A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. 12 th of 48 laws of power Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim Never teach them enough so that they can do without you. Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. 11 th of 48 laws of power Learn to keep people dependent on you Associate with the happy and fortunate instead. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves they will also draw it on you. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as disease. 10 th of 48 laws of power Infection, avoid the unhappy and unlucky It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. 9 th of 48 laws of power Win through your actions, never through argumentĪny momentary triumph you think gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory. Lure him with fabulous gains – then attack. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. 8 th of 48 laws of power Make other people come to you, use bait if necessary Never do yourself what others can do for you. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. 7 th of 48 laws of power Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion.
6 th of 48 laws of power Court attention at all costĮverything is judged by its appearance what is unseen counts for nothing. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations.
Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. 5 th of 48 laws of power So much depends on reputation, guard it with your life The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinx-like. When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelope them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. 3 rd of 48 laws of power Conceal your intentions If you have no enemies, find a way to make them. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove.
48 laws of power chapters how to#
2 nd of 48 laws of power Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemiesīe wary of friends-they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite, to inspire fear and insecurity.
1 st of 48 laws of power Never outshine the masterĪlways make those above you feel comfortably superior. The 48 Laws of Power summary outlines three thousand years of experience in achieving power and success in a list of simple rules and laws - the laws of nature. Put on the glasses of experience and flash the summary of 48 laws of power upon the crowd.