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 must 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
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
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
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
Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen
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
Stand out
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
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
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
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
Law 13: When asking for help, appeal to people's self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude
Uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion
Law 14: Pose as a friend, work as a spy
Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses and intentions
Law 15: Crush your enemy totally
A feared enemy must be crushed completely
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
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
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
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
Law 18: Do not build fortresses to protect yourself—isolation is dangerous
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 alliies, mingle
You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd
Law 19: Know who you're dealing with—do not offend the wrong person
Choose your victims and opponents carefully
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
Make your victims feel smart—and not just smart, but smarter than you. 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 conquror, 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
Law 23: Concentrate your forces
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
Law 24: Play the perfect courtier
Law 25: 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
Law 26: Keep your hands clean
Law 27: Play on people's need to believe to create a cultlike following
People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something
Offer them a cause, a new faith to follow
Emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking
Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf
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
Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid
Law 29: Plan all the way to the end
Plan all the way to the end, 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
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
Law 31: Control the options: get others to play with the cards you deal
Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose
Law 32: Play to people's fantasies
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
Law 33: Discover each man's thumbscrew
Everyone has a weakness. The weakness is usually an insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a secret pleasure
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
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
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 the 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
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 look down upon them
Law 39: Stir up waters to catch fish
Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and objective
If you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage
Law 40: Despise the free lunch
What is offered as 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
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
Establish your own name and identity by changing course
Law 42: Strick the shepherd and the sheep will scatter
Law 43: Work on the hearts and minds of others
The way to seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses
Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you
Law 44: Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect
When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as thy do, they cannot figure out your strategy
Law 45: Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once
People are creatures of habit
Too much innovation is traumatic and will lead to revolt
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
Most dangerous 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
Law 47: Do not go past the mark you aimed for; in victory, learn when to stop
In the heart 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
Set a goal, and when you reach it, 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 as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes
When we feel helpless we feel miserable
We have to seem fair and decent
"Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good." - Niccolò Machiavellii
Those who make a show or display of innocence are the least innocent of all
If the game of power is inescapable, better to be an artist than a denier or a bungler
The most important skill is the ability to master your emotioins
An emotional response to a situation is the single greatest barrier to power, a mistake that will cost you a lot more than any temporary satisfaction you might gain by expressing your feelings
Emotions cloud reason, and if you cannot see the situation clearly, you cannot prepare for and respond to it with any degree of control
Distance yourself from the present moment and think objectively about the past and future
Half of the game is learning how to forget those events in the past that eat away at you and cloud your reason
The real purpose of the backward glancing eye is to educate yourself constantly—you look at the past to learn from those who cam before you
Patience will protect you from making moronic blunders
Like mastering your emotions, patience is a skill—it does not come naturally
Patience is the supreme virtue of the gods, who have nothing but time
Everything good will happen if you give it time and see several steps into the future
Impatience only makes you look weak
Power is a game and in games you do not judge your opponents by their intentions but by the effect of their actions
It is only natural for people to cover up their actions with all kinds of justifications, always assuming that they have acted out of goodness
You must learn to inwardly laugh each time you hear this and never get caught up in gauging someone's intentions and actions through a set of moral judgments that are really an excuse for the accumulation of power
