My all time favorite book is The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.
Here’s a list of the 48 laws:
http://www.elffers.com/low/start/index2.html
My favorite is Law 33 - Discover each man’s thumbscrew.
I’m obsessed with gathering intelligence on people and understanding what makes them tick. I have a bookcase full of books; half of that shelf are filled with psychology books.
Lots of evolutionary psychology books. Why evo psych? Unlike many branches of psychology evo psych tends to focus on the dark side of human nature. Like the evolution of violence, racism, and effed up sexual fetishes. Many observations are not politically correct, and that’s refreshing. This field of psychology is promoted by successful business owners and my fellow cross fitters and paleo dieters. Evolutionary psychology tends to be dismissed by soy boys, feminists with teal hair and septum piercings, and other people inferior in genetic fitness.
I’m also a fan of the Big Five Personality Traits. Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN). You can learn a LOT about a person if you figure out their Big Five traits. An example, I’m slightly high in openness, low in conscientiousness, high in extraversion, slightly low in agreeableness, and low in neuroticism. That means I’m an outgoing guy who’s open-minded, but not so open-minded I believe in astrology or am vulnerable to postmodernist teachings. Though I interact with a lot of people, I tend to stay out of trouble because I’m able to remain emotionally detached. My weakness is the low conscientiousness, but that can be easily remedied by redbull and brain octane oil. What makes ME tick? Money, power, and gooooood sex. Provide me with those, and I’ll be your slave! Watch some professor Jordan Peterson (the “clean your room!” guy) videos if you want to learn more about the big five.
When I’m about to confront someone, I ask myself these questions. How smart and evil they are? If they’re both, I run! Are they connected to people with money, authority (lawyers and police), and/or intimidating weapons? If i’m not successful in battling them, I’ll try to charm them.
Before I even talk to a person, I strongly prefer to stalk their social media profiles, know their friends, and observe them in a variety of environments.
If there’s a party or bar full of strangers, I limit myself to two drinks. I need to be alert enough to observe people who are intoxicated and have their guards down.
Armed with reliable information about people, puts me at significant advantage in social situations. Being able to fulfill people’s needs put them at ease, and they’re likely to return the favor. Low drama win-win dynamics. If they turn out to be difficult? I know where to strike.