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Taken
from: THE FORTY-EIGHT (48)
LAWS OF POWER by Robert Green PREFACE LAW 1 NEVER
OUTSHINE THE MASTER Always make
those above you feel comfortably superior.
In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in
displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite-inspire fear
and insecurity. Make your
masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights
of power. LAW 2 NEVER PUT
TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW
TO USE ENEMIES Be wary of
friends--they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to
envy. They also become spoiled
and tyrannical. But hire a
former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more
to prove. In fact, you have
more to fear from friends than from enemies.
If you have no enemies, find a way to make them. LAW 3 CONCEAL
YOUR INTENTIONS Keep people
off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your
actions. If they have no clue
what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the
wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your
intentions, it will be too late. LAW 4 ALWAYS SAY
LESS THAN NECESSARY When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say,
the more common you appear, and the less in control Even if you are saying
something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended,
and sphinx-like. Powerful
people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely
you are to say something foolish. LAW 5 SO MUCH DEPENDS ON REPUTATION-GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE Reputation is
the cornerstone of power through reputation alone you can intimidate and
win, once it slips, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on
all sides. Make your
reputation unassailable. Always
be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your
enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public
opinion hang them. LAW 6 COURT
ATTENTION AT ALL COST Everything is
judged by its appearance, what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the
crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand
out. Be conspicuous, at all
cost. Make yourself a magnet
of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious than the
bland and timid masses. LAW 7 GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE CREDIT Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further
your own cause. Not only will
such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a
god-like aura of efficiency and speed.
In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can
do for you. LAW 8 MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU-USE BAIT IF NECESSARY When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your
opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains--then
attack. You hold the cards. LAW 9 WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is
really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is
stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions,
without saying a word. Demonstrate,
do not explicate. LAW 10 INFECTION: AVOID THE UNHAPPY AND UNLUCKY You can die from someone else's misery--emotional states are as
infectious as diseases. You
may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating
your own disaster The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves;
they will also draw it on you. Associate
with the happy and fortunate instead. LAW 11 LEARN TO KEEP PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON YOU To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the
more freedom you have. Make
people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have
nothing to fear Never teach them enough so that they can do without you. LAW 12 USE SELECTIVE HONESTY AND GENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIM One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest
ones. Open-hearted gestures of
honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious
people. Once your selective
honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at
will. A timely gift--a Trojan
horse--will serve the same purpose. LAW 13 WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE'S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him
of your past assistance and good deeds.
He will find a way to ignore you.
Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with
him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something
to be gained for himself. LAW 14 POSE AS A FRIEND, WORK AS A SPY Knowing about your rival is critical.
Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step
ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself.
In polite social encounters, learn to probe. Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their
weaknesses and intentions. There
is no occasion that is not an opportunity for artful spying. LAW 15 CRUSH YOUR
ENEMY TOTALLY All great
leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed
completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember
is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually
break out. More is lost
through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will
recover, and will seek revenge. Crush
him, not only in body, but in spirit. LAW 16 USE
ABSENCE TO INCREASE RESPECT AND HONOR Too much
circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from,
the more common you Appear. If you are already established in a
group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even
more admired. You must learn
when to leave. Create value
through scarcity. LAW 17 KEEP OTHERS IN SUSPENDED TERROR: CULTIVATE AN AIR OF
UNPREDICTABILITY Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see
familiarity in other people’s actions.
Your predictability gives them a sense of control. Turn the tables: Be deliberately
unpredictable. Behavior that
seems to have no consistency or purpose will keep them off balance, and
they will wear themselves out trying to explain your moves. Taken to an extreme, this strategy
can intimidate and terrorize. LAW 18 DO NOT BUILD FORTRESSES TO PROTECT YOURSELF-ISOLATION IS DANGEROUS The world is dangerous and enemies are everywhere--everyone has to
protect themselves. A fortress
seems the safest. But
isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from-it cuts you
off from valuable information, it makes you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to circulate among people,
find allies mingle. You are
shielded from your enemies by the crowd. LAW 19 KNOW WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH-DO NOT OFFEND THE WRONG PERSON There are many
different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that
everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuver some people
and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs' clothing. Choose your victims and opponents
carefully, then never offend or deceive the wrong person. LAW 20 DO NOT COMMIT TO ANYONE It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause
but yourself. By maintaining
your independence, you become the master of others--playing people against
one another, making them pursue you. LAW 21 PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKER-SEEM DUMBER THAN YOUR MARK No one likes feeling stupider than the next person. The trick, then, is to make your
victims feel smart--and not just smart, but smarter than you are. Once convinced of this, they will
never suspect that you may have ulterior motives. LAW 22 USE THE SURRENDER TACTIC: TRANSFORM WEAKNESS INTO POWER When you are weaker, never fight for honor's sake, choose surrender
instead. Surrender gives you
time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to
wait for his power to wane. Do
not give him the satisfaction of fighting and defeating you, surrender
first. By turning the other cheek you infuriate and unsettle
him. Make surrender a tool of
power. LAW 23 CONCENTRATE YOUR FORCES Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at
their strongest point. You
gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper, than by flitting
from one shallow mine to another--intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find
the one key patron, the fat cow that will give you milk for a long time to
come. LAW 24 PLAY THE PERFECT COURTIER The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves
around power and political dexterity.
He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yields to
superiors, and asserts power over others in the most oblique and graceful
manner. Learn and apply the
laws of courtiership and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court. LAW 25 RE-CREATE YOURSELF Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Recreate yourself by forging a new
identity, one that commands
attention and never bores the audience.
Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define
it for you. Incorporate
dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions--your power will be
enhanced and your character will seem larger than life. L A W 2 6 KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are
never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless
appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat-paws to disguise your involvement. LAW 27 PLAY ON PEOPLE'S NEED TO BELIEVE TO CREATE A CULT-LIKE FOLLOWING People
have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point
of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of
promise, emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to
perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized
religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold
power LAW 28 ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will
infect your execution. Timidity
is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness.
Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with
more audacity. Everyone
admires the bold, no one honors the timid. LAW 29 PLAN ALL THE WAY TO THE END The ending is everything. Plan
all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences,
obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the
glory to others. By planning
to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when
to stop. Gently guide fortune
and help determine the future by thinking far ahead. LAW 30 MAKE YOUR
ACCOMPLISHMENTS SEEM EFFORTLESS Your actions
must seem natural and executed with ease.
All the toil and practice that go into them, and also all the clever
tricks, must be concealed. When
you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of revealing how hard you work--it
only raises questions. Teach
no one your tricks or they will be used against you. LAW 31 CONTROL THE OPTIONS: GET OTHERS TO PLAY WITH THE CARDS YOU DEAL The best
deceptions are the ones that seem to give the other person a choice: Your
victims feel they are in control, but are actually your puppets. Give people options that come out
in your favor whichever one they choose.
Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils, both of
which serve your purpose. Put
them on the horns of a dilemma: They are gored wherever they turn. L A W 3 2 PLAY TO PEOPLE'S FANTASIES The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality
unless you are prepared for the anger that comes from disenchantment. Life is so harsh and distressing
that people who can manufacture romance or conjure up fantasy are like
oases in the desert: Everyone flocks to them. There is great power in tapping
into the fantasies of the masses. LAW 33 DISCOVER EACH MAN'S THUMBSCREW Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usually an
insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need,- it can also be a small
secret pleasure. Either way,
once found, it is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage. LAW 34 BE ROYAL IN YOUR OWN FASHION: ACT LIKE A KING TO BE TREATED LIKE ONE The way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated. In the long run, appearing vulgar
or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself and inspires the same
sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem
destined to wear a crown. LAW 35 MASTER THE
ART OF TIMING Never seem to be in a hurry--hurrying betrays a lack of control over
yourself, and over time. Always
seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right
moment, sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you
to power. Learn to stand back
when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached
fruition. LAW 36 DISDAIN THINGS YOU CANNOT HAVE: IGNORING THEM IS THE BEST REVENGE By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and
credibility. The more
attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him, and a small mistake
is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to leave
things alone. If there is something you want but cannot have, show
contempt for it. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem. LAW 37 - CREATE COMPELLING SPECTACLES Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of
power-- everyone responds to them. Stage
spectacles for those around you, then, full of arresting visuals and
radiant symbols that heighten your presence.
Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really
doing. LAW 38 THINK AS YOU LIKE BUT BEHAVE LIKE OTHERS If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your
unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only
want attention and that you took down upon them. They will find a way to punish you
for making them feel inferior It is far safer to blend in and nurture the
common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and
those who are sure to appreciate your uniqueness. LAW 39 STIR UP WATERS TO CATCH FISH Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and
objective. But if you can make
your enemies angry while staying calm yourself you gain a decided
advantage. Put your enemies
off-balance. Find the chink in
their vanity through which you can rattle them and you hold the strings. LAW 40 DESPISE THE FREE LUNCH What is offered for free is dangerous--it usually involves either a
trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for By paying
your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the
full price--there is no cutting comers with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for
generosity is a sign and a magnet for power LAW 41
AVOID STEPPING INTO A GREAT MAN'S SHOES What happens first always appears better and more original than what
comes after. If you succeed a
great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double their
achievements to outshine them. Do
not get lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making. Establish your own name and
identity by changing course. Slay
the overbearing father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by shining in
your own way. LAW 42 STRIKE THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP WILL SCATTER Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual--the
stirrer, the arrogant underling, the poisoner of goodwill. If you allow such people room to operate, others will
succumb to their influence. Do
not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate
with them--they are irredeemable. Neutralize
their influence by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source of the trouble
and the sheep will scatter LAW 43 WORK ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OTHERS Coercion creates a reaction that will
eventually work against you. You
must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. A person you have seduced becomes your loyal pawn. And the way to seduce others is to
operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften up the resistant by working on their emotions,
playing on what they hold dear and what they fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of
others and they will grow to hate you. LAW 44 DISARM AND INFURIATE WITH THE MIRROR EFFECT The mirror reflects reality, but it is also the perfect tool for
deception: When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as they do, they
cannot figure out your strategy. The
Mirror Effect mocks and humiliates them, making them overreact. By holding up a mirror to their
psyches, you seduce them with the illusion that you share their values; by
holding up a mirror to their actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist the power of the Mirror Effect. LAW 45 PREACH THE NEED FOR CHANGE, BUT NEVER REFORM TOO MUCH AT ONCE Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the
day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to
revolt. If you are new to a
position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show
of respecting the old way of doing things.
If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on
the past. LAW 46 NEVER
APPEAR TOO PERFECT than others is
always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults
or vy creates silent enemies. It
is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in
order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity. LAW 47 DO NOT GO
PAST THE MARK YOU AIMED FOR; IN
VICTORY, LEARN WHEN TO STOP LAW 48 ASSUME
FORMLESSNESS By taking
a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form for your
enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is
fixed. The best way to protect
yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water, never bet on stability or
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