Laws of Power [ ]

The laws of power given in the book are:

1. Never Outshine The Master

Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go to far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.

2. Never Put Too Much Trust In Friends, Learn How To Use Enemies

Be wary of friends – they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.

3. Conceal Your Intentions

Keep people off balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intention’s, it will be too late.

4. Always Say Less Than Necessary

When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open ended, and sphinx like. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

5. So Much Depends On Reputation – Guard It With Your Live

Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.

6. Court Attention At All Cost

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious than the bland and timid masses.

7. Get Others To Do The Work For You, But Always Take The Credit

Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.

8. Make Other People Come To You – Use Bait If Necessary

When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with valuable gains – then attack. You hold the cards.

9. Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument

Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and last 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.

10. Infection: Avoid The Unlucky And The Unhappy

You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as diseases. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster: The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.

11. Learn To Keep People Dependant Of You

To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied upon, the more freedom you have. Make people dependent on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.

12. Use Selective Honesty And Generosity To Disarm Your Victim

One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open – hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate then all at will. A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose.

13. When Asking For Help, Appeal To People’s Self Interest, Never To Their Mercy Or Gratitude

If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.

14. Pose A Friend, Work As A Spy

Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to gather valuable information that will help 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.

15. Crush Your Enemy Totally

All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly is smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.

16. Use Absence To Increase Respect And Honor

Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.

17. Keep Others In Suspended Terror: Cultivate An Air Of Unpredictability

Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of control. Turn the tables: Be deliberately unpredictable. Behavior that seems to have no consistency or purpose will keep them off-balance, and they will wear themselves out trying to explain your moves. Taken to an extreme, this strategy can intimidate and terrorize.

18. Do Not Build Fortresses To Protect Yourself – Isolation Is Dangerous

The world is dangerous and enemies are everywhere – everyone has to protect themselves. A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from – it cuts you off from valuable information, it makes you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to circulate among people, find allies, mingle. You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd.

19. Know Who You Are Dealing With – Do Not Offend The Wrong Person

There are many different kinds of people in this world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spent the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lamb’s clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.

20. Do Not Commit To Anyone

It is the fool that always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others – playing people against one another, make them pursue you.

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.

22. Use The Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness Into Power

When you are weaker, never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait for his power to wane. Do not give him the satisfaction of fighting and defeating you – surrender first. By turning the other cheek you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.

23. Concentrate Your Forces

Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper, than by flitting from one shallow mine to another – intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find the only key patron, the fat cow who will give you milk for a long time to come.

24. Play The Perfect Courtier

The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything resolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yield to superiors, and asserts power over other in the most oblique and graceful manner. Learn and apply the laws of courtiership and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court.

25. Re-Create Yourself

Do not accept the role that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forcing a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.

26. Keep Your Hands Clean

You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat’s – paws to disguise your involvement.

27. Play On People’s Need To Believe To Create A Cult-Like Following

People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold power.

28. Enter Action With Boldness

If you are unsure about a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubt and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.

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. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.

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.

31. Control The Options: Get Others To Play With The Cards You Deal

The best deceptions are the ones that 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. Force them to make choices between the lesser of the two evils, both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the horns of a dilemma: They are gored wherever they turn.

32. Play The People’s Fantasies

The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes from disenchantment. 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.

33. Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew

Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usually 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.

34. Be Royal In Your Own Fashion: Act Like A King To Be Treated Like One

The way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated: In the long run, appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself and inspires the same sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a crown.

35. Master The Art Of Timing

Never seem to be in a hurry – hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.

36. Disdain Things You Cannot Have: Ignoring Them Is The Best Revenge

By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to leave things alone. If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt with it. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.

37. Create Compelling Spectacles

Striking imaginary and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of power – everyone responds to them. Stage spectacles for those around you, then, full of arresting visuals and radiant symbols that heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing.

38. Think As You Like But Behave Like Others

If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you look down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend in and nurture the common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and those that are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.

39. Stir Up Waters To Catch Fish

Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and objective. But if you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage. Put your enemies off-balance: Find the chink in their vanity through which you can rattle them and you hold the strings.

40. Despise The Free Lunch

What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full price – there is no cutting corners with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.

41. Avoid Stepping Into A Great Man’s Shoes

What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after. If you succeed a great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double their achievements to outshine them. Do not get lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making: Establish your own name and identity by changing course. Slay the overbearing father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by shining in your own way.

42. Strike The Shepard And The Sheep Will Scatter

Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual – the stirrer, the arrogant underling, the poisoner of goodwill. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them – they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source of the trouble and the sheep will scatter.

43. Work On The Hearts And Minds Of Others

Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. A person you have seduced becomes your loyal pawn. And the way to seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften up the resistant by working on their emotions, playing on what they hold dear and what they fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.

44. Disarm And Infuriate With The Mirror Effect

The mirror reflects reality, but is also the perfect tool for deception: When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as they do, they cannot figure out your strategy. The Mirror Effect mocks and humiliates them, making them overreact. By holding up a mirror to their psyches, you seduce them with the illusion that you share their values; by holding up a mirror to their actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist the power of the Mirror Effect.

45. Preach The Need For Change, But Never Reform Too Much At Once

Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but in the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. 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. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.

46. Never Appear Too Perfect

Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.

47. Do Not Go Past The Mark You Aimed For; In Victory, Learn When To Stop

The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going to far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal and when you reach it, stop.

48. Assume Formlessness

By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact the nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water, never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes.

Pop culture references [ ]

Rapper Kanye West references The 48 Laws of Power in a freestyle over Beanie Sigel 's The Truth Instrumental. He says, "The only book I ever read I could have wrote, 48 laws of power..."

See also [ ]

References [ ].

  • Joost Elffers, Robert Greene. The 48 Laws of Power , Penguin (Non-Classics), ISBN 0140280197

External links [ ]

  • The 48 laws and other business lore:
  • A simple test to help students memorise the laws of power:

Test your knowledge

  • 1 Race and intelligence (test data)
  • 3 Pregnancy fetishism

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What Are the 48 Laws of Power? The Complete List

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What are the 48 Laws of Power? How can I use them to succeed?

The 48 Laws of Power come from Robert Greene’s book The 48 Laws of Power , in which Greene culls lessons from the lives of powerful historical figures to distill a set of laws that you can follow to become powerful in your own life.

Keep reading for the complete list of the 48 Laws of Power, with explanations.

Overview: What Are the 48 Laws of Power?

Greene asserts that whether you like it or not, you’re part of a never-ending game of power. You’re either striving for and wielding power, or you’re a pawn being played by someone more powerful than you. You choose your role. 

So what are the 48 Laws of Power, and how do you use them? These laws are for those who prefer to be players rather than pawns. To turn you from an amateur into a master player, Greene has codified the 48 laws of power based on historical examples of people who’ve excelled or failed at wielding power, with glorious or bloody results (or both). Some key principles you’ll learn: Use your enemies, keep others dependent on you, say as little as possible, take credit for others’ work, control all the options, don’t take sides, create a cult following, and don’t get your hands dirty.

You can choose to apply or dismiss these rules – but you can’t escape them.

The 48 Laws of Power

What are the 48 Laws of Power? Here are all 48 laws, with explanations:

Law 1: Never Outshine the Master : Ensure that those above you always feel superior. Go out of your way to make your bosses look better and feel smarter than anyone else. Everyone is insecure, but an insecure boss can retaliate more strongly than others can.

Law 2: Never Put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn How to Use Enemies : Keep a close eye on your friends — they get envious and will undermine you. If you co-opt an enemy, he’ll be more loyal than a friend because he’ll try harder to prove himself worthy of your trust.

Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions: Always hide your true intentions. Create a smokescreen. If you keep people off-balance and in the dark, they can’t counter your efforts.

Law 4: Always Say Less than Necessary : Say little and be ambiguous, leaving the meaning to others to interpret. The less you say, the more intimidating and powerful you are.

Law 5: So Much Depends on Reputation — Guard It with Your Life : Nurture and guard your reputation because reputation is integral to power. With a strong reputation, you can influence and intimidate others.

Law 6: Create an Air of Mystery : Be outrageous or create an aura of mystery. Any attention — positive or negative — is better than being ignored. Attention brings you wealth.

Law 7: Get Others to Do the Work for You, but Always Take the Credit : Get others to do your work for you. Use their skill, time, and energy to further your ambitions while taking full credit. You’ll be admired for your efficiency.

Law 8: Make Other People Come to You — Use Bait if Necessary : Make your opponent come to you. When you force others to act, you’re in control. Bait them, then attack.

Law 9: Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument : Demonstrate your point rather than arguing. Arguing rarely changes anyone’s mind, but people believe what they see. They’re also less likely to be offended.

Law 10: Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky : Avoid miserable people. The perpetually miserable spread misery like an infection, and they’ll drown you in it.

Law 11: Learn to Keep People Dependent on You : Make your superior dependent on you. The more she needs you, the more security and freedom you have to pursue your goals.

Law 12: Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm Your Victim : Use honesty and generosity to disarm and distract others from your schemes. Even the most suspicious people respond to acts of kindness, leaving them vulnerable to manipulation.

Law 13: When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest, Never to their Mercy or Gratitude : When you need help from someone in a position of power, appeal to their self-interest. They’ll be glad to help if they’ll get something in return, and you’ll get what you want without seeming desperate or irritating.

Law 14: Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy : Be friendly, sympathetic, and interested to get people to reveal their deepest thoughts and feelings. When you know your opponent’s secrets, you can predict his behavior and control him.

Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally: Crush your enemy completely. If you leave even one ember smoldering, it will eventually ignite. You can’t afford to be lenient.

Law 16: Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor : Once you’ve become well-known, don’t wear out your welcome. The more you’re seen and heard from, the more you cheapen your brand. 

Law 17: Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability: Throw others off balance and unnerve them with random, unpredictable acts. You’ll gain the upper hand.

Law 18: Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous : Never isolate yourself when under pressure. This cuts you off from information you need, and when real danger arises you won’t see it coming. 

Law: 19: Know Who You’re Dealing With – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person : When attempting to deceive someone, know who you’re dealing with, so you don’t waste your time or stir up a hornets’ nest in reaction.

Law 20: Do Not Commit to Anyone: Don’t commit to any side or cause except yourself. By maintaining your independence, you remain in control — others will vie for your attention. You also have the ability to pit the sides against each other.

