48LAWS OF POWER
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.
" 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.
"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.
" 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.
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."
" 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
.." 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 godlike 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.
" 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.
" 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..
" 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 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.
." 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.
" 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.
." When asking for help, appeal to
people's self-interest, never to
their mercy or gratitude "
If you need to turn to an alley 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.
" 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
weakness and intentions. There is no occasion that is not an opportunity for artful spying.
" 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.
" 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." Source: Robert Greene's "The 48 Laws Of Power.
" 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." Source: Robert Greene's "The 48 Laws Of Power
." 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." Source: Robert Greene's "The 48 Laws Of Power
Know who you are dealing with---never offend the wrong person
There are many different kids 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." Source: Robert Greene's "The 48 Laws Of Power.
Do not commit to anyone
It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do
not commit to any side or cause by yourself. By
maintaining your independence, you become the
master of others — playing people against one
another, making them pursue you." Source: Robert Greene's "The 48 Laws Of Power.
" 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 have ulterior motives.” Source: Robert Greene's "The 48 Laws Of Power.
" 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.
" 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 one key patron, the fat cow who will
give you milk for a long time to come.
" 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.
." Re-create yourself “Do not accept the roles that society foists on you.
Re-create 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.”
" 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’s-paws to disguise your
involvement.
" Play on people's need to believe
to create a cultlike 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.
" Enter action with boldness
“If you are unsure of a course of action, do not
attempt it. Your doubt 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.
" 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.”
" 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.”
" 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.”
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
with 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.” Source: Robert Greene's "The 48 Laws Of Power.
" 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
secret pleasure. Either way, once found, it is a
thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage.
." 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.
" 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.”
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.”
" 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 raiding symbols that
heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances,
no one will notice what you are really doing.”
" Think as you like but behave like
others
“If you make a show of going against the times,
flaunting your unconventional ideas and
unorthodox way, people will think that you only
want attention and that you look down upon
them.They will find away 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.”
" 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 by 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 string.
" 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 corners with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for
generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.”
" 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.”
" 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.”
" 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 into 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.
." 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.”
" 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.”
." Never appear too perfect “
Appearing better than others is always
dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear
to have no faults or weaknesses. 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.”
" Do not go past the mark you
aimed for; in victory, learn
when to stop
“The moment of victory is often the moment of
greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance
and overconfidence can push you past the goal
you had aimed for, and by going too far, you
make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow
success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal and
when you reach it, stop.”
" 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 lasting order.
Everything changes.”
To see other interesting topics,click here
Thanks bro,it really helped...
ReplyDeleteyou are welcomed dear
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete