The Laws of Human Nature

Milton Erickson (1901-1980) was an American psychologist and psychiatrist. After falling ill with polio when he was 17 and becoming temporarily paralyzed, he started observing his family. In his observations, he realized that their facial expressions, tones, and body language sometimes contrasted with their words. He became interested in how people mask their true thoughts and feelings. After recovering, he studied psychology and psychiatry.

Greene uses Erickson’s story to illustrate the Law of Role-Playing, emphasizing how deeply ingrained social masking is and demonstrating that others can develop Erickson’s skill in reading nonverbal cues with remarkable accuracy. Erickson’s keen attention to detail enabled him to interpret body language so precisely that some believed he was psychic. His experience with Anne also supports the Law of Aggression, revealing his awareness that her habitual tardiness was a form of passive aggression.

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883-1971) was a French fashion designer. When Coco was 11 years old, her mother died from tuberculosis; her father sent her and her sisters to a convent. She became fascinated with beauty and fashion from romance novels and, at 18, went to a boarding house and trained as a seamstress. After trying to become an actress, she chose to become a courtesan. Still dissatisfied, she started designing clothes. With the help of her boyfriend, Etienne Balsan, she started a fashion store and also started making perfume, including No. 5. She was temporarily shunned after collaborating with the Nazis during the Vichy regime but then made a return in the 1950s and 1960s, appealing especially to American women due to her clothing’s athletic look.

Greene uses Chanel as an example of the Law of Covetousness, as her desire for beauty and fashion made her an appealing figure in society. Her clothing also had an androgynous and athletic look that challenged the traditional norms of women’s clothing in the early 20th century, creating a somewhat transgressive effect that made her clothing even more appealing. Her mystery and the fact that people knew little about her life and the ingredients in her perfume made her even more desirable to people.

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian writer, doctor, and philosopher. He grew up in the Russian town of Taganrog with an abusive father who owned a store, a quiet, timid mother, and five siblings. Chekov grew up fearing his father and feeling depressed and angry about his abuse. However, when his brothers left and his indebted father followed them—eventually joined by his now-impoverished mother and siblings—Chekov was left alone. Over time, he came to understand that his father Pavel's own experiences with abuse and serfdom had shaped his behavior. This realization led Anton to forgive and even love his father. He started working toward becoming a doctor and was soon able to move to Moscow and help his family, allowing his siblings to go to school and his family to start healing from their trauma. He also started writing plays and short stories, with the plays The Seagull and Three Sisters being among his most famous works. He became ill in 1884 and died from tuberculosis in 1904.

Greene uses Chekhov as an example of a person who challenged the Law of Self-Sabotage and worked to improve his life circumstances and mental state by forgiving his father, empathizing with his family, and letting go of his anger at his circumstances. Chekhov’s work documenting the harsh conditions of the Sakhalin Island prison reflects his growing empathy. Seeing the prisoners' suffering made him realize how fortunate he was. This work also contributed to prison reforms. After spending time alone in Taganrog, Chekhov became more compassionate and focused on enjoying life, especially after falling ill with tuberculosis.

Caterina Sforza (1463-1509) was an Italian noblewoman. She was the illegitimate daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, who trained her to ride horses and sword-fight and instilled in her a love for the arts. She gained attention for her bold behavior and excellent fighting skills as a woman, especially gaining the admiration of men, such as Giacomo Feo and French captain Yves de’ Allegre. She used her fighting prowess and strategic skills to resolve conflicts with the enemies of her father and her first husband Girolamo Riaro. After Riaro’s assassination, she remarried Giacomo Feo—with whom she fell madly in love, becoming briefly depressed after his death. She then remarried Giovanni de’ Medici, who also died early. After trying to charm and then fight the new pope Rodrigo Borgia’s son Cesare Borgia, she was raped by him before being imprisoned and tortured for a year. Afterward, Captain de’ Allegre had her freed, and she lived the rest of her life in Florence before she died in 1509.

Greene uses her as a positive example of a woman who balanced her feminine and masculine traits, making her a stronger person and leader. This contrasts the gender rigidity that so many women of her time faced, and that many people in the present day still face. She was bold, not afraid to put her life on the line for her children, the people in her region, and her territory. She also had a love for fashion, showing her fostering of her feminine side as well.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) was an American civil rights leader and Baptist preacher. He was the son of a Baptist pastor Martin Luther King, Sr., who wanted him to take over as the lead pastor of Ebenezer Church in their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. However, while studying to get a PhD in theology at Boston University, he became interested in the social activism and revolutionary work of Karl Marx and Mahatma Gandhi. He then felt a calling to preach in Montgomery, Alabama, and joined Rosa Parks in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Eventually, he became one of the main leaders of the mid-20th-century civil rights movement. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

Greene uses King as an example of a man who avoided aimlessness and followed a purpose that would fulfill him and help the world. Though he enjoyed pleasures such as dancing, he followed his Christian beliefs and his calling from God to fight for desegregation, equality, and the rights of black people. He also possessed a degree of pragmatism, such as when he allowed young Black students to protest in Birmingham, knowing the police would react with violence. King felt it was necessary in order to show the horror of racism. By choosing to live for justice and not choosing an easier life, he helped Black people gain more freedom in the United States.

Queen Elizabeth I was the Queen of England from 1558 to her death in 1603. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Following her half-brother Edward’s death in 1553, her half-sister Mary took the throne and imprisoned Elizabeth in the Tower for a year. Following her sister’s removal from the throne and imprisonment, Elizabeth was crowned the Queen of England. She quickly worked to earn the love and respect of her subjects, showing kindness to even her poorest subjects. She also showed strength and intelligence in the face of her council—including her head minister Sir William Cecil—and foreign powers such as King Phillip of Spain and the Earl of Essex, all of whom doubted and tried to challenge her because she was a woman.

Greene argues that Queen Elizabeth I was a strong leader who combined empathy with strategic thinking. Her decision to build smaller, more maneuverable ships helped defeat the Spanish Armada, while her leadership earned the loyalty and respect of her people. In doing so, she challenged the Law of Fickleness. Even when the English initially questioned her leniency toward Mary, Queen of Scots, they quickly forgave her after she ultimately ordered Mary's execution.