It is a game. Behave as a gentleman, observe the rules of the game and take nothing personally. You play with a strategy and you observe your opponent's moves with as much calmness as you can muster
Train your eye to follow the results of their moves, the outward circumstances, and do not be distracted by anything else
Half of your mastery of power comes from what you do not do, what you do not allow yourself to get dragged into. For this skill you must learn to judge all things by what they cost you
"The value of a thing sometimes lies not in what one attains with it, but in what one pays for it—what it costs us." - Nietzsche
Life is short, opportunities are few, and you have only so much energy to draw on. And in this sense time is as important a consideration as any other. Never waste valuable time, or mental peace of mind, on the affairs of others—that is too high a price to pay
Power is a social game. To learn and master it, you must develop the ability to study and understand people
You must recognize motivations and see through the cloud of dust with which people surround their actions. An understanding of people's hidden motives is the single greatest piece of knowledge you can have in acquiring powder. It opens up endless possibilities of deception, seduction, and manipulation
Never discriminate as to whom you study and whom you trust. Never trust anyone completely and study everyone, including friends and loved ones
You must learn always to take the indirect route to power
Law 1: Never outshine the master
Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please and impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite—inspire fear and insecurity. Make your master appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power
All masters want to appear more brilliant than other people
The producer of a great work wants to feel he is more than just the provider of the financing. He wants to appear creative and powerful, and also more important than the work produced in his name
Everyone has insecurities. When you show yourself in the world and display your talents, you naturally stir up all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity
You cannot spend your life worrying about the petty feelings of others
Never image that because the master loves you, you can do anything you want
Never take your position for granted and never let any favors you receive go to your head
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
You often do not know your friends as well as you imagine
When you decide to hire a friend, you gradually discover the qualities he or she has kept hidden. Strangely enough, it is your act of kindness that unbalances everything. People want to feel they deserve their good fortune
The problem with using or hiring friends is that it will inevitably limit your power. The friend is rarely the one who is most able to help you; and in the end, skill and competence are far more important than friendly feelings
All working situations require a kind of distance between people. You are trying to work, not make friends
The key to power is the ability to judge who is best able to further your interests in all situations
Keep friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent
"You destroy an enemy when you make a friend of him" - Abraham Lincoln
Without enemies around us, we grow lazy. An enemy at our heels sharpens our wits, keeping us focused and alert
Be certain that in the long run you will emerge victorious. Never pick a fight with someone you are not sure you can defeat
Never let the presence of enemies upset or distress you—you are far better off with a declared opponent or two than not knowing where your real enemies lie
The man of power welcomes conflict, using enemies to enhance his reputation as a surefooted fighter who can be relied upon in times of uncertainty
If both partners in the arrangement understand the dangers involved, a friend often can be employed to great effect. You must never let your guard down in such a venture, always be on the lookout for any signs of emotional disturbances such as envy and ingratitude. Nothing is stable in the realm of power, and even the closest friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies
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
A woman who is interested in a man wants to see that other women are interested in him, too. Not only does that give him instant value, it makes it all the more satisfying to snatch him from their clutches
Your honesty is likely to offend people; it is much more prudent to tailor your words, telling people what they want to hear rather than the coarse and ugly truth of what you feel or think
By being unabashedly open you make yourself so predictable and familiar that it is almost impossible to respect or fear you, and power will not accrue to a person who cannot inspire such emotions
People can only focus on one thing at a time
Conceal your purpose and hide your progress; do not disclose the extent of your designs until they cannot be opposed, until the combat is over. Win the victory before you declare the war
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
Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less
The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish
A person who cannot control his words shows that he cannot control himself, and is unworthy of respect
The human tongue is a beast that few can master. It strains constantly too break out of its cage, and if it is not tamed, it will run wild and cause you grief
Power cannot accrue to those who squander their treasure of words
"It is even more damaging for a minister to say foolish things than to do them." - Cardinal de Retz
Power is in many ways a game of appearances, and when you say less than necessary, you inevitably appear greater and more powerful than you are
Your silence will make other people uncomfortable
Humans are machines of interpretation and explanation; they have to know what you are thinking
Once the words are out, you cannot take them back. Keep them under control. Be particularly careful with sarcasm: the momentary satisfaction you gain with your biting words will be outweighed by the price you pay
Authority: never start moving your own lips and teeth before the subordinates do. The longer I keep quiet, the sooner others move their lips and teeth. As they move their lips and teeth, I can thereby understand their real intentions
By talking more, and making yourself appear weaker and less intelligent than your mark, you can practice deception with greater ease
Law 5: so much depends on reputation—guard it with your life
Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides
Whether the exact same deeds appear brilliant or dreadful can depend entirely on the reputation of the doer
Your reputation inevitably precedes you, and if it inspires respect, a lot of your work is done for you before you arrive on the scene, or utter a single word
Once your reputation is solid, do not let yourself get angry or defensive at the slanderous comments of your enemies—that reveals insecurity, not confidence in your reputation
Take the high road and never appear desperate in your self-defense
Be the master of your fate, and also of your reputation
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
Draw attention to yourself by creating an unforgettable, even controversial image
Society craves larger-than-life figures, people who stand above the general mediocrity
People feel superior to the person whose actions they can predict
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
Never do yourself what others can do for you
Learn to use the knowledge of the past and you will look like a genius, even when you are really just a clever borrower
Law 8: make other people come to you—use bait if necessary
When you force the other 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
Most often the most effective action is to stay back, keep calm, and let others be frustrated by the traps you lay for them, playing for long-term power rather than quick victory
The essence of power is the ability to keep the initiative, to get others to react to your moves, to keep your opponent and those around you on the defensive
You must learn to master your emotions, and never to be influenced by anger; meanwhile, however, you must play on people's natural tendency to react angrily when pushed and baited
For negotiations or meetings, it is always wise to lure others into your territory, or the territory of your choice
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
Since each man believes that he is right, and words will rarely convince him otherwise, the arguer's reasoning falls on deaf ears. When cornered, he only argues more, digging his own grave
Learn to demonstrate the correctness of your ideas indirectly
In the realm of power you must learn to judge your moves by their long-term effects on other people
"The truth is generally seen, rarely heard." - Baltasar Gracián
When aiming for power, or trying to conserve it, always look for the indirect route. And also choose your battles carefully. If it does not matter in the long run whether the other person agrees with you—or if time and their own experience will make them understand what you mean—then it is best not even to bother with a demonstration. Save your energy and walk away
Never argue. In society nothing must be discussed; give only results
Verbal argument has one vital use in the realm of power: To distract and cover your tracks when you are practicing deception or are caught in a lie. Draw the other person into an argument to distract them from your deceptive move. When caught in a lie, the more emotional and certain you appear, the less likely it seems that you are lying
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
Human are extremely susceptible to the moods, emotions, and even the ways of thinking of those with whom they spend their time
Judge people on the effects they have on the world and not on the reasons they give for their problems
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
By knowing other people's secrets, by holding information that they wouldn't want broadcast, you seal your fate with theirs
"It is better to be feared than loved." - Machiavelli
Fear you can control; love, never. Depending on an emotion as subtle and changeable as love or friendship will only make you insecure
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
An act of kindness, generosity, or honesty is often the most powerful form of distraction bbecause it disarms other people's suspicions. It turns them into children, eagerly lapping up any kind of affectionate gesture.
"Giving before you take"—the giving makes it hard for the other person to notice the taking
Brazenly taking somthing from someone is dangerous, even for the powerful. The victim will plot revenge. It is also dangerous simply to ask for what you need, no matter how politely. Unless the other person sees some gain for themselves, they may come to resent your neediness
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
When people choose between talk about the past and talk about the future, a pragmatic person will always opt for the future and forget the past
There is an art to asking for help, an art that depends on your ability to understand the person you are dealing with, and to not confuse your needs with theirs
Even the most powerful person is locked inside needs of his own, and that if you make no appeal to his self-interest, he merely sees you as desperate or, at best, a waste of time
Every person shares the timeless and universal concern: self-interest. Do not be subtle: You have valuable knowledge to share, you will fill his coffers with gold, you will make him live longer and happier. This is a language that all of us speak and understand
At each step on the way to acquiring power, you must train yourself to think your way inside the other person's mind, to see their needs and interests, to get rid of the screen of your own feelings that obscure the truth. Master this art and there will be no limits to what you can accomplish
The shortest and best way to make your fortune is to let people see clearly that it is in their interests to promote yours
Some people will see an appeal to their self-interest as ugly and ignoble. They actually prefer to be able to exercise charity, mercy, and justice, which are their ways of feeling superior to you
Law 14: Pose as a friend, work as a spy
Are yourself with a little knowledge and your aim improves
Suppress yourself in conversation. Make others talk endlessly about themselves and inadvertently reveal their intentions and plans
Law 15: Crush your enemy totally
The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit
They may act friendly for the time being, but this is only because you have defeated them
Law 16: Use absence to increase respect and honor
Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more 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
In the beginning, make yourself not scare but omnipresent. Only what is seen, appreciated, and loved will be missed in its absence
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
Isolation cuts you off from valuable information, makes you conspicuous and an easy target
Retreat into a fortress and you lose contact with the sources of your power. You lose your ear for what is happening around you, as well as a sense of proportion
In moments of uncertainty and danger, you need to fight the desire to turn inward, and instead, make yourself more accessible, seek out old allies and make new ones, force yourself into more and more different circles
Since power is a human creation, it is inevitably increased by contact with other people
The only thing that constant human contact cannot facilitate is thought. The weight of society's pressure to conform, and the lack of distance from other people, can make it impossible to think clearly about what is going on around you. Isolation can help you to gain perspective
If at any point in your dealings with a person you sense an oversensitive and overactive pride, flee. Whatever you are hoping for from him isn't worth it
Never assume the person you are dealing with is weaker or less important than you are
There is nothing to be gained by insulting a person unnecessarily
Never trust appearances. A person who is blustery on the outside is often really a coward. Never trust the version that people give of themselves—it is utterly unreliable
Law 20: Do not commit to anyone
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
If you allow people to feel they possess you to any degree, you lose all power over them. By not committing your affections, they will only try harder to win you over
To play the game properly, you must seem interested in other people's problems, even sometimes appear to take their side. But while you make outward gestures of support, you must maintain your inner energy and sanity by keeping your emotions disengaged
Your moves stay matters of your own choosing, not defensive reactions to the push-and-pull of those around you
You only have so much energy and so much time. Every moment wasted on the affairs of others subtracts from your strength
Law 21: Play a sucker to catch a sucker—seem dumber than your mark
Given how important the idea of intelligence is to most people's vanity, it is critical never inadvertently to insult or impugn a person's brain power
Always make people believe they are smarter and more sophisticated than you are
You should get in the habit of downplaying your intelligence at all times
Law 22: Use the surrender tactic: transform weakness into power
When you are weaker, never fight for honor's sake; choose surrender instead
"Weak people never give way when they ought to." - Cardinal de Retz
The essence of the surrender tactic: inwardly you stay firm, but outwardly you bend
Law 23: Concentrate your forces
The mind must not wander from goal to goal, or be distracted by success from its sense of purpose and proportion
Law 24: Play the perfect courtier
It is never prudent to prattle on about yourself or call too much attention to your actions. The more you talk about your deeds the more suspicion you cause
Always talk less about yourself than about other people
Never see, to be working too hard
Be frugal with flattery
You must change your style and your way of speaking to suit each person
Never be the bearer of bad news
Never affect friendliness and intimacy with your master
Express admiration for the good work of others
Never be so self-absorbed as to believe that the master is interested in your criticisms of him, no matter how accurate they are
Law 25: 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
You must learn to enlarge your actions through dramatic techniques such as surprise, suspense, the creation of sympathy, and symbolic identification
You must be constantly aware of your audience—of what will please them and what will bore them
The world wants to assign you a role in life. And once you accept that role you are doomed
Remake yourself into a character of power. Working on yourself like clay should be one of your greatest and most pleasurable life tasks
The first step in the process of self-creation is self-consciousness—being aware of yourself as an actor and taking control of your appearance and emotions
Law 26: Keep your hands clean
Part 1: Conceal your mistakes—have a scapegoat around to take the blame
Our good name and reputation depend more on what we conceal than on what we reveal
Part 2: Make use of the cat's paw
If there is something unpleasant or unpopular that needs to be done, it is far too risky for you to do the work yourself. You need a cat's paw—someone who does the dirty, dangerous work for you
Law 27: 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
5 Steps of cultmaking:
Step 1: Keep it vague; keep it simple
Do this through your words, not your actions
Promise something great and transformative, and totally vague
Step 2: Emphasize the visual, and the sensual over the intellectual
Amuse the bored, and ward off the cynics
Step 3: Borrow the forms of organized religion to structure the group
Create rituals for your followers; organize them into a hierarchy, ranking them in grades of sanctity, and giving them names and titles that resound with religious overtones; ask them for sacrifices that will fill your coffers and increase your power
Step 4: Disguise your source of income
You must never be seen as hungry for money and the power it brings
Step 5: Set up an us-versus-them dynamic
Make sure your followers believe they are part of an exclusive club, unified by a bond of common goals
Manufacture the notion of a devious enemy out to ruin you
People are not interested in the truth about change. They do not want to hear that it has come from hard work, or from anything as banal as exhaustion, boredom, or depression
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
Hesitation puts obstacles in your path, boldness eliminates them
When entering any kind of negotiation, go further than you planned. Ask for the moon and you will be surprised how often you get it
The bold move makes you seem larger and more powerful than you are
