5 Dark Philosophies from 5 Famous Gangsters That Can Improve Your Confidence
America loves gangsters. From Al Capone and Billy the Kid, to fictional icons such as Tony Montana from Scarface and chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin Walter White from the hit show Breaking Bad.
In reality, most of us with (with at least a little bit of sense) are aware that beyond the hype, these men were psychopaths. Clinically and psychologically speaking, a gangster, in its current definition, isn’t something healthy to desire to become.
However, there is something about a gangster’s traits that strikes at our core. A bonafied sense of power and freedom seems possible and even attainable when we witness the confidence of these men rather for right or wrong reasons.
Because of this, many of us admire these fictional or non fictional individuals. Here is a list of 5 philosophies listed as quotes that these famous gangsters, fiction or non fiction lived by that we can use to increase our perspective of life, influence, work, and most of all our overall confidence.
1) “This Town is one big P**** waiting to get f***” — Tony Montana, Scarface
The world is an open door, open it.
Tony Montana speaks these words with conviction during a conversation after his partner in crime mentions the many stumbling blocks that will come their way of their drug empire.
A gangster is a go-getter, a leader, an initiator.
Unlike the common individual who sees life as a threat, gangsters see the world as a welcoming force, a world where anything is possible. A world that says “come, if you dare”.
A gangster, leader, understands that the world is full of open doors, all one must do is walk.
It is this mentality that has created the biggest inventions and movements that have changed our world for the better. Rather right or wrong, gangsters have a strong conviction that their goals are meant to be reached.
2) “F*** You, Pay me.” — Henry Hill, Goodfellas
The Standard is the standard
In this scene of the film, real-life mobster Henry Hill portrayed by actor Ray Liotta explains the non-negotiable, non-compromising, and no mercy given, business motto: “F*** you pay me!” aka The standard is the standard!
“Things bad at home? F you pay me!”
“Late on bills? F you pay me!”
“Business is slow? F you pay me!”
Gangsters have standards and once those standards are set, they are set.
Most people don’t hold high standards, if anything, most don’t even have standards. They will date anyone, take any job for any money, say yes to any opportunity, please anyone, and even compromise their values when things get “too hard”.
The point is to have an uncompromising standard(s) that others become afraid to break out of respect and admiration rather than fear.
Be a person of strong standards.
This gains respect in the eyes of your peers, fellow business partners, and your present or future significant other.
People take your words and requests seriously and you learn to hold your value(s) no matter what the circumstances. Obviously, it is not wise to beat up your associates when they fail to live up like Henry Hill did.
However, in the larger scale, you will begin to attract people who are just as serious in their values as you are, resulting in individuals who take you or your matters with care and a proper approach.
3) “Everyone takes a beating sometime” — Henry Hill, Goodfellas
Another quote and lived-out philosophy from Henry Hill. In the film, when Henry Hill was younger, his gangster life of theft and small petty crimes brought him great rewards financially.
Every once in a while he would get caught by his angry father ready to beat him until his senses were put back into place. At some point, knowing the consequence would be a beating, he continuing the lifestyle.
One of the negative aspects of the self-help world is the subtitle desire for “bad” things to go away.
What if my business fails?
What if I lose all of my money?
What if she doesn’t like me?
Truth is, all those scenarios can and most likely will happen. Gangsters, leaders, innovators, understand this reality, and even embrace it.
Furthermore, the possibility of failure never keeps one from moving forward. What separates the herd from the leaders is that leaders, gangsters, take the beating, brush off the dust, gets back up from the floor and continues walking knowing that the possibility of another beating awaits.
This is true confidence. Choosing to take the beatings when they come.
4) “The loudest one in the room is the weakest in the room” — Frank Lucas, American Gangster (2007)
Self-Help sometimes can got so far and encourage us to look in the mirror while repeating how awesome we are to ourselves until we feel great and fuzzing with confidence.
Though this helps, for neurological reasons, it doesn’t help to “pretend” or “fake it till you make it”.
Gangsters, leaders, understand that true confidence isn’t a feeling.
True confidence comes from 50% self belief and 50% follow up action. Gangsters understand that in this dark world of chaos and entropy, one cannot survive by just talking and feeling confident. A leader, gangster is confident in the process, the work, the hustle, and the natural principle order of things.
The loud man in the room can be the young aspiring entrepreneur who enjoys talking about his many plans and dreams and small accomplishments, all the while has little work ethic and patience towards the process.
Gangsters, leaders, understand that silence is golden; for actions speak louder than the flattering words of inspiration.
5) “Nothing personal, it’s just business” — Otto Berman
Take nothing personal.
The most quoted, and lived-by philosophy on this list.
A gangster, leader, understands that nothing is personal. His or her confidence isn’t based on how people or life treat them.
When an individual has done you wrong, it is not because they have deep resentment towards you;
It is because they have deep resentment, period.
If that resentment isn’t expressed towards you, it will be express towards someone else one way or another. Nothing personal.
Gangsters get it.
They understand they are not the only ones on this Planet with aspirations, motives, pain, fears and flaws.
A truly confident trait is to understand that life doesn’t have a specific hidden agenda with your name on it for you to suffer or to succeed.
Many will love you to the extent of your contribution, nothing personal.
Few will actually love you for you, nothing personal.
Bad things happen to everybody, unfair things happen to everybody. Sometimes the bad people win, sometimes to good people lose, nothing personal.
Life doesn’t take sides. God decides when men or women reap the good or bad they have sown.
Till then, we are reminded we are not exempt from unfairness and the randomness of events that can throw us of guard. Nothing personal, its just life.
When you understand this perspective, your confidence becomes less about the outcome and the behaviors of others but more about your sense of self and trust in the Higher order of things.
Conclusion
To conclude, the tragic reality about gangsters and these philosophies linked with confidence, though did birth their desired results in their lives, were used for the wrong reasons and left them dead or in jail.
If these men, with poor motives, where able to accomplish many feats with such outlooks that boosted their confidence, how much more can one accomplish for healthy and service oriented motives?
The point, is to realize we all have the “gangster” traits within us.
The boldness to stand up for the truth and take action, the courage to step out in the midst of fear, the power to influence and lead others, and the ability to endure the hardest parts of life.
With a small perspective shift of the world around us from men who violently took what they desired, we can increase our confidence by using these perspectives for the good of those around us.
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