“Wear the Crown: place it above your head and assume a different pose – calm and assured, never doubting, never losing dignity.”
The 48 Laws of Power
When somebody insults us, do we lose our cool? When something obstructs our path, does it irritate us out of proportion? When we learn of some new office drama, do we join in on the gossip?
In the 48 Laws of Power, one of the laws is to “Wear the crown”. Think before you act and control your emotions by imagining how the a monarch would compose themselves.
How would Queen Elizabeth react to this? How would a King react? They would compose themselves with dignity and self-control. They would walk with confidence and with their head held high (a positive feedback loop). They would not let their emotions get the better of their judgement.
A monkey was carrying two handfuls of peas. One little pea dropped out. He tried to pick it up, and spilt twenty. He tried to pick up the twenty, and spilt them all. Then he lost his temper, scattered the peas in all directions, and ran away.
FABLES, LEO TOLSTOY, 1828–1910