Learning Human Nature will give you skills to protect you from harm and to empower you for success in life with other humans.

One skill that can help you is recognizing when someone is using Splitting. Splitting is a defense mechanism. Splitting is when someone calls you good OR bad instead of seeing you as good AND bad. The reality is, no-one is all good and no-one is all bad, but when they call you all good or all bad, this is a problem. Saying that is equivalent to saying you serve my ego (you agree with me and therefore are good) or you challenge my existence (you disagree with me and therefore are bad).

When you meet someone like this, know that this means they are insecure. Treat them like a 7 year old and calm them down like you would a child. Then try to talk to them after they are calm, or just let go and move on.

Natives painted animals on themselves to gain power from the animals 
Greek painted gods of nature to gain power
Science intelligence education gains power 
Mental health and religion give people power
Illegal drugs and legal drugs give people power 

When you find yourself reaching for these items, the real thing you’re looking for is power over your feelings of powerlessness.

Sometimes, your desire to have something is rooted in your lack of something. If you have a self identity of lacking something, then the issue is not the ‘not having it’ but the ‘thinking you lack it.’ When you think you lack it as an identity, you should watch yourself to prevent the following harmful behaviors: 1. self sabotage in order to get what you desire 2. the fear of losing it once you get it (which will cause you to never have a moment to enjoy having it, even when you do have it).

This concept reminds me of the idea that if someone says they ‘believe’ something, that means it isn’t a fact. If they knew it was true, they would say it’s fact and not say they believe it’s true.

Similarly, instead of desiring say Happiness, focus on “I currently don’t have happiness” so that later you can say “I currently do have happiness.” If you give too much power to “desiring happiness” then even when you “currently have happiness” you will be stuck in the state of “desiring happiness.”