48 LAWS OF POWER
1. NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER.
ü
Transgression
of the Law.
Finance Minister Fouquet unintentionally outshone his master, King
Louis XIV, making the King feel insecure by throwing a lavish party that would
show off Fouquet’s connections, cultivated manner and charm. Thinking this move
would make him an indispensable asset to the king, Fouquet had actually
offended his master who did not like the fact people were more charmed by his
finance minister than by him. The King found a convenient excuse to get rid of Fouquet.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Galileo was clever in observing this law by giving glory to his
patrons. In order to solve his perennial problem of funding, he dedicated his
discovery of the moons of Jupiter to the Medicis, since the royal symbol of the
Medici family was the planet Jupiter. He then commissioned an emblem for them,
with each moon representing one of the sons who revolved around the patriarch.
The Medici family became his major patron, appointing him their official court
mathematician and philosopher, thereby giving him a more comfortable life and a
steady salary.
Wisdom
in a nutshell:
1. Present
your ideas in such a manner that they may be ascribed to your master, or could
be viewed as an echo of your master’s thoughts.
2. If you
are more intelligent than your master, act as if you are not.
3. Never
take your position for granted.
4. Never let
favors you receive go to your head.
5. Discreet
flattery is much more powerful. Make it seem like you want to seek his expertise
and advice.
2. NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIES.
ü
Transgression
of the Law.
Michael III of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-ninth century A.D.
placed too much trust in his friend, Basilius. This was a young man who had
once saved his life, and in return, was given all the privileges an emperor
could bestow on a friend. Michael turned the peasant Basilius into a
sophisticated and educated courtier. Basilius later on became greedy for more wealth
and power and had his former benefactor and best friend Michael III murdered.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Emperor
Sung of China in 959 A.D. was able to turn all his enemies into loyal friends.
He persuaded his generals to retire to a life of nobility and give
up their dreams of grabbing his throne one day. He spared those who conspired
against him, and was able to win over enemies with his generosity.
Wisdom
in a nutshell:
1. Do not
rely on friends. They will never be totally honest with you. They will not openly
disagree with you in order to avoid arguments.
2. Enemies
expect nothing so they will be surprised when you are generous.
3. An enemy
spared the guillotine will be more grateful to you than a friend.
4. When you
decide to hire a friend you will discover qualities she has kept hidden.
5. Skill and
competence are more important than friendly feelings.
6. Hiring
friends will limit your power.
7. All
working situations require a kind of distance between people.
8. You
destroy an enemy when you make a friend of him.
9. An enemy
at your heels keeps you sharp, alert, and focused.
3. CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONS.
ü
Transgression
of the Law.
The Marquis de Sevigne was young and inexperienced in the art of
love. He confided in the infamous courtesan of seventeenth-century France,
Ninon de Lenclos, to instruct him on how to seduce a difficult young countess.
She made him follow a plan over a number of weeks, where the Marquis would be
appearing in public always surrounded by beautiful women, in the very places
the countess would be expected to see him. He was supposed to assume an air of
nonchalance. This increased the jealousy of the young countess, who was not
sure of his interest in her. One day the Marquis, unable to control his
passion, broke from Ninon’s plan, and blurted out to the countess that he loved
her. After this admission, the countess no longer found him interesting and
avoided him.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Otto von Bismarck was a deputy in the Prussian parliament at a
time when many fellow deputies thought it was possible to go to war against
Austria and defeat it.
Bismarck knew the Prussian army was not prepared, so he devised a
clever way to keep the war at bay. He publicly stated his praises for the
Austrians and talked about the madness of war. Many deputies changed their votes.
Had Bismarck announced his real intentions, arguing it was better to wait now
and fight later, he would not have won. Most Prussians wanted to go to war at
that moment and mistakenly believedtheir army to be superior to the Austrians.
Had he gone to the king his sincerity would have been doubted. By giving
misleading statements about wanting peace and concealing his true purpose,
Bismarck’s speech catapulted him to the position of prime minister. He later
led the country to war against the Austrians at the right time, when he felt
the Prussian army was more capable.
Wisdom
in a nutshell:
1. Use
decoyed objects of desire and red herrings to throw people off scent.
2. Use smoke
screens (a poker face) to disguise your actions.
3. False
sincerity is one powerful tool that will send your rivals on a wild goose chase.
4. Publicly
declare your false intentions to give misleading signals.
5. A noble
gesture can be a smoke screen to hide your true intentions.
6. Blend in
and people will be less suspicious.
4. ALWAYS SAY LESS THAN NECESSARY.
ü
Transgression
of the Law.
Coriolanus was a great military hero of ancient Rome. People held
him in awe, until he opened his mouth. He spoke his mind, hardly able to
control his arrogance and boastfulness. He slandered and insulted people. The
more speeches he made, the less people respected him. He suffered the people’s
wrath and was eventually banished from the city.
ü Observance of the Law
Masters of enigma Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp knew the power of
saying less and keeping people guessing. The less Duchamp talked about his
work, the more it was talked about in the art circles. Andy Warhol recognized
it was hard to talk people into doing what you wanted, so when interviewed, he
would give vague and ambiguous answers and let the interviewer find his own
interpretation.
Wisdom
in a nutshell:
1. Saying
less will keep you from saying something foolish or even dangerous.
2. Once the
words are out you cannot take them back.
3. Keeping
silent makes people reveal more about themselves. This is information you may
be able to use against them later on.
5. SO MUCH DEPENDS ON REPUTATION – GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE.
ü
Observance
of the Law
During China’s War of the Three Kingdoms (A.D.207-265), General
Liang was able to fool his rival Sima Yi simply by letting his track record for
being an undefeated leader in battle do the work for him. Liang’s troops were
far outnumbered by Sima Yi’s, yet he devised a clever last resort plan. Liang
donned a Taoist robe and played the lute upon the wall of the city he was
defending. His soldiers opened the gates and hid.
When Sima Yi’s troops advanced upon the unguarded city, Yi
recognized his opponent sitting alone upon the wall. Fearing a trap, Sima Yi
called his soldiers to retreat.
P.T. Barnum was an expert at destroying his competitor’s
reputation. He published letters in newspapers, warning the public against
buying his opponent’s stock. He was a master at poking mockery at the tactics
of his rivals.
Wisdom
in a nutshell:
1. Sow doubt
and spread rumors about your rival. Even if they vehemently deny it, people
will still be wondering why they are so defensive.
2. Use humor
or gentle mockery at your rival’s expense.
3. A solid
reputation increases your presence and exaggerates your strengths without your
having to spend much energy.
4. Never
appear desperate in your self-defense against the slander of others.
5. Be
careful not to go too far in attacking another’s reputation, it draws more attention
to your vengefulness than to the person you are slandering. Use subtler tactics
like satire and ridicule.
6. COURT ATTENTION AT ALL COST.
ü
Observance
of the Law
P.T. Barnum learned about courting attention to his favor. Any
form of publicity would benefit his entertainment business, no matter if it
were bad publicity. He promoted his shows of curiosities to audiences with all
kinds of gimmicks. He would offer Free Music for Millions, but hire bad
musicians, so the crowd would end up buying tickets to the show so they could
avoid the bands. He planted articles in newspapers and even sent anonymous
letters to keep his name in the limelight.
Margaretha Zelle was able to use this law to make a name for
herself as the mysterious exotic dancer Mata Hari. It was rumored she was from
India and danced in private parties, in an Eastern manner never before seen in
Europe. She would slowly discard her veils and sarongs for the most prominent
people in Paris who came to see her. Many years later it would be discovered
she was just a native of Holland and had worked for the Germans as a spy.
Wisdom
in a nutshell:
1. Surround
your name with the sensational and the scandalous.
2. Create an
air of mystery.
3. It is
better to be attacked and slandered than ignored.
4. Make
yourself appear larger than life.
5. Any sort
of notoriety will bring you power.
7. GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THECREDIT.
ü
Transgression
and Observance of the Law
Nicola Tesla was a Serbian scientist who never learned how this
law was used against him time and again. His invention, the AC or alternating
current system was associated not with his name but with that of George
Westinghouse, who funded his research. Both Thomas Edison and George
Westinghouse were ruthless businessmen who took credit for Tesla’s work. In the
end, Tesla was living in poverty, while royalties for his life’s work went to
Edison and Westinghouse. He accepted small sums as buy-outs for his work, when
in reality his creations could have been worth millions. Even Marconi made use
of a patent filed by Tesla in 1897. Tesla was the real “father of radio” but
received no money or credit for this invention.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Save time
and energy by hiring others to do the work.
2. Your
helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered.
3. Borrow
from history. Use the past and profit by others’ experience.
4. You can
only exploit others’ talents if your position is unshakable.
8. MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU – USE BAIT IF NECESSARY.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Napoleon’s
former foreign minister Talleyrand was master of this law. He knew
Napoleon loved the adoration of the masses, and this was the
perfect bait to make the former ruler play into the hands of his opponents. In
1814 Napoleon was banished to a small island called Elba near Italy. Here he
was given information that France would embrace him again if he escaped. From
Elba he was able to escape and march back into Paris with a small army. The
people bowed to him and soldierschanged sides to join him. The statesmen who
had taken over his empire fled.
Talleyrand watched as his plan unfolded. Napoleon ruled France
again for a hundred days, but the country was bankrupt and could not sustain
Napoleon’s wars any longer. Napoleon was recaptured at the Battle of Waterloo
and exiled to the barren island St. Helena, off the west coast of Africa. This
was a much further place with no chance of escape, and was more to Talleyrand’s
liking.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. For
negotiations and meetings, it is wise to lure others into your territory, or a territory
of your choice.
