Understand: people will constantly attack you in life. One of their main weapons will be to instill in you doubts about yourself. They will often dis… - Robert Greene

Absence and presence have very primal effects upon us. Too much presence suffocates; a degree of absence spurs our interest. We are marked by the continual desire to possess what we do not have—the object projected by our fantasies. Learn to create some mystery around you, to use strategic absence to make people desire your return, to want to possess you. Dangle in front of others what they are missing most in life, what they are forbidden to have, and they will go crazy with desire. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Overcome this weakness in yourself by embracing your circumstances, your fate.

The people around you are generally mysterious. You are never quite sure about their intentions. They present an appearance that is often deceptive — their manipulative actions don’t match their lofty words or promises. All of this can prove confusing. Seeing people as they are, instead of what you think they should be, would mean having a greater sense of their motives.

Ask someone who recalls your childhood what they remember about your interests. Get reacquainted with those early passions.