By intimidating with a bold move, you establish a precedent: in every subsequent encounter, people will be on the defensive, in terror of your next strike
The swiftness of the move and the energy of the action leave others no space to doubt and worry
We admire the bold and prefer to be around them, because their self-confidence infects us and draws us outside our own realm of inwardness and reflection
Law 29: Plan all the way to the end
Plan all the way to the end, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others
"Experience shows that, if one foresees from far away the designs to be undertaken, one can act with speed when the moment comes to execute them." - Cardinal Richelieu
Because most people are too imprisoned in the moment to plan with this kind of foresight, the ability to ignore immediate dangers and pleasures translates into power. It is the power of being able to overcome the natural human tendency to react to things as they happen, and instead to train oneself to step back, imagining the larger things taking shape beyond one's immediate vision
So much of power is not what you do but what you do not do
Plan in detail before you act—do not let vague plans lead you into trouble
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
The secret of success consisted in appearing natural, concealing the effort behind one's work
The sudden appearance of something naturally, almost accidentally graceful was the height of beauty
Every moment not spent researching he spent working on his body, keeping himself exceptionally limber, and learning how to control his muscles and breathing
As a person of power, you must research and practice endlessly before appearing in public, onstage or anywhere else
Some think such exposure will demonstrate their diligence and honesty, but it actually just makes them look weaker
Keep your effort and your tricks to yourself and you seem to have the grace and ease of a god
Calm, graceful performers, set us at ease, creating the illusion that they are not acting but being natural and themselves, even when everything they are doing involves labor and practice
Power depends vitally on appearances and the illusions you create. Your public actions are like artworks: They must have visual appeal, must create anticipation, even entertain
When you reveal the inner workings of your creation, you become just one more mortal among others
The more mystery surrounds your actions, the more awesome your power seems
Always keep your sense of humor about yourself
Law 31: Control the options: get others to play with the cards you deal
Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose
Our limited range of choices comforts us
Law 32: Play to people's fantasies
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
To gain power, you must be a source of pleasure for those around you—and pleasure comes from playing to people's fantasies
Never promise a gradual improvement through hard word; rather, promise the moon, the great and sudden transformation, the pot of gold
Never be distracted by people's glamorous portraits of themselves and their lives; search and dig for what really imprisons them
Promise a great and total change—from poor to rich, sickness to health, misery to ecstacy—and you will have followers
Law 33: Discover each man's thumbscrew
"No mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore." - Sigmund Freud
Everyday conversation supplies the richest mine of weaknesses, so train yourself to listen
The appearance of a sympathetic ear will spur anyone to talk
The stronger the passion, the more vulnerable the person
Law 24: 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
The powerful in the old-style aristocracies felt no need to prove or assert themselves; being noble, they knew they always deserved more, and asked for it
It is within your power to set your own price
How you carry yourself reflects what you think of yourself
As children, we expect and demand everything from the world. As we grow older we experience boundaries that only get firmer with time. We expect less from the world, we accept limitation that are really self-imposed
If we believe we are destined for great things, our belief will radiate outward, just as a crown creates an aura around a king. This outward radiance will infect the people around us, who will think we must have reasons to feel so confident
Be overcome by your self-belief. Act like a king. You are likely to be treated as one
You have to act differently, demonstrating your distance from those around you
Always act with dignity, no matter the circumstance
Never get angry, it shows your insecurity
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 your eventually
Time depends on perception and can be willfully altered. Once we control our emotional responses to events, time will move much more slowly
When you force the pace out oof fear and impatience, you create a nest of problems that require fixing, and you end up taking much longer than if you had taken your time
Sometimes not acting in the face of danger is your best move—you wait, you deliberately slow down. As time passes it will eventually present opportunities you had not imagined
When your mind is uncluttered by constant emergencies you will see further into the future
You will be able to resist the baits that people dangle in front of you, and you will keep yourself from becoming another impatient sucker
You will have room to be flexible
Slowing time down will give you a perspective on the times you live in, letting you take a certain distance and putting you in a less emotionally charged position to see the shapes of things to come
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
You choose to let things bother you. You can just as easily choose not to notice the irritating offender, to consider the matter trivial and unworthy of your interest
What you do not react to cannot drag you down in a futile engagement
If you waste time and energy in such entanglements, it is your own fault. Learn to play the card of disdain and turn your back on what cannot harm you in the long run
By acknowledging other people , even if only to fight with them, you open yourself to their influence
By ignoring people you cancel them out. This unsettles and infuriates them—but since they have no dealings with you, there is nothing they can do
Uncontrollable desire makes you seem weak, unworthy, pathetic
It is tempting to want to fix our mistakes, but the harder we try, the worse we often make them
If there is something you want but that you realize you cannot have, the worst thing you can do is draw attention to your disappointment by complaining about it. An infinitely more powerful tactic is to act as if it never really interested you in the first place
When you are attacked by an inferior, deflect people's attention by making it clear that the attack has not even registered. Look away, or answer sweetly, showing how little the attack concerns you
Most small troubles will vanish on their own if you leave them be; but some will grow and fester unless you attend to them. Ignore a person of inferior stature and the next time you look he has become a serious rival, and your contempt has made him vengeful as well
Law 37: Create compelling spectacles
People do not always want words, or rational explanations, or demonstrations of the powers of science; they want an immediate appeal to their emotions
Words put you on the defensive. If you have to explain yourself your power is already in question
People respond more to color than to words
People love what is grand, spectacular, and larger than life. Appeal to their emotions and they will flock to your spectacle in hordes
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 look 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
When you go into society, leave behind your own ideas and values, and put on the mask that is most appropriate for the group in which you find yourself
Law 39: Stir up waters to catch fish
If you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage
Losing your temper, you always make unfair and exaggerated accusations
Tantrums neither intimidate nor inspire loyalty. They only create doubts and uneasiness about your power
Nothing in the social realm, and in the game of power, is personal
Everyone is caught up in a chain of events that long predates the present moment
Nothing is as infuriating as a man who keeps his cool while others are losing theirs
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
Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for generosity is a sign and a magnet for power
The powerful learn early to protect their most valuable resources: independence and room to maneuver
What is offered for free is inevitably a trick
Law 41: Avoid stepping into a great man's shoes
Law 42: Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter
Recognize troublemakers by their overbearing presence, or by their complaining nature. Once you spot them do not try to reform them or appease them. Do not attack them for they are poisonous in nature and will work underground to destroy you. Banish them before it is too late
Do not waste your time lashing out in all directions at what seems to be a many-headed enemy. Find the one head that matters—the person with willpower, or smarts, or, most important of all, charisma. Whatever it costs you, lure this person away, for once he is absent his powers will lose their effect
Law 43: Work on the hearts and minds of others
At all times you must attend to those around you, gauging their particular psychology, tailoring your words to what you know will entice and seduce them
In all your encounters, take a step back—take the time to calculate and attune yourself to your targets' emotional makeup and psychological weaknesses. Force will only strengthen their resistance
People are children, ruled by their emotions. To soften them up, alternate harshness with mercy. Play on their basic fears, and also their loves—freedom, family, etc. Once you break them down, you will have a lifelong friend and fiercely loyal ally
In the game of power, you are surrounded by people who have absolutely no reason to help you unless it is in their interest to do so. And if you have nothing to offer their self-interest, you are likely to make them hostile, for they will see in you just one more competitor, one more waster of their time
Aim at their primary emotions—love, hate, jealousy. Once you move their emotions you have reduced their control, making them more vulnerable to persuasion
All of us are mortal and face the same dreadful fate, and all of us share the desire for attachment and belonging. Stir up these emotions and you captivate our hearts
Creating pleasure of any kind will usually bring you success, as will allaying fears and providing or promising security
The more they talk, the more they reveal about their likes and dislikes
The quickest way to secure people's minds is by demonstrating, as simply as possible, how an action will benefit them. Self-interest is the strongest motive of all
Law 44: Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect
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
If you can show you understand another person by reflecting their inmost feelings, they will be entranced and disarmed, all the more so because it happens so rarely
Everyone is wrapped up in their own narcissistic shell. When you try to impose your own ego on them, a wall goes up, resistance is increased. By mirroring them, however, you seduce them into a kind of narcissistic rapture
The goal of power is always to lower people's resistance to you
The wordless communication, the indirect compliment, contains the most power
Law 45: Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once
Respect 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
Envy creates silent enemies
It's smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable
Never underestimate the power of envy from your inner circle
Law 47: Do not go past the mark you aimed for; in victory, learn when to stop
When you attain success, step back. Be cautious
When you gain victory, understand the part played by the particular circumstances of a situation, and never simply repeat the same actions again and again
"The greatest danger occurs at the moment of victory" - Napoleon Bonaparte
Law 48: Assume formlessness
By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attach. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move
Accept that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. Everything changes
What you are after is not an entrenched position but mobility
It is up to you to gauge each new situation
Rely too much on other people's ideas and you end up taking a form not of your own making