Greene opens by arguing that despite the apparent unpredictability of individual people, human behavior actually follows identifiable patterns rooted in deep, largely unconscious psychological drives — patterns he draws out through extensive historical and biographical case studies across the book.

Core framing he establishes:

• Greene argues that most people significantly underestimate the degree to which unconscious drives — rather than conscious, rational decision-making — shape their own and others' behavior
• The book is organized around distinct psychological "laws," each addressing a specific pattern (irrationality, narcissism, envy, and others), giving readers a structured vocabulary for recognizing these patterns in real life
• Greene draws heavily on historical figures and events throughout the book, using detailed case studies to illustrate each law's real-world manifestation rather than presenting purely abstract psychological theory

This opening establishes both the book's ambitious scope and its method — extracting durable psychological patterns from extensive historical example.