2. Once
someone suspects you are manipulating him, it will be harder to control him.
Making him come to you gives the illusion he is in control.
3. Most
often the effective action is to stay back, keep calm, and let others be frustrated
by the traps you set for them.
9. WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Michelangelo
knew how to satisfy a patron while getting his way at the same time. Piero
Soderini, Florence’s mayor, commissioned him to transform a ruined
piece of marble intoa statue. Soderini visited the studio one day and commented
that the nose of the statue (that
of David with a sling in his hand) was too big. Michelangelo invited the mayor
to climb up scaffolding, allowing him to look at the nose from a different
perspective, whilethe artist chiseled a bit, pretending to correct the size of
the nose. The mayor was convinced the nose looked much better. Michelangelo
succeeded in making Soderini think his comment had helped improve the work.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Demonstrate,
do not explicate.
2. Arguing
will only offend your superior.
3. Learn to
demonstrate the correctness of your ideas indirectly.
4. Choose
your battles carefully.
5. Don’t
bother demonstrating if time and experience will eventually teach the other person
what you are trying to say. Save your energy and walk away.
6. No one
can argue with a demonstrated proof.
10. INFECTION: AVOID THE UNHAPPY AND THE UNLUCKY.
ü
Transgression
of the Law
In the 1840’s Marie Gilbert, better known as Lola Montez, came to
Paris to become a dancer and performer. She had many husbands, and caused the
ruin of many a powerful man. Because of her ambition to be a dancer she
“accidentally” ran into Alexandre Dujarier, then the owner of France’s most
popular newspaper and a drama critic himself.
Although still legally married to an Englishman with whom she
eloped at 19, Lola kept her status secret from all her husband’s. Dujarier was
shot dead defending her honor at a duel against another drama critic. Lola went
on to have several husbands, even causing King Ludwig of Bavaria to abdicate.
She left another man who later fell into a deep depression, became a drunkard,
and eventually died at a relatively young age. The man who published her
autobiography went bankrupt.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
In the game of power, the people you associate with are critical.
2.
An infector can be recognized by the misfortune they draw on
themselves, their turbulent past, a long line of broken relationships, unstable
careers, the very intensity of their emotions, and the force of their
character.
3.
Gravitate towards prosperous, cheerful, and gregarious people.
4.
Never associate with those who share your defects.
11. LEARN TO KEEP PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON YOU.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Michelangelo was able to keep his patron Pope Julius II dependent
on him. When he and the pope quarreled over the building of the pope’s marble
tomb, Michelangelo left Rome in disgust. The pope sought him out and begged the
artist to stay. Michelangelo knew he could always find another patron, but the
pope knew he could not find another Michelangelo. Michelangelo’s power was
intensive, depending on one skill. Henry Kissinger’s power was extensive. He
was so involved in so many areas of the political structure that to remove him
would lead to chaos. The intensive form of power provides more freedom than the
extensive.
Machiavelli
said it is better to be feared than loved. Fear can be controlled; love, never.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Be the
only one who can do what you do. Make the fate of those who hire you so entwined
with yours they cannot possibly get rid of you.
2. If you
are ambitious, it is wiser to seek out weak masters with whom you can create a
relationship of dependency.
3. Possess a
talent or creative skill that sets you apart from the crowd.
4. By
knowing other people’s secrets and holding information they wouldn’t want made
public, you seal your fate with theirs.
12. USE SELECTIVE HONESTY AND GENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIM.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Count Victor Lustig promised Al Capone into giving him $50,000 on
the terms that he would double this investment in sixty days. Lustig kept the
money untouched in a safety deposit box. After the sixty days were up, he
apologized to Capone saying he had failed to double the money. Capone expected
either $100,000, or nothing, what he did not expect was an honest gesture of
Lustig actually returning the $50,000. Al Capone was a man who lived in
constant mistrust of people around him, and was so touched by the honest
gesture he gave Lustig an extra $5,000.
The classic tale of the Fall of Troy is one example of hiding your
ulterior motives within a gift. The Trojan Horse was designed to hold soldiers
that would attack the city of Troy and recapture Helen who had been taken away
from the Greeks by Paris.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. The
essence of deception is distraction. An act of kindness, generosity, or honesty
will distract and disarm people and turn them into gullible children.
2. Give
before you take.
3. Nothing
in the realm of power is set in stone. Overt deceptiveness may sometimes cover
your tracks. If you have a history of deceit behind you, then play the rogue,
be consistent and this will be interpreted as you simply being yourself. Your
dishonesty becomes an act of honesty.
13. WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER TO
THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Genghis Khan was known for his greed and self-interest. When he
conquered China, instead of slaughtering all the citizens, his adviser Yelu
Ch’u-Ts’ai persuaded him to reap the benefits of their new territory by taxing
its people. It was Ts’ai who also convinced Khan to spare the inhabitants of
Kaifeng, where China’s finest craftsmen and engineers had fled. Ts’ai’s
reasoning was Khan could use these people for his own benefit.
Most people are very pragmatic, and when negotiating, do not bring
up the need for gratitude for what you have done for others in the past. These
appeals will be ignored.
Pragmatic people look towards the future, so it is best to
emphasize how they will benefit from an alliance with you.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Understand
the other person’s motivation.
2. See
things their way and offer suggestions that will advance their cause.
3. For
others who want to feel superior and do not want to appear selfish, appeal to their
need to display their charity in the public eye.
14. POSE AS A FRIEND, WORK AS A SPY.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Joseph Duveen was the greatest art dealer of his time; from
1904-1940 he singlehandedly monopolized the art-collecting market through his ingenious
spying tactics. He would place the household employees of his potential clients
on his own payroll. These spies would provide him valuable information as the
tastes of his mark. He would arrange “accidental” meetings in elevators,
leading his prey of wealthy patrons right into his trap.
When clients came to visit his galleries, they found themselves
surrounded by works they would most likely buy.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Gather
information at social events when people’s guards are down.
2. Use other
people to give you the information you need.
3. Mislead
others by giving out false information. Watch them react and base your next
action on what you discover.
15. CRUSH YOUR ENEMY TOTALLY.
ü
Observance
of the Law
The great Empress Wu of China was ruthless in her rise to power.
She started out as a concubine of an emperor, but did not want to follow the
traditional path: that of living the rest of her life in a convent after the
emperor’s death. She had seduced the emperor’s son in the royal urinal and
befriended his wife. Because of this Wu was able to get a royal edict out of
the convent. She returned to the harem, became pregnant, and murdered her own
baby, knowing the prime suspect would be the jealous wife of the new emperor.
The wife was charged with murder and executed. Wu took her place and her new
husband handed over the reins of government to her, opting for a life of
pleasure. Empress Wu ruled until the age of eighty when she was forced to
abdicate. Throughout her rule she eliminated son after son, anyone who would
challenge her throne.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Show no
mercy. Crush your rivals or else you will give them time to regroup and plot
their revenge.
2. Banish
enemies or plot for the best time to render them harmless.
3. Leave
your enemies no options.
4. Sometimes
enemies will destroy themselves.
5. Thoughts
of reconciliation will open you up to attack.
16. USE ABSENCE TO INCREASE RESPECT AND HONOR.
ü
Observance
of the Law
This law is most appreciated in matters of seduction and love.
Make yourself too available and your presence will be taken for granted. In the
Middle Ages, ladies played the game of presence and absence by sending their
knights off on long arduous quests.
Sir Guillaume de Balaun wanted to taste the joy of love after
reconciliation, and twice he intentionally made himself scarce, withdrawing his
affections from Madame Guillelma de
Javiac. The first time he drove his lover wild with grief, the
second time she became angry and cut him off. When he wrote her begging to be
let back into her favor, she allowed him back only on the condition he do
penance for his cruelty.
With business, an early retirement at the height of your career
will keep people holding you in high regard, and waiting to see you make a
comeback.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Create value
through scarcity. Make yourself less accessible; otherwise the aura you have
created around yourself will wear away.
17. KEEP OTHERS IN SUSPENDED TERROR: CULTIVATE AN AIR OF UNPREDICTABILITY.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Bobby
Fischer beat chess champion Boris Spassky using this law of unpredictability.
Spassky’s method of playing chess was to base his strategy on the
patterns he read in his opponent’s moves. Fischer unnerved him by arriving late
for the first two tournaments, even letting a match get forfeited. On the third
game he made moves that were so uncharacteristic and bold Spassky was thrown
off balance. Fourteen games later
Spassky claimed Fischer was probably putting drugs in the orange
juice they drank while playing. Spassky resigned a few months later and never
recovered from his defeat.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. A person
of power instills fear by deliberately unsettling those around him to keep the
initiative on his side.
2. Only the
terminally subordinate act in a predictable manner.
18. DO NOT BUILD FORTRESSES TO PROTECT YOURSELF – ISOLATION IS
DANGEROUS.
ü
Observance
of the Law
King Louis XIV recognized the importance of always keeping his
eyes and ears on everyone and everything around him. He built a palace in Versailles
where all the nobility could keep apartments near to his. He knew that if he
were to isolate himself for one moment, conspiracies would rise behind his
back. The daily activities all revolved around the king, leaving no one
unnoticed, hundreds of visitors and attendants were always present. There was
not very much privacy for the king and he preferred this life to one of isolation.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. A
fortress may be impregnable, but everyone knows you are there and it may easily
turn into a prison.
2. Power
depends on social interaction and circulation.
