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ACT AS IF YOU ARE THE BEST, NO ONE IS BETTER THAN YOU – Machiavelli's Ruthless Psychology for Power
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You've probably met someone like this
before. A guy walks into a room, not
flashy, not loud, but everyone turns. He
doesn't need to prove anything. People
just seem to sense something about him.
He looks around calm, composed, as if
the air itself is adjusting to make room
for him. He could be a nobody on paper,
but in that moment, you wouldn't know
it. His presence says otherwise, and you
sit there watching, wondering, "How does
he do that? Why do people treat him like
he's important even when he's done
nothing yet?" Here's the uncomfortable
truth. He's not necessarily better than
you. He might not be smarter, more
skilled, or more deserving, but he does
one thing you don't. He acts like no one
is better than him. And the world
believes it. You've been taught to wait
your turn, to be humble, to let your
work speak for itself.
But in reality, the world doesn't wait
to hear your story. It reads your
posture. It listens to your tone. It
watches how you walk, how you speak, how
you sit, how you look someone in the eye
or avoid it. Your presence speaks before
your voice does. And if your presence
says I'm unsure, then people will treat
you like you don't belong, no matter how
brilliant you are inside.
That's why the phrase act as if you are
the best is not just motivational fluff.
It's a survival strategy.
You don't become powerful and then start
acting like you deserve respect.
You act like you already deserve it and
that's what opens the doors.
This might sound like theater and in a
way it is.
But theater is not fake.
Theater is performance with intent.
When an actor steps on stage, they're
not lying.
They're showing up fully, taking the
role seriously, and inviting others into belief.
belief.
That's what you must do.
Because in the theater of life, those
who hesitate to perform are given
background roles, no matter how
brilliant they are behind the scenes.
You might think the world rewards skill.
It doesn't. It rewards certainty.
The man who walks with conviction gets
listened to even when he's wrong. The
man who hesitates even when he's right
is often ignored. People follow energy.
They follow clarity. They follow the one
who seems like he knows. Confidence is
not a prize you earn after you've won.
It's the armor you wear before the fight
begins. It's not the result of success,
it's the condition for it.
Think of the times you let opportunities
pass because you didn't feel ready.
Think of the conversations where you
wanted to speak but doubted your right
to say anything.
Think of the times you worked harder
than anyone else, but were still passed
over because someone else claimed the
position with confidence while you
waited for permission.
This world doesn't hand out permission slips.
slips.
It hands out rewards to those who act
like they already belong at the table.
That's why some of the most successful
people aren't the most talented.
They're the most convincing. They walk
like the ground owes them something.
They speak like their words are law.
They move like the crown is already on
their head, even when it's still invisible.
invisible.
And eventually, the world starts to see
the crown, too. It's not magic. It's repetition.
repetition.
It's the discipline of showing up every
day as the man you want to become until
you've repeated the image so many times
that people stop questioning it. They
just believe it.
You might say, "But I'm not that
confident yet." That's fine. You don't
need to be. You just need to act like
you are. Not to deceive others, but to
retrain yourself.
You're not pretending.
You're becoming.
You're shaping your presence like a
sculptor-shaped stone.
You carve, you polish, you adjust, and
slowly the image becomes real. Every
movement matters. How you enter a room,
how you shake hands, how you listen, how
you speak, it's all part of the signal
you send. And that signal is not
passive. It's active. It either pulls
people in or pushes them away. It either
says I am someone or you can ignore me.
People don't dig deep. They respond to
what's on the surface. Not because
they're cruel, but because that's how
we're wired.
We don't have time to evaluate
everyone's soul. So, we go off cues:
body language, voice, eye contact, pace,
posture, confidence.
This is not about arrogance. It's about assumption.
assumption.
If you assume you are powerful, you will
begin to walk like it, speak like it,
look like it, and the world will slowly
reflect that back to you. If you assume
you are invisible, that you need to
prove yourself first that others are
better than you, then you'll move
accordingly. You'll shrink. You'll wait.
