48 Laws of Power

Preface

• Power moves should be as subtle as possible, like a velvet glove over an iron hand
• Always plan several moves ahead
• ‘Any man that tries to be good is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good’ - Machiavelli
• Nonplayers are dangerous: makes show out of moral uprightness and innocence
  • Cannot have equaliity and honesty bruises (you are bruised by the evils of this world, not the good)
• Power’s most crucial foundation is emotional mastery
• Must think objectively about past and future
• Calculate every permutation of a mistake to stop surprises, and look at past to remind yourself of mistakes
• Patience and deception are very important
• Inaction equally important, so look at cost of event
• Study people and be a master psychologist
• Always take indirect route to power to stop jealousy

Never Outshine the Master

Always make those above you comfortably superior. Never inspire fear and insecurity in them. Make the masters more brilliant than they are.

• Example: Fouquet’s banquet and Louis XIV
  • Sometimes, just being you will invoke master’s jealously
• How to curry favour with master: discreet flattery
  • Seem as if you need his expertise
  • Commit harmless mistakes and ask for help
  • Ascribe your ideas to master
  • If you are more socialable ,tone it down and make him dispenser of cheer
• If master is falling star, outshine him. Otherwise, patience

Don’t Trust Friends and Use Enemies

Be wary of friends as they can easily betray you and will often have the most consequential betrayal. Enemies once on your side will have lots of loyalty because they have more to prove. Make enemies purposefully to push you forwards.

• Ex: Michael and Basilius in Byzantine power strugle
  • Friendship blinded Michael and fomented envy —> power grab
• Ex: Emperor Sung and roles to enemies
  • Put ‘friends’ far way.
  • Enemies captured usually only thought of death. However, when Sung gave them lots —> became loyal
• Problem: giving favours to friends indirectly shows your power and envy strikes —> ingratitude —> problems
• Put enemy in your service and they will do wonder for you because they want to prove themselves
  • Always try to bury the hatchet
• Enemies should not be feared because they help us grow into better people
  • Ex: Mao and Japanese army. Gave experience to Communists when they had to fight against the Nationalists
  • Never pick a fight against someone you can’t win
  • If no enemies, set up someone as enemy, even friend
  • Use enemies to define cause to public (good vs. evil)
• Friends useful for: dirty work, take falls (permament end to friendship

Conceal Your Intentions

Keep others off-balance by never revealing action’s purpose so they cannot prepare a proper defense. Guide them down the wrong path.

Use Red Herrings to Throw Off Scent

• Ex: Ninan de Lenclos advice to Marquis for seduction
  • People like confusion associated with seduction
  • Used smoke and red herrings —> increased attachment
  • When marquis announced intention, she felt used
• Ex: Bismarck’s speech for Prussian war
  • Threw false signals so war was averted and he got better positions
  • Used time to train Prussian army for a war he could win
• People constantly reveal intentions as it is hard to control tongue and their behaviour
• Being open —> hard to respect/fear
• Conceal by appearing as if you have a certain goal
  • Do not close up, as it leads to suspicion. Rather conceal and talk about fake goals
• Be measured and sincere —> believable
• Talk about importance of honesty or reveal secrets. This will throw people off as they think you are honest

Use Smoke Screens

• Ex: Yellow Kid, Geezil and fighter scam
  • Used sale of lodge as smoke screen. Very ordinary smoke screen
• Ex: Haile Selassie, Balcha and how he bought out his army
  • Smoke screen was banquet where he was in control
  • Paranoid and wary are easiest to decieve. Just need trust in one area and there will be a smoke screen everywhere
    • Helpful, honest gestures and indicating superiority of others puts you in ideal position to deploy smoke screen
• People cannot think of you as 2 things, so false front has to be as normal as possible
• Keys: do not show facial expression and blend in
• Might develop reputation of deception so admit it. ‘The world wants to be decieved’ - Kierkegaard
• Use colorful deception if time is right

Always Say Less Than Necessary

The more you say, the more common you appear and the less you seem in control

• Ex: Coriolanus blabs too much and people revolt, sending him to exile
  • Words can be used against you. Talking too much shows lack of control, so respect decreases.
  • Crab and oyster analogy: if the oyster opens mouth too much, crab will eat the flesh
• Ex: silence of Louis XIV
  • Unpredictibility worked to his favour
  • Silence leads to people spilling secrets
• Too much talking leads to mistakes
• Can talk too much to develop smoke screen. Don’t use silence against superiors.