3. Isolation
is deadly for the creative arts. Shakespeare was always producing plays for the
masses. He was in constant touch with reality and what people wanted.
4. Mobility
and social contact protects you from plotters.
19. KNOW WHO YOU’RE DEALING WITH – DO NOT OFFEND THE WRONG PERSON.
ü
Transgression
of the Law
In the early thirteenth century, Muhammad the Shah of Khwarezm
made the grave mistake in offending a new tribal leader who was emerging in the
east. His name was Genghis Khan. Khan offered to share the Silk Route with
Muhammad, sending ambassadors to forge a deal. After his ambassadors were
beheaded, Genghis Khan declared war. Eventually his forces seized the capital
of the Shah’s empire, Samarkand.
Muhammad
fled, and the Silk Route fell into the hands of Genghis Khan.
Learn to distinguish from opponent, sucker, and victim. The five
difficult and sometimes dangerous marks are: the arrogant and proud, the
hopelessly insecure, the suspicious, the serpent with a long memory, and the
plain, unassuming, unintelligent man.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Measure
up your opponent, but never rely on instinct. Do some research on concrete facts
about that person’s character and history.
2. Never
trust appearances.
20. DO NOT COMMIT TO ANYONE.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Queen Elizabeth I managed to avoid the trap of marriage and war,
by dangling the possibility of marriage to all who courted her. She forged
alliances with the countries these suitors came from, all for the benefit of
England. By keeping her independence above all, Elizabeth protected her power
and made herself an object of worship.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
By refusing to commit, but allowing yourself to be courted, you
become powerful because you are ungraspable.
2.
As your reputation for independence grows, more people will desire
you and want to conquer you.
3.
Politely decline. You cannot allow yourself to feel obligated to
anyone.
4.
Seek promises from both sides, so no matter what the outcome of an
election or battle, your position is secure.
5.
Observe quarreling parties and stay neutral but supportive to both
sides. Gain power as a mediator.
6.
You may commit to one to prove you are capable of attachment, but
be emotionally uninvolved. Preserve the unspoken option of being able to leave
anytime and reclaim your freedom. The friends you made while being courted will
help you jump ship.
21. PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKER – SEEM DUMBER THAN YOUR MARK.
ü Observance of the Law
In what was the biggest diamond scam of the century, prospectors
Philip Arnold and John Slack fooled the biggest financiers of the time, Asbury
Harpending, Baron Rothschild, and William Ralston into investing their millions
in a fake mine site. The two men played up their small town, scruffy image;
convincing the sophisticated tycoons that they would easily be bought out for
their discovery of the mines. In the end, after the legal pay-off was made to
the two men, the investors realized the mine had been salted with uncut gems by
Arnold and Slack. Since all the business had been legal, and experts had inspected
the mines, there was no way to go after the two men.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Intelligence
is an important part of people’s vanity. Subliminally reassure your opponent of
his superiority.
2. Playing
naïve lets you see opportunities to deceive others.
22. USE THE SURRENDER TACTIC: TRANSFORM WEAKNESS INTO POWER.
ü
Observance
of the Law
German writer Bertolt Brecht was called to appear before the US
Congress’s House of Un-American Activities Committee during the heyday of the
Communist investigations.
Unlike his companions in the Hollywood 19, (other producers,
directors and writers who espoused communism in their scripts) he chose to be
respectful to the committee. Subtly he mocked them by offering vague but polite
answers used an interpreter to run circles around them when asked about the
lines from his poems, and was summarily dismissed.
He was free to leave America and continue writing as he pleased,
while his friends in
Hollywood
lost valuable working years as a result of being blacklisted.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Do not fight aggression with aggression. Put your opponent
off-guard by yielding, and in effect have more control over the situation.
2.
Surrender is a way of mocking your enemies.
3.
Surrender disguises your real motives and allows time to plan your
next move.
23.
CONCENTRATE YOUR FORCES.
ü
Observance
of the Law
The
Rothschild banking family concentrated its wealth within a very tight-knit
structure.
Five brothers each controlled a part of the empire from Paris,
Frankfurt, Vienna, Naples, to London. They established themselves as a powerful
force in business and politics, keeping the secrets of the family business by
exchanging internal communications only in code or Frankfurt Yiddish. Family
policy ruled and their children intermarried, all of them first cousins.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Single-mindedness
of purpose and total concentration on one goal will overwhelm the enemy every
time.
2. A single
patron appreciates your loyalty and becomes dependent on your services.
3. In the
arts, being too single-minded can make you an intolerable bore.
24. PLAY THE PERFECT COURTIER.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Avoid
ostentation. Talk less about yourself. Modesty is generally preferable.
2. Practice
nonchalance. All your hard work must come off as effortless.
3. Be frugal
with flattery.
4. Arrange
to be noticed.
5. Alter
your style and language according to the person you are dealing with.
6. Never be
the bearer of bad news.
7. Never
affect friendliness and intimacy with your master.
