If we limit our circle of action, we can give ourselves the illusion of control. The less we attempt, the less... — Robert Greene

If we limit our circle of action, we can give ourselves the illusion of control. The less we attempt, the less chances of failure.

Author: Robert Greene

Insight: We all know this feeling: the comfort of staying small. If you don't apply for the job, you can't be rejected. If you don't share your work, no one can criticize it. If you keep your circle tight and your ambitions modest, you get to feel like you're in charge of your life. But here's what's sneaky about this trade-off—the control you're protecting is mostly an illusion anyway. The real cost isn't just the missed opportunities, though those add up. It's that shrinking your world actually gives you less control, not more. You end up controlled by fear instead. You're controlled by the need to never be wrong, to never be seen failing, to never risk looking foolish. That's not freedom; it's just a different kind of cage. Meanwhile, the people who get what they want—who build things, who move up, who create—they're not fearless. They've just made peace with the fact that attempting anything worthwhile means you'll sometimes fail. The paradox is this: real control comes from being willing to lose it temporarily. When you're willing to look bad, to try and miss, to put yourself out there despite the risk, you actually get more say in where your life goes. The illusion of control through limitation is comfortable, but it's still just an illusion.

Source: The 48 Laws of Power, Law 27: Play on People's Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following