what I mean by playing the role of a fool? He goes on to say, "It is not much good being wise among fools and sane among lunatics. He who poses as a fool is not a fool. The best way to be well-received by all is to clothe yourself in the skin of the dumbest of brutes." Sometimes I love to show off, but most of the time, I am always downplaying. There are times when I need to show off and let others know that I am more than just a fool.

Well, my high school life is finally over. Now it is time for me to move on to my next journey: to be successful.

To be honest, I do not have a plan yet. I just want to live my life peacefully and successfully. However, I know how to solve it. I just have to keep in mind that if I want to survive, I must struggle, and I will do anything to survive in the end because surviving is winning.