8. Never
criticize those above you directly.
9. Be frugal
in asking those above you for favors.
10. Never
joke about appearances or taste.
11. Do not be
the court cynic.
12. Be
self-observant.
13. Master
your emotions.
14. Fit the
spirit of the times.
15. Be a
source of pleasure.
25. RE-CREATE YOURSELF.
ü
Observance
of the Law
Julius Caesar always
incorporated drama and theatrics in his speeches and daily appearances. He was
a great public showman, timing his entrances and exits, sponsoring extravagant spectacles,
gladiator shows and theatrical events. The masses loved him, but his rivals
feared him.
Aurore Dupin Dudevant left
her husband and family in the provinces to become a writer in Paris, something
unheard of and almost impossible for a woman to do in 1831. For the publication
of her novel Indiana, she assumed the pseudonym George Sand. She dressed
in men’s breeches, smoked cigars, and expressed herself in conversation like a man.
She even carried on affairs with the most famous artists of Europe - Musset,
Liszt, and Chopin - living with freedom and independence unlike any other
female writer before her.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Control your appearances and emotions. Play sincere, but not
necessarily be sincere.
2.
Create a memorable character. Do not limit yourself to the role
society assigns to you.
26. KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN.
ü
Observance
of the Law:
Cleopatra was always able to get people to do her bidding without
them realizing she was manipulating them. She was able to charm Julius Caesar
into restoring her to the throne of Egypt, and playing her siblings against
each other. Marc Antony was seduced by her, and had her younger sister Arsinoe
executed, ridding Cleopatra of any threats to her place as Queen.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Conceal
your mistakes. Your good name and reputation depends more on what you conceal
than on what you reveal.
2. Always
have a convenient scapegoat.
3. Never do
the dirty work yourself.
27. PLAY ON PEOPLE’S NEED TO BELIEVE TO CREATE A CULT-LIKE FOLLOWING.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Keep it
simple; keep it vague. Create new words for vague concepts.
2. Emphasize
the visual and sensual over the intellectual.
3. Borrow
the forms of organized religion to structure the group. Create rituals. Use names
and ranks and titles. Ask them to make sacrifices and give alms. Act like a guru
or a prophet.
4. Disguise
your source of income.
5. Set up an
us-versus-them dynamic. Keep followers united by identifying outsiders asa
devious enemy.
6. The
tendency to doubt and reason is broken down when we join a group.
28. ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS.
Ivan the Terrible waited five years before executing his first
major bold move. After years of persecution by the Shuisky family, the
poisoning of his mother Helena, and the banishment of his only friend
Vorontsov, the thirteen year-old Ivan invited his rival Prince Andrei Shuisky
into his room. No one feared the young boy and the boyars often ridiculed him.
When the guards were suddenly ordered to seize Prince Andrei and execute him,
no one saw it coming. This one swift and bold act secured Ivan’s power for
decades to come.
Ivan initially lay low, showing neither ambition nor discontent.
He waited until he had won over the palace guards to his side. They had come to
hate the cruelty of the Shuiskys over the years, and the time was at hand to
strike boldly and swiftly.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. The
bolder the lie, the better.
2. Lions
circle the hesitant prey.
3. Boldness
strikes fear; Fear creates authority.
4. Going
halfway digs the deeper grave. Do not negotiate if you opponent will more likely
take the opportunity to destroy you.
5. Hesitation
creates gaps. Boldness obliterates them. Move swiftly and surely.
6. Audacity
separates you from the herd.
29. PLAN ALL THE WAY TO THE END.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Take into
account all possible obstacles and circumstances that may prevent you from
achieving your goal, and plan how you will overcome them.
2. When you
see several steps ahead, you will no longer need to improvise along the way,
and risk deviating from your plan.
3. Prepare
alternatives and be open to adapt new routes to your goal.
30. MAKE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SEEM EFFORTLESS.
ü
Observance
of the Law:
Sen no Rikyu was an important tea master and adviser on aesthetic
and political matters to the Emperor Hideyoshi. He despised hosts who looked
like they were trying too hard. Cha-no-yu, or the Japanese tea ceremony, is an
art form, from the preparation to the serving; the whole process must look
natural and easy. Accidental grace and beauty were Rikyu’s specialty. On the
night before the Emperor was to visit him for a tea ceremony, he artfully laid
cushions in the snow on each stepping-stone to his house. In the morning, he
removed the cushions revealing the pattern of the stepping-stones like a perfect
mold within the snow. This was just one of Rikyu’s clever aesthetic tricks
which impressed the Emperor, never calling attention to the work gone into it,
but implying a polite gesture in itself.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. What
imitates nature by appearing effortless and natural approximates nature’s power.
2. Never
show your work until it is finished. When people see the effort and time it
takes to make it, and if they witness a work-in-progress, the magic of the
finished piece is spoiled.
