---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lot of the things that involve power on…"
description: "\"A lot of the things that involve power on the highest levels sometimes involve the darker side of human psychology. People can be very passive aggressi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/robert-greene-498_aggressive_a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-o_707706.png"
---

#  A lot of the things that involve power on the highest…

![“A lot of the things that involve power on the highest levels sometimes involve the darker side of human psychology. People can be very passive aggressive or they can be aggressive and they can conceal their intentions. There's this world that exists that nobody writes about or describes it's like…” quote by Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/robert-greene-498_aggressive_a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-o_707706.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/robert-greene-498_aggressive_a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-o_707706.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/robert-greene-498_aggressive_a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-o_707706.png)

> “A lot of the things that involve power on the highest levels sometimes involve the darker side of human psychology. People can be very passive aggressive or they can be aggressive and they can conceal their intentions. There's this world that exists that nobody writes about or describes it's like a dirty little secret or taboo.”

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Power dynamics often involve hidden aggression and passive tactics, creating secretive, taboo aspects of human behavior that are rarely discussed openly.

**In simple terms:** Power hides in subtle aggression.

Key Takeaway

Recognize covert power moves.

Themes

psychology power aggression secrecy human behavior

Mood

cautious insightful

Type

strategic psychological

When to use this quote

- corporate politics
- personal relationships
- negotiations
- leadership training

Key Concepts

manipulation passive aggression strategic deception

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you spot hidden aggression?
- When is confronting taboo behavior necessary?

A Different Perspective

Such tactics can erode trust and morale.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Darker side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darker-side/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Intention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/) [Passive aggressive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passive-aggressive/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Taboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taboo/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [“One of the marvels of human psychology is that the people who are thoroughly pessimistic about humankind want to solve our problems by trusting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-kaufman/one-of-the-marvels-of-human-psychology-is-that-the-people-who-are/)

Wallace Kaufman

> [Law 3: Conceal your intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-48-laws-of-power/law-3-conceal-your-intentions/)

[The 48 Laws Of Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-48-laws-of-power/)

> [You're always feeling powerless in life. If you're in an abusive relationship or working for what we call a psychotic boss sometimes the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/you-re-always-feeling-powerless-in-life-if-you-re-in-an-abusive/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [The passive aggressive arguer comes armed with tricky tactics. They cannot take the risk that they might be wrong: their self-esteem is too intertwined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-passive-aggressive-arguer-comes-armed-with-tricky-tactics-they/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [Most people are passive aggressive in this world. I have the idea that the human being is born with a kind of reservoir of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/most-people-are-passive-aggressive-in-this-world-i-have-the-idea-that/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [I am thinking to write a book about facebook people psychology, so at least people like me can understand, why some people act so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajesh/i-am-thinking-to-write-a-book-about-facebook-people-psychology-so-at/)

[Rajesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajesh/)

> [People can cry much easier than they can change, a rule of psychology people like me picked up as kids on the street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/people-can-cry-much-easier-than-they-can-change-a-rule-of-psychology/)

[James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/)

> [“People don’t read to enlighten themselves or seek to gain some valuable insight into their own psychology. People read to escape.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dermot-davis/people-don-t-read-to-enlighten-themselves-or-seek-to-gain-some/)

[Dermot Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dermot-davis/)

> [“With the passage of time, the psychology of people stays the same, but the tools and objects in the world change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/with-the-passage-of-time-the-psychology-of-people-stays-the-same-but/)

[Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/)

> [I'm interested in philosophical psychology, people like Nietzsche, Freud, Alcan, Foucault, Derrida.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-m-interested-in-philosophical-psychology-people-like-nietzsche/)

[Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/)

> [I mean that I think I find the psychology of people more interesting than politics. I think the psychology of politics is more interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-cusack/i-mean-that-i-think-i-find-the-psychology-of-people-more-interesting/)

[Joan Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-cusack/)

> [I am an observer, I like to watch people. I am into psychology and people - how they act and such.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/i-am-an-observer-i-like-to-watch-people-i-am-into-psychology-and/)

[Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/)

> [“Professor A. H. Maslow , for example, has conducted a series of researches into extremely healthy people that have led him to conclude that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-wilson/professor-a-h-maslow-for-example-has-conducted-a-series-of-researches/)

[Colin Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-wilson/)

> [Human psychology has a near universal tendency to let belief be coloured by desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/human-psychology-has-a-near-universal-tendency-to-let-belief-be/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [For the fundamental fact of human psychology is that society, instead of remaining almost entirely inside the individual organism as in the case of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/for-the-fundamental-fact-of-human-psychology-is-that-society-instead/)

[Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/)

