Advantage

There are a few ways we can accidentally open ourselves up to being taken advantage of. Ways we can give too much of ourselves to the world. Those are traps and pitfalls to avoid, and here are two:

One – Do not give the majority stake in any important sphere in your life to a single person that isn’t you.

That doesn’t mean you have to control everything yourself. It just means no single entity should control it for you. Don’t get all your news from one source. Don’t be completely dependent on one organization for all your income. Don’t let only one thing make you happy.

Two – Do not allow “treating you well” to become something you view as a perk.

Too often I see people giving others a lot of extra influence, slack, consideration, etc., simply because they don’t treat them like utter garbage. If someone treats you poorly, remove them from your life. That’s good advice, but it doesn’t mean that treating you with respect is a bonus. It’s the standard.

Diversify your sources of the things that are important to you, and then only keep those sources that respect you. Do these things, and you will be much harder to take advantage of.