The 48 Laws of Power: Mastering the Art of Influence đ„đ
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Use of scripts:âDonât outdo the master Have you ever tried to impress your boss, only to have your efforts backfire on you? Well, you may have accidentally violated the first law of the game of power, which is, in Greeneâs words, to never outshine the master. The first law of power dictates that we should appear humble to our superiors, the people who have more power than we do. After all, powerful people want to be the center of attention; trying too hard to impress them can shift attention away from them and onto you, hurting their pride in the process. But whatâs even worse is acting superior to them, a move that could lead your boss to think of you as a threat to their position. If this happens, they may â they probably will â attempt to remove you from your position entirely. Take the relationship between King Louis XIV of France and Nicolas Fouquet, the kingâs finance minister. A smart and loyal advisor, Fouquet became indispensable, but this didnât guarantee him the position of prime minister when the incumbent minister died. To gain the kingâs favor, Fouquet threw a lavish party at his extravagantly furnished chateau to show the king how well-connected and influential he was. The next day, Fouquet was arrested by order of the king. Louis XIV felt overshadowed, and he accused the minister of stealing to amass such extravagant wealth. The veracity of the accusation was beside the point. Fouquet lived out his remaining days in a prison cell. So now you know: acts of extravagance and demonstrations of personal brilliance might not impress your boss. Quite the contrary. So how can you gain favor? Well, a better strategy is to always make the person in charge look better than everyone else, including yourself. Take Galileo Galilei as an example. He desperately needed funding for his research and found an ingenious way to get it. He had spent years begging various patrons for funding, but would usually receive gifts instead of the necessary cash. So he decided to focus on one family â the Medicis â when, in 1610, he discovered the four moons of Jupiter. Shortly before, Cosimo II deâ Medici had established Jupiter as the symbol for the Medici dynasty. When Galileo discovered Jupiterâs four moons, he linked his discovery to the enthronement of Cosimo II deâ Medici, proclaiming it a cosmic event that heralded the familyâs ascendancy. He said that the four moons represented Cosimo II and his three brothers, while Jupiter itself was Cosimo I, the father of the four Medici brothers. This tickled his patronâs ego, who interpreted the discovery as a heavenly omen confirming the familyâs greatness. By making the Medici family appear glorious and aligning their name with the cosmos, Galileo secured himself a salaried position as the official philosopher and mathematician of Cosimo II. He never had to beg for funding again. Take credit for other peopleâs work and be sure to protect your own Would you ever consider claiming parts of another personâs work as your own by plagiarizing a few clever snippets? Did you ever slyly steal answers from a classmate during a math test? Maybe you did or maybe you didnât, but the truth is that attaining power often means using the work of others to your advantage. Why waste your energy doing things if somebody else can do them for you? Did you know that the Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla worked for the famous inventor Thomas Edison? And it was actually Tesla, not Edison, who played the crucial role in creating Edisonâs famed dynamo by improving Edisonâs rather primitive design? To make this discovery, Tesla worked tirelessly for an entire year, often clocking 18-hour days in the lab. But today, the dynamo is attributed to Edison. Little has changed. Just think how few politicians write their own speeches, and how famous novelists âborrowâ from other writers. But reaping the benefits of work done by others isnât enough â youâll also need to take credit for it. Edison and his company claimed all the credit for Teslaâs work on the dynamo. Edison didnât so much as share a cent of his profits with Tesla, even though Edison had promised Tesla $50,000! So, keeping Teslaâs experience in mind, remember that the credit given for an invention or creation of any kind is just as essential as the invention itself. If you donât claim credit, someone else will jump in, steal your idea, and take all the kudos that comes with it. Gaining power over somebody means getting to know them â and posing as their friend Maybe youâve encountered this problem before: youâre striving to outmaneuver the competition but canât quite manage to accurately predict your competitorsâ strategies. How can you get around this? Well, another trick to gaining power is to gather important information about the people you want to control. And to get something from someone, you need to know about them. After all, knowing a personâs plans, weaknesses, and desires will help you both win their favor and guide their actions. Take the art dealer Joseph Duveen, who, in 1920, resolved to win industrialist Andrew Mellon as a client. But Mellon was not easily convinced, so Duveen decided to bribe Mellonâs staff to pass him secret information about their employer. When Mellon traveled to London, Duveen made sure to follow him. Duveen showed up at the same art gallery Mellon was visiting, supposedly by chance, and engaged him in a vibrant conversation. Since Duveen knew so much about what Mellon liked, he easily gained his favor by making him believe that they shared common tastes in art, among other things. As a result, the encounter ended on a happy note, and Mellon soon became Duveenâs best client. So how can you pull off Duveenâs trick? You can hire informants or, even better, act as a spy yourself by posing as a personâs friend. While most people opt for hired spies, this strategy is risky. After all, how can you be sure that your spies are being honest with you? To be sure your information is accurate, itâs best to do the