31. CONTROL THE OPTIONS: GET OTHERS TO PLAY WITH THE CARDS
YOU DEAL.
ü
Observance
of the Law:
Seventeenth-century French courtesan Ninon de Lenclos needed to
devise a way of maintaining her lifestyle while having the freedom no woman
could achieve in her day. She gave her lovers and suitors three choices, a
payeur would pay for her services, but she would only sleep with him when she
liked, a martyr would not have to pay, and be part of her harem of men, and
from the martyrs she would choose a favori, or one man to whom she would
abandon herself to totally until she was tired of him. The payeurs were able to
finance her needs while she enjoyed complete freedom, independence, and variety
from her lovers. She had the equality to men no married woman of the time could
possess.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Make people your puppets and give them options to let them feel
they have control.
Force
them to choose between the lesser of two evils, both of which serve your purpose.
2.
Present options but color the one you prefer as the best solution.
3.
Force the resister into “choosing” to do what you want by
appearing to advocate the opposite.
4.
Alter the playing field so the only options available are the ones
you offer.
5.
Shrinking options force people to buy in now or else the goods won’t
be available tomorrow.
6.
The weak man must be propelled into action through fear and
terror.
7.
Involving your victim in your scheme with the threat of their
exposure later will keep them tied to you. They cannot expose you because they
will be found out as well.
8.
Use the horns of a dilemma: whichever way they choose, there is no
escape.
32. PLAY TO PEOPLE’S FANTASIES.
ü
Observance
of the Law:
In the 1700s, a mysterious stranger named George Psalmanazar came
to fame with his books and lectures on the language, culture and history of the
island of Formosa (now Taiwan). After his death, it was revealed that he was in
fact a Frenchman with a rich imagination who played on the British need for the
exotic and strange. He had invented everything he had professed to be an expert
on, having capitalized on it with best-selling books and having been a favorite
guest at many royal dinners.
Abraham Lincoln created an image of himself as the homespun
country lawyer with a beard. He played to the fantasy of the common man’s president.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. People
need a fantasy to escape from the humdrum of everyday life. The more vague and
exotic, the more captivating.
2. Promise a
pot of gold and instant gratification, rather than a gradual improvement through
hard work.
3. Keep your
distance so the fantasy remains intact.
33.
DISCOVER EACH MAN’S THUMBSCREW.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Every person has a weakness or insecurity you can use to your
advantage.
2.
Train yourself to probe for weaknesses in everyday conversation.
3.
Find the childhood need that went unfulfilled, supply it, and your
victim will be unable to resist you.
4.
People’s weaknesses are the opposite of the qualities they reveal
to you. The shy person is actually dying for attention; a prude may be hiding a
lascivious soul, etc.
5.
Find the weak link or the one person in a group who will bend
under pressure.
6.
Feed on uncontrollable emotions or motive – paranoia, lust, greed,
vanity, or hatred.
7.
When searching for suckers, always look for the unhappy, insecure
and dissatisfied.
34. BE ROYAL IN YOUR OWN FASHION: ACT LIKE A KING TO BE TREATED
LIKE ONE.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
How you carry yourself reflects what you think of yourself. Exude
confidence and the feeling you were destined for greatness.
2.
Do not confuse regal bearing with arrogance.
3.
Dignity is the mask you assume under difficult circumstances. Act
like nothing can affect you and you have all the time in the world to respond.
4.
Set your price high and do not waver.
5.
Deal with the highest person in the building.
6.
A gift is an equalizer. You do not beg but ask for help in a
dignified way.
35. MASTER THE ART OF TIMING.
Time as a
human-made concept
There are three kinds of time we deal with when building power:
the Long Time is the years-long period of waiting for the right opportunity
while creating a strong foundation or base to work from. Forced Time is
upsetting the timing of others and setting their deadlines for them. The
opponent will be more likely to make mistakes because of the need to hurry, or
in the case of business, will be forced to buy whatever you offer because the
time to make a decision is limited. End Time is when we execute a plan with speed
and absolutely no hesitation.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Never look as though you are in a hurry. It betrays a lack of control.
2.
Learn to stand back and be patient. Strike only when the time is
right.
3.
Anticipate events and work with the spirit of the times.
4.
Recognizing the prevailing winds does not necessarily mean running
with them.
36. DISDAIN THINGS YOU CANNOT HAVE: IGNORING THEM IS THE
BEST REVENGE.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. The more
attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him. The less interest you show,
the more superior you seem.
2. Remember:
You choose to let things bother you. You can just as easily choose to consider
the matter trivial and unworthy of your interest. That is the powerful move.
3. If it is
impossible to ignore, then secretly get rid of it. Sometimes threats just go
away by themselves.
37. CREATE COMPELLING SPECTACLES.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Never neglect the way you arrange things visually.
2.
Associate yourself with colors, images and symbols that
communicate strong messages.