Law 21: Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber Than Your Mark : Make your intended victims feel as though they’re smarter than you are, and they won’t suspect you of having ulterior motives.

Law 22: Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power : When you’re weaker, surrender rather than fighting for the sake of honor. This gives you time to build strength and undermine your victor. You’ll win in the end.

Law 23: Concentrate Your Forces : Focus your resources and energies where you’ll have the most impact or get the most benefit. Otherwise, you’ll waste limited time and energy.

Law 24: Play the Perfect Courtier : Learn the rules of the society you’re playing in, and follow them to avoid attracting unfavorable attention. This includes appearing like a team player and being careful about criticizing diplomatically.

Law 25: Re-Create Yourself : Create a powerful image that stands out, rather than letting others define you. Change your appearance and emotions to suit the occasion. People who seem larger than life attract admiration and power.

Law: 26: Keep Your Hands Clean : You’ll inevitably make mistakes or need to take care of unpleasant problems. But keep your hands clean by finding others to do the dirty work, and scapegoats to blame.

Law 27: Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following : Offer people something to believe in and someone to follow. Promise the world but keep it vague; whip up enthusiasm. People will respond to a desperate need for belonging. Followers line your pockets, and your opponents are afraid to rile them.

Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness : When you act, do so boldly — and if you make mistakes, correct them with even greater boldness. Boldness brings admiration and power.

Law 29: Plan All the Way to the End : Make detailed plans with a clear ending. Take into account all possible developments. Then don’t be tempted from your path. Otherwise, you risk being surprised and forced to react without time to think.

Law 30: Make Your Accomplishments Seem Effortless : Make difficult feats seem effortless and you’ll inspire awe in others and seem powerful. By contrast, when you make too much of your efforts, your achievement will seem less impressive and you’ll lose respect.

Law 31: Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards You Deal : To deceive people, seem to give them a meaningful choice. But sharply limit their options to a few that work in your favor regardless of which they choose. Your victims will feel in control, but you’ll pull the strings. 

Law 32: Play to People’s Fantasies : Conjure up alluring fantasies in contrast to the gloomy realities of life, and people will flock to you. Spin the right tale and wealth and power will follow.

Law 33: Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew : Everyone has a weakness, a hole in his armor. Find it and it’s leverage that you can use to your advantage. 

Law 34: Be Royal in Your Own Fashion: Act Like a King to Be Treated Like One: Act like royalty and people will treat you that way. Project dignity and supreme confidence that you’re destined for great things, and others will believe it.

Law 35: Master the Art of Timing : Anticipate the ebb and flow of power. Recognize when the time is right, and align yourself with the right side. Be patient and wait for your moment. Bad timing ends careers and ambitions.

Law 36: Disdain Things You Cannot Have: Ignoring Them Is the Best Revenge : Sometimes it’s better to ignore things because reacting can make small problems worse, make you look bad, and give your enemy attention.

Law 37: Create Compelling Spectacles : In addition to words, use visuals and symbols to underscore your power. What people see makes a greater impression on them than what they hear. 

Law 38: Think as You Like But Behave Like Others : Don’t make a show of being different, or people will think you look down on them and will retaliate against you.

Law 39: Stir Up Waters to Catch Fish : Always stay calm and objective. When you get angry, you’ve lost control. But if you can make your enemies angry, you gain an advantage. 

Law 40: Despise the Free Lunch : Use money and generosity strategically to achieve your goals. Use gifts to build a reputation of generosity, and also to obligate people to you.

Law 41: Avoid Stepping Into a Great Man’s Shoes : If you succeed a great leader or famous parent, find or create your own space to fill. Sharply separate from the past and set your own standards — or you’ll be deemed a failure for not being a clone of your predecessor.

Law 42: Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep Will Scatter: Trouble in a group often starts with a single individual who stirs the pot. Stop them before others succumb to their influence.

Law 43: Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others : Win others’ hearts and minds. Play on their emotions and weaknesses, and appeal to their self-interest. You’ll have them eating out of your hand, and they’ll be less likely to turn on you.

Law 44: Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect : Seduce people by mirroring their emotions and interests; create the illusion that you share their values. They’ll be so grateful to be understood that they won’t notice your ulterior motives. 

Law 45: Preach the Need for Change, But Never Reform Too Much at Once : Talk change but move slowly. Evoke revered history and cloak your changes in familiar rituals. Too much change is unsettling and will spark backlash.

Law 46: Never Appear Too Perfect : To forestall or mitigate envy, admit to a flaw or weakness, emphasize the role of luck, or downplay your talents. If you don’t recognize and nip envy in the bud, it will grow and the envious will work insidiously against you. 

Law 47: Do Not Go Past the Mark You Aimed For; In Victory, Learn When to Stop: When you’ve won, don’t let emotions push you past your goal. The moment of victory is dangerous because if you press your luck, you’ll blunder into something you haven’t planned for. 

Law 48: Assume Formlessness : Be flexible, fluid, and unpredictable — formless — so your opponents can’t get a fix on you and can’t figure out how to respond.

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Amanda Penn

Amanda Penn is a writer and reading specialist. She’s published dozens of articles and book reviews spanning a wide range of topics, including health, relationships, psychology, science, and much more. Amanda was a Fulbright Scholar and has taught in schools in the US and South Africa. Amanda received her Master's Degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

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39 thoughts on “ what are the 48 laws of power the complete list ”.

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Thanks for posting Amanda!

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Just so everyone knows this book isn’t something that the average human being agree with. But I agree with it. And I wanna rule this world. If you think this is toxic, no it is not. It is just a tool which the highly intelligent people use. The greatest skill is the skill of manipulation. And my goal in life is to completely master it. But I declare that I won’t harm anyone. Don’t be an average. Rise up to your limits. Use your mind. God has given it to you. IQ is important. Bro wake up “you are different”. I am not saying that anyone is wrong. But I think that I am right. Have a good life, it is temporary

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Robert Greene has written this book with some knowledge of things that he can share. It looks, he lacks some experience and expertise as well as to say so in the book to go public at large.

There are a few points that can be taken generally. There are some useful to diplomats, politicians, and other professionals. but there are some suggestions within these points and the rest of the points are vicious and can damage society. That is why, this book seems to have been banned for sale and circulation.

What Robert can do is, he can trim the book by retaining the points that are in order in consultation with learned people on the respective subject and republish with the title “The __ Laws of Power” indicating in the blank space how many laws he can state.

Robert has to reckon that certain things cannot be openly talked about and that too in a book. There are certain things comes to be smelt out of experience and expertise only.

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That’s a load of bullcr*p. The work is the work. Leave his art alone.

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Good Laws to taken into consideration,but we can not 🚭 with all the 48 Laws, it’s contradictory,at some point I’m agree 👍 with all,but it’s not necessary to alligned with all off 📴

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This does book does nothing more than promote toxic behavior, and its concepts are dangerous. Control, manipulation, gas lighting, mind games etc. Everything a cluster B personality types use to abuse other people. Wow! This is toxicity at it’s finest and people actually aspire to be this way. WOW!!!!

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Great comment. Book could be titled “How to accelerate and perfect your Narcissistic Asshole Pointless and Wasted Life Experience”. I think I worked for a number of disciples of this books lessons, and they all never escaped their lives of self imposed misery. Often, it appeared that they were never given something they needed from their parents when young, effectively perpetuating the toxicity. Hey, am I power tripping on my assessment of this? Hmmm?

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If you have been around people and seen how they interact with Each other You would know that this book primarily explains human nature. Yes we are toxic creatures. With the insight of this book you can see how different people achieve their own individual power. Most of the people that I am around at work practice these laws and have never heard of this book much less read it. Read and study this book you will become aware of the actions of those around you. Knowledge is power. Just because you know evil does not mean you have to do evil. If you have ever read The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli you will realize how leaders of countries rule their people. Its not pretty, but it’s reality

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I agree with this comment, yet also understand the premise of the comment preceding. To the untrained or unaware, these concepts of sociological Behavior, may seem harsh to adhere to. But I counter, that they do in fact appear to be useful in the context with which they were meant to be used. I feel that it is the way in which you would applicate these laws, and to what aspirations or end results you are looking for, as the basis for my analysis of whether this makes them right or wrong. But that’s a discussion for another time

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good point try the 42 laws of maat

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I personally find it great to read these laws. of course, it could be used in wrong manner although it also gives us a deep insight of how powerful people think as well how manipulative people act accordingly. for example if you understand these laws you will be able to recognize why certain people act mysterious and unopen to others. also understanding “psychology of people in power such as being careful to not get exaggerate in showing your light” it might be dangerous while you might act in order to get recognized or valued. being aware of envy and acting humble is a good thing. being unaware how power is dominating in this world is a way to get harmed and getting knowledge can be always used “in good or bad way”. we decide.

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Yes!! My soon to be ex husband just bought this and I looked into it. It’s making it a whole lot easier to accept his demand for a divorce. Why do people want to LEARN to treat others with such hatred?

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because the world wants to be deceived.

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That’s what I was thinking! Narcissism at its finest.

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Holy shit. This is a manual for psychopaths.

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Not all, but many are classic traits of a narcissist/psychopath. Sadly, it’s also the traits of people in the corporate world. It pays to know the type of people you are dealing with. ALL ceo’s and politicians are narcissists, sociopaths or psychopaths. People with a conscience are weeded out and discarded ,sooner or later.

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Sounds like the diary of a narcissist no thanks

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The book is an inspiration to me,Robert is right when he says there is always constant power struggle.For me I take this book as a guide and already his lessons are bearing fruits towards my vision. Robert is God sent🙏

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Hi All, I think the writer of this book is just trying to tell us the different types of Human Classes and how to go about issues . Our personality, thoughts and how to handle issues When expected. We as Human beings can not jump most of the points he made . Leadership and followership is what he is preaching here. Both have a rule to play.

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This is a very dangerous book gives out nothing more than red flags to sane people this book should be totally banned .most of the finding is all control of women. This is wrong

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Control of women? Not onw lar in this summary mentions women in any shape or form, it only includes them under the general statement of “people”. Clearly you’re trying to find a way to make women be seen as a victim for no apparent reason.

Excuse my spelling, my keyboard is horrible.

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The 48 laws of power leave aside religious beliefs .