You'll apologize for taking up space.
And again the world will reflect that
back to you. You are not just living in
the world. You are projecting into it.
And the world is responding to what you
be what you project. Not to your
potential, not to your truth, but to
your signal.
So act like you're the best. Not to put
others down, but to show yourself in the
world that you finally understand what
no one ever taught you. Power is not
granted. It is assumed.
And the one who dares to assume it wins.
Have you ever wondered why some people,
even when they have nothing truly
remarkable to offer, still get all the
attention. They walk into a meeting,
offer a few vague ideas, and yet somehow
everyone nods, listens, agrees.
Meanwhile, someone else you perhaps has
spent hours thinking through the
problem, refining solutions, preparing
carefully, and still your words land
softly, and die in the air.
It's not your intelligence that's
lacking. It's not your preparation.
It's the signal you send the moment you
open your mouth or even before. The
world doesn't follow competence, it
follows certainty.
People crave something firm to believe
in. And when you walk and speak like
you're absolutely sure of yourself, you
become that anchor others are looking
for, even if your ideas aren't perfect.
Confidence then is not a reward. It's a requirement.
requirement.
If you want to lead, you cannot wait
until you feel completely ready.
You will never feel completely ready.
No one does. That's the secret.
The difference is those who rise choose
to act like they're ready even when
they're terrified inside.
That's the lie that becomes the truth.
Because every time you carry yourself
like you're in control, people begin to
believe it. They adjust themselves to
your rhythm. They respond to the image
you project, not the facts you carry.
This is why you've seen average men lead
exceptional teams.
Why loud overconfident voices take up
all the space while the quiet genius
remains a footnote?
Because the world reflects what you are,
what you broadcast, not what you contain.
contain.
You can be brilliant, insightful, and strong.
strong.
But if your behavior whispers
hesitation, people won't dig deeper to
find out what you're really made of.
They'll take the hint and move on.
That's why you must own the room before
the room offers you permission. Walk in
like you belong. Speak like you've
already earned your place. Carry
yourself like you've got nothing to
prove. Because the moment you try to
prove something, you signal that you
might not be as powerful as you claim.
Even hesitation becomes a message, a
delay in response, a nervous laugh, a
hunched posture.
These are tiny leaks of energy that
signal to the room, I'm not sure of myself.
myself.
And people feel that instantly.
And because people are deeply wired to
follow strength or what looks like
strength, they begin to reposition you.
They put you one rank lower. They take
your suggestions with a grain of salt.
They test your boundaries more freely.
They question your opinions more often.
Not because they want to hurt you, but
because that's how the human brain operates.
operates.
We trust what we can feel. We follow
what we can sense. And confidence, true
or performed, is one of the most
powerful emotional signals in existence.
It creates gravity. It draws people in.
This is why you should never wait to be
celebrated before you carry yourself
like a winner.
Never wait to be validated before you
stand tall. Never wait for your turn to
speak up. Take it.
Every hesitation is an invitation for
someone else to steal your moment.
This isn't about being loud. It's about
being sure.
Even your silence can command power if
you choose it deliberately.
When you sit in a room and say little
but hold eye contact,
sit upright and exude certainty,
people begin to wonder what you're thinking.
thinking.
They lean in. They pay attention
because silence when paired with
confidence becomes mystery. And mystery
is magnetic.
But silence without presence, that's
just invisibility.
You must learn the difference.
When you walk into a space, your first
task is not to explain yourself. It's to
occupy it fully with your spine, your
steps, your breath, your gaze,
with your energy.
Before you say a word, your presence has
already started the conversation.
And when you finally speak, let your
voice carry the weight of your belief.
Not just belief in your idea, but belief
in yourself.
Speak like your words matter, like they
carry consequences. Like people would be
foolish not to listen.
Because the truth is, if you speak
without belief, your audience won't
believe either.
