Deck 1 Flashcards
Law 1
“Never outshine the master
Make those above you feel superior. Do not show your talents too much, it’ll make them insecure.
Make the master appear more brilliant than they are”
Law 2
“Never put too much trust in friends, learn to use enemies
Friends will quickly betray you as they can easily be roused to envy.
Hire former enemies, they’ll be loyal as they have more to prove. “
Law 3
“Conceal your intentions
Keep people off-balance. They cannot prepare if they don’t know. Guide them down the wrong path.”
Law 4
“Always say less than necessary
When trying to impress, the more you say the more common you look and less in control.
Be vague.
Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less.
Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike.
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.
Reputation alone will make you win.
Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations.
Destroy enemies by attacking their reputation. Then stand aside and let the public hang them.
“
Law 6
” Court attention at all cost
Everything is judged by appearance, what is unseen counts for nothing.
Never get lost in a crowd.
Be mysterious, appear more colorful than the masses.”
Law 7
“Let others to do the work for you, but always take credit
Use the skills of others to do the work for you, never do yourself what others can do for you.
Your efficiency will appear god-like.”
Law 8
“Make other people come to you – use bait if necessary
When you force others to act, you’re in control.
It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process.
Lure with gains, then attack.”
Law 9
“Win through your actions, never through argument
You can only win a Pyrrhic victory through argument.
The resentment you will 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 the unlucky
You’ll die from other’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as diseases.
The unfortunate draw misfortune on themselves and will draw it on you.
Associate with the happy and fortunate.”
Law 11
“Learn to keep people dependent on you
To maintain independence you must be needed and wanted.
The more you’re relied on, the more freedom you have.
Make people depend on you for happiness.
Never teach them enough so they can do without you.”
Law 12
“Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim
One sincere move will cover over a dozen dishonest ones.
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.
“
Law 13
“When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy
Do not remind people of past deeds.
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.
“
Law 14
“Pose as a friend, work as a spy
Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself.
In polite social encounters, learn to probe. Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses and intentions. There is no occasion that is not an opportunity for artful spying.
“
Law 15
“Crush your enemy totally
More is lost through stopping halfway.
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
Too much circulation makes the price go down.
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.
”
Law 17
“Keep others in suspended terror: cultivate an air of unpredictability
Being predictable gives control to others.
Behavior that isn’t consistent will wear people out, and they’ll stop trying to explain things.
When used to the extreme, you’ll intimidate and terrorize.
“
Law 18
“Do not build fortresses to protect yourself – isolation is dangerous
Isolation cuts you off from valuable information.
Its better to mingle, find allies.
You are shielded from your enemy in a crowd.”
Law 19
“Know who you’re dealing with – do not offend the wrong person
Never assume everyone will react the same way.
Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.
“
Law 20
“Do not commit to anyone
Fools rush to pick a side.
Do not commit to a cause but yourself
Maintain independence
Make people chase you and play people against one another”
Law 21
“Play a sucker to catch a sucker- seem dumber than your mark
No one likes feeling stupider than the next person.
The trick, then, is to 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.
“
Law 22
“Use the surrender tactic: transformer weakness into power
When you’re weaker, never fight just for honor but surrender.
Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait for his power to wane.
Do not give them the satisfaction to win, surrender.
Turn the other cheek to infuriate them, use surrender as a tool of power. “
Law 23
“Concentrate your forces
Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point.
Find a fat cow that’ll give you milk for a long time”
Law 24
“Play the perfect courtier
He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts power over others in the mot oblique and graceful manner.
Assert power gracefully to avoid jealousy. “
Law 25
“Re-create yourself
Create an identity that commands attention and never bores.
Be the master of your own image rather than letting others or society define it for you.
Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.
“
Law 26
“Keep your hands clean
You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds.
Use others as scapegoats to disguise your involvement”
Law 27
“Play on people’s need to believe to create a cultlike following
People want to believe in something
Become the focal point of this and offer them a cause, a new faith
Keep your words vague but full of promise
Emphasize enthusiasm over rationality
Give your new disciples rituals to perform and ask them to make sacrifices”
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 boldness, no one honors the timid”
Law 29
“Plan all the way to the end
The ending is everything.
Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others.
Guide fortune by thinking far ahead
“
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.
Teach no one your tricks or they will be used against you.
“
Law 31
” Control the opinions: get others to play with the cards you deal
The best deceptions seem to give the other person a choice.
Your victims feel they are in control, but are actually your puppets. Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose. “
Law 32
“Play to people’s fantasies
The truth is unpleasant, avoid it.
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.
There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses.”
Law 33
“Discover each man’s thumbscrew
Everyone has a weakness,
That weakness is usually an insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a small secret pleasure.
Either way, once found, it is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage.
“
Law 34
“Be royal in your own fashion: act like a king to be treated like one
The way you carry yourself determines how you’re treated
Appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you
Kings respect themselves and inspire the same in others
By acting confident you make yourself destined to wear a crown”
Law 35
“Master the art of timing
Never seem in a hurry, always seem patient
Sniff out the spirit of the times, find the trends that’ll give you power
Learn to stand back when not ready, and then strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.”
Law 36
“Disdain things you cannot have: ignoring them if the best revenge
Acknowledging petty problems gives them existence
When you acknowledge an enemy you make them stronger
The more you a mistake visible, the worse it gets
If you want something but can’t have it, disdain it
The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem”
Law 37
“Create compelling spectacles
Striking imagery and symbolic gestures create the auro of power and people respond
Stage spectacles for those around you and heighten your presence
Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing.
“
Law 38
“Think as you like but behave like others
By flaunting your unconventional ways and ideas people will only think you want attention
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.
“