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Loved the book, very informative and interesting read. Here’s my conclusion….. if your not in the corporate world, such as Wall Street 😂😂 this book should be burned. This is just a guide to be the best narcissist you can be in a world that’s already going to hell and the wording proves that . Should have been a book to warn the few good people in the world how someone useless in the world thinks they are in the game of thrones for no reason.

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Omg! So I’m not Insane. By time I got to Law 3, I knew this was the guide my ex husband started to live by!

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lol this comment is actually funny!!!

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Forgot one: promptly accuse your opponent of anti-semitism

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“People do not expect to find chastity in a whorehouse. Why, then, do they expect to find honesty and humanity in government, a congeries of institutions whose modus operandi consists of lying, cheating, stealing, and if need be, murdering those who resist?” — H. L. Mencken

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The book makes no bones about what it is. The first word on the back cover begins with “Ruthless, cunning and amoral” what more do you need to know? I found it very interesting from an historical point of view, & it armed me against many of the sick, narcissistic people that surrounded me. Once I learned the rules of the game, I was immune to their futility.

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Jason. So true and that is exactly why I am here. I came across this book and took a look at it but did not allow it to sink in. I also have come across many different narcs. They have no moral fibre so best to know their game and outplay them if need be.

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So like I imagine some old lady coming up to you and being like “aye uhmmmm want some cookies” and you slapping the plate of baked goods out of her hands and saying “no your only being nice to me for some ulterior motive (it’s your grandma)

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The shallow thinking of these comments.

Just because you don’t exercise these behaviors. Doesn’t mean you don’t need to be able to identify them in others. When you get divorced, dumped, When you get fired or passed up on a promotion. When your children rebel and act out of character. If you have a basic understanding of these mindsets than nothing should ever come as a surprise to you. Simple emotional intelligence will tell you if you go around manipulating people it will end up badly for you, but that’s not going to stop you from being fooled by others.

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oh wow nice

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Exactly how human society functions as whole. Individual opinions aren”t changing it.

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BRO IS NOT A SIGMA XD

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I agree with almost all the book states yet there’s a small portion that I partially disagree with and that is the fact the if you were to follow this completely you could never truly love anyone. Maby it’s just the fact I’m 14 and don’t yet grasp that you can’t, or the book was incorrect about a small number of things.

may all you fine gentlemen be blessed in success.

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psychology books 48 laws of power

48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene: Summary & Notes

Rated : 9/10

Available at: Amazon

ISBN:  0140280197

Related:   The 50th Law , The Art of Seduction , Mastery , The 33 Strategies of War

Get access to my collection of 100+ detailed book notes

An outstanding book that will no doubt remain a classic for a long time.  48 Laws of Power details the laws for attaining power in life, business, and more, and gives historical examples of each law in practice, as well as examples of those who do not respect these laws.

A book I will continue to go back and reference.  Those who are cynical may see some of the laws as manipulative, and some are. That said, they are all grounded in the reality of human nature, and it's more important to understand them, and then choose how, when, and which to apply, than to just remain ignorant of them and refuse to acknowledge they exist.

A long read, but well worth it and entertaining throughout.

48 Laws of Power

1. never outshine the master..

Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please and impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite—inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.

2. Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies.

Be wary of friends—they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.

  • Friends often conceal things in order to avoid conflict; this can be dangerous.
  • Keep friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent.
  • Whenever you can, bury the hatchet with an enemy, and make a point of putting him in your service.
  • Use enemies to define your cause more clearly to the public, even framing it as a struggle of good against evil.
  • It is better off to know who and where your opponents are than to not know where your real enemies lie.

3. Conceal your intentions.

Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.

I: Use decoyed objects of desire and red herrings to throw people off the scent:

  • If at any point in the deception you practice people have the slightest suspicions to your intentions, all is lost. Do not give them the chance to sense what you are up to: Throw them off the scent by dragging red herrings across the path. Use false sincerity, send ambiguous signals, set up misleading objects of desire. Unable to distinguish the genuine from the false, they cannot pick out your real goal.
  • Hide your intentions not by closing up, but by talking endlessly about your desires and goals - just false ones.

II: Use smoke screens to disguise your actions:

  • Deception is always the best strategy, but the best deceptions require a screen of smoke to distract people attention from your real purpose. The bland exterior—like the unreadable poker face—is often the perfect smoke screen, hiding your intentions behind the comfortable and familiar. If you lead the sucker down a familiar path, he won’t catch on when you lead him into a trap.
  • A helpful or honest gesture can divert from a deception.
  • Patterns will also help mask a deception.
  • Often the key to deception is being bland and acting with humility.

4. Always say less than necessary.

When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

  • Silence generally makes people uncomfortable - they will jump in and nervously fill the silence.
  • Generally saying less makes you appear more profound and mysterious.
  • Be particularly careful with sarcasm - rarely is it valuable.
  • Be careful with arousing suspicion or insecurity by being silent.  At times it is easier to blend by playing the jester.

5. So much depends on reputation - guard it with your life.

Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.

  • Work to establish a reputation of outstanding quality, whether generosity or honesty or cunning.
  • A good reputation can save you much - a lot of work is done in advance by your reputation.
  • Once established, always take the high road when attacked.

6. Court attention at all cost.

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious than the bland and timid masses.

I: Surround your name with the sensational and scandalous

  • Draw attention to yourself by creating an unforgettable, even controversial image. Court scandal. Do anything to make yourself seem larger than life and shine more brightly than those around you. Make no distinction between kinds of attention—notoriety of any sort will bring you power. Better to be slandered and attacked than ignored.
  • At the beginning of your rise, spend all your energy on attracting attention.  The quality of attention is irrelevant.

II: Create an air of mystery

  • In a world growing increasingly banal and familiar, what seems enigmatic instantly draws attention. Never make it too clear what you are doing or about to do. Do not show all your cards. An air of mystery heightens your presence; it also creates anticipation—everyone will be watching you to see what happens next. Use mystery to beguile, seduce, even frighten.
  • Remember: Most people are upfront, can be read like an open book, take little care to control their words or image, and are hopelessly predictable. By simply holding back, keeping silent, occasionally uttering ambiguous phrases, deliberately appearing inconsistent, and acting odd in the subtlest of ways, you will emanate an aura of mystery.
  • Do not let mystery turn to an air of deceit; it must always seem a game, playful, unthreatening.

7. Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit.

Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.

  • You must secure the credit for yourself.
  • Learn to take advantage of others work to further your own cause.
  • Use the past, a vast storehouse of knowledge and wisdom.  Learn this and you will look like a genius.
  • Note: be sure to know when letting other people share the credit furthers your cause.

8. Make other people come to you - use bait if necessary.

When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains—then attack. You hold the cards.

  • The essence of power is keeping the initiative and forcing others to react, keeping them on the defensive.
  • Master your anger yet play on people’s natural tendency to react angrily when pushed and baited.

9. Win through your actions, never through argument.

Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.

  • When aiming for power, always look for the indirect route.
  • Verbal argument has one use: deception when covering tracks or caught in a lie.

10. Infection: avoid the unhappy and unlucky.

You can die from someone else’s misery—emotional states are as infectious as diseases. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.

  • The most important person to avoid: the sufferer of chronic dissatisfaction.
  • Examine someone’s history to recognize these people: turbulence, a long line of broken relationships, etc.
  • The other side of infection is equally valid: there are those who attract happiness by their good cheer, natural buoyancy, and intelligence.
  • Use this rule to counteract your own undesirable or weak qualities.

11. Learn to keep people dependent on you.

To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.

  • Do not mistake independence for power; power requires a relationship.
  • To cultivate this: possess a talent and creative skill that simply cannot be replaced.

12. Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim.

One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely gift—a Trojan horse—will serve the same purpose.

  • Learn to give before you take - an actual gift, a generous act, a kind favour, an “honest” admission - whatever it takes.
  • Selective honesty is best employed on your first encounter with someone.
  • A history of deceit will cause any act of generosity to be viewed with suspicion.  Counter by embracing your reputation for dishonesty openly.

13. When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude.

If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.

  • Do not be subtle: you have valuable knowledge to share, you can make him rich, you can make him live longer and happier.
  • Train yourself to see inside other’s needs and interests and desires.
  • Distinguish differences among powerful people and figure out what makes them tick.  When they ooze greed, do not appeal to charity; when they want to look charitable and noble, do not appeal to their greed.

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.

  • During social gatherings and innocuous encounters, pay attention.  This is when people’s guards are down, and they will reveal things.
  • Give a false confession, and someone else will give you a real one.
  • Contradict others to stir them to emotion and lose control of their words.

15. Crush your enemy totally.

All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.

  • Recognize that you will accumulate enemies who you cannot bring over to your side, and that to leave them any escape will mean you are never secure.  Crush them completely.

16. Use absence to increase respect and honour.

Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.

  • The truth of this law can most easily be appreciated in matters of love and seduction.
  • Another example of this law exists in economics - scarcity increases value.
  • Note: this law only applies once a certain level of power has been attained.  Leave too early and you do not increase respect, you are simply forgotten. Similarly, absence is only effective in love and seduction once you have surrounded the other with your image.
  • In the beginning, make yourself not scarce but omnipresent.

17. Keep others in suspended terror: cultivate an air of unpredictability.

Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of control. Turn the tables: Be deliberately unpredictable. Behavior that seems to have no consistency or purpose will keep them off-balance, and they will wear themselves out trying to explain your moves. Taken to an extreme, this strategy can intimidate and terrorize.

  • Unsettle those around you and keep the initiative by being unpredictable.
  • Predictability and patterns can be used as a tool when deceiving.

18. Do not build fortresses to protect yourself - isolation is dangerous.

The world is dangerous and enemies are everywhere—everyone has to protect themselves. A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it Protects you from—it cuts you off from valuable information, it makes you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to circulate among people, find allies, mingle. You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd.

  • Retreat to a fortress and you lose contact with your sources of power, and your knowledge of what is going on.
  • If you need time to think, then choose isolation as a last resort, and only in small doses.

19. Know who you’re dealing with - do not offend the wrong person.

There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in 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 of fend or deceive the wrong person.

