THE FORTY EIGHT LAWS OF POWER by Robert Greene

THE FORTY EIGHT LAWS OF POWER by Robert Greene

I jut finished a book, The Forty Eight Laws of Power by Robert Greene.  It was a somewhat strange discussion directed at overcoming others to your own advantage, but aside from that premise it had ideas of interest. Here  are a few of them you might find interesting. I looked  at them as if they were applicable to trial when I made this outline. For example, the first rule below, I applied to my relationship with the judge and so on.

  • Never outshine the master:  always make those above you feel comfortably superior
  • Never put too much trust in friends: be wary of friends – they will betray you more quickly for they are easily aroused to envy.” Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies.” Voltaire
  • Conceal your intentions: keep people off balance by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense.
  • Always say less than necessary: when you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more, you appear and the less in control.
  • Win through your actions, never through argument:
  • Machiavelli has said it is better to be feared than loved.
  • When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never their mercy or gratitude
  • Know who you are dealing with – do not offend the wrong person:
  • Enter action with boldness: everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid. If you are unsure of what course of action, do not attempt it.
  • Make your accomplishments seem effortless: your actions must seem natural and executed with ease. Performers who put too much effort in performing break the illusion. – Spezzatura
  • “the strategy of the crown” is based on a simple chain of cause and effect. If we believe we are destined for great things our belief will radiate just as a crown creates and aura around the King. Throughout history people have managed to work the strategy of the crown, believing  so firmly on their own greatness that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
  • Master the art of timing: Be a detective of the right moment. Learn to stand back when the time is not right. Think of the Hawk as it patiently and silently circles in the sky high above until the right moment arrives. “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is in the shallows and in the miseries.”  William Shakespeare
  • Distain the things you cannot change: 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. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem. When you pay attention to a person, the two of you become partners of sorts, each moving in step to the actions and reactions of the other. By showing distain or ignoring people you cancel them out. When you are attacked deflect people’s attention by making it clear it hasn’t registered. Look away or answer sweetly showing how little the attack concerns you.
  • You have to 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.. Angry people usually end up looking ridiculous, for their response seems out of proportion to what occasioned it. They have taken things to seriously and they began to look, call. Anger is not power, as a sign of helplessness.
  • Strike the shepherd this and the sheep will scatter. Find the enemy or key to solve the problem
  • Never appear to be perfect. It is smart to occasionally display defects and admit to harmless vices in order to appear more human and approachable.
  • In victory learn when to stop. The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril when arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal and by going too far and lose.

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