Guard Reputation With Your Life

Make reputation unassailable. Thwart reputation of others if they try to ruin you. Destroy enemies by poking holes in their reputation

• Ex: Chuko liang vs. Sima Yi and retreat from Liang’s prayers
  • Liang used reputation as master general to force retreat as Yi thought there was a trap
• Ex: P.T. Barnum and Peale
  • Sowed doubts (perfect weapon: either path (defend/not) is bad
  • From better reputation, poked holes and ridiculed them
• People judge others on reputation before they even meet you, so it is imperative to maintain good reputation
• Establish one outstanding quality in reputation
  • Let others know subtly —> spreads like wildfire
• If tainted, associate with someone of good reputation
• Take high road if slandered. You can attack reputations, but do so discreetly and don’t go too far

Court Attention at All Cost

Stand out. Be colorful and more mysterious than masses

Surround Name with Sensational and Scandolous

• Ex: P.T. Barnum and sensational circus acts
  • Once attention is given, you have a special legitimacy. You can gather the crowd and push cowd to do what you want
  • Bad attention is also not terrible
• Attach name and reputation to quality/image that gets talked about
• Slander only advances attention. Need to evolve act to constantly have attanetion

Create Air of Mystery

• Ex: Mata Hari
  • Created mysterious persona that kept people interested
• People love mystery. You don’t need to be over the top. Daily behavious of silence and little subtleties leads to mysteriousness
• Unpredictibaility creates aura of mystery
  • Can create fear among opponents
• Remember that this should be playful and dont go too far
  • Should not let mysteriousness offend masters
  • Center of attention not always needed. Do not appear needy

Get Others To Do The Work; Take Credit

Use others to get higher. Saves you time and energy

• Ex: Edison and Westinghouse used Tesla
  • Be wary of vultures trying to take credit. Be ruthless, take your credit and advance
• Find people that are good in field and hire them to advance yourself.
• Only useful if you have lots of power

Make People Come to You - Use Bait If Necessary

When you force others to act, you are in control. Opponent has to abandon plans and is vulnerable

• Ex: Napoleon’s Elba escape organized by Talleyrand
  • Baited Napoleon to come to France to destroy him
• Common problem: make decisions based on reactions and never think few steps ahead
  • Sometimes, most effective action is no action at all
  • People should react to your moves
• Putting people in your territory makes them uncomfortable and will make mistakes
• Need to be very subtle as person cannot know about bait/trap
• Only attack with speed if enemy is weakened

Win Through Actions, Not Arguments

Arguments are Pyrrhic as the resentment lasts. More powerful if people agree with action. Therefore, demonstrate and do not explicate.

• Ex: Engineer and Mucianus siege
  • Argued with superior who think they are right, got killed. Never argue with superior, esp. if inferior and insecure
• Ex: Michaelangelo and marble nose
  • Did not offend master but indirectly showed superiority
  • No one offended but you won
• Learn to judge move by long term effect on people
• Arguments are unbelievable but actions are not
  • ‘Truth is generally seen, rarely heard’ - Balthasar Gracian
  • Opponents feel your decision, so it is more powerful
• If person will not change opinion, then forget demonstration and them
• ‘Never argue. Only give results’ - Disraeli

Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and the Unlucky

Emotional states are just as infectious as diseases.

• Ex: Lola and the failures of men around her
  • Lola’s problems infected men and that led to their downfall.
  • Leave an infector as soon as possible
• We are susceptible to atmosphere of those around us
• Always maintain a good crowd and try to associate with people that can make up for your weakness
• Can use same tactic to infect others with your attitude.