Being able to recognize the type of person you’re dealing with is critical.  Here are the five most dangerous:

  • The Arrogant and Proud Man: any perceived slight will invite vengeance.  Flee these people.
  • The Hopelessly Insecure Man: similar to the proud man, but will take revenge in smaller bites over time.  Do not stay around him if you have harmed or deceived him.
  • Mr. Suspicion: sees the worst in others and imagines that everyone is after him.  Easy to deceive - get him to turn on others.
  • The Serpent with a Long Memory: if hurt, he will show no anger, but will calculate and wait. Recognize by his calculation and cunning in other areas of life - he is usually cold and unaffectionate.  Crush him completely or flee.
  • The Plain, Unassuming, and Often Unintelligent Man: this man will not take the bait because he does not recognize it. Do not waste your resources trying to deceive him.  Have a test ready for a mark - a joke, a story. If reaction is literal, this is the type you are dealing with.

Never rely on instincts when judging someone; instead gather concrete knowledge.  Also never trust appearances.

20. Do not commit to anyone.

It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others—playing people against one another, making them pursue you.

Part 1: Do not commit to anyone, but be courted by all.

  • Stay aloof and gain the power that comes from attention and frustrated desire.

Part 2: Do not commit to anyone - stay above the fray.

  • Do not let others drag you into their fights.  Seem interested and supportive, but neutral.
  • Staying neutral allows you to keep initiative, and take advantage of the situation when one side starts to lose.
  • You only have so much time and energy - every moment wasted on affairs of others subtracts from your strength.
  • Make sure to maintain emotional objectivity in the affairs of others.

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.

  • Intelligence, taste and sophistication are all things you should downplay, or reassure others that they are more advanced than you.

22. Use the surrender tactic: transform weakness into power.

When you are weaker, never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait for his power to wane. Do not give him the satisfaction of fighting and defeating you—surrender first. By turning the other cheek you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.

  • The essence of the surrender tactic: inwardly you stay firm, but outwardly you bend.  Your enemy will be bewildered when properly executed, as they will be expecting retaliation.

23. Concentrate your forces.

Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper, than by flitting from one shallow mine to another—intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find the one key patron, the fat cow who will give you milk for a long time to come.

  • Concentrate on a single goal, a single task, and beat it into submission.
  • Note: when fighting a stronger enemy, you must be prepared to dissolve your forces and be elusive.

24. Play the perfect courtier.

The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts power over others in the most oblique and graceful manner. Learn and apply the laws of courtiership and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court.

The Laws of Court Politics

  • Avoid Ostentation: modesty is always preferable.
  • Practice Nonchalance: never appear to be working too hard; your talent must appear to flow naturally, with ease.  Showing your blood and toil is a form of ostentation.
  • Be Frugal with Flattery: flatter indirectly by being modest.
  • Arrange to be Noticed: pay attention to your appearance, and find a way to create a subtly distinctive style and image.
  • Alter Your Style and Language According to the Person You’re Dealing With: acting the same with all will be seen as condescension by those below you, and offend those above you.
  • Never Be the Bearer of Bad News: the messenger is always killed.  Bring only glad news.
  • Never Affect Friendliness and Intimacy with Your Master: he does not want a friend for a subordinate.
  • Never Criticize Those Above You Directly: err on the side of subtlety and gentleness.
  • Be Frugal in Asking Those Above You for Favours: it is always better to earn your favours.  Do not ask for favours on another person’s behalf.
  • Never Joke About Appearances or Taste
  • Do Not Be the Court Cynic: express admiration for the good work of others.
  • Be Self-Observant: you must train yourself to evaluate your own actions.
  • Master Your Emotions
  • Fit the Spirit of the Times: your spirit and way of thinking must keep up with the times, even if the times offend your sensibilities.
  • Be a Source of Pleasure: if you cannot be the life of the party, at least obscure your less desirable qualities. ‍

25. Re-create yourself.

Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions—your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.

  • The first step in the process of self-creation is being aware of yourself and taking control of your appearances and emotions.
  • The second step is the creation of a memorable character that compels attention and stands above the others on the stage.
  • Rhythm, timing and tempo over time also contribute greatly to the creation of a character.
  • Appreciate the importance of stage entrances and exits.

26. Keep your hands clean.

You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat’s-paws to disguise your involvement.

Part 1: Conceal your mistakes - have a scapegoat to take the blame.

  • It is often wise to choose the most innocent victim possible as a sacrificial goat.  Be careful, however, not to create a martyr.
  • A close associate is often the best choice - the “fall of the favourite”.

Part 2: Make use of the cat’s-paw.

  • Use those around you to complete dirty tasks to hide your intentions and accomplish your goals while keeping your hands clean.
  • An essential element in this strategy is concealing your goal.
  • Devices like this are best for approaching those in power, or planting information.
  • You may also offer yourself as the cat’s-paw to gain power.
  • Note: you must be very careful in using this tactic, as being revealed would be disastrous.

27. Play on people’s need to believe to create a cult like following.

People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise ; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold power.

How to create a cult in 5 easy steps:

  • Keep It Vague, Keep it Simple: use words to attract attention, with great enthusiasm.  Fancy titles for simple things are helpful, as are the use of numbers and the creation of new words for vague concepts.  All of these create the impression of specialized knowledge. People want to hear there is a simple solution to their problems.
  • Emphasize the Visual and the Sensual over the Intellectual: Boredom and skepticism are two dangers you must counter.  The best way to do this is through theatre, creating a spectacle.  Appeal to all the senses, and use the exotic.
  • Borrow the Forms of Organized Religion to Structure the Group: create rituals, organize followers into hierarchy, rank them in grades of sanctity, give them names and titles, ask them for sacrifices that fill your coffers and increase your power.  Talk and act like a prophet.
  • Disguise Your Source of Income: make your wealth seem to come from the truth of your methods.
  • Set Up an Us-Versus-Them Dynamic: first make sure your followers believe they are part of an exclusive club, unified by common goals.  Then, manufacture the notion of a devious enemy out to ruin you.
  • People are not interested in the truth about change - that it requires hard work - but rather they are dying to believe something romantic, otherworldly.
  • The most effective cults mix religion with science.

28. Enter action with boldness.

If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.

Some of the most pronounced psychological effects of boldness and timidity:

  • The Bolder the Lie the Better: the sheer audacity of a bold lie makes the story more credible, distracting from its inconsistencies.  When entering a negotiation, ask for the moon and you’ll be surprised how often you get it.
  • Lions Circle the Hesitant Prey: everything depends on perception, and if on a first encounter you demonstrate a willingness to compromise, back down, and retreat, you will be pushed around without mercy.
  • Boldness Strikes Fear; Fear Creates Authority: the bold move makes you seem larger and more powerful than you are.  If it comes suddenly, with stealth and swiftness, it inspires much more than fear - you will be intimidating, and people will be on the defensive in future.
  • Going Halfway with Half a Heart Digs the Deeper Grave: if you enter action with less than total confidence, problems will cause you to grow confused rather than pushing through.
  • Hesitation Creates Gaps, Boldness Obliterates Them: when you take time to think, you create a gap that allows others time to think as well.  Boldness leaves others no space to doubt and worry.
  • Audacity Separates You from the Herd: the bold draw attention, and seem larger than life.  We cannot keep our eyes off the audacious.
  • Most of us are timid.  We want to avoid tension and conflict and be liked by all.  We are terrified of consequences, what others might think of us, and the hostility we will stir up if we dare go beyond our usual place.
  • You must practice and develop your boldness. The place to begin is in negotiations.  How often we ask too little.
  • Remember: the problems created by an audacious move can be disguised, even remedied, by more and greater audacity.

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. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.

  • The ending is everything - it is the end of action that determines who gets the glory, the money, the prize.  Your conclusion must be crystal clear, and you must keep it constantly in mind.

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.
  • Some think exposure to how hard they work and practice demonstrates diligence and honesty, but really it just shows weakness.
  • Sprezzatura: the capacity to make the difficult seem easy.
  • What is understandable is not awe-inspiring.  The more mystery surrounds your actions, the more awesome your power seems.  
  • You appear to be the only one who can do what you do, and because you achieve accomplishments with grace and ease, people believe that you can always do more.

31. Control the options: get others to play with the cards you deal.

The best deceptions are the ones that 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. Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils, both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the horns of a dilemma: They are gored wherever they turn.

  • Withdrawal and disappearance are classic ways of controlling the options.  You give people a sense of how things will fall apart without you, and you offer them the choice: I stay away and you suffer, or I return under my conditions.
  • We actually find choices between a small number of alternatives more desirable than complete freedom of options.

The following are among the most common forms of controlling the options:

  • Color the Choices: Propose multiple solutions, but present the preferred one in the best light compared to the others.  Excellent device for the insecure master.
  • Force the Resister: This is a good technique to use on children and other willful people who enjoy doing the opposite of what you ask them to: Push them to choose what you want them to do by appearing to advocate the opposite.
  • Alter the Playing Field: In this tactic your opponents know their hand is being forced, but it doesn’t matter. The technique is effective against those who resist at all costs.
  • The Shrinking Options: A variation on this technique is to raise the price every time the buyer hesitates and another day goes by. This is an excellent negotiating ploy to use on the chronically indecisive, who will fall for the idea that they are getting a better deal today than if they wait till tomorrow.
  • The Weak Man on the Precipice: He would describe all sorts of dangers, exaggerating them as much as possible, until the duke saw a yawning abyss in every direction except one: the one Retz was pushing him to take. This tactic is similar to "Color the Choices," but with the weak you have to be more aggressive. Work on their emotions—use fear and terror to propel them into action. Try reason and they will always find a way to procrastinate.
  • Brothers in Crime: This is a classic con-artist technique: You attract your victims to some criminal scheme, creating a bond of blood and guilt between you. They participate in your deception, commit a crime (or think they do), and are easily manipulated. It is often wise to implicate in your deceptions the very person who can do you the most harm if you fail. Their involvement can be subtle—even a hint of their involvement will narrow their options and buy their silence.
  • The Horns of a Dilemma: This is a classic trial lawyer’s technique: The lawyer leads the witnesses to decide between two possible explanations of an event, both of which poke a hole in their story. They have to answer the lawyer’s questions, but whatever they say they hurt themselves. The key to this move is to strike quickly: Deny the victim the time to think of an escape. As they wriggle between the horns of the dilemma, they dig their own grave.
  • Controlling the options has one main purpose: to disguise yourself as the agent of power and punishment.

