Conclusion:
This chapter has been a collection of stories of ways in which people have tried to do things and in the process have affected other people. Sometimes the people who’ve tried to do the things have realized the effects the pursuit of their intentions would have on other people, and sometimes they haven’t. Sometimes the people who were affected benefited, and sometimes they were harmed, and sometimes they thought they were going to benefit but ended up being harmed in the long run.
Any time you do anything, you’re basically throwing stones in a pond. Your actions will have affects on other people and the rest of the world. The more you know about the world, and about people in general, and especially the people who will be affected most directly by your actions, the more control over your life you have.
If other people perceive that the effects of your actions benefit them, and their perceptions turn out to be right, they usually react favorably. If other people perceive that your actions harm them, or they perceive at first that your actions benefit them only later to realize they were mistaken, they don’t usually react favorably. So don’t be surprised by it.
Any time you set out to do anything, don’t be surprised if you succeed. The trick is, figuring out what exactly it is you’re doing that you’re going to succeed at.