And if you don't look convinced of your
own power, no one else will be.
People want to follow someone who seems
to know where they're going. They want
to stand behind someone who already
seems chosen.
They want to hand the crown to someone
who already acts like they're wearing it.
it.
So act.
Not because you're arrogant, not because
you're faking anything,
but because you understand this game and
you're done sitting on the sidelines.
You don't owe the world your humility.
You owe it your presence. And if you
don't claim your space, someone else will.
will.
And chances are they'll be far less
deserving than you.
You might still wonder, "What if I'm
just pretending? What if I act confident
and someone sees through me?" But here's
the real twist. Everyone's pretending.
Even the most powerful people you
admire, at some point they were just
like you. Unsure, nervous, making it up
as they went. The difference is they
didn't let that uncertainty show. They
acted with conviction before they ever
had proof. They understood something
most people never do. Your belief shapes
reality, not the other way around.
Think of confidence as a kind of self-hypnosis.
self-hypnosis.
At first, it feels awkward. You stand
taller even though your legs feel shaky.
You speak up even though your voice
wants to tremble. You look someone in
the eye even though your instinct is to
look away.
But the more you repeat it, the more
your body learns,
the more your voice adapts,
the more your energy catches up with
your act. That's not deception.
That's transformation.
You are not lying to the world. You're
teaching it how to treat you.
And you're teaching yourself who you're becoming.
becoming.
Because every time you carry yourself
like a man of value, you start to
believe it. And once you believe it,
others follow.
This is how reputations are built not on
truth but on consistency.
The world doesn't reward the most talented.
talented.
It rewards the most consistent signal.
If you project the same image day after
day, people eventually accept it.
They stop questioning.
They repeat it. And soon your myth
becomes your identity.
You've seen this in action. A man walks
into a room with quiet certainty. He
doesn't need to brag. He doesn't even
need to talk much. But people make way
for him. They defer to him.
Why? Because he assumes power.
And assumption is contagious.
It spreads like scent. People feel it
before they understand it. On the other
hand, think about the man who walks in
unsure of his place. He smiles too often.
often.
His body shrinks into itself.
He tries to be agreeable to cause no
discomfort to take up as little space as possible.
possible.
And what does the room do in response?
It forgets him.
It overlooks him.
Not because he's not worthy, but because
he told the room without saying a word.
You don't have to respect me. This is
the quiet disease of self-rerasure.
And it is a choice. You can choose to
shrink, to defer, to wait until someone
tells you you're enough.
Or you can choose to stand as if you
already are.
You don't need permission to start
acting powerful. You act powerful and
the permission follows.
The world will treat you exactly the way
you treat yourself.
So when you walk into a room, stop
playing small. Don't look around waiting
for someone to recognize your greatness.
Walk like it's already understood.
Speak like your words matter. Move like
the room belongs to you, not because you
want to dominate others, but because you
finally refuse to disappear. People
respect certainty, not perfection, not
humility, not even skill certainty. You
can be wrong and still lead. You can
lack experience and still be trusted. As
long as you carry yourself like someone
who believes fully in who they are
becoming. That's why confidence is not
volume. It's not shouting or taking up
space aggressively. It's presence. It's
the quiet strength in your posture, the
calm in your voice, the stillness in
your eyes. It's moving slowly,
deliberately because you don't need to
rush for approval. It's holding silence
like a weapon. It's not needing to
convince because you've already decided
who you are. Others catch on fast.
People want someone to follow, someone
to trust, someone who carries belief
like a flame and lights the way for
others. And when they sense that energy
in you, they start to organize around
it. Not because you forced them to, but
because they were waiting for someone
like you to appear.
So don't wait. Don't keep asking
yourself if you're ready. Readiness is a
myth. No one feels ready. The strongest
people you know were just bold enough to
act before they were certain.
They jumped and learned to land on the
way down.
