48 Laws of Power Flashcards
Never outshine the master
Always make those above you feel confortably superior. Make them appear more brilliant than they are.
Conceal your intentions
Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions.
So much depends on your reputation - guard it with your life
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.
Court attention at all cost
Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Stand out. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd.
Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit
Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed.
Win through your actions, never through argument
The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and last longer than any momentary change of opinion. Demonstrate, do not explicate.
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.
Crush your enemies totally
More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: the enemy will recover and seek revenge.
Do not build a fortress 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 conspicous and an easy target. You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd.
Know who you’re dealing with - do not offend the wrong person
Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge.
Play a sucker to catch a sucker - seem dumber than your mark
Make your victims feel smart - and not just smart, but smarter than you are. Once convinced of this, they will never suspect that you may have ulterior motives.
Play to people’s fantasies
Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes with disenchantmetn.
Work on the hearts and minds of others
Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce people into wanting to move in your direction. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.
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. People with power impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once
If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt.