32. Play to people’s fantasies.

The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes from disenchantment. 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.

  • Never promise a gradual improvement through hard work; rather, promise the moon, the great and sudden transformation, the pot of gold.
  • The key to fantasy is distance - the distance has allure and promise, seems simple and problem free.  What you are offering, then, should be ungraspable. Never let it become oppressively familiar.

33. Discover each man’s thumbscrew.

Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. 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.

How to find weaknesses:

  • Pay Attention to Gestures and Unconscious Signals: everyday conversation is a great place to look.  Start by always seeming interested. Offer a revelation of your own if needed. Probe for suspected weaknesses indirectly.  Train your eyes for details.
  • Find the Helpless Child: knowing about a childhood can often reveal weaknesses, or when they revert to acting like a child.
  • Look for Contrasts: an overt trait often conceals its opposite. The shy crave attention, the uptight want adventure, etc.
  • Find the Weak Link: find the person who will bend under pressure, or the one who pulls strings behind the scenes.
  • Fill the Void: the two main emotional voids are insecurity and unhappiness.
  • Feed on Uncontrollable Emotions: the uncontrollable emotion can be a paranoid fear or any base motive such as lust, greed, vanity or hatred.
  • Always look for passions and obsessions that cannot be controlled.  The stronger the passion, the more vulnerable the person.
  • People’s need for validation and recognition, their need to feel important, is the best kind of weakness to exploit.  To do so, all you need to do is find ways to make people feel better about their taste, their social standing, their intelligence.
  • Timidity can be exploited by pushing them into bold actions that serve your needs while also making them dependent on you.

34. Be royal in your own fashion: act like a king to be treated like one.

The way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated: In the long run, appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself and inspires the same sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a crown.

  • How you carry yourself reflects what you think of yourself.
  • Use The Strategy of the Crown - if we believe we are destined for great things, our belief will radiate outward, just as a crown creates an aura around a king.
  • The trick is simple: be overcome by your self-belief.
  • This may separate you from people, but that’s the point.  You must always act with dignity, though this should not be confused with arrogance.
  • Dignity is the mask you assume that makes it as if nothing can affect you, and you have all the time in the world to respond.

There are other strategies to help:

  • The Columbus Strategy : always make a bold demand.  Set your price high and do not waver.
  • The David and Goliath Strategy: go after the highest person in the building.  This immediately puts you on the same plane as the chief executive you are attacking.
  • The Patron Strategy: give a gift of some sort to those above you.

35. Master the art of timing.

Never seem to be in a hurry-hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.

Three types of time and how to deal with them:

  • Long Time: be patient, control your emotions, and take advantage of opportunities when they arise.  You will gain long-term perspective and see further in the future.
  • Forced Time: the trick in forcing time is to upset the timing of others - to make them hurry, make them wait, make them abandon their own pace.  Use the deadline, apply sudden pressure, change pace to use this.
  • End Time: patience is useless unless combined with a willingness to act decisively at the right moment. Use speed to paralyze your opponents, cover any mistakes, and impress people with your aura of authority and finality.

36. Disdain things you cannot have: ignoring them is the best revenge.

By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to leave things alone. If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt for it. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.

  • Desire creates paradoxical effects: the more you want something, the more you chase after it, the more it eludes you.  You need to do the reverse: turn your back on what you want, show your contempt and disdain to create desire.
  • Instead of focusing attention on a problem, it is often better not to acknowledge it’s existence:
  • Sour-grapes approach: act as if something never really interested you in the first place.
  • When attacked, look away, answer sweetly, and show how little the attack concerns you.  
  • Treat it lightly if you have committed a blunder.
  • Note: make sure to show the above publicly, but to monitor the problem privately, making sure it is remedied.

37. Create compelling spectacles.

Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of power—everyone responds to them. Stage spectacles for those around you, then, full of arresting visuals and radiant symbols that heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing.

  • Words often go astray, but symbols and the visual strike with emotional power and immediacy.
  • Find an associate yourself with powerful images and symbols to gain power.
  • Most effective of all is a new combination - a fusion of images and symbols that have not been seen together before, but that clearly demonstrate your new idea, message, religion.

38. Think as you like but behave like others.

  • If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you look down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend in and nurture the common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and those who are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.
  • Flaunting your pleasure in alien ways of thinking and acting will reveal a different motive - to demonstrate your superiority over your fellows.
  • Wise and clever people learn early on that they can display conventional behavior and mouth conventional ideas without having to believe in them. The power these people gain from blending in is that of being left alone to have the thoughts they want to have, and to express them to the people they want to express them to, without suffering isolation or ostracism.
  • The only time it is worth standing out is when you already stand out—when you have achieved an unshakable position of power, and can display your difference from others as a sign of the distance between you.

39. Stir up waters to catch fish.

Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and objective. But if you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage. Put your enemies off-balance: Find the chink in their vanity through which you can rattle them and you hold the strings.

  • This is the essence of the Law: When the waters are still, your opponents have the time and space to plot actions that they will initiate and control. So stir the waters, force the fish to the surface, get them to act before they are ready, steal the initiative. The best way to do this is to play on uncontrollable emotions—pride, vanity, love, hate.
  • Angry people end up looking ridiculous.  It is comical how much they take personally, and more comical how they belief that outbursts signify power.
  • We should not repress our angry or emotional responses, but rather that realize in the social realm, and the game of power, nothing is personal.
  • Reveal an apparent weakness to lure your opponent into action.
  • In the face of someone angry, nothing is more infuriating than someone who keeps his cool while others are losing theirs.
  • Note: do not provoke those who are too powerful.
  • There are times when a burst of anger can do good, but it must be manufactured and under your control.

40. Despise the free lunch.

What is offered for free is dangerous-it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full price—there is no cutting corners with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.

  • What is offered for free often has a psychological price tag - complicated feelings of obligation, compromises with quality, the insecurity those compromises bring, on and on.  By paying the full price, you keep your independence and room to maneuver.
  • Being open and flexible with money also teaches the value of strategic generosity.

Avoid these people who fail to use money creatively and strategically, or turn their inflexibility to your advantage:

  • The Greedy Fish. The greedy fish take the human side out of money. Cold and ruthless, they see only the lifeless balance sheet; viewing others solely as either pawns or obstructions in their pursuit of wealth, they trample on people’s sentiments and alienate valuable allies. No one wants to work with the greedy fish, and over the years they end up isolated, which often proves their undoing. Easy to deceive with promise of money.
  • The Bargain Demon. Powerful people judge everything by what it costs, not just in money but in time, dignity, and peace of mind. And this is exactly what Bargain Demons cannot do. Wasting valuable time digging for bargains, they worry endlessly about what they could have gotten elsewhere for a little less. Just avoid these types.
  • The Sadist. Financial sadists play vicious power games with money as a way of asserting their power. They believe the money they give you allows them to abuse your time.  Accept a financial loss instead of getting entangled.
  • The Indiscriminate Giver. These people give to everyone, and as a result no one feels special.  Appealing as a mark, but you will often feel burdened by their emotional need.
  • Never let lust for money lure you from true power.  Make power your goal and money will find it’s way to you.
  • Note: bait your deceptions with the possibility of easy money, and many will fall for it.

41. Avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes.

What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after. If you succeed a great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double their achievements to outshine them. Do not get lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making: Establish your own name and identity by changing course. Slay the overbearing father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by shining in your own way.

  • If you cannot start materially from ground zero - it would be foolish to renounce an inheritance- you can at least begin from ground zero psychologically.
  • Never let yourself be seen as following your predecessor’s path.  You must physically demonstrate your difference, by establishing a style and symbolism that set you apart.
  • Repeating actions will not re-create success, because circumstances never repeat themselves exactly.
  • Success and power make us lazy - you must reset psychologically to counter this laziness.

42. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.

Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual —the stirrer, the arrogant underling, the poisoner of goodwill. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them—they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source of the trouble and the sheep will scatter.

  • In every group, power is concentrated in the hands of one or two people.
  • When troubles arise, find the source, and isolate them - physically, politically or psychologically.  Separate them from their power base.

43. Work on the hearts and minds of others.

Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. A person you have seduced becomes your loyal pawn. And the way to seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften up the resistant by working on their emotions, playing on what they hold dear and what they fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.

  • Remember: The key to persuasion is softening people up and breaking them down, gently. Seduce them with a two-pronged approach: Work on their emotions and play on their intellectual weaknesses. Be alert to both what separates them from everyone else (their individual psychology) and what they share with everyone else (their basic emotional responses). Aim at the primary emotions—love, hate, jealousy. Once you move their emotions you have reduced their control, making them more vulnerable to persuasion.
  • Play on contrasts: push people to despair, then give them relief. If they expect pain and you give them pleasure, you win their hearts.
  • Symbolic gestures of self-sacrifice can win sympathy and goodwill.
  • The quickest way to secure people’s minds is by demonstrating, as simply as possible, how an action will benefit them.

44. Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect.

The mirror reflects reality, but it is also the perfect tool for deception: When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as they do, they cannot figure out your strategy. The Mirror Effect mocks and humiliates them, making them overreact. By holding up a mirror to their psyches, you seduce them with the illusion that you share their values; by holding up a mirror to their actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist the power of the Mirror Effect.

  • Mirror Effects can disturb or entrance others, giving you power to manipulate or seduce them.

There are four main Mirror effects:

  • The Neutralizing Effect: do what your enemies do, following their actions as best you can, and they are blinded.  A reverse version is the Shadow - shadow your opponents every move without them seeing you.
  • The Narcissus Effect: look into the desires, values, tastes, spirit of others, and reflect it back to them.
  • The Moral Effect: teach others by giving them a taste of their own medicine. They must realize you are doing to them the same thing they did to you.
  • The Hallucinatory Effect: create a perfect copy of an object, a place, a person, that people take for the real thing, because it has the physical appearance of the real thing.
  • Understand: Everyone is wrapped up in their own narcissistic shell. When you try to impose your own ego on them, a wall goes up, resistance is increased. By mirroring them, however, you seduce them into a kind of narcissistic rapture: They are gazing at a double of their own soul. This double is actually manufactured in its entirety by you. Once you have used the mirror to seduce them, you have great power over them.
  • One way to create a mirror for someone is to teach them a lesson through an analogy, avoiding the reactionary increase in resistance you’d encounter if brought up directly.
  • Note: avoid mirrored situations you don’t understand, as those involved will quickly see through it, and the mirrored situation will not live up to the original.

45. Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once.

Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. 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. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.

  • Borrow the weight and legitimacy from the past, however remote, to create a comforting and familiar presence.
  • Humans desire change in the abstract, or superficial change, but a change that upsets core habits and routines is deeply disturbing to them.
  • Understand: The fact that the past is dead and buried gives you the freedom to reinterpret it. To support your cause, tinker with the facts. The past is a text in which you can safely insert your own lines.
  • A simple gesture like using an old title, or keeping the same number for a group, will tie you to the past and support you with the authority of history.

46. Never appear too perfect.

Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.

  • Either dampen your brilliance occasionally, purposefully revealing a defect, weakness, or anxiety, or attributing your success to luck; or simply find yourself new friends. Never underestimate the power of envy.
  • The envy of the masses can be deflected quite easily - appear as one of them in style and values.  Never flaunt your wealth, and carefully conceal the degree to which it has bought influence. Make a display of deferring to others, as if they were more powerful than you.
  • Use envy to motivate you to greater heights.
  • Keep a wary eye for envy in those below you as you grow more successful.
  • Expect that those envious of you will work against you.
  • Emphasize luck, and do not adopt a false modesty that will be seen through.
  • Deflect envy of political power by not seeming ambitious.  
  • Disguise your power as a kind of self-sacrifice rather than a source of happiness for you.  Emphasize your troubles and you turn potential envy into a source of moral support (pity).
  • Beware signs of envy: excessive praise, hypercritical people, public slandering.
  • Note: once envy is present, it is sometimes best to display the utmost disdain for those who envy you.

47. Do not go past the mark you aimed for; in victory, learn when to stop.

The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal, and when you reach it, stop.

  • Understand: In the realm of power, you must be guided by reason. To let a momentary thrill or an emotional victory influence or guide your moves will prove fatal. When you attain success, step back. Be cautious. When you gain victory, understand the part played by the particular circumstances of a situation, and never simply repeat the same actions again and again. History is littered with the ruins of victorious empires and the corpses of leaders who could not learn to stop and consolidate their gains.
  • The powerful vary their rhythms and patterns, change course, adapt to circumstance, and learn to improvise.  They control their emotions, and step back and come to a mental halt when they have attained success.
  • Good luck is more dangerous than bad luck, because it deludes you into thinking your own brilliance is the reason for your success.
  • Note: There are some who become more cautious than ever after a victory, which they see as just giving them more possessions to worry about and protect. Your caution after victory should never make you hesitate, or lose momentum, but rather act as a safeguard against rash action. On the other hand, momentum as a phenomenon is greatly overrated. You create your own successes, and if they follow one upon the other, it is your own doing. Belief in momentum will only make you emotional, less prone to act strategically, and more apt to repeat the same methods. Leave momentum for those who have nothing better to rely upon.

48. Assume formlessness.

By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes.

  • The powerful are constantly creating form, and their power comes from the rapidity with which they can change.
  • The first psychological requirement of formlessness is to train yourself to take nothing personally.  Never show any defensiveness.
  • When you find yourself in conflict with someone stronger and more rigid, allow them a momentary victory.  Seem to bow to their superiority. Then, by being formless, slowly insinuate yourself.
  • The need for formlessness becomes greater as we age, as we become more likely to become set in our ways and assume too rigid a form.  As you get older, you must rely even less on the past.
  • Remember: Formlessness is a tool. Never confuse it with a go-with-the-flow style, or with a religious resignation to the twists of fortune. You use formlessness, not because it creates inner harmony and peace, but because it will increase your power.
  • Finally, learning to adapt to each new circumstance means seeing events through your own eyes, and often ignoring the advice that people constantly peddle your way. It means that ultimately you must throw out the laws that others preach, and the books they write to tell you what to do, and the sage advice of the elder.
  • Note: when you do finally engage an enemy, hit them with a powerful, concentrated blow.

Read the book notes for The 50th Law - Robert Greene. 

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Why ‘48 Laws of Power’ Continues to Be the Self-Help Book for Business Bros Everywhere

The bible for how to be an alpha male at the office has never been more outdated — and popular

Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed a number of young men on London’s tube with the same book. The word “POWER” runs down its cover, which is completely red save for a blue streak that perfectly splits all of that crimson. At first glance, I thought it was a standard-issue paperback you’d get at any suburban train station or airport. After all, they were pretty standard-issue finance dudes, each of whom was wearing some variation of a charcoal gray suit, pink shirt and  brogues .

But upon closer inspection, it was quite the contrary: They were reading Robert Greene ’s 48 Laws of Power , arguably the most famous men’s self-help book in the Western world. Since it came out 20 years ago, it’s been translated into 20 different languages and sold more than 1.2 million copies in the U.S. alone. Even today, it still tops Amazon’s best-sellers list in the business and self-help categories.

Upon its release at the height of the 1990s Wall Street boom, it was described as a “Machiavellian Bible” and a modern version of The Prince . For good reason: Much like Machiavelli’s treatise, 48 Laws of Power was designed, by and large, to help men navigate their way to the top of the corporate ladder; and much like The Prince, it offers a set of vague rules, strategies and manipulation techniques to attain it. Not to mention, the rules themselves read less like a guide to business success and more like a blueprint for quietly killing an emperor. For example: “Never Outshine the Master” (Law #1); “Conceal your true intentions” (Law #3); “Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit” (Law #4); and “Pose as a friend, work as a spy” (Law #14).

As he told Forbes in 2009 , Greene wrote the book by accident. Originally a bored and frustrated screenwriter, he’d been working on a biography of Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire. But after a number of rejections from potential publishers, his agent suggested making the narrative more personal. “As Caesar revealed to me,” Greene said, “the more I had to lose, the harder I would work.”

The 48 Laws of Power became a sensation, championed by everyone from Warren Buffett to American Apparel founder Dov Charney . It also became a mainstay of 1990s and early 2000s hip-hop culture. In Jay-Z’s 2011 “PrimeTime,” a period when he became more serious about starting and running businesses, he raps of the book:

At 42, be better than 24s

I carry the 4–5, mastered 48 Laws

Kanye West loved the book so much that on “The Truth,” a freestyle B side on 2004’s Lost Tapes , he goes as far as to say:

Only book I ever read I could have wrote 48 Laws of Power

More recently, though, 48 Laws of Power has become a core text in a range of male-dominated subcultures — specifically in Pick-Up Artist communities, where lines like “Keep people dependent on you” (Law #11) are formed into seduction techniques. Even laws written explicitly for the corporate environment — e.g., “Appear to be less intelligent than you are” (Law #21) — are now applied by pick-up artists to “build trust” with the women they hope to seduce.

The book is also recommended regularly by members of the bodybuilders.com forum, described in one thread as the “ultimate book for alpha male bastards.” Meanwhile, on the r/theredpill subreddit, one of the largest male-dominated groups on the web, the book has a dedicated sidebar , complete with “superthreads” on each chapter and a lengthy analysis on the ways in which the rules can be applied to men wanting to “take back control of their lives” and attaining “power” in their work and personal lives.

Still, how relevant can 48 Laws of Power actually be in 2018? We live in an era when an increasing number of young men are likely to find themselves in more debt than previous generations, where the majority of their disposable income will likely be spent paying off rent and student loans and where most can’t afford to get married and have kids. In fact, they’re lucky to even have a stable job, let alone one that gives them enough time to climb the corporate ladder. At the same time, we’re currently in the midst of #metoo and #TimesUp and interrogating the role the internet plays in creating (and encouraging) angry, isolated men.

Not surprisingly, this cultural shift is being reflected in today’s self-help books (if ever so slowly). On Amazon , most newer self-help books are largely focused on helping people attain “control” outside of the office. Books like Mark Manson’s Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck and Nadia Narain’s Self-Care for the Real World both provide strategies and tips for people to manage their anxieties and stress outside of the workplace, ultimately arguing that attaining “control” is better achieved off the job — or pretty much the exact opposite of 48 Laws .

The fact that the most popular new self-help book aimed at men is Jordan B. Peterson ’s 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos is also testament to this change. Peterson’s advice to his young, largely male fanbase includes a focus on controlling ones’ personal environment (e.g., cleaning your bedroom and sitting up straight), starting a family, and ultimately, “improving yourself, before criticizing the world” .

So who then is buying 48 Laws of Power these days?

“They’re usually bought by young guys or their parents,” says Josh Evans, an employee at Hermanns, an independent bookstore in London. Josh tells me over the phone that for the most part, “parents buy the book when their son is about to start a new job, or if they’re trying to get them to go find a job in the first place.”

When I ask Josh how the book sells compared to other self-help titles, he says that it’s rare to see young guys buying any of the newer self-help titles on the market. “Part of it is because there’s still this perception that self-help books are for women. Things like mindfulness or clean living — those are the things you’d expect your parents to buy.”

“Books like 48 Laws are more like The Game [the pick-up artist bible by Neil Strauss],” he adds. “I guess what they do is promise results, right? So for guys who buy it, they’re buying it because they’re deliberately looking to achieve a concrete goal — whether that’s a promotion or a girlfriend. Books on mindfulness and meditation are more vague in what they offer, so my guess is that guys act impulsively with that in mind.”

According to a 2017 survey by Quartz based on an analysis of self-help books on GoodReads, just over half of all those reviewed on the site were written by men, despite the fact that more than 80 percent of their readers were women. And though there’s little research on the consumption and use of self-help books, a 2015 paper conducted by sociologists at the University of Calgary seems to backup Josh’s thinking. Particularly, the paper showed that women read books that would help them with interpersonal relationships, while men tended to read self-help books that were career-orientated.

Moreover, the men who read self-help books usually selected ones where self-help wasn’t explicitly stated. Instead, they chose those that were linked directly to academic theories around business, psychology and economics. And unlike women whose reading patterns were focused on interrogating their faults to improve their existing conditions, men were mostly looking to follow precise “life hacks.”

Greene certainly knew his audience. “I went to an extreme for literary purposes because I felt all the self-help books out there were so gooey and Pollyanna-ish and nauseating,” he told the Guardian back in 2012 . “It was making me angry.”