Keep People Dependent on You

To maintain people, you need to be needed and wanted. Do not teach others to be independent

• Ex: Condottieri that were executed
  • Replacable people who became threat. Be the only one that can do what you do
• Ex: Bismarck made the king dependent on him
  • Cannot remove someone who is irreplacable
• Independence is not the same as power. Other depending on you actually frees you
• Be so dependent that removing you leads to disaster
• Don’t have to be the most talented, just someone that has talent that master needs
• Can be either intensive (goot at 1 thing) or extensive (good at many, like Kissinger)
• May cause fear, but leads to more security
• Also means dependent on others. Only way out is to knock the top, but that is dangerous

Use Selective Honesty and Generosity

One sincere and honest move covers multiple dishonest ones and brings down guard for attack

• Ex: Count Lustig and Al Capone
  • Honesty disarmed Capone and was impressed that he was dealing with an honest man
• Giving before taking softens ground for further moves
• Could even use this to make good 1st impression/reputation
• Gifts are equally disarming
• Don’t be honest all the time to disarm. Dishonesty and acting sometimes helps

Use Self-Interest When Asking For Help

Ally will only respond if something is in it for him

• Ex: Stefano di Poggio execution after calming down rebels
  • Ruthless masters only force and self-interest
  • Gratitude is hard to use on someone
• Ex: Athens allies with Corfu over Corinth
  • Obligation to past generosity simply irritated Athens
  • Pragmatism: forget the past for the future
• Every person has own needs and wants. Find and use them
  • Some people put off by self-interest. Give them opportunity to show good heart

Pose as a Friend, Act as a Spy

Knowing your opponent is critical to getting ahead. So probe and find weakness and intentions

• Ex: Joseph Duveen, art dealer, and Andrew Mellon
  • Spied on Mellon to know tastes, which converted him to Duveen’s collection
• Try to be a spy yourself. Key: make them talk about themself
• Pay attention in social settings; people leave guard down
• Prevent people from being suspicious by revealing false secret of yourself
• Tempt people into certain acts
• Give out false info is someone spying on you

Crush Your Enemy Totally

An ember can start a fire. Similarly, a beaten enemy will rise for revenge

• Ex: Hsieng Yu vs. Liu. Yu refused to kill Liu, who killed him
  • Letting enemy go reinforces fear and hatred
• ‘Those who seek to achieve things should show no mercy’ - Kautilya
• Ex: Empress Wu’s rise to top
  • Absolute ruthlessness
• Need total victory to have good negotiations, because there are no options
• Let the enemy destroy themselves

Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor

The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. Thus, create value out of scarcity

• Ex: Guillame de Dalaun and Lady Guiellema
  • Absence of Dalaun only inflamed love, not took out
• Ex: Deioces establishes Medean Empire
  • Used absence to show people how valuable he is to the Medean people —> throne
• Strong presence needed but not too strong
• Apply law of scarcity to yourself
• Don’t do this until you have established power

Keep Others in Suspended Terror - Unpredictable

Be deliberately unpredictable to throw people off

• Ex: Fishscher’s defeat of Spasky
  • Endless waiting and weird moves threw Spassky off balance
  • If people cannot figure you out, they fear you
• Scrambling daily patterns makes you interesting
• Sometimes people assume patteern and you can subvert them by changing pattern
  • Ex: Muhammad Ali vs Foreman. Established predictability
• Times when its better for people to be comfortable around you

Do Not Build Fortresses - Isolation is Dangerous

Isolation cuts you off from the information and makes you an easy target

• Ex: Qin Shi Huangdi and isolation
  • Isolation leads to loss of power control
• Ex: Louis XIV and Versailles Palace
  • Knew about everything so that he could control people
• Power depends on connections so you need to be open
• In times of danger, find new allies and circles; never isolate yourself
• Isolation leads to out-of-proportion, no big picture perspective

Do Not Offend the Wrong Person

Some people are wolves in lamb’s clothing and will seek revenge

• Opponents:
  • Arrogant and proud: one slight will lead to revenge
  • Insecure: has a very fragile ego. Will bite you for a long time
  • Mr. Suspicion: easy to deal, play on his suspicion
  • Serpent with memory: cold and calculating. Can only crush and destroy
  • Unintelligent man: won’t fall into traps
• Ex: Khrawezm captured by Genghis Khan
  • Don’t underestimate anyone
  • Do not turn down people. That only insults their pride
• Ex: Norfleet breakes up con ring by pursuing them across United States
  • Norfleet was insecure and would do anything to help ego
  • Test out if people are insulted by insecurities before launching attack
• Ex: Prince Chung-erh insulted by king of Chen and destroys him
  • Be careful of lowly people as they will rise and bit you
  • Just don’t offend people
• Ex: Duveen tries to get Ford to buy paintings
  • Some people just don’t understand what you are doing
• Before power move, study your opponent and use your knowledge, not your instinct
  • See through their appearances as they are often decieving

Do Not Commit to Anyone

Maintain independence to be master of others

Do Not Commit But Be Courted by All

• Not committing to affections only leads people to try harder to win you over
• Ex: Elizabeth I
  • Used virginity to control men and nations, esp. in alliances
• By not succiumbing to anyone, you earn respect
• You become the desired object and this desire spreads to others
• Bend but do not capitualte; keep chase alive
• Alcibiades tactic: put yourself in betwen 2 powers and lure both
  • Ex: Kissinger put between Nixon (R) and Humphrey (D)

Do Not Commit and Stay Above Fray

• Do not get involved with fighting so it is easier to control when everyone else is tired
• Ex: Mantua and Isabella d’Este prevented its capture
  • Seemed intrested in others but never joined, managing to secure Mantua
• Key: stay interested in each side and never commit
  • Move will always be independent and never influenced by push/pull of others
• Can take advantage once one side starts losing
• Either play each side against each other or proclaim independence anyways
• Sometimes, have to commit to prove that you are capable of attachment

Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker

Make opponents feel that they are smarter than you and they will never suspect your ulterior motives

• Ex: Melos vs. Athens and refusal to surrender
  • Melos forgot that no one comes to help the weak
• Ex: Brecht and House of Un-American Activities
  • Surrendered and played along, making the committee feel supreme
  • Never sacrifice maneuveribility for matyrdom
• Most enemies expect force reaction, so surrender shcoks them
• Dont run away: looks weak and have no plans to recapture
• Use surrender to gain access and build rapport with enemy
• Only martyr or attack when enemy is weak

Concentrate your Forces

Intensity is better than extensity. Look for 1 key patron who will help

• Ex: Kingdom of Wu vs. Middle Kingdom and Yueh invasion
  • Fell because Wu empire was too large and forces pread thin
  • Mind must be focused on singular goal
• Ex: rise of the Rothschild family
  • Rothschild were united, even marrying within themselves
  • Maintining unity and concentrating Rothschild members helped them maintain their banking dominance
• Single-mindednesss > distracted enemy. Concentrate at their weakest point
• Single patron will give you freedom. Find the source of power for this patron
• Only dispense if on weaker side (guerilla war) or likely that master will die/retire in times of tumult

Play the Perfect Courtier

Great couriers can manipulate, making the king seem powerful and everyone will fear the courtier. Courts and courtiers stilld exist, just in different forms

• Laws:
  • Avoid ostentation: causes suspicion and envy. Be modest
  • Nonchalance: make talent look natural and graceful
  • Be frugal with flattery: too much good —> value drops. Do indirectly
  • Arrange to be noticed: subtle style and image
  • Alter style and language based on the person: don’t apply same strategy to all people
  • Never bear bad news: bearer of bad news is always associated with the bad
  • Don’t be friendly/intimate with the master: depends on what master likes
  • Never criticize those above: be subtle and gentle with criticism
  • Be frugal with favours: ask for favors rarely and never for someone else
  • Don’t joke about appearance or taste: joking is good but joking about these two can lead to problems
  • Don’t be a cynic: express admiration when appropriate
  • Be self-observant: avoid mistakes by correcting
  • Master emotions: hide anger and joy
  • Fit spirit of times: dont be too in past/fture
  • Be source of pleasure: make master happy
• Ex: Callisthenes speaks mind too much and leads to killing by Alexander
  • Master is never interested in your criticism unless useful
• Ex: Chinese courtiers indirect warning via chronicle
  • Be indirect and impersonal about criticism
• Ex: Mansart architerural plans and Louis XIV
  • Make master feel good about themselves
• Ex: Isabey’s painting of Duke of Wellington and Talleyrand
  • Don’t irritate one master to please another
• Ex: Brummell’s insult of Prince of Wales ‘Big Ben’:
  • Arrogance and bad taste in jokes will lead to your fall
• Ex: Testi the poet praises Pop Urban VIII poetry
  • Don’t make fun of taste. Use it to to make you look good
• Ex: Crown keeper gives coat to Chao ⇒ punished
  • Don’t overstep bounds and do things you are not supposed to do
• Ex: Filippo drawings to escape Moorish pirate
  • Make master gift using your talents
• Ex: Servant dreams and Alfonso
  • Never ask for too much and don’t ask favour that will be rejected
• Ex: Turner’s paintings and Lawrence
  • Don’t make equals/counterparts jealous or angry
• Ex: Churchill and Lucce and sheep in paintings
  • Taking critisicms as criticisms is mark of courtier
• Warning: don’t let yourself be exposed. Talleyrand and Napoleon jokes.

Re-create Yourself

Be the master of own image instead of being defined by someone else. Incoporate dramatic gestures to seem larger than life

• Ex: Caesar and his dramatics
  • Understood connection between poor and theatre
  • Understand audience and play to their whims
• Ex: Aurore Dudevant —> George Sand, larger than life
  • You get to decide how to act and identify
• Work on yoruself like clay and manipulate your image
• Can externalize emotions but don’t have to feel it
• Reveal actions with certain timing to accentuate, like FDR’s 100 days
• Plan entraces and exits with fluidity
• Be like Bismarck: what cannot be grasped cannot be consumed

Keep Your Hands Clean

Be civil and efficient so that mistakes and nasty work does not stain reputation

Conceal Mistakes with Scapegoat

• Ex: Tsao Tsao ration miscalculation and beheading advisor
  • Apologies and excuses are not good enough. Better to cut off the mistake and distance yourself
• Ex: Cesare Borgia and de Orco in Romagna —> beheaded for cruelty
  • Although de Orco did job well, Borgia used scapegoat to do what was needed (extremely harsh justice) and then disposed
• Choose most innocent as scapegoat but cannot be martyr
  • Cannot be too weak. Use favorites

Make use of the Cat’s Paw

• Cat’s paw: someone that will do dirty work
• Ex Cleopatra seizes throne via Caesar and Antony
  • Ultimate power: cat’s paw does not know that they are cat’s paw
  • Made Cleopatra look good. Outside immediete circle
• Ex: Mao uses Kai-shek to defeat Japan then defeats him
  • Saved lots of effort when dealing with Kai-Shek again
• Ex: Diazen convinces friend to pay back loan
  • Become cat’s paw to get power. Do not become an obligation
• Powerful figures dont show hard work to maintain pwoer
• Think how others can do work for you. Should hide intention
• Use cat-paws for planting false info
• Can be cat’s paw for others and gain respect if you’re subtle
• Can be risky, so use for innocent situation

Play on Belief to Create Cult

Become the focal point of desire and emphasize feelings. People need to believe in something and will make saints from nothing

• The larger the group, the easier it is to decieve
• How to create cult
  • Keep it simple and vague: initial speeches should promise greatness but vague (wordy, numbers)
  • Emphasize sensual: keep crowd engaged and distract cynics with dramatics
  • Structure like organized religion: rituals and titles work
  • Disguise income source as if it comes from your teachings
  • Us vs. them dynamic: makes bonds stronger
• Ex: Borri and cult following for philospher’s stone
  • Made conversion otherwordly and fantastical. Should adapt to followers and aim high
• Ex: Dr. Schuppach and natural cures
  • People