That's your job now. Not to perfect your
image, but to choose it. Not to wait for
proof, but to assume your role. Not to
apologize for who you are, but to
broadcast it with quiet force.
Because if you don't, someone else will
define you for you.
And they'll write a version of your
story that fits their narrative, not
yours. That's the risk of silence.
That's the cost of hesitation.
You can either teach the world who you
are, or you can let it label you based
on how uncertain you seem.
You've probably heard the saying, "Fake
it till you make it." But that's not
quite right.
You're not faking anything.
You're becoming.
You're practicing power the way a
musician practices their instrument. Not
pretending to know, but committing to
learn by doing over and over again until
the movements, the voice, the posture,
the energy, they're not an act anymore.
They're you.
And when you get to that point, when
you've worn the crown so long it no
longer feels heavy, people stop
questioning. They stop testing. They
start assuming what you assumed long
ago. You're the one who leads, the one
who matters, the one who belongs at the
top. The irony is cruel, but true power
doesn't go to the best. It goes to the
one who believes he is the one who acts
like the best. the one who radiates
without apology that no one is better
than him, not because he hates others,
but because he finally stopped doubting himself.
himself.
You are not in a contest for who is
nicest or smartest or most hardworking.
You're in a game of perception, and
perception bends reality. If you carry
yourself as invisible, you will be. If
you speak like you're unsure, you will
be challenged and ignored. But if you
speak with calm conviction,
move like your steps have purpose, and
stare into the world like nothing can
shake you, people will feel it, and they
will respond.
You don't need to scream to be powerful.
You don't need to dominate to lead. You
don't even need to have it all figured
out. What you do need is to drop the
habit of asking permission to exist.
Stop waiting for someone to recognize
your potential.
Stop hoping someone will call on you.
Stop shrinking your presence to fit
someone else's comfort.
If they're uncomfortable with your
greatness, let them squirm. That's not
your problem anymore.
Power is not a reward handed out by fair
judges. It's a mirror.
It reflects whatever you send it. If you
send fear, it gives you rejection.
If you send confidence, it offers opportunity.
opportunity.
You are not just walking through life.
You are declaring yourself with every
step. And every time you walk into a
room, every time you speak,
every time you choose to be silent or to act,
act,
you're sending a message.
This is who I am. This is how I expect
to be treated.
So, let me ask you, what have you been broadcasting?
broadcasting?
Have you been acting like a man who is
still waiting to become good enough or a
man who already knows he is? Have you
been walking like someone unsure of his
worth? Or someone who carries himself
like the world owes him attention?
Because that answer, more than your
talent, your resume, or your intentions,
is what determines how the world will
treat you.
If you assume you are a background
character, the world will never cast you
as the lead. If you act like your voice
doesn't matter,
people will stop listening.
But if you assume you are necessary, if
you move like you are valuable,
then others will adapt to that energy.
They will believe what you believe.
Because confidence when repeated with
discipline becomes truth. You may not
control every situation. You may not
always get the outcome you want,
but you do control how you show up.
And when you show up with certainty,
people feel it. When you walk into a
room and your presence speaks before you
do something shifts.
That shift is what separates the
forgotten from the unforgettable.
The sheep from the wolf, the one who
waits from the one who decides.
So here is the truth that ends all
debate. You do not become powerful by accident.
accident.
You become powerful by assuming power
again and again and again until it
becomes impossible to see you as
anything else. The man who walks with
the belief that he is the best isn't
waiting for permission. He isn't waiting
for validation. He isn't waiting for the
right time. He moves as if the game is
already his. And the world kneels not
because he asked it to, but because he
taught it to. So now it's your turn. No
more shrinking. No more explaining. No
more hoping. From this moment forward,
walk as if no one is better than you.
Not because you have something to prove,
but because no one will believe it until
you do.
Power is not granted. It is assumed.
And the one who dares to assume it first rules.
rules.
Now tell me, who are you going to be the
moment this ends?
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