Envy is one of the most dangerous forms of hostility because it rarely appears as an open attack. An envious person may hide his feelings behind advice or compliments, then secretly work to weaken someone who is more successful than he is. For this reason, it can sometimes be wise not to display your success in a way that provokes others. But when envy becomes deeply rooted and turns into an unavoidable rivalry, hiding your superiority may no longer help. At that point, the best response to an envious person may be to keep succeeding until what he wanted to use against you becomes a source of even greater strength.
In Renaissance Rome, Michelangelo had established himself as one of the greatest artists of his time. His sculptures inspired admiration, and his extraordinary talent gave him growing status among artists and powerful people. But as a person rises, there are sometimes others who see that success as a threat to their own position.
One of those people was the famous architect Donato Bramante.
Bramante looked at Michelangelo’s talent with rivalry and envy. He did not want to see Michelangelo’s influence grow among those close to Pope Julius II. He saw an opportunity when the pope was planning a magnificent tomb for himself. Michelangelo was very excited about the project because it would allow him to create an exceptional collection of sculptures.
But the project ran into problems, and Bramante managed to influence the pope until his attention moved away from the tomb. Michelangelo felt that a project that could have become one of his greatest achievements had been taken away from him. But the matter did not end there.
Bramante then came up with an idea that seemed even more clever.
He persuaded the pope to commission Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
On the surface, the assignment looked like a great honor. But in Bramante’s eyes, it was a double trap. Michelangelo was known mainly as a sculptor, and Bramante believed that painting was not a field in which Michelangelo could match his skill in sculpture. If Michelangelo failed in such a huge project, his reputation as an extraordinary artist would be damaged. And if he accepted it, he would spend many years working on the ceiling instead of creating the sculptures that had made him famous.
The plan therefore seemed perfect: a huge project that would consume Michelangelo’s time and, at the same time, might reveal the limits of his talent before the pope and the public.
Michelangelo understood what was happening.
At first, he was not enthusiastic about the assignment. He saw himself as a sculptor before he saw himself as a painter, and he considered walking away from the project. But refusing the pope’s request was not easy, and stepping back would have given his rivals exactly what they wanted.
So, he decided to accept the challenge.
Instead of allowing the plot to trap him, Michelangelo turned it into a reason to push himself beyond his limits. He devoted himself to painting the ceiling of the chapel and faced enormous artistic and physical difficulties. Yet he did not treat the assignment as a secondary task that he had to complete unwillingly. He turned it into a project through which he could prove that his talent was not limited to sculpture.
As time passed, image after image began to fill the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The project that had been intended as an embarrassing test slowly turned into a magnificent artistic triumph.
By the time most of the work was complete, the question was no longer whether Michelangelo could paint. The question was how he had managed to create something of such enormous scale and power.
The trap had turned against the person who had set it.
Bramante had helped place Michelangelo in front of a task that he hoped would limit his fame. Instead, it became one of the greatest reasons for Michelangelo’s lasting glory. The more people admired the ceiling, the harder it became for his rivals to diminish his reputation.
Envy had tried to close one door in front of him, but without intending to, it pushed him toward a much greater one.
Michelangelo’s story shows that the best response to envy is not always to fight the envious person or to try to convince or please him. Once his hostility becomes a reality, the strongest response may be to turn his attempts to weaken you into motivation to improve even further. An envious perMichelangelo and Bramante
Envy is one of the most dangerous forms of hostility because it rarely appears as an open attack. An envious person may hide his feelings behind advice or compliments, then secretly work to weaken someone who is more successful than he is. For this reason, it can sometimes be wise not to display your success in a way that provokes others. But when envy becomes deeply rooted and turns into an unavoidable rivalry, hiding your superiority may no longer help. At that point, the best response to an envious person may be to keep succeeding until what he wanted to use against you becomes a source of even greater strength.
In Renaissance Rome, Michelangelo had established himself as one of the greatest artists of his time. His sculptures inspired admiration, and his extraordinary talent gave him growing status among artists and powerful people. But as a person rises, there are sometimes others who see that success as a threat to their own position.
One of those people was the famous architect Donato Bramante.
Bramante looked at Michelangelo’s talent with rivalry and envy. He did not want to see Michelangelo’s influence grow among those close to Pope Julius II. He saw an opportunity when the pope was planning a magnificent tomb for himself. Michelangelo was very excited about the project because it would allow him to create an exceptional collection of sculptures.
But the project ran into problems, and Bramante managed to influence the pope until his attention moved away from the tomb. Michelangelo felt that a project that could have become one of his greatest achievements had been taken away from him. But the matter did not end there.
Bramante then came up with an idea that seemed even more clever.
He persuaded the pope to commission Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
On the surface, the assignment looked like a great honor. But in Bramante’s eyes, it was a double trap. Michelangelo was known mainly as a sculptor, and Bramante believed that painting was not a field in which Michelangelo could match his skill in sculpture. If Michelangelo failed in such a huge project, his reputation as an extraordinary artist would be damaged. And if he accepted it, he would spend many years working on the ceiling instead of creating the sculptures that had made him famous.
The plan therefore seemed perfect: a huge project that would consume Michelangelo’s time and, at the same time, might reveal the limits of his talent before the pope and the public.
Michelangelo understood what was happening.
At first, he was not enthusiastic about the assignment. He saw himself as a sculptor before he saw himself as a painter, and he considered walking away from the project. But refusing the pope’s request was not easy, and stepping back would have given his rivals exactly what they wanted.
So, he decided to accept the challenge.
Instead of allowing the plot to trap him, Michelangelo turned it into a reason to push himself beyond his limits. He devoted himself to painting the ceiling of the chapel and faced enormous artistic and physical difficulties. Yet he did not treat the assignment as a secondary task that he had to complete unwillingly. He turned it into a project through which he could prove that his talent was not limited to sculpture.
As time passed, image after image began to fill the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The project that had been intended as an embarrassing test slowly turned into a magnificent artistic triumph.
By the time most of the work was complete, the question was no longer whether Michelangelo could paint. The question was how he had managed to create something of such enormous scale and power.
The trap had turned against the person who had set it.
Bramante had helped place Michelangelo in front of a task that he hoped would limit his fame. Instead, it became one of the greatest reasons for Michelangelo’s lasting glory. The more people admired the ceiling, the harder it became for his rivals to diminish his reputation.
Envy had tried to close one door in front of him, but without intending to, it pushed him toward a much greater one.
Michelangelo’s story shows that the best response to envy is not always to fight the envious person or to try to convince or please him. Once his hostility becomes a reality, the strongest response may be to turn his attempts to weaken you into motivation to improve even further. An envious person may be able to place obstacles in your path, but he cannot control the outcome if you are able to turn those obstacles into opportunities. And when the trap created by your rival becomes one of your greatest achievements, your success becomes the answer that needs no words.
Source: THE 48 LAWS OF POWER, ROBERT GREEN
son may be able to place obstacles in your path, but he cannot control the outcome if you are able to turn those obstacles into opportunities. And when the trap created by your rival becomes one of your greatest achievements, your success becomes the answer that needs no words.
Source: THE 48 LAWS OF POWER, ROBERT GREEN
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