What that’s wrought, though, is a completely different matter. “Most of the responses have been positive,” he said, again per the Guardian . “But there are people on the borderline and maybe the book helps them to move into that sociopathic realm so then I feel bad.”

psychology books 48 laws of power

Hussein Kesvani

Hussein Kesvani is the UK and Europe editor of MEL and writes features on technology, subcultures and identity

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The 48 Laws of Power

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power in to forty-eight well explicated laws. As attention--grabbing in its design as it is in its content, this bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun-tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and other great thinkers. Some laws teach the need for prudence ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), the virtue of stealth ("Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions"), and many demand the total absence of mercy ("Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally"), but like it or not, all have applications in real life. Illustrated through the tactics of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Kissinger, P. T. Barnum, and other famous figures who have wielded--or been victimized by--power, these laws will fascinate any reader interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.

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The 48 Laws of Power Audio CD – Unabridged, March 1, 2021

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"Beguiling...literate...fascinating. A wry primer for people who desperately want to be on top."

"Greene...has put together a checklist of ambitious behavior. Just reading the table of contents is enough to stir a little corner-office lust.""

"Satisfyingly dense and...literary, with fantastic examples of genius power-game players. It's The Rules meets In Pursuit of Wow! with a degree in comparative literature."

  • Print length 1 pages
  • Language English
  • Publisher Highbridge Audio and Blackstone Publishing
  • Publication date March 1, 2021
  • Dimensions 5.3 x 0.6 x 6.7 inches
  • ISBN-10 1665182768
  • ISBN-13 978-1665182768
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  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Highbridge Audio and Blackstone Publishing; Unabridged edition (March 1, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
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  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1665182768
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1665182768
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.72 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.3 x 0.6 x 6.7 inches
  • #3,679 in Popular Social Psychology & Interactions
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About the authors

psychology books 48 laws of power

Robert Greene

Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, and The 50th Law. His highly anticipated fifth book, Mastery, examines the lives of great historical figures such as Charles Darwin, Mozart, Paul Graham and Henry Ford and distills the traits and universal ingredients that made them masters. In addition to having a strong following within the business world and a deep following in Washington, DC, Greene’s books are hailed by everyone from war historians to the biggest musicians in the industry (including Jay-Z and 50 Cent).

Greene attended U.C. Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

psychology books 48 laws of power

Joost Elffers

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psychology books 48 laws of power

The 48 Laws of Power

Published on:

  • August 23, 2022

This  Machiavellian guide to power reveals many of the hidden rules that govern the way we structure power in human society. It draws on many important lessons learned throughout history by some of our greatest leaders and philosophers like Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, P.T. Barnum, and more.

Some examples of the lessons you’ll learn in the page of  Power  include:

  • Never outshine the master
  • Do not commit to anyone
  • Win through your actions, never through argument
  • Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter

They’re not always the lessons we  want  to hear, but it’s hard to argue with the truth in these 48 vital lessons on human psychology.

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Encyclopedia of Power

What’s Wrong With The 48 Laws Of Power?

The 48 Laws Of Power is a controversial book by Robert Greene that seeks to explain and categorize power. We have a full detailed summary here .

Many have criticized the book, calling it evil, immoral, and wrong. We’ve broken down each criticism on the internet into four categories.

psychology books 48 laws of power

Table of Contents

The Anecdotal Criticism

The 1st and primary critique is that the book is based heavily on anecdotes, interpretation, isolated examples, and not based on science. This means some of the points and conclusions made could be very inaccurate.

The critique was put forth by a professor who studies power at Stanford University named Jeffrey Pfeffer. This is the most logically legitimate critique. We at the Encyclopedia Of Power have undertaken to fix this issue by making posts and videos that cover the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience behind the laws of power. Here are a few examples of what we have done to resolve this criticism. We call these posts and videos “The Science Behind The Laws.”

  • Science behind the first law of power, video and post .
  • Science behind the second law of power, video and post .
  • Science behind the third law of power, video and post .

The Contradictions Criticism

2nd, the book is said to contradict itself. According to a principle of epistemology named coherence, truths must not contradict each other. For example, I cannot say the sun is both in the sky and not in the sky. If two truths contradict, either one is actually false, or you must consider rejecting the principle of bi-valance.

However, this critique isn’t quite right either as it relies on a straw man of Greene’s work. Green wasn’t putting forth a full system but a list of tools that may or may not apply in a specific situation. Law 48 states “Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed.”

The Immorality Criticism

3rd, the book is said to break various moral rules like the golden rule. However, this critique also misses the point. Greene set out to describe how people wield power, not whether the actions themselves were moral, right, or nice.

The Harmful Laws Criticism

4th, some people argue that the laws can be harmful. These individuals believe that a reasonable and fair interpretation of Greene’s laws can actually lead to losing power.

For example they argue that the first law, never outshine the master, will actually leave you a “housebroken dog.” This critique however, relies on a straw man of the law. Greene never said that you should “keep obeying” the first part of the law at the expense of the other parts. We wonder if the people who believe things like this actually understand the book.

He actually spends a whole paragraph describing how the law might be reversed. In other words, he says there are circumstances where you want to attack a weak boss and take his position. The pattern just described for this critique of the first law follows through the remaining laws. It is amateur at best.

A reasonable interpretation of Greene’s laws can only lead you to the belief that the laws are effective in certain situations and not in others.

Have you come across someone using the 48 Laws Of Power immorally? Read this article to learn how to respond or counter the 48 Laws Of Power.

Related posts:

  • The Daily Laws By Robert Greene [DETAILED Summary, Review, List]
  • The 48 Laws Of POWER by Robert Greene [List, Summary, Review]
  • Towards The Sublime By Robert Greene (Everything We Know, Summary & Review)

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Sexual Identity, Stigma, and Depression: the Role of the "Anti-gay Propaganda Law" in Mental Health among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Moscow, Russia

Affiliations.

  • 1 Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Room E7141, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
  • 2 Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Room E7141, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. [email protected].
  • 3 Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
  • 4 AIDS Infoshare, Moscow, Russian Federation.
  • 5 Department of Statistics, The University of Haifa, Mt Carmel, Israel.
  • PMID: 28243868
  • PMCID: PMC5481210
  • DOI: 10.1007/s11524-017-0133-6

Depression is a major public health problem in the Russian Federation and is particularly of concern for men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM living in Moscow City were recruited via respondent-driven sampling and participated in a cross-sectional survey from October 2010 to April 2013. Multiple logistic regression models compared the relationship between sexual identity, recent stigma, and probable depression, defined as a score of ≥23 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. We investigated the interactive effect of stigma and participation in the study after the passage of multiple "anti-gay propaganda laws" in Russian provinces, municipalities, and in neighboring Ukraine on depression among MSM. Among 1367 MSM, 36.7% (n = 505) qualified as probably depressed. Fifty-five percent identified as homosexual (n = 741) and 42.9% identified as bisexual (n = 578). Bisexual identity had a protective association against probable depression (reference: homosexual identity AOR 0.71; 95%CI 0.52-0.97; p < 0.01). Those who experienced recent stigma (last 12 months) were more likely to report probable depression (reference: no stigma; AOR 1.75; 95%CI 1.20-2.56; p < 0.01). The interaction between stigma and the propaganda laws was significant. Among participants with stigma, probable depression increased 1.67-fold after the passage of the anti-gay laws AOR 1.67; 95%CI 1.04-2.68; p < 0.01). Depressive symptoms are common among MSM in Russia and exacerbated by stigma and laws that deny homosexual identities. Repeal of Russia's federal anti-gay propaganda law is urgent but other social interventions may address depression and stigma in the current context.

Keywords: Bisexuality; Criminal law; Depression; Homosexuality; Men who have sex with men; Russian Federation; Stigma.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Bisexuality / psychology*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depressive Disorder / etiology
  • HIV Infections / psychology*
  • Homosexuality, Male / psychology*
  • Homosexuality, Male / statistics & numerical data*
  • Logistic Models
  • Middle Aged
  • Risk-Taking
  • Sexual Behavior / psychology*
  • Sexual Behavior / statistics & numerical data*
  • Sexual and Gender Minorities / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Social Stigma
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

  • P30 AI094189/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States
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Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov

WikiLeaks cables: Moscow mayor presided over 'pyramid of corruption'

The US ambassador to Russia claimed that Moscow's veteran mayor Yuri Luzhkov sat on top of a "pyramid of corruption" involving the Kremlin, Russia's police force, its security service, political parties and crime groups.

The 74-year-old has subsequently been sacked as mayor by President Dmitry Medvedev, after the Kremlin-controlled media broadcast allegations of corruption aimed at him and his billionaire wife, Yelena Baturina, who heads a construction company called Inteko. The couple have vehemently denied the accusations as "total rubbish" designed to make Luzhkov "lose his balance".

In a leaked secret cable sent in February, the US ambassador John Beyrle gives a forensic account of Moscow's "murky" criminal world, alleging a shadowy connection between bureaucrats, gangsters and even prosecutors.

According to Beyrle corruption in Moscow was "pervasive" . "Luzhkov is at the top of the pyramid," he claimed. He told the US state department: "Luzhkov oversees a system in which it appears that almost everyone at every level is involved in some form of corruption or criminal behaviour."

Russia's well-developed system of bribe-taking was ubiquitous, Beyrle said. In the absence of laws that worked, Luzhkov – as well as other mayors and governors – paid off "key insiders in the Kremlin". Officials had even been spotted entering the building carrying large suitcases, presumed to be "full of money".

The ambassador wrote his cable in response to speculation that Luzhkov, the capital's charismatic mayor since 1992, was about to lose his job. When Medvedev ignominiously dismissed him in September, the Russian president said he had lost confidence in Luzhkov.

Most analysts believe the firing had little to do with the allegations of corruption but was linked to a power struggle between Luzhkov and Russia's federal leadership, which Luzhkov eventually lost.

In a section called "Background on Moscow's criminal world", Beyrle asserted bluntly: "The Moscow city government's direct links to criminality have led some to call it 'dysfunctional', and to assert that the government operates more as a kleptocracy than a government".

"Criminal elements enjoy a 'krysha' [a term from the criminal/mafia world literally meaning 'roof' or protection] that runs through the police, the federal security service (FSB), ministry of internal affairs (MVD) and the prosecutor's office, as well as throughout the Moscow city government bureaucracy.

"Analysts identify a three-tiered structure in Moscow's criminal world. Luzhkov is at the top. The FSB, MVD and militia are at the second level. Finally ordinary criminals and corrupt inspectors are at the lowest level."

Under this system, all businesses in Moscow were forced to pay bribes to law enforcement structures, in a virtual parallel tax system: "Police and MVD collect money from small businesses while the FSB collects from big businesses." An FSB krysha was the most sought after, Beyrle said, with the FSB protecting Moscow's top organised crime gang.

This sleaze went all the way to the top of Russian power, Beyrle said. Bribes were distributed upwards under the "power vertical", Vladimir Putin's bureaucratic hierarchy. He quoted one source who said: "Everything depends on the Kremlin … Luzhkov, as well as many mayors and governors, pay off key insiders in the Kremlin."

The same source alleged that officials went into the Kremlin "with large suitcases and bodyguards", and speculated that the "suitcases are full of money". Another source disagreed. He pointed out it was simpler to pay bribes "via a secret account in Cyprus" – an offshore route popular with rich Russians.

The ambassador offers the most detailed and apparently authoritative account so far of corruption in the Russian state and its security agencies. He cites Transparency International's 2009 survey which confirms Russia as the world's most corrupt major economy. The report estimates bribery costs Russia $300bn (£190bn) a year, about 18% of its gross domestic product.

Beyrle also reported allegations about Baturina, who heads the largest construction company in Moscow. After Luzhkov entered office, his wife became Russia's wealthiest woman, amassing a fortune put at $1.8bn. Since her husband's sacking she has spent most of her time abroad, with the couple's teenage daughters moving to London.Luzhkov's dubious friends and associates, the US alleged, included Vyacheslav Ivankov – a recently murdered and notorious Russian mafia boss known as Yaponchik – and other "reputedly corrupt" Duma deputies. "[Source removed] said that the Moscow government has links to many different criminal groups and it regularly takes cash bribes from businesses."

According to Beyrle, the same system of bribery worked in Russia's provinces: "The governors collect money based on bribes, almost resembling a tax system, throughout their regions." As in Moscow, businesses paid off the FSB, the interior ministry and the militia who "all have their distinctive money collection systems". (Moscow police heads also reportedly had a "secret war chest of money … used to solve problems that the Kremlin decides, such as rigging elections".)

Deputies in Russia's parliament generally had to buy their seats in government, Beyrle's cable suggested. "They need money to get to the top, but once they are there, their positions become quite lucrative money-making opportunities."

His allegations are likely to be most embarrassing for the Kremlin, after a high-profile campaign by Medvedev against corruption. So far it has shown few results.

Beyrle noted that Putin and Medvedev faced a tricky dilemma when deciding Luzhkov's fate . He was a "trusted deliverer of votes" for United Russia, Putin's pro-Kremlin party, Beyrle suggested. Against this, the Kremlin had to weigh up what the ambassador claimed to be "Luzhkov's connections to the criminal world".

Another cable sought to lift the lid on Luzhkov's business empire, much of it acquired using city funds to invest in "less than transparent" projects sealing agreements with former Soviet countries including Moldova, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The projects deliberately promoted Luzhkov's "nationalist foreign policy", it reported. Luzhkov channelled cash to separatist pro-Russian movements in Ukraine and the Baltics. "This was 'at the behest of the Russian government, thereby giving the government of Russia plausible deniability when accused of funding certain political parties."

He also struck deals in the separatist regions of neighbouring countries, including South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia, and Transnistria in Moldova. In Kosovo he used Moscow city funds to build housing for ethnic Serbian refugees, while in Bulgaria he bought beach resorts on the Black Sea for city hall staff.

"The Moscow city government has cultivated its influence in far-flung Russian regions as well as in foreign countries, ostensibly for the benefit of its citizens but to a greater extent for the city's well-connected business elites," the cable concluded.

  • The US embassy cables
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  1. The 48 Laws of Power: Greene, Robert: 8601400945018: Amazon.com: Books

    Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, and The 50th Law. His highly anticipated fifth book, Mastery, examines the lives of great historical figures such as Charles Darwin, Mozart, Paul Graham and Henry Ford and distills the traits and universal ...

  2. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

    The 48 Laws of Power Robert Greene 4.14 147,551 ratings7,971 reviews Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control - from the author of The Laws of Human Nature.

  3. Amazon.com: 48 Laws Of Power

    The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene | Sep 1, 2000 72,906 Paperback $1455 List: $26.00 FREE delivery Thu, Jan 25 on $35 of items shipped by Amazon More Buying Choices $9.81 (113 used & new offers) Kindle $1699 Available instantly Audible Audiobook $000 Free with Audible trial Available instantly Other formats: Hardcover , Spiral-bound , Audio CD

  4. The 48 Laws of Power|Paperback

    Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control - from the author of The Laws of Human Nature. In the book that People magazine proclaimed "beguiling" and "fascinating," Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have distilled three thousand ...

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    The Robert Greene Collection 3 Books Set (The Concise 48 Laws Of Power, The Concise Mastery, The Concise Art of Seduction) by Robert Greene | Jan 1, 2019. 4.5 out of 5 stars 224. Paperback. $26.90 $ 26. 90. ... Dark Psychology and Manipulation: Discover 40 Covert Emotional Manipulation Techniques, Mind Control & Brainwashing. Learn How to ...

  6. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene [Actionable Summary]

    31/12/2018. This is a comprehensive summary of the book The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. Covering the key ideas and proposing practical ways for achieving what's mentioned in the text. Written by book fanatic and online librarian Ivaylo Durmonski. Worksheet: Download the interactive sheet for taking notes.

  7. The 48 Laws of Power

    The 48 Laws of Power. Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control - from the author of The Laws of Human Nature. In the book that People magazine proclaimed "beguiling" and ...

  8. The 48 Laws of Power

    The 48 Laws of Power Robert Greene Penguin Books, 2000 - Control (Psychology) - 432 pages Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of...

  9. The 48 Laws of Power : by Robert Greene

    The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is a self-help book offering advice on how to gain and maintain power, using lessons drawn from parables and the experiences of historical figures. Power depends on the relationships between a person and those he or she seeks to control. Powerful people must cultivate their appearances to earn respect and ...

  10. The 48 Laws of Power

    The 48 Laws of Power is a seminal book by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers. It is a manual which provides rules, or laws, for those who seek to increase their power in life. The book ascribes to a simple premise: "certain actions always increase one's power ... while others decrease it and even ruin us."

  11. What Are the 48 Laws of Power? The Complete List

    The 48 Laws of Power come from Robert Greene's book The 48 Laws of Power, in which Greene culls lessons from the lives of powerful historical figures to distill a set of laws that you can follow to become powerful in your own life. Keep reading for the complete list of the 48 Laws of Power, with explanations.

  12. 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

    ‍ Notes 48 Laws of Power 1. Never outshine the master. Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please and impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite—inspire fear and insecurity.

  13. Why '48 Laws of Power' Continues to Be the Self-Help Book for Business

    The 48 Laws of Power became a sensation, championed by everyone from Warren Buffett to American Apparel founder Dov Charney. It also became a mainstay of 1990s and early 2000s hip-hop culture. In Jay-Z's 2011 "PrimeTime," a period when he became more serious about starting and running businesses, he raps of the book:

  14. Robert Greene

    "The 48 Laws of Power" is a self-help and strategy book written by Robert Greene, first published in 1998. The book offers a guide to understanding and acquiring power in various...

  15. The 48 Laws of Power

    Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power in to forty-eight well explicated laws. As attention--grabbing in its design as it is in its content, this bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun-tzu ...

  16. The 48 Laws of Power: Robert Greene: 9781665182768: Amazon.com: Books

    Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, and The 50th Law. His highly anticipated fifth book, Mastery, examines the lives of great historical figures such as Charles Darwin, Mozart, Paul Graham and Henry Ford and distills the traits and universal ...

  17. The 48 Laws of Power

    The 48 Laws of Power. Category. Behavioral Psychology Books Author. Robert Greene Summary. They're not always the lessons we want to hear, but it's hard to argue with the truth in these 48 vital lessons on human psychology. Learn More. Published on:

  18. THE 48 LAWS OF POWER

    Do you want to learn the secrets of power from the masters of history? Download this PDF file and discover the 48 laws of power by Robert Greene, the bestselling author of The Laws of Human Nature. This book will teach you how to gain, observe, and defend against ultimate control in any situation.

  19. What's Wrong With The 48 Laws Of Power?

    by supreme leader. The 48 Laws Of Power is a controversial book by Robert Greene that seeks to explain and categorize power. We have a full detailed summary here. Many have criticized the book, calling it evil, immoral, and wrong. We've broken down each criticism on the internet into four categories.

  20. 48 Laws Of Power By Robert

    wp-1708024702966Download Full E-Book "48 Laws Of Power" By Robert Greene. Download The PDF File And Enjoy Reading. ™ 48 LAWS OF POWER Learn About Human Psychology Learn How To Get Success In Life L…

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  22. 48 laws of power, Books to read, Psychology books

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  23. Moscow House of Books

    In the summer of 2019 Moscow got a third place in a world ranking for the number of free Wi-Fi spots, beating New-York, London and Tokyo. The Moscow House of Books is more than half a century old. The favorite hangout of the literati in Soviet time, the bookstore has grown integral to the architectural terrain of New Arbat.

  24. Sexual Identity, Stigma, and Depression: the Role of the "Anti-gay

    The interaction between stigma and the propaganda laws was significant. Among participants with stigma, probable depression increased 1.67-fold after the passage of the anti-gay laws AOR 1.67; 95%CI 1.04-2.68; p < 0.01). Depressive symptoms are common among MSM in Russia and exacerbated by stigma and laws that deny homosexual identities.

  25. Moscow in the Title (78 books)

    Rosa 11984 books. 145 friends. More voters…. 78 books based on 12 votes: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, Moscow to the End of the Line by Venedikt Erofeev, Moscow 2042 by Vladimir Voinovich, M...

  26. WikiLeaks cables: Moscow mayor presided over 'pyramid of corruption'

    Luke Harding. Wed 1 Dec 2010 16.30 EST. The US ambassador to Russia claimed that Moscow's veteran mayor Yuri Luzhkov sat on top of a "pyramid of corruption" involving the Kremlin, Russia's police ...