spying yourself. This is no easy task, as people generally hesitate to share private information with strangers. However, theyâre not as secretive when in the company of someone they consider a friend, which makes posing as a companion a highly effective strategy. Act unpredictably to confuse the competition You probably know that most people donât like sudden changes, but did you know that you can use unpredictability to your competitive advantage? Acting unpredictably can keep your competition off balance. Hereâs how. In competitive scenarios, your opponents will likely try hard to figure you out by monitoring your habits and decision-making, and they wonât hesitate to use this information against you. In this situation, your best move is to act erratically. Being unpredictable will protect you from being understood by your opponents, which will intimidate and unnerve them. Take the famous 1972 chess match between Bobby Fischer and the Russian champion Boris Spassky. Fischer knew that Spasskyâs technique was to target the routines and predictability of his opponent, and Fischer used this information to his advantage by playing as unpredictably as possible. Even in the days leading up to the match, Fischer made it seem unclear whether or not he would make it to Reykjavik, where the pair was set to play. And when he did arrive, it was moments before the match was set to be canceled due to his absence. After this stunt, Fischer proceeded to complain about everything from the lighting to the chairs and noise in the room. When they finally began the first match, Fischer made careless mistakes before giving up, an odd move since he was known for his persistence. Spassky couldnât tell if he was actually making mistakes or just bluffing. At this point, Fischer had Spassky just where he wanted him. When your competitor is sufficiently confused, youâre in a perfect position to win. Why? Doing things that perplex your opponent will cause him to try to explain your behavior and distract him from the task at hand, giving you the chance to strike. So, after two games of chess, Fischer began winning game after game with bold moves. Spassky conceded, and Fischer was named world champion. Surrendering to a stronger opponent will help you gather power later Have you ever taken on an opponent knowing that youâll never win? While itâs common for people to fight for glory against all odds, itâs not the route to power. So what should you do when faced with a more powerful opponent? Give up. This may seem an odd strategy, especially since humans instinctively fight their enemies to protect themselves. But when a competitor acts with aggression, he will expect you to respond in the same way. In cases where you know that the competition has you beat, your best move is to surrender. Why? If you give up or at least convince your enemy that youâve done so, you can ensure that he wonât deliver substantial damage. Not only that, but your opponent, thinking he has won, will also let down his guard. When he does, youâll have a golden opportunity to regain your strength and plan your next move. Take the case of Bertolt Brecht, a writer of revolutionary communist ideas, who immigrated to the United States in 1941 to join other intellectuals exiled from Europe. After World War II, Brecht and his peers were summoned before the US Congress, which was investigating a supposed communist infiltration of Hollywood. While his fellow radicals caused a commotion and challenged the authority of Congress by yelling and being uncooperative, Brecht was calm and politely answered the questions he was asked. Because of his good behavior, Brecht was released by the government, which even offered to help him with his immigration procedure. In the end, their offer was irrelevant because he left the country and continued writing about his firm communist beliefs. And his stubborn friends? They were blacklisted, unable to publish for years! So, do as Brecht did and make surrender a tool of self-empowerment. Build up long-term strength rather than making major sacrifices for a short-lived moment of glory. If you want to be treated like a superior, youâve got to act like one Are you higher up the ladder than someone else? If so, itâs essential to act the part â unless, of course, you prefer to be seen as their equal. But a word of warning: acting as if youâre equal to others while holding a superior position will only inspire contempt. Take Louis-Philippe, King of France during the 1830s and 1840s. He despised royal ceremonies and all the symbols associated with the throne. In defiance of the formalities required of his position, he was infamous for wearing a gray hat and holding an umbrella in place of his crown and scepter. He didnât even keep the company of royalty, mostly befriending bankers instead. But the kingâs behavior didnât do him any good â he was soon hated by both rich and poor. Wealthy people disapproved of the unlikely king, while the poor disliked a monarch who acted like the lower classes but didnât look out for them. Even his banker friends turned on him when they found they could insult him without being reprimanded. All this hatred mounted until the people rose up against him and he was forced to abdicate the throne. In general, people are suspicious of higher-ups who act like their equals; doing so leads others to think youâre dishonest, as theyâll assume your modest ways are a sly trick to cloud your privileges. So whatâs a better tactic? You should instead use the strategy of the crown to make people treat you like royalty. Simply put, if you believe youâre above others and act accordingly, other people will begin to believe youâre superior, too. Theyâll assume there is good reason for you to act in such a way. Christopher Columbus behaved like royalty and, consequently, most people viewed him as such. In fact, it was his confident socializing with the Spanish royal family that eventually convinced the Spanish throne to finance his voyages. Seduction works better than coercion to gain power over others Picture yourself as Chuko Liang, head strategist for the ancient Chinese state of Shu. War has just been declared on China from the south by King Menghuo, and itâs up to you to stop him and save the country. But before learning what you should do, itâs essential to know what you shouldnât. First of all, using force and coercive tactics is never wise, even when theyâre the easiest choice. If you do exercise your strength, people will secretly resent you, because force breeds resistance. Liang knew this and didnât attack, even though he probably would have defeated the invading army. However, if he had, Menghuo would have resented both China and Liang, and the country would have to continuously protect itself. This would have exhausted everyone involved and bred paranoia. Seduction is a better strategy. People tend to be controlled by their emotions, and by playing on their feelings, you can make them do what you want â of their own free will. You can do this by threatening your opponent so that they expect pain and then suddenly treating them kindly. When Menghuo attacked China, Liang captured him and his entire army. Menghuo was separated from his soldiers. He expected the worst. But to his great surprise, he was offered delicious food and wine instead. While Liang released his enemyâs soldiers, he said he would only let Menghuo go when the enemy king promised that if he was ever captured again, he would bow to the Chinese king. And while Liang captured Menghuo several more times, he always let him go. Then, on the seventh capture, Menghuo dropped to Liangâs feet, surrendering himself and his kingdom. Even though Liang could have killed Menghuo, a fact that his enemy knew well, he gave him plenty of chances and treated him handsomely each time. As a result, Menghuo grew increasingly grateful and indebted to the Chinese king, until he finally surrendered of his own volition. In your quest for power, avoid your friends and collaborate with your enemies When you find yourself in a tricky professional situation, itâs only natural to want to recruit your friends. After all, who better to soften the pain of a business ordeal than a supportive friend? Well, actually, anybody. Counting on your friends is a major misstep. The reason is simple: your friends are most likely to compare themselves to you and therefore be envious of what you have. Thatâs why the smartest move is to create distance between you and them. Chinese emperors were regularly assassinated by their closest friends, many of whom they had appointed as generals. Aware of this treacherous potential, Emperor Sung took a different tack; in 959, he cleverly invited his generals â all friends of his â to a banquet. Once there, he offered them estates and riches, leading all of them to retire to palaces. As a result, Sung reigned for another 16 years, a feat that was unheard of at the time. But if you push your friends away, with whom are you supposed to work? It may seem odd, but the best idea is to collaborate with your enemies, thereby broadening your influence. In 1807, the foreign minister of France, Talleyrand, realized that Napoleon was losing his influence over the empire. With this in mind, Talleyrand attempted to overthrow him. But to carry out such a dangerous plan, he needed a serious accomplice. In the end, he unexpectedly found the perfect person in the chief of the secret police, Joseph FouchĂ©, who had long been Talleyrandâs political adversary and the primary rival for Napoleonâs favor. Nevertheless, the collaboration worked because both men believed that Napoleon was going down and that France needed a new leader. So, while Talleyrand undercut Napoleonâs diplomatic work with Russia, FouchĂ© worked with the English to further undermine the Emperorâs position. Eventually, Napoleon was overthrown, and while FouchĂ© also lost influence, Talleyrand rose to be an important minister in the government that took power. Convince people through artful action rather than argumentation Have you ever gotten into a heated debate that went late into the night, eventually resulting in the other person begrudgingly conceding? Itâs easy for the most stubborn among us to count such events as victories, but beware: the truth is quite different. In reality, working to convince others by debate is a total waste of time, and can even be dangerous, especially if theyâre powerful. In 131 BC, Roman consul Mucianus was on a campaign to conquer the Greek town of Pergamus. To break down the city walls, he needed a massive ship mast to be turned into a battering ram. However, the engineer who had been assigned the task knew that a smaller mast would work better. He argued his point to the soldiers, insisting that they bring the consul the smaller of the two. He was right; the smaller mast would have worked better. But that didnât matter. The engineer was disrobed and whipped to death for the trouble he had caused. In other words, it isnât enough to be right and tell people so. A better approach is to convince people through cunning action. Often, with a little bit of thought, you can come up with a way to ensure that your idea prevails, while making your opponent believe that you agree with them. Sir Christopher Wren, the famous seventeenth-century British architect, was once commissioned to design a town hall for Westminster. But he wasnât left to his own devices. The mayor of Westminster, fearing that the building might fall down and destroy his office on the first floor, demanded that two extra supporting columns be added. Wren knew that the mayorâs fears were baseless. But instead of saying so, he simply built the two columns. Many years later, builders working on a high scaffold found that the columns ended just before meeting the ceiling. In reality, they were doing nothing at all to hold the building up. The rather cunning Wren had avoided a useless discussion while still making sure that his point was proved. The pillars were eventually removed. When seeking another personâs help, rely on their self-interest, not their good will Assuming power is no easy task and, if you want to succeed, youâll need to ask others for help. But how you ask is