Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

Rule 10 Infection : avoid the Unhappy and the Unlucky


I have always felt that it is only polite to listen to and help if possible the unhappy and unlucky. Avoiding them and blaming them for their misfortune is a bit uncharitable,

Robert Greene in his The 48 Laws of Power Law 10 says Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky. He says you can die of other people's misery as emotional states are as infectious as diseases

You may feel you are helping a drowning man but you are bringing about your own demise.The unfortunate draw misfortune on to themselves and will draw you in.It is better to associate with the happy and fortunate instead.

Since I read this I was thinking about whether it was true. Everyone has set backs and some of them such as disease or losing your job can sometimes be totally outside of your control.

I then reviewed everyone I had known or met. I cannot remember someone who surprised me by being a failure or surrounded by problems them came back and sorted themselves out and made a success of themselves.

Most of us go along steadily doing neither badly nor well.we have minor setbacks, we resolve them and move on.

Recently I have been dealing with a lot of property tenants.They are in that position for a vaiiety of reasons. some of themarried ladies with children have been divorced and need somewhere to live whilst they are sortin themselves out. some of the young girls have got themselves pregnand and have never left home before.

I calculate that 90 percent have no real problems and leave the properties in good condition and have no problems throughout the tenancy.

Ten per cent run in to difficulties and almost invariably most of them never get out of it. They regale me with hard luck stories usually they can't pay the rent and they go into arrears. They cant pay the arrears and it gets worse and we end up with them leaving the property.

They then leave rubbush in the property and it has to be tidied up or redecorated. They usually live in filth which is nothing to do with being unlucky.

Why if luck has just happened to visit them do they then have to neglect the property and themselves.

Is it because of this negelect they go down hill or do they go down hill after they have been unlucky. I went through a bad patch but I showered every day cleaned my house washed my clothes and led a decent life. I never sat around unwashed or in filth.

I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that Robert Greene is right there is nothing you can do for the unhappy and unlucky , They seem to have the power to attract bad luck to themselves.

These people present themslves as victims as this hides the fact that their misfortunes are self inflicted. If you associate with the unfortunate you join them if you associate with the lucky so it will rub off on you.

Some people are perennially dissatisfied and some are eternally optimistic.

Become one of the latter. Draw luck to you by your positive and optimistic attitude. I was optimistic that I could help the unlucky and unfortunate but they do not help themselves.