I wasn’t able to find it online, but Rollo Tomassi writes in his book that what makes an individual powerful is his ability to maneuver, to put himself in whatever situation he wants to be in. By extension, a powerful man has an enjoyable career that provides him with the income necessary to sustain his preferred lifestyle, the physical strength and endurance (and time) to pursue activities that interest him, and his choice of women.

What’s interesting is that despite that “the feeling of having no power over people and events is generally unbearable to us” (Robert Greene, 48 Laws of Power), most men can’t deadlift 315 pounds. Most men can’t talk to strangers. Most men aren’t making six figures. And usually they have some kind of justification that they will be happy to explain when prompted.

The reason why people make excuses is surprisingly simple: most people would rather not be successful and have a good excuse than do the work to actually be successful. Most people would rather fail with a good reason why they failed than make a sincere attempt to accomplish a difficult task.

You know who does this best? Women. It’s the reason why a woman won’t decide what to do on date night or what to order at a restaurant – she’d rather make no call than the wrong call.

But you aren’t a woman. As a man, it is your responsibility to make a decision, to get things done - sometimes things won’t work out, and that’s okay. Quoting Whisper here, it is more important that a choice be your decision than the right decision. This is what power is – the ability to control your fate.

In the real world, the only thing people care about is your ability to get things done. Off of reddit and away from the social justice bullshit of the academic world, no one cares how difficult you had it. No one cares how hard you had to work to be in your position. In fact, people will resent you for your hard work. That’s why you don’t tell people how careful you are with your diet and what your current workout program is – that shit stays here, on the internet, because people love the idea that talent beats hard work so they can justify the fact that they are losers. It gives them the excuse they need to not be powerful individuals, in control of their lives.