Gangster/mob movies are a great example of men with dignity and balls. People that take what they want and not whine about anything because things aren’t going well. They doesn’t talk much but do things a lot. They don’t whine about the government, they make ways. They value, respect & protect everybody in the famiglia. Though, we know that gangster/mob movies will all end in tragedy or being jailed by the protagonist, there are a lot of things we can learn from them. Here are the 22 things I learned from the best gangster movies I watched.

1. Even the boss must get his fingernails dirty. Even if you’re already the one handling people. There are things that only you can do alone. Don’t make people do things they don’t know or not willing to do. If you’re the leader, A leader must lead by example.
2. For every one word you say, let your enemies say 10. The best way to explain this is, learn to shut the hell up.
3. Women Are Icing On The Cake. Our friend Socrates, the scholar, once said “If You Make Woman As Your Equal, She Becomes His Superior”. Do not put any woman in the pedestal. Romeo wannabes are pussies. There are no such man that women would die for. These are only fantasies, chick flicks. Real men have life, ambition & power. Woman are just icing on the cake. Of course, you still have to bake the cake (your life). Search for power, riches then add the last touch of icing on your cake. And what do you have? A fine piece of cake of life.
4. Do Not Give Your Opinion Unless It Is Solicited. We live in a very noisy world. A lot of people want to say something. Freedom of speech as they say. But those who voice out their opinion to even the smallest of things you’ll know that he is not someone that you can respect and admire. I’m not saying not to have an opinion. In fact, its better to have a bad opinion than none. What I’m saying is, always have an opinion on something. But don’t tell anyone about it unless it is asked. Opinions are the CHEAPEST advice in the world. It is free. People will ask if they need it.
5. Never Reveal 100% of Something to Anyone. In a competition point of view, it is very important not to reveal your cards to the enemy. In a friend’s terms, Always hold something back, reveal only 75% or 90% of the plan if you have to. It protects you and ensures that your great idea stays yours. Also, you want your friends to learn, let them learn. Give them only the information that they can build their blocks to success.
6. Never make a decision when you’re angry. Smart, careful men realize they must have a clear head to think. When you’re angry, it’s your boiling bloodlines that speak for you, not your logic. Control your emotions. This is one of the most important rules there is. When you’re angry, you make threats you often can’t deliver on, or decisions you come to regret.
7. A man is nothing without his word. One of the few things even a poor man has is his word. Your word should never be broken. Always keep your promises. The minute someone doesn’t trust you, is the minute you lose them.
8. Never Forgive Betrayal. Betrayed by your friend? Caught your girl cheating? There is a saying that goes “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me…” Well there wouldn’t be a second time. Everybody is replaceable. You don’t need someone who have the guts to betray you. People will say that you have a high ego for not forgiving the person. It’s not like that, look on the other perspective, that person haven’t have the character to be trusted. You know that there’s a situation that he can & will betray you given a circumstance. You don’t need friends, girlfriends like that. For the players, there goes a saying, “If you caught your girl cheating on you, the best revenge is to let HIM keep her.”
9. The best way to dodge an enemy’s bullet is by never being in a position where he can hit you. Don’t be in a position where you will be in trouble. Avoid being put between a rock and a hard place. Never be in the same room with your enemy and he’ll never have a clear shot at your head.
10. When you can’t win a war by playing fair, bend the rules. Better yet, break them. Unless you’re some salame who’s as motivated as a slug, you always want to win. Winning doesn’t mean you have to play by the rules. It means winning. If you want to get ahead in life, you have to learn the rules of the side game. Those who run this country learned this rule a long time ago. Michael Jordan knows this too.
11. Whenever you’re in doubt about whether an enemy should respect or fear you, always choose fear. Respect is great, fear is better. Machiavelli made this one famous. Fear is a better deterrent than respect; fear will stop an enemy in his tracks more than respect will.
12. You Can’t Make People Respect & Like You At The Same Time. Only great people can make themselves liked & respected, either one comes first or another. I like Jose Rizal, but I don’t respect him. Not until I learned about his life. In a group scenario when you have the leadership. Do you want your subordinates to Like you? Or respect you?
13. A woman’s anger can always be subdued with a diamond ring (and a man’s with sex). I don’t mean to be sexist but I know some guys out there can back me out on this.
14. Behind every great man is a great woman. You need the stability of a great woman to be great. A man without a family can never be a complete man. A mediocre wife will always stop you from fulfilling your potential.
15. Nothing lasts forever. Love, success in business, money, your hair. There is always an end to everything. Nothing lasts forever. Cherish every moment you have good or bad.
16. Never give a tip to someone who isn’t looking. If you know how to exploit or game something that you can earn lots of it. Do not give it to anyone who isn’t looking. In other words, learn to shut up.
17. If you go to war, always strike first. Strike hard, and hope it’s the only strike you need. When a conflict or fight is inevitable, always strike the first blow. You will knock your enemy off balance, and if your blow was strong enough, you could knock your enemy out completely.
18. Peace is only a prelude to war. Just because everything is going great in your life now, doesn’t mean it always will. Always be ready for the worst, even if you don’t live as though the worst is actually happening to you.
19. Overestimate the time something takes, and underestimate its rewards. In other words, expect to give a lot of effort and expect small things as a reward. Even the best plans sometimes don’t come to fruition (yeah, big word, I know). Most of the time, we have to work to get something, and that means being patient. Overestimating the work and underestimating the reward will never leave you disappointed.
20. To make money, you have to spend money. There is no such thing as something for nothing. Don’t be afraid to spend money if it will bring you more. Take a loan at the bank if you have a great idea for a business. Pay a good employee a decent salary. Pay for expert advice. If you are a smart businessman, you will always come out on top. We can’t hide the fact that when you bring out this statement to a friend, they will always say “What if you can’t pay back the money you borrowed, or your business was a failure.” First of all, if you want to make more money, you have to have a business not a job. To start and run a business needs balls. Risk that you are willing to take. If you’re not man enough to do that, start looking for a pen and scan the classified ads.
21. Lucky is the man who suffers humiliation in front of others, for his revenge will be sweeter. If someone ever embarrasses you, make sure he gets a good laugh; make sure people see this embarrassment because the memory will eat at you until you get your revenge. Too often, people don’t retaliate when they’re humiliated. Raise the stakes, and you’ll have no choice but to return with a vengeance.
22. Never Betray Your Values. There’s a difference between a strong and a weak personality. A weak personality will try to get the approval of somebody. Peer pressure? This is just a result of a weak personality. If I can influence you to take drugs which violates your values as something bad but still did it, you have a weak personality. If you betrayed what you believe in just for the approval of somebody, you don’t have character. The strong personality on the other hand, will never give a fuck about what people say. His values are rock solid and lives his life by those values.