## More by Robert Greene

> [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [I'm afraid I'm just too intense to have soft ideas, you know, about what to read when you're trying to pass the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-m-afraid-i-m-just-too-intense-to-have-soft-ideas-you-know-about/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [You are facing death and danger and competition, but at any moment, you can decide to have a fearless mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/you-are-facing-death-and-danger-and-competition-but-at-any-moment-you/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [Let me spell it out: with the psychotic boss, nothing you do is ever quite right. They set traps, asking you to do things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/let-me-spell-it-out-with-the-psychotic-boss-nothing-you-do-is-ever/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [Evil or manipulative people don't need a book, they just do it anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/evil-or-manipulative-people-don-t-need-a-book-they-just-do-it-anyway/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [Everybody knows what they were kind of drawn towards or what they're gifted at and it's more of courage and looking at yourself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/everybody-knows-what-they-were-kind-of-drawn-towards-or-what-they-re/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [Remember: your bosses prefer to keep you in dependent positions. It is in their interest that you do not become self-reliant, and so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/remember-your-bosses-prefer-to-keep-you-in-dependent-positions-it-is/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [I want to be able to write, that's my first love and I don't want to deviate from it even though I probably could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-want-to-be-able-to-write-that-s-my-first-love-and-i-don-t-want-to/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [It's sometimes hard to talk about politics and art. Obviously, I have my core beliefs, but I think art is best when it's troublesome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/it-s-sometimes-hard-to-talk-about-politics-and-art-obviously-i-have/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [If you change and adapt your persona, you are seen as inauthentic; if you stay the angry young man, you fade from attention or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/if-you-change-and-adapt-your-persona-you-are-seen-as-inauthentic-if/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [Your energy, your spirit are important considerations. Feeling petty and frustrated can have reverberating consequences for your ability to think strategically and reach your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/your-energy-your-spirit-are-important-considerations-feeling-petty/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [Fear creates its own self-fulfilling dynamic- as people give into it, they lose energy and momentum. Their lack of confidence translates into inaction that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/fear-creates-its-own-self-fulfilling-dynamic-as-people-give-into-it/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [What I like about the internet, what I see there is that its much more democratic. I have much more control, and if what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/what-i-like-about-the-internet-what-i-see-there-is-that-its-much-more/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [“It is hard for us to imagine now, but our earliest human ancestors who ventured out onto the grasslands of East Africa some six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/it-is-hard-for-us-to-imagine-now-but-our-earliest-human-ancestors-who/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [“Let us call this quality the Original Mind. This mind looked at the world more directly—not through words and received ideas. It was flexible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/let-us-call-this-quality-the-original-mind-this-mind-looked-at-the/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

[Explore all 511 Robert Greene quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

## More Aggressive quotes

> [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [Good girls don't hurt other people's feelings. Good girls are not overly aggressive, competitive, or boastful. Good girls please others. But what good girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jane-gilman/good-girls-don-t-hurt-other-people-s-feelings-good-girls-are-not/)

[Susan Jane Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jane-gilman/)

> [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [“Passive...Aggressive...Pussy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/passive-aggressive-pussy/)

[Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/)

> [I'm not a fan of endless mystery in storytelling - I like to know where the mythology's going; I like to get there in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kripke/i-m-not-a-fan-of-endless-mystery-in-storytelling-i-like-to-know-where/)

[Eric Kripke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kripke/)

> [Most conservatives - by which I mean normal people - have little conception of the aggressive and revolutionary force that confronts them. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bethell/most-conservatives-by-which-i-mean-normal-people-have-little/)

[Tom Bethell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-bethell/)

> [If I serve good and play aggressive from the baseline, I can beat everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karolina-pliskova/if-i-serve-good-and-play-aggressive-from-the-baseline-i-can-beat/)

[Karolina Pliskova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karolina-pliskova/)

> [I'm just trying to be aggressive. Be aggressive with my shot. Be aggressive going to the rim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-murray/i-m-just-trying-to-be-aggressive-be-aggressive-with-my-shot-be/)

[Jamal Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-murray/)

> [I see other teams playing aggressive, attacking football, they are games I switch on and watch. They are the football teams I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelos-postecoglou/i-see-other-teams-playing-aggressive-attacking-football-they-are/)

[Angelos Postecoglou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelos-postecoglou/)

> [You cannot will yourself to be happy while believing that you have no right to happiness, or that you are unworthy of it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-roberts/you-cannot-will-yourself-to-be-happy-while-believing-that-you-have-no/)

[Jane Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-roberts/)

> [I have definitely noticed I am very passionate. So if I'm fighting with someone I'll be SO super loud and aggressive, and make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-martinez/i-have-definitely-noticed-i-am-very-passionate-so-if-i-m-fighting/)

[Melanie Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-martinez/)

> [ I think the president's \[Barack Obama\] position has been very clear on Syria. He wants more aggressive, he's put the Special Ops on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-williams/i-think-the-president-s-barack-obama-position-has-been-very-clear-on/)

[Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-williams/)

> [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. But there can be no peace if our security depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/as-americans-we-want-peace-we-work-and-sacrifice-for-peace-but-there/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [It is deeply concerning to learn that Linda Thomas-Greenfield repeatedly praised autocratic China's aggressive and troubling expansion into Africa during a 2019 speech at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hagerty/it-is-deeply-concerning-to-learn-that-linda-thomas-greenfield/)

[Bill Hagerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hagerty/)

Browse all 1,351 Aggressive quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A lot of the things that involve power on the highest levels sometimes involve the darker side of human psychology. People can be very passive aggressive or they can be aggressive and they can conceal their intentions. There's this world that exists that nobody writes about or describes it's like a dirty little secret or taboo.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Greene"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-on-the-highest-levels/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Aggressive"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-on-the-highest-levels/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/robert-greene-498_aggressive_a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-o_707706.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/robert-greene-498_aggressive_a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-o_707706.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/robert-greene-498_aggressive_a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-o_707706.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A lot of the things that involve power on the highest levels sometimes involve the darker side of human…” — Robert Greene",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Robert Greene",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A lot of the things that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-on-the-highest-levels/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/a-lot-of-the-things-that-involve-power-on-the-highest-levels/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