3.
People are always impressed by the superficial appearance of
things, the grand, and the spectacular, what is larger than life.
38. THINK
AS YOU LIKE BUT BEHAVE LIKE OTHERS.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Wise and clever people learn early on that they can display
conventional behavior and mouth conventional ideas without having to believe in
them.
2.
Put on the mask appropriate to the group you are joining.
39. STIR UP WATERS TO CATCH FISH.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Anger and emotion are strategically unproductive. Make your
enemies angry but stay calm yourself.
2.
Angry people usually end up looking ridiculous.
3.
Nothing in the game of power is personal.
4.
An occasional outburst may be powerful, but use anger too often
and it loses its power.
40. DESPISE THE FREE LUNCH.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
By paying your own way you stay free of gratitude. What is offered
for free normally has a hidden obligation.
2.
Generosity is a sign of power. Most powerful people spend freely
and are not misers.
3.
Use money as a way to give pleasure to others and win them over.
41. AVOID STEPPING INTO A GREAT MAN’S SHOES.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Choose a different path and personal style if you are the daughter
or son of a great person. You will forever be in your predecessor’s shadow
unless you find a way to shine on your own.
2.
Only after the father figure has been done away with will there be
space to establish a new order.
3.
Do not become complacent once you reach success and security.
Prosperity makes us lazy. Writers like Tennessee Williams and Fyodor
Dostoyevsky preferred the struggle to security; the way poverty or emotional
difficulties pushed them to create good work.
42. STRIKE THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP WILL SCATTER.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Within
any group, trouble can be traced to a single source, the unhappy, chronically
unsatisfied one who stirs up dissension and infects the group.
2. Recognize
troublemakers by their complaining nature. Separate him from the group.
3. In every
group power is concentrated in the hands of one or two people. Human nature
shows people will orbit around a single strong personality.
43. WORK ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OTHERS.
ü
Transgression
of the Law
Marie-Antoinette was put to death by guillotine in 1793, after the
French monarchy was ended by the revolution. Not a single soul came to her
defense. Marie-Antoinette brought upon herself the hatred of all. Her jewelry,
wardrobe, hair, and masked balls, her lavish lifestyle had been more important
to her than the needs of her people.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1. Aim at
the primary emotions: love, hate, and jealousy. Be alert to people’s individual
psychologies and their basic emotional responses.
2. Maintain
a stable of writers, artists, or intellectuals who are very good at appealing
to people’s hearts and minds.
44.
DISARM AND INFURIATE WITH THE MIRROR EFFECT.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
The neutralizing effect: Do what your enemies do, follow their
actions and they will not see what you are up to. When you mirror them, if
mocks and humiliates them. Mimicry infuriates.
2.
The Shadow effect: Shadow your opponents’ every move, gather
information, and gain insight to their routines and habits without them seeing
you.
3.
The Mirror effect: Show you understand by reflecting their
innermost feelings.
4.
The Moral effect: Teach others a lesson by giving them a taste of
their own medicine.
5.
The Hallucinatory effect: offer a perfect copy of an object, place
or person and see how people take the bait.
45. PREACH THE NEED FOR CHANGE, BUT NEVER REFORM TOO MUCH AT ONCE.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Make change and reform seem like a gentle improvement on the past.
People are creatures of habit and the sudden change will cause some to rebel.
2.
Disguise change by dressing it in tradition.
46. NEVER APPEAR TOO PERFECT.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
Never underestimate the power of envy. Occasionally reveal a
weakness, defect, or anxiety, or find new friends. It is the people in your own
circle of peers who will be the first to envy your success.
2.
Envy is often a problem for people who have great natural talent.
You may think you are charming people with your natural talent when in fact
they are coming to hate you for it.
3.
To deflect envy, employ a display of weakness, or a harmless vice.
4.
Envy is disguised sometimes as excessive praise, or slander and
criticism. Win your revenge by ignoring the envious.
5.
Reversal: Display the utmost disdain for those who envy you.
Instead of hiding your perfection, make it obvious. Make every triumph an
opportunity to make the envious squirm.
47. DO NOT GO PAST THE MARK YOU AIMED FOR; IN VICTORY, LEARN WHEN
TO STOP.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
1.
The powerful know that the essence of strategy is controlling what
comes next.
2.
There is no better time to stop and walk away than after a
victory.
48. ASSUME FORMLESSNESS.
Wisdom in a nutshell:
Accept the fact that
nothing is certain and no law is fixed. Be as fluid and formless as water,
adapting and moving with change naturally. The powerful are creative in expressing
something new. This feminine, formless style of ruling as practiced by
Elizabeth of England and
Catherine of Russia, allows flexibility and makes subjects feel less coerced.
Play the chameleon but break your enemy from the inside. Morph and adapt but
keep your long-term strategy in mind at all times.
Source: 48 Power of Power by
Robert Greene