important. After all, you could ask people to aid you simply out of the goodness of their hearts. But that would be a mistake. In the 1400s, there was an Italian prince in the town of Lucca. This prince was famous thanks to the support of a powerful family, the Poggios. However, after rising to power, he forgot all about the family, solely pursuing his own interests. Annoyed by this, the Poggios began conspiring with other families to overthrow the prince. But before they did, one member of the Poggio family, Stefano, argued that diplomatic methods should be used instead. Stefano went to the prince, describing the coming rebellion and asking him to consider what the Poggios had done for him. Upon hearing this, the prince invited the Poggios to his palace, where, rather than changing his ways and rewarding the family justly, he had them imprisoned and executed, including Stefano. Simply put: asking people to do the right thing often doesnât work out. Appeal to their self-interest instead. But this can be tricky, for the simple reason that most people are incapable of seeing beyond their own self-interest in order to consider other peopleâs self-interest! In the sixteenth century, Portuguese emissaries to Japan worked desperately to establish relationships with the Japanese and convert them to Christianity. The plan failed. Not because the Portuguese were unwilling to appeal to the self-interest of the Japanese, but because the Portuguese were too focused on their own religious agenda to identify the true interests of the Japanese. By contrast, when the Dutch arrived in Japan a century later, they were clever enough to recognize these interests. They found that the Japanese desired trade agreements that would grant them access to the European market, something the Dutch could deliver. As a result, the Japanese emperor, Tokugawa Ieyasu, ditched the Portuguese and developed relationships with the Dutch instead. Being overly available will turn people off; holding back is the key to desirability Practically every person who has tried dating has been frustrated by human nature to one degree or another. After all, thereâs a basic formula when it comes to love: if your lover returns your calls, you immediately lose interest; if they ignore you, you go mad with desire. But this doesnât just apply to love. Itâs another basic law of power. It might sound simple, but the truth is that being too accessible will make people lose interest in you. In the eighth century BC, Medea, a city in what is now Iran, was inhabited by people who were against monarchs and any individual who held too much power. However, without a ruler, chaos was almost inevitable. In this cacophony, a man named Deioces offered to mediate between rival parties and resolve their disputes. He was skilled at this, and his work gained him widespread admiration and love. However, after a while, as he continued to mediate and resolve, people began to take his work for granted. And since they were still opposed to the idea of a powerful ruler, they had no intention of giving him more power. Deioces was failing to instrumentalize a key law of power: unavailability is essential to being desirable. After all, itâs only when you disappear that people remember how valuable you are. Deioces eventually realized this and knew that the only way he would receive the recognition he deserved was by retiring. So he moved to the countryside and let Medea return to its former chaos. Pretty soon, the Medeans arrived at his door, desperately begging him to return and rule over them. He agreed, on one condition: a huge palace should be constructed for him, armed to the teeth with bodyguards. Once the people agreed, he ruled the area for 53 years. Instead of isolating yourself out of fear, surround yourself with those on whom you depend When people find themselves surrounded by others, some of whom are obvious enemies, itâs only natural to seek out protection. During times like these, building a fortress to hide in can feel like the perfect solution. But, actually, isolating yourself in this way is counterproductive because it also cuts you off from power and influence. You canât attain any significant power without a sense of whatâs happening around you. Just take an example from China in 220 BC. Châi Shih Huang Ti was not only emperor of China but also the most powerful person in the world. However, toward the end of his life, he became paranoid that people were out to harm him. So he retired to a lavish palace, protected by a maze of secret passageways that let him move from room to room without ever being seen. Anyone who so much as set eyes on the emperor would be executed immediately. As a final precaution, the emperor only traveled alone, elaborately disguising himself when he did to avoid recognition. It was on one such outing that he died, estranged from his family, isolated from his friends, and forgotten by his court. Isolation isnât the answer. Instead, youâve got to surround yourself with the people on whom your power depends. Thereâs perhaps no starker contrast to Châi Shih Huang Ti than Louis XIV, who filled his Versailles palace with courtiers who were bound to attend daily social events in his room. The aristocracy had been rebelling against the growing power of the king since they had lost the right to govern and exploit large territories independently of the monarch. The aristocrats were naturally not pleased about these changes. By keeping the very same noblemen in his chambers under his watchful eye where he could use his powers of manipulation and careful endowment of privileges, Louis stopped the rebellion. In fact, his courtiers vied for his favor and attention.â Title Usage:âThe 48 Laws of Power ïŒThe Classics · The definitive manual to help you GAIN POWER OBSERVE POWER DEFEND AGAINST POWERâ Content in English. Title in English.Bilingual English-Chinese subtitles. This is a comprehensive summary of the book Using Hollywood production values and cinematic style. Music is soft. Characters are portrayed as European and American.
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