Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. - Robert Greene

The vast majority of people conform to whatever is normal for the time.

We humans like to imagine that we have an objective knowledge of the world. We take it for granted that what we perceive on a daily basis is reality—this reality being more or less the same for everybody. But this is an illusion. No two people see or experience the world in the same way. What we perceive is our personal version of reality, one that is of our own creation. To realize this is a critical step in our understanding of human nature.

skill and competence are far more important than friendly feelings.