How to say No - Godfather

I read the Godfather recently and this week, I put up some excerpts of some conversations from the Godfather. These conversations seemed very relevant to me and something that any one of us can relate to in our day to day lives . Again who the characters are and what is the background of the situation is irrelevant -

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Below is a conversation where Tom tells Michael the upcoming Don about what is missing in him in his training to become a Don. Tom is the informally adopted son of Don Vito Corleone and serves as the family lawyer and consigliere (legal advisor) -


Tom finished his drink and before he left he gave Michael a mild reproof. ‘You are nearly as good as your father,’ he told Michael. ‘But there is one thing you still have to learn.’
‘What’s that?’ Michael said politely.
‘How to say no,’ Hagen answered.
Michael nodded gravely. ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘I’ll remember that.’
When Hagen had left, Michael said jokingly to his father, ‘So you have taught me everything else. Tell me how to say no to people in a way they like.’
The Don moved to sit behind the big desk. ‘You cannot say ‘no’ to the people you love, not often. That’s the secret. And then when you do, it has to sound like a ‘yes’. Or you have to make them say ‘no’. You have to take time and trouble. But I’m old fashioned and you’re the new modern generation, don’t listen to me.’ "

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Below is a conversation that really touched me. Michael , the Don in charge is telling Tom Hagen about how everything that one does in his professional life is ultimately personal - and that is the only reason why there is so much of passion in what he does. Made me remember an incident that had occurred to me when I was in my initial days of my career. Something that I had done very passionately had failed badly. And someone came up to me saying - Dont take things so personally . Honestly - I felt like screaming back at the person. Left me confused too and made me wonder - if you dont take things passionately and personally - are you even doing your job well ?


"Tom, don't let anybody kid you. It's all personal, every bit of business. Every piece of shit every man has to eat every day of his life is personal. They call it business. OK. But it's personal as hell. You know where I learned that from? The Don. My old man. The Godfather. If a bolt of lightning hit a friend of his the old man would take it personal. He took my going into the Marines personal. That's what makes him great. The Great Don. He takes everything personal Like God. He knows every feather that falls from the tail of a sparrow or however the hell it goes? Right? And you know something? Accidents don't happen to people who take accidents as a personal insult."


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Below are few statements made in the book at different points. I leave it to the reader to chew, digest and reflect on them -

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Many young men started down a false path to their true destiny. Time and fortune usually set them aright.

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"A friend should always underestimate your virtues and an enemy overestimate your faults"


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"Great men are not born great, they grow great . . ."

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"A lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns."