PDF Summary:The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene

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Some people find the notion of consciously playing power games, even indirectly, off-putting — they see it as evil or immoral, a vestige of the past. But whether you intentionally participate or not, you’re still part of the game.

Strategies of ‘Non-Players’

In fact, those claiming the loudest to be anti-power are often highly skilled players. You can easily spot them by the strategies they use to disguise their manipulations,including:

• Presenting their supposed weakness and lack of power as a moral virtue. If you were truly powerless, however, you wouldn’t publicize the fact. Making a show of weakness is in fact a power strategy.
• Advocating equality in everything. To tout your moral superiority, you claim everyone should be treated the same way. But in reality you must treat people differently because some people do some things better than others. Ignoring differences would mean boosting the less skillful and suppressing those who excel, which no one really does. In fact, you’re probably using another power play: manipulating people by (unequally) choosing whom to reward.
• Espousing honesty and straightforwardness. Making a show of...

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Not much has changed since the time of Louis XIV, in terms of bosses needing to feel and appear superior.

Two Caveats

You can unintentionally outshine your boss just by being yourself (especially if he or she is extremely insecure and not very appealing). Your natural talents, just by virtue of their existence, may make the boss look inferior.

• Response: If you can’t help being superior, try to avoid extremely insecure leaders, or find a way to disguise your good qualities when around them. That way, you remain in control instead of being a target of their insecurity.

Don’t think that because the boss likes you, you can do anything you want to. If you take your status for granted and let favors go to your head, you’ll overstep and the boss will feel undermined.

• Response: Maintain a sense of limits. Never forget your place or feel you’ve earned your privileges.

Use Flattery

Make a point of flattering your boss, but be discreet. For instance, if you’re more intelligent, seem to be the opposite. Act naïve, making it seem like you need her expertise. Make harmless mistakes that will give you the chance to ask for her help. Bosses like...

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• Enhancing your reputation among followers: You can use enemies to portray yourself as a fighter for the people.

In any case, don’t worry about having open opposition. You’re better off with a declared opponent (whom you can possibly convert) than with hidden enemies.

Putting the Law to Work

Here are some examples of leaders turning enemies into allies:

• Talleyrand, Napoleon’s foreign minister, needed an ally to help him thwart Napoleon when he decided his boss was leading France to ruin. He turned to Fouche, the head of the secret police who had previously tried to assassinate him. Talleyrand knew Fouche would work to prove himself, and they shared a mutual self-interest in undercutting Napoleon. While they didn’t succeed against Napoleon at the time, they developed a relationship that proved to be profitable later.

• Secretary of State Henry Kissinger made a policy of co-opting those who disagreed with him. When some anti-war activists plotted to kidnap him, he won them over when he secretly met with them and shared his plans for getting U.S. troops out of Vietnam. Colleagues often commented that Kissinger got along better with his...

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For instance, you can divert attention from your true goals by making it look as though you support an idea or cause you previously opposed publicly. Most people will believe you had a true change of heart because people don’t usually change sides frivolously.

Conversely, you can pretend to want something you’re not actually interested in, and your opponents will be confused and miscalculate.

In 1711 the Duke of Marlborough, head of the English army, wanted to destroy a French fort because it blocked the route he wanted to use to invade France. His decoy was to capture the fort and add some soldiers, to make it look like he wanted to maintain and strengthen the fort. The French attacked and he let them recapture it. When they had it back, they destroyed it to keep it out of the duke’s hands. Once it was gone, the duke marched easily into France.

Try False Sincerity

Besides broadcasting a fake goal, you can use false sincerity as a red herring to throw people off the scent. People are likely to mistake it for honesty, because they trust appearances and want to believe others are honest. Appearing to believe what you say adds authority to your words.

For...

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Putting the Law to Work

King Louis XIV used brevity and silence to maintain power.

When his underlings had an issue to present to him, they first debated it among themselves and then chose two ministers or nobles to make the case before him, with one person speaking for each side. Louis XIV listened in silence.

The silence was an act to keep everyone off balance. No one knew where he stood and they couldn’t anticipate how he’d react. Nor could anyone deceive him by saying what he wanted to hear, because nobody knew what that was. In their nervousness people tended to ramble, revealing information Louis could later use against them.

At the end of each presentation, the king said merely, “I shall see.” He didn’t discuss the issue with anyone, or even announce a decision. People had to wait to see the results of his decisions. His silence kept everyone around him in fear and under his control.

By contrast, Coriolanus, a military hero of ancient Rome, couldn’t shut up. After winning many battles, he ran for political office. He impressed people at his rallies by displaying his battle scars, and they paid little attention to his words. His...

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• Similarly, Casanova’s reputation for seduction made future seductions easier — women were curious about what they’d heard and wanted to find out for themselves what made him so appealing.

If you have an unflattering or negative reputation you can improve it by associating with someone of the opposite reputation. For instance, if you’re dishonest, insinuate yourself with an honest person if possible.

• As another example, when P.T. Barnum wanted to change his reputation for promoting low-brow entertainment, he arranged an American tour for a high-class European singer, Jenny Lind.

Protect your reputation fiercely, anticipating and deflecting any attacks. However, don’t be defensive when under attack because you’ll look insecure and desperate.

Attacking someone else’s reputation can be beneficial, especially if you attack someone more powerful than you are. The more powerful person has more to lose in an exchange, and if your reputation is negligible you present only a small target.

You have to be clever in how you go about it, however — you don’t want to look petty or harm your own reputation in the process. For example, Thomas Edison became jealous of...

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Once you’ve grabbed the spotlight, you have to keep changing your methods or people will take you for granted and stop paying attention to you, or be distracted by someone new. This requires creativity.

• For example, the artist Pablo Picasso kept himself in the public eye by defying expectations. When people began associating his work with particular styles, he switched to a completely different style. People like to be able to predict what others will do, which makes them feel superior. By defying expectations, you hold their attention and gain respect.

Putting the Law to Work

P.T. Barnum learned a lesson about the value of notoriety when his first boss, who operated a circus, had him wear a black suit and stroll through town before the performance. People mistook Barnum for an infamous reverend recently acquitted of murder and soon formed a mob around Barnum and sarted attacking him. To prove who he was Barnum finally convinced the mob to follow him to the circus. Barnum’s boss revealed that he’d set Barnum up, and the circus was packed that night, with everyone talking about the joke.

Over the years Barnum used similar schemes, starting rumors about...

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When you take credit for a large amount of work by others, people think you have amazing ability. By contrast if you try to do all the work yourself, you won’t accomplish much, or others will take advantage of your efforts. Be a user of others’ efforts instead.

You can also use the efforts of people who came before you. Why reinvent the wheel? Isaac Newton exploited the discoveries of ancient scientists and made them seem to be his own new discoveries. Shakespeare used plots from ancient writers such as Plutarch, and today people copy Shakespeare’s plots.

Putting the Law to Work

Thomas Edison hired and repeatedly took credit for the work of a brilliant Serbian scientist, Nikola Tesla. For instance, he offered Tesla $50,000 to redesign Edison’s dynamo, a steam-powered engine that produced direct electric current. When Tesla succeeded, Edison reneged on his promise while taking credit for the improvement.

Later, when Edison refused to support (and actually sabotaged) his research on alternating current, Tesla went to work for Westinghouse, where he got cheated out of credit for his work and payment of royalties again.

Tesla exhausted himself...

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By making your opponent come to you, you also force him to operate on your turf, which makes him nervous and defensive. In negotiations, always require others to come to you, or to a place you choose, to keep them off balance.

If you’re subtle and manipulative about the way you lure others to you, they may feel they’re in control, although they aren’t. The key is the attractiveness of your trap, which roils your opponent’s emotions so he doesn’t see what’s really happening.

The greedier someone is, the more susceptible they are to your bait. For instance, the robber baron Daniel Drew played on others’ greed to subtly manipulate stock prices. He would stride through his club near Wall Street, heading for the stock exchange. He’d pull out his bandanna and in the process drop a piece of paper bearing a note about a particular stock. When he left, others would grab the paper and buy or sell the stock, pushing the price in the direction Drew wanted.

Putting the Law to Work

In 1814 the powers of Europe banished Napoleon to the island of Elba and celebrated his fallen empire, but they still feared him because they hadn’t sent him far enough away, and they knew he...

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Michelangelo knew that arguing with the mayor, who was a patron and a superior, would offend him and jeopardize future commissions. He won his point without arguing and without offending.

Exceptions to the Law

There’s one time when arguing is the right strategy — when you’ve been caught in a lie and need to distract others from your deception. In that case, argue strenuously and with conviction. The more emotional you get, the more likely people are to believe you.

The aristocratic con artist Count Victor Lustig practiced this technique. He scammed many people by selling a box that he claimed was a money-making machine. Usually, when it didn’t work, people were too embarrassed to report they’d been swindled.

But one victim, a sheriff, confronted Lustig. Lustig argued vehemently, with a lot of baffling terminology, that the sheriff must have damaged the box or used it incorrectly. He offered to give the sheriff back his money, plus written instructions, and promised to visit the sheriff and examine the box. Lustig handed over a hundred hundred-dollar bills and the sheriff departed satisfied. Later, however, he was arrested and convicted for passing counterfeit...

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Watch for these characteristics of infectors:

• They bring misery on themselves and others.
• They exude discontent.
• They have tumultuous histories.
• They’ve left behind a trail of failed relationships.
• They’ve had unstable careers.
• They have a charisma that overwhelms people, especially their ability to reason.

Whatever you do, don’t feel sorry for them — you’ll entangle yourself in trying to help. While you’re beside yourself with frustration, they’ll carry on unchanged.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are people who attract happiness and spread it. Do everything you can to associate with these people, so you share in the positive vibes and good fortunate they attract.

Happiness and success aren’t the only positive qualities you should seek out. Any positive quality of someone else — friendliness, charm, creativity, generosity, etc. — can infect you in a good way.

Although Talleyrand was a conniver, he had other traits that made people want to be around him and they rubbed off on others: he was gracious, charming, and witty. Napoleon, who was a rough peasant, recognized this and kept Talleyrand around, hoping to absorb some of his...

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Try to create a similar situation, in which you could easily take your talent elsewhere but your boss couldn’t easily find someone of equal caliber to replace you. If you don’t have that kind of irreplaceable knowledge or skill, you can fake it — but you’re more powerful if you have the real thing, and others’ dependence on you is real.

It can be just as effective to make your boss indirectly dependent on you, by being a link in a chain of dependence. For instance, Columbia Pictures couldn’t get rid of a screenwriter, John Howard Lawson, when he was targeted as a supposed Communist in the 1950s witch-hunt — because Lawson was Humphrey Bogart’s writer and Bogart was the film company’s star.

