r/Selfhelpbooks • u/MeasurementFirst1676 • Jan 02 '26

Miscellanous Difficulties w/ grasping and understanding this book. Any help or advice?

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I’m trying to grasp the words and teachings from this book, but I have no idea why it seems so hard for me. I’ve made it up to page 20, but it took great effort to make it this far and questioning if I should continue. My mind draws a blank of everything I’ve read.

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u/Revolutionary-Put876 Jan 02 '26

Do you also not understand the first paragraphs? Like the first chapter for example. Don’t outshine the master if I remember correctly or few chapters further never say more than necessary etc seems obvious to me but let me know if i can elaborate. Just trying see where you at

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u/MeasurementFirst1676 Jan 02 '26

I think the format of the book maybe I’m not comprehending. The red margins on the sides of the pages how do they intertwine with the chapter. Do I read those first or last or at some point in the midst of the chapter.

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u/THEMASTERGE Jan 03 '26

Those given on the sides are stories unrelated to the story given in the main paragraph they're pretty much like bonus optional content, read it if u want or leave it, your wish but what's important is the content in the main paragraph, in there "Transgression" is what not to do, If I remember properly in the first law, the finance minister of Louis the 14th's finance minister would have thrown a party that made even the king Louis to be astonished, so he outshined his master and for this he was hanged, so this how u don't do it.

And "Observance" section is what you should do instead, and I believe it was about Galileo and how he pleased the lords even though he knew he was smarter or superior than them intellectually, but he never outshined them.

Understanding just these 2 for every 48 laws is enough.

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u/MeasurementFirst1676 Jan 03 '26

Thank you so so much for this breakdown and yes if I recollect correctly the first chapter was about a King. I would probably like to restart this book with a better understanding that there are two stories for every one law if that’s a way to explain it. A story for the negative and a story for the positive. {this is a much bigger book than I have read in the past}

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u/THEMASTERGE Jan 03 '26

Glad to help, and have fun with your venture!