The Laws Of Human Nature By "Robert Greene"

[Introduction]

If you come across any special trait of meanness or stupidity...you must be careful not to let it annoy or distress you, but to look upon it merely as an addition to your knowledge--a new fact to be considered in studying the character of humanity. Your attitude towards it will be that of the mineralogist who stumbles upon a very characteristic specimen of a mineral.
                             -Arthur Schopenhauer

Throughout the courses of our lives, we inevitably have to deal with a variety of individuals who stir up trouble and make our lives difficult and unpleasant. Some of these individuals are leaders or bosses, some are colleagues and some are friends. They can be aggressive or passive-aggressive, but they are generally masters at playing on our emotions. They often appear charming and refreshingly confident, brimming with ideas and enthusiasm, and we fall under their spell. Only when it is to late do we discover that their confidence is irrational and their ideas ill-conceived. Among colleagues, they can be those who sabotage our work or careers out of secret envy, excited to bring us down. Or they could be colleagues or hires who reveal, to our dismay, that they are completely out for themselves, using us as stepping-stones.
  What inevitably happens in these situations is that we are caught off guard, not expecting such behaviour. Often these types will hit us with elaborate cover stories to justify their actions, or blame handy scapegoats. They know how to confuse us and draw us into a drama they control. We might protest or become angry, but in the end we feel rather helpless---the damage is done. Then another such type enters our life, and the same story repeats itself.
  We often notice a similar sensation of confusion and helplessness when it comes to ourselves and our own behaviour. For instance, we suddenly say something that offends our boss or colleague or friend----we are not quite sure where it came from, but we
are frustrated to find that some anger and tension from within has leaked out in a way that we regret. Or perhaps we enthusiastically throw out weight into some project or scheme, only to realize it was quite foolish and a Terrible waste of time.