There are two ways to ply your talent that will keep your superior in your debt. One is to focus on one extraordinary skill as Michelangelo did. The other is to apply your talents broadly.

For instance, Henry Kissenger and Richard Nixon didn’t like each other, but Nixon kept Kissinger as secretary of state because Kissinger was enmeshed in virtually all aspects of the administration. He had allies in all departments and his knowledge and involvement in operations was so extensive...

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Putting the Law to Work

Not many people would have tried to swindle Al Capone. But the notorious con man Victor Lustig succeeded because he understood human nature, and knew that even a gangster has human emotions.

Since Capone operated in an environment of distrust and scheming, Lustig made a show of committing a seemingly honest act, in order to distract him.

He requested $50,000 from Capone, promising to double it in sixty days. Lustig put the money in a safe-deposit box and did nothing with it. He later returned the original amount in full, with profuse apologies to Capone for failing to increase it. Capone was impressed with Lustig’s honesty in returning the money, and immediately gave $5,000 back to him as a reward (which is what Lustig wanted in the first place).

Al Capone, like everyone else, was susceptible to an unexpected act of goodwill. While trying to con an Al Capone might not be advisable for the inexperienced, the incident shows the power of selective honesty as a means to an end.

Exceptions to the Law

Fake generosity or honesty won’t fool anyone when you already have a reputation for deceit. In this case, admit to...

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When making a request of someone powerful, your appeals to justice, reciprocity, or gratitude will likely work against you, when your target understands only self-interest and ruling by force.

Stefano di Poggio learned this to his detriment. When Castruccio, the ruler of an Italian city, was away at war, a conflict broke out between his family and a rival family, the Poggios, who wanted to oust him. Stefano di Poggio intervened and stopped the conflict. For this act, he appealed to Castruccio to spare him and his family any punishment. He expected Castruccio to be grateful that he’d stopped fighting. Castruccio invited the Poggio family to the palace to talk. When they came, he imprisoned and executed them.

No one is obligated to be grateful; telling a superior that he should be grateful to you or that he owes you something suggests you’re a burden he should get rid of.

Here’s a contrasting example where an appeal to self-interest paid off. The island of Corcyra was close to war with the Greek city-state of Corinth. Representatives of Corcyra and Corinth both appealed to Athens to take their side.

The representative from Corinth gave an...

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Set traps. You can say untrue things and then watch for people’s reactions, which can tell you what you want to know.

• At diplomatic events, Talleyrand used the technique of appearing to blurt out a secret to see who would react. For instance, he might comment that the czar of Russia was about to arrest a top general. Based on the diplomats’ reactions, he learned who had the greatest interest in the potential weakening of the Russian army. Someone once commented that Talleyrand would in effect fire a pistol into the air to see who would leap out the window.

Pretend to share confidences. When you offer a fake confidence, pretending to bare your soul, others will respond with real confidences. Another conversational trick is to strongly disagree with or contradict someone — they’ll get agitated and say more than they intended to.

The information you gather from spying is power because it enables you to predict how others will act in the future, and you can plan accordingly.

Putting the Law to Work

The knowledge you get from spying makes you seem all-powerful, and others can’t resist you.

Joseph Duveen, the most successful art dealer of the...

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She claimed to be a divine descendant of Buddha and eventually had herself named divine emperor. By the time she got the job, there was no one left in the dynasty. She ruled capably until age 80, when finally forced to abdicate.

Exceptions to the Law

On rare occasions, when you have your opponents on the ropes it may make sense to let them self-destruct rather than crushing them. Defeat and humiliation may be so demoralizing that there’s no possibility of recovery, or they may have permanently damaged or exhausted themselves.

However, leniency can embitter or even embolden an enemy, so you’re almost always better off crushing them.

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Make yourself less accessible to enhance your value in others’ minds.

Putting the Law to Work

In the eighth century B.C., a man named Deioces wanted to be named ruler of Medea (the country resisted choosing a leader because of a bad history under a monarchy). So first, Deioces built a reputation as a man who could settle disputes fairly, and people soon flocked to him for judgments, which kept the society functional and peaceful. Suddenly he announced he was tired of it and retired from public life. Chaos ensued, so people clamored for him to return even to the point of setting up a monarchy for him. He became king, but continued to employ the concept of scarcity. He isolated himself and communicated with people only on his schedule and terms. He engendered great respect and ruled with god-like status for fifty-three years.

Exceptions to the Law

Making yourself scarce periodically only works if you’ve already achieved power and respect. If you step away before people know and respect you, they’ll just forget you.

For instance, withdrawing from a lover only works if you’ve achieved such a presence that she’s reminded of you constantly while you’re gone,...

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Putting the Law to Work

In 1972 chess great Bobby Fischer so unnerved Russian champion Boris Spassky with unpredictability, that Spassky had a meltdown and left without completing the match in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Identifying patterns, and understanding and predicting an opponent’s moves, is particularly important in chess, and Spassky was a master at it, but when these skills failed to work with Fischer, he fell apart.

Among other things, Fischer, arrived late to the games, complained loudly and constantly about everything, behaved erratically, and made inexplicably poor moves, even losing the first game for seemingly foolish reasons. He forfeited the second game for not showing up on time.

Spassky became convinced that Fischer had hypnotized him, drugged the orange juice, or had altered the chairs in some way. Then he started complaining of hallucinations, finally resigning from the match.

Fischer defeated Spassky by keeping him in a state of confusion and, ultimately, terror.

Exceptions to the Law

Occasionally, it’s better to be predictable. For instance, you can use predictable actions as a smoke screen. People become...

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Keep circulating and you’ll keep people from plotting behind your back, and you’ll be far more elusive to enemies than you’d be behind a wall.

Putting the Law to Work

Louis XIV’s predecessors to the throne had been victims of civil war and conflicts instigated by their nobles. So he made sure to keep track of everyone and everything around him.

From the design of the palace of Versailles with the king’s bed at the center, to his daily ritual requiring his family, courtiers, and government officials to check in with him (around 100 people), Louis XIV made himself the center of activity. He was always looking around, observing everything, including anyone who failed to show up at his meals and other events. Because of the constant togetherness, nothing escaped the king’s notice. By keeping court activity revolving around him, Louis XIV managed to maintain peace for fifty years.

Exceptions to the Law

The only time you might benefit from isolation is when you need space to think and gain perspective, undistracted by what’s going on around you. For instance, Machiavelli wrote The Prince while in exile; other prisoners with time on their hands have been...

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Before dealing with someone, do your research. Never trust your instincts, or trust appearances. People can easily hide their true nature.

Putting the Law to Work

Here are just a few of the many examples of people who underestimated or failed to understand their opponents.

• Oversensitive and egotistical: A powerful shah who had a huge empire dissed Genghis Khan by ignoring his offers of an alliance, and was destroyed. His mistake was assuming that Genghis Khan was weaker than he, and he rejected his overtures with insults. Khan turned out to be both sensitive to insults and extremely powerful.

• Oversensitive and egotistical: In 1910 there was a con artist ring operating out of Denver, led by Joe Furey. Furey suckered a Texas rancher into giving up a fortune. But unlike most suckers in Furey’s experience, he didn’t just slink away quietly in embarrassment. He set out to take down Furey and the entire con artist ring, a feat that took him five years and great expense. Furey didn’t understand that he was dealing with an insecure man who wouldn’t tolerate offense.

• Literal: Because he was a simple man who took things literally, Henry Ford...

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Putting the Law to Work

When Queen Elizabeth I assumed the English throne in 1958, she came under great pressure to marry and produce heirs. She received all kinds of advice and many suitors, who she allowed to court her, but she never chose anyone.

Elizabeth refused to commit because she knew marriage in her position would lead to untold problems. Marrying someone from another nation could pull her into conflicts, rivalries, and wars. Her husband would become the de facto ruler, and might try to eliminate her. By maintaining her independence, she retained her power and desirability, and ruled the country through a long period of peace.

Part: 2: Stay Above the Fray

Sub-law: Don’t let people drag you into their petty fights and squabbles. Seem interested and supportive, but find a way to remain neutral; let others do the fighting while you stand back. When they tire, they’ll be ripe for the picking.

Principles

People will constantly try to pull you into their quarrels and conflicts. If you succumb, their problems will consume your time and energy. Don’t succumb — there’s nothing in it for you; the conflict will just keep growing.

However, you...

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They seeded the mine with real diamonds and other jewels, and had inspectors evaluate and authenticate the supposed mine. But what tilted the scheme in their favor was the fact that they came off as bumbling, naive rubes who’d stumbled on a fortune and didn’t know where to turn. The businessmen felt superior, and never suspected them of having the intelligence and capability to pull off a sophisticated scam. Further, after several influential businessmen had signed off on the deal, no one in the financial world wanted to impugn their intelligence.

The con artists got away with the money, and the reputation of at least one of the businessmen were damaged beyond repair.

Exceptions to the Law

One circumstance in which you shouldn’t downplay your intelligence is the beginning of your career or climb to power. You’ll want to make it known to the higher-ups that you’re smarter than any competitors. However, be careful not to overdo it, or you’ll become a threat.

You can also cover up a deception by emphasizing your intelligence and authority. For instance, the art dealer Joseph Duveen distracted a potential buyer from the fact that a painting might be fraudulent...

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Putting the Law to Work

The German Writer Bertolt Brecht, a communist, fled to the U.S. to work in the film industry when Hitler rose to power. He wrote anticapitalist screenplays, which was fine until the 1950s, when the House Un-American Activities Committee began its Hollywood witch-hunts. Other writers were angry and confrontational when they appeared before the committee, and ended up suffering for it, unable to continue their work.

Brecht, however, was polite and deferential, but gave ambiguous answers. Although his English was quite good, he brought an interpreter who was able to confuse the committee about the meaning of his writings, which appeared to vary depending on whether you read them in German or English. After only an hour, the committee dismissed him, thanking him for his cooperation and proclaiming him an example to other witnesses. Brecht was thus free to continue his work.

By appearing to respect and surrender to the committee’s authority, Brecht made its members feel important while at the same time subtly mocking their ignorance of his work.

Exceptions to the Law

Some might argue that there are situations or causes that...

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While other powerful families eventually disintegrated, the Rothchilds protected and expanded their wealth.

Exceptions to the Law

There are several downsides to concentration of effort.

• Sometimes concentration is dangerous. When you’re weaker than your opponent, it may be better to disperse your forces (that’s how guerrilla warfare works). Concentrating your forces makes you a clearer target.
• Similarly, focusing solely on an alliance with one person leaves you in trouble when the person dies or falls from power. In turbulent times, make sure you have more than one ally.

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• Don’t directly criticize a superior: Sometimes you need to share negative feedback to avoid backlash later. But do it as indirectly and gently as possible.
• Rarely ask superiors for favors: Ask for favors only rarely because having to reject a request will stir guilt and irritation. Try to earn your favors, so your boss grants them without your asking.
• Don’t joke about appearance: Never joke about your superior’s appearance or taste, even outside her presence. It will come back to bite you.
• Don’t be a critic: If you always criticize, you’ll draw criticism in return. Conversely, when you credit others’ achievements, you’ll draw attention to your own.
• Be self-aware: Learn to see yourself as others are likely to see you, so you can avoid behavior that others might find offensive.
• Control your emotions: Like an actor, learn to disguise your real feelings and produce whatever emotion is required. Control your facial expressions too.
• Keep up with the times: You don’t want to seem like a relic, but don’t push the boundaries of new styles and expressions either.
• Be a joy to be around: Be pleasant so that others enjoy being...

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Putting the Law to Work

Julius Caesar knew the power of appearances — he staged dramatic announcements and used theatrical gestures to make himself the center of attention. He staged huge, entertaining public events, wore purple robes, and delivered his lines as if from a script. In battle, he rode the largest and strongest horse so his soldiers could always see him as a godlike symbol. Even his last gestures and moments were dramatic.

Similarly, in the early 1800s in Paris, a woman named Aurore Dupin Dudevant recreated herself with the pseudonym of a male author, George Sand. A publisher accepted her first novel, and critics gave it positive reviews, assuming it had been written by a man. She sometimes wore men’s clothing and smoked cigars, winning acceptance from a group of male authors. She changed her character periodically so the public wouldn’t get bored. Yet she carried on affairs as a woman with famous artists. Outwardly, she played the part of a male writer, but privately she remained herself.

“George Sand” refused to accept the constrained roles that society had assigned to women, creating a powerful new role, and controlling her own...

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Other things to know about using scapegoats:

• Besides shifting the blame for mistakes, a scapegoat can serve as a lesson to others to avoid crossing the boss.
• Innocent parties are sometimes the best choice, since they lack power and their protests may be seen as a sign of guilt.
• You need to be careful not to create a martyr — remember to keep the spotlight on yourself as the victim, the one betrayed by incompetents around you.
• A person with more power may be an effective choice, if he/she is an unsympathetic figure.
• It may be useful to choose a close associate, which sets up a “fall of the favorite” scenario. When you throw your former friend to the wolves, people believe in his guilt because they wouldn’t expect you to cold-heartedly misuse a friend.

Putting the Law to Work

When a Chinese general miscalculated his army’s food supply, he had to cut back on rations while waiting for a new shipment. The troops naturally were unhappy, and rumors spread that the general was keeping food for himself while depriving others. A mutiny threatened to break out, so the general scapegoated his chief supply officer and had him executed.

Part...

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1. Concoct a vague and simple message: Attract attention with vague promises of something wonderful and transformative. Listeners will fill in the blanks with their own yearnings and beliefs. Speak forcefully and with passion, using words that resonate and stir nostalgia, but whose meaning can’t be pinned down. But keep it simple because people want quick fixes, not complexity.
2. Create a spectacle: To avoid waning interest and skepticism, give them a spectacle. Overwhelm the senses (and any ability to think) with sights, sound, scent, color, movement.
3. Imitate organized religion. Create a hierarchy, rituals, rankings, and religious-sounding titles. Ask for money to increase your wealth and power. Seem like a prophet or guru.
4. Hide your income source. By living a luxurious lifestyle you’ll give your followers hope and something to aspire to, but don’t let them know they’re your source. Make your wealth seem like proof of the validity of your message. While busy trying to emulate you, your followers won’t notice they’re being fleeced.
5. Give them enemies: To keep your followers united, set up an us-against-the-world dynamic. This should be easy, since...

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Boldness doesn’t come naturally — it must be developed and practiced. Napoleon originally was timid and socially awkward, but he had to learn boldness to succeed on the battlefield. Later he applied it to all areas of his life, and it made him seem larger than life although he was physically small.

So practice being bold, for instance in a negotiation involving a price. Don’t make the mistake as most people do of asking for too little. When Columbus sought funding from the Spanish court for his voyage to the New World, he also requested the title “Grand Admiral of the Ocean,” which was really a demand for respect. He received both.

Root out the habit of timidity and replace it with boldness. If you make a mistake through boldness, remedy it with even more boldness.

Putting the Law to Work

Pietro Aretino, a kitchen servant to a wealthy Roman family, had an ambition to be a great writer. With boldness he achieved it.

Pope Leo X had received an elephant as a gift and he was enthralled with it. He was so upset when the elephant died that he commissioned a painting to be put over the elephant’s tomb. Aretino saw an opportunity, and wrote a satirical...

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His steps were:

• Incite war with Denmark, not to add territory but to stir up Prussian nationalism and unite the country.

• Incite war with Austria to gain Prussian independence (he refused the temptation to grab Austrian territory).

• Incite war with France to unite the German kingdoms against a common enemy, and prepare for the formation of a united, secure Germany.

Once this was achieved he stopped, although his generals wanted to take more land. Although other European leaders expected him to continue his aggression, he worked thereafter to avoid war. He wanted unity and security, not more land, and achieving that goal was his last move.

Exceptions to the Law

There are no exceptions to the need to think into the future as far as you can, and plan to the end.

Of course, to some extent the future is always uncertain and your plan must be somewhat flexible so you can respond to sudden developments. However, you’ll be free to adapt only if you have a clear goal and a far-sighted plan. Otherwise, you’re just improvising.

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Remember, the more mysterious your actions seem the more powerful you are. And when they seem effortless, you appear to have untapped ability and power.

Putting the Law to Work

When you show the effort that went into producing an effect, the effect is spoiled.

In the 16th century, Japanese tea ceremonies were elaborate and sometimes costly affairs that were supposed to achieve effortless perfection. The country’s most famous practitioner was known for leaving a ceremony if it looked like the host was trying too hard.

The escape artist Harry Houdini made his escapes seem effortless. But he succeeded because of endless research, study, practice, and physical training. He learned sleight-of-hand tricks, studied the mechanics of many types of locks, and learned to make his body flexible and control his muscles and breathing. He learned how to swallow things, hold them in his throat, and bring them back up.

Be like Houdini. Research and practice diligently before appearing in public, but never reveal the labor behind your efforts.

Exceptions to the Law

While making things seem effortless, don’t be overzealous about hiding the machinations or...

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Emphasize the risks: You can steer a fearful person in the direction you want him to go by painting the other options as extremely risky. This tactic is similar to Kissingger’s method of spinning the choices, but with a timid person you need to be more aggressive and strike terror in his heart to stop him from procrastinating.

Two bad alternatives: With opponents, you can force them to choose between two bad (for them) alternatives, either of which benefits you. When General William Sherman marched through Georgia during the Civil War, he divided his army into two wings. Facing either of them was a bad option for the Confederate troops.

Putting the Law to Work

Ivan the Terrible lacked sufficient power as czar under Russia’s governing structure in the 1500s to do two things he needed to do: put down the boyars (a group of princes who continually tried to destroy him); and beat back external threats of invasion from all sides.

His response was to get the Russian people to voluntarily grant him absolute power. He achieved this by withdrawing from the palace for a while and letting the bloodthirsty princes run wild. When the people became sufficiently...

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His fantasy was powerful because it came at the right moment, when Venice needed relief from its misfortune. Rather than the hard, painful work of rebuilding the city, he offered instant transformation — gold miraculously multiplied. For a while at least, his fantasy resonated and he enjoyed wealth and fame.

Exceptions to the Law

Spinning fantasies can be dangerous if people realize they’re being deceived. To steer clear of such shoals, keep your stories and promises vague, and avoid getting close to a point where you’re expected to produce something concrete.

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Look for the opposite. People who display a tendency or trait are often hiding its opposite. Those with big mouths are often cowards; the shy crave attention; the most critical person shares the vices he criticizes. See beyond appearances.

Find the linchpin. In groups and organizations, someone holds the key. Working behind the scenes, they know the score and have power and influence over the person at the top. They are essentially the group’s weak link. Through them, you can influence the boss or break through the group’s cohesiveness.

Fill the void. Everyone has emotional voids, which you can exploit to control them. Two typical voids are insecurity and discontent. Validate the insecure person, and find the source of the discontent or unhappiness. People are malleable when you address their unmet emotional needs.

Play on emotions. You can control people by playing on their strongest emotions and passions — the ones they have little control over or that seem disproportionate. For instance, paranoia, greed, fear, or hatred. An uncontrollable passion for the opposite sex is a weakness that can be used.

Putting the Law to Work

Look for the unhappy,...

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• Elevate yourself by going after the highest-ranking person. When you take on a strong opponent, you’re seen as her equal.
• Give a gift to your superior or patron. This establishes your equality with the person above you. You’ll also get what you want in return without begging, which would make you seem small.

Putting the Law to Work

Christopher Columbus, who was the son of a cheese vendor, adopted an attitude and presence that convinced people he was descended from Italian royalty. When he wanted support for his explorations, he approached Queen Isabella and other monarchs as if he were one of them.

He had no experience whatsoever with the sea, but projected the charm and self-confidence of an entitled aristocrat. He seemed destined for greatness. He also set a high price, which established his status. Besides ships, equipment, and pay for crews, he wanted the title Grand Admiral of the Oceanic Sea, the position of viceroy over territory he discovered, and 10 percent of the proceeds from these lands. (He got everything but a percentage of the proceeds.)

Be like Columbus; confidently ask for the moon, and others will think you’re worth...

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Taking the long view has several advantages:

• When you’re not in immediate or crisis mode, you’re more clear-eyed and can see farther into the future.
• You’ll be able to resist others’ intentional provocations.
• You can be more flexible and able to take advantage of opportunities along the way that you would miss by rushing.
• You can be methodical, completing each step properly before moving to the next.
• When making long-range decisions, you’ll be less driven by emotion.

Force Your Opponent’s Hand

There is a short, immediate time frame in which you can act offensively to upset the timing of your opponents.

The Turkish sultan Mehmed distracted Hungary from noticing he was vulnerable to attack while he battled another foe. Mehmed did this by inviting Hungarian officials to negotiations, then repeatedly postponing the meetings after they arrived. They waited, on his terms, until he finally returned from battle and canceled the whole thing.

In contrast to making your opponents wait, you can make them hurry. You can start dealing with someone slowly, then suddenly speed things up: Demand a decision or set an unrealistic deadline. Under pressure, they’re...

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*   When Renaissance writer Aretino was discovered to have lied about being an aristocrat, he responded that he was indeed the son of a shoemaker — but that this humble beginning made his achievements all the more impressive.

Putting the Law to Work

In the early 1900s President Woodrow Wilson turned a relatively small problem into a large and prolonged one when he sent a large military force into the mountains of Mexico to find and capture bandit Pancho Villa in reaction to his raid in New Mexico.

Villa played a successful cat-and-mouse game against American forces that at one point grew to 123,000, including airplanes. Villa’s popularity, which had been waning at the time of his raid, grew substantially. Eventually U.S. forces had to withdraw in failure.

Wilson let a minor incident turn into a major, costly embarrassment. By contrast, he could have sent a smaller, more effective force; set a trap; or waited for the Mexicans to deal with Villa on their own. Instead, Wilson let it drag him down.

Exceptions to the Law

When you use the tactic of treating someone with disdain, make sure you’re not creating feelings that will smolder until your...

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For instance, she created a graphic depicting their relationship with their initials intertwined. She incorporated it into all aspects of the design of her castle, and he used it on his robes and on public monuments and churches. Also, Diane associated herself with the goddess Diana, rooting their relationship in powerful mythology. Images of Diana as a goddess were the motif at her castle and began appearing elsewhere as well. Poets wrote verses in her honor. Henry essentially worshipped her, making her a duchess and sharing his wealth.

Set yourself apart by associating with a powerful image, symbol, or figure of the past. You’ll seem larger than life and keep your audience enthralled.

Exceptions to the Law

There’s no downside to creating and using symbols to enhance your power.

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First, to save his life, he feigned madness, and his death sentence was commuted to life in prison. Then he wrote a book espousing ideas that were the opposite of what he’d previously expressed. He was released and wrote another book, in which he presented the Catholic argument against the views of atheists and other free-thinkers. But in the process he had to explain the heretical views. In so doing, he gave the new ideas more exposure and to many people they seemed compelling compared to the church’s standard, dull response.

It was unsettling to Catholic readers but they couldn’t call it heretical because he’d used their own arguments. The lesson he learned was that appearing to fit in while expressing your ideas in a kind of code for a selected audience is a more useful approach than martyrdom.

Exceptions to the Law

Standing out instead of blending in can be useful if you’re already powerful. It’s a sign of your power and your distance from other people. President Lyndon Johnson sometimes held meetings while sitting on the toilet — thereby demonstrating that he didn’t need to abide by social codes. Go too far and people might turn on you,...

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Ethiopian leader Haile Selassie used an opponent’s emotions to lure him into a trap. Selassie knew his opponent Gusga was plotting to oust him. To get control of the situation, Selassie insulted and angered Gusga to flush him into the open. Gusga marched on the capital as expected, but Selassie had persuaded many of his soldiers to defect, and Selassie defeated him. If you can control your emotions while pushing others so that they lose control, you’ll have the upper hand.

Exceptions to the Law

Before deliberately triggering someone, make sure you won’t be creating a situation you can’t control, or that will end badly for you.

Occasionally, a concocted show of anger can benefit you, to bring someone into line. But if you use the technique too often, it will lose its effect.

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• Hardball player: They play games with money to demonstrate their power, for instance by making you wait for money they owe you, haggling endlessly, or charging exorbitant interest. They enjoy torturing others over money.
• Overly generous: Generosity should be intentional, for a specific purpose. However, some people give money and gifts indiscriminately because they want to be admired or loved. But when you give to everyone, no one feels special. Such people are easy to swindle because they’re driven by strong emotional needs.

Putting the Law to Work

Here are some examples and lessons in the use of money:

• Spain nearly came to financial ruin over the pursuit of gold. Untold money was spent on failed explorations for gold and riches in South America, particularly the futile search for El Dorado. Cities emptied and declined as men joined the search for supposedly easy riches. It was all that people could think and talk about. People lose control and become irrational at the prospect of easy money. Never let greed distract you. Stay focused on power— not money — and on the things you need to build power: self-discipline, goodwill, allies, respect,...

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• Burn the instruction manuals: When General Douglas MacArthur took charge of American forces in the Philippines in World War II, an aide gave him a book of instructions from predecessors. MacArthur told him to burn the manual and any copies; he would make his own decisions in his own way. Similarly, you should reject precedent, and learn to respond to circumstances, which will be different from those of the past.
• Most importantly, look for vacuums to fill. While there may not be physical territory or kingdoms to conquer, there are always problems and challenges that have defied solution. Act boldly — most people are afraid to break sharply with tradition, but they respect and admire those who do.

On a cautionary note, beware of becoming more like your predecessor over time, as children get more like their parents as they age. Continually recreate yourself, and fill new voids. Don’t rest on your laurels or slip into the ways of the past.

Putting the Law to Work

Alexander the Great, who succeeded his father, King Philip of Macedonia, set out to be completely different. Philip created an era of strength and prosperity, but Alexander despised his...

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Lure or send the person away at a critical moment, using your skills of distraction and deception. Con artists have always understood that steering someone from their usual social context to a less familiar environment makes them vulnerable to you, and increases your power to influence them.

Putting the Law to Work

Athens had a way of getting rid of antisocial people for behavior such as a holier-than-thou attitude, scheming, being overly ambitious and undermining leaders, and asserting superiority over others.

The city held an annual event in which citizens gathered and voted on the person they wanted to banish for 10 years, by writing the name on a piece of earthenware. The event was cathartic and became a kind festival.

For example, they banished:

• Aristides, a general, for arrogance, superiority, and scorn for the common people.

• Themistocles, another general, for being overbearing and constantly talking about his military victories, as if the city wouldn’t have survived without him.

• Hyperbolus, for slander and for stirring up anger in hopes of getting two political leaders ostracized.

To the Athenians, who were surrounded...

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She lived lavishly and incurred massive debt to create a private Garden of Eden at Versailles, while the economy was deteriorating. She never toured the country to meet people or build support, and didn’t receive public visitors.

As a result she became the focus of growing public resentment. When the French revolution began in 1879, she remained unconcerned, expecting it to dissipate. Even when people marched on Versailles and the royals were forced to move out, she didn’t make any effort to communicate.

Marie-Antoinette went to her death unrepentant, and remains legendary today for her complete indifference to others’ concerns.

Exceptions to the Law

There aren’t any exceptions to the need to win hearts and minds.

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She read the same things he did, and talked with him about the great deeds of knights, instead of gossip or fashion. Besides mirroring his interests and emotions, she treated him as the heroic king he aspired to be.

He fell in love with her, and showered her with gifts and attention, even taking her along on his military campaigns so she could watch him in action from a position of safety. He promised to marry her but was pressured by elders to marry someone else. To the end of his life he never loved anyone as much as he loved Marie Mancini.

Exceptions to the Law

You may unwittingly find yourself in a situation that mirrors a past scenario that you’re unaware of. People will expect you to behave the way someone else did in the past. You won’t be able to live up to their expectations, and will suffer as a result. This is a bad place to be, so if you find people associating you with something or someone from the past, break the reflection or association as quickly as possible.

Don’t overdo mirroring, or people will feel used.

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Never underestimate people’s conservatism — it’s deeply embedded, so you can’t just yank people into the future with drastic changes. They’ll rebel, and you’ll be the scapegoat.

Anticipate a delayed reaction. People may be initially enthusiastic but their enthusiasm will fade; they feel empty and start yearning for the past again. You need to quickly create a new set of values to replace the old ones and quell anxieties. Create new rituals, which can be linked to the past.

Putting the Law to Work

After trying to force change and modernization on China with the failed Great Leap Forward, Mao Tse-tung learned to move more slowly in implementing communism and to make it less threatening. He used China’s enormous attachment to the past to his advantage instead of fighting it.

Mao succeeded by associating his radical ideas with familiar, revered historical figures and events of the past. He referred to history in his writings and speeches. This had a legitimizing and comforting effect.

He portrayed himself as a hero like the warrior statesmen of Chinese tradition, making him seem powerful and larger than life. On the other hand, he associated his...

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It’s better to avoid creating envy in the first place. Following are some pitfalls to watch for:

• When you’re the beneficiary of something that seems to come out of nowhere, downplay your merit and emphasize the role of luck. However, don’t express a false sincerity that others can see through — you don’t gain anything by alienating your peers; you need them as part of your power base.
• Attaining political power creates envy. Mitigate it by seeming to be unambitious, or make your position seem less attractive by emphasizing the sacrifices it requires.
• Avoid the urge to help or do favors for those who envy you — it will come across as condescending.
• Be aware that colleagues and peers, accustomed to a semblance of equality, are especially susceptible to envy.

Finally, you may feel envy yourself for more successful people. This will cause you to act emotionally and think less logically. To counter this, accept that others will surpass your achievements and talent, and that you’ll envy them to some degree. Use that feeling to push yourself harder to surpass them or reach your own goals.

Putting the Law to Work

Here are some examples of dealing...

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However, Madame de Pompadour, King Louis XV’s mistress, took a different approach. After achieving her goal with a long-planned and methodically executed strategy, she stopped and employed a new strategy.

Rather than pressing forward to attack and eliminate potential rivals, she consolidated her power base, won support and new allies (including the queen), and remained alert to changing circumstances and addressed them creatively.

Madame de Pompadour succeeded where others failed because she stopped when she achieved victory, and devised a new strategy for new circumstances. She remained mistress for an unprecedented twenty years.

Exceptions to the Law

At the moment of victory, make sure you don’t stop before you’ve crushed your enemy. Once that’s done, however, don’t create more enemies by overreaching.

Also, don’t be suckered into rash action by a belief in momentum, which is overrated. Fear of losing momentum is an emotional reaction, which could drive you to repeat tactics that won’t work a second time rather than acting rationally and strategically.

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As a German Jew in the unfriendly culture of Paris, banker James Rothschild never took any attack personally, or showed frustration or hurt. By projecting a calm, unreadable demeanor, he successfully adapted and grew his business in the changing political climates of multiple monarchies.

The Japanese accepted foreigners graciously for centuries, without harm to their culture. They appeared on the surface to adopt some foreign styles and customs, but underneath, their culture continued to thrive. Had they been rigid and tried to fight foreign influences, they would have suffered. But they adopted a kind of formlessness, appearing to accept other cultures, thus giving the foreigners nothing to fight.

When you’re unreadable and impossible to pin down, you keep initiative on your side while your opponent must constantly react to you.

Putting the Law to Work

Protective armor only protects to a point. Those who depend on such heavy, inflexible defenses, ultimately lose to nimble, unencumbered, formless opponents.

Ancient Sparta learned this lesson. It had created a culture focused on one thing: an invincible infantry. Sparta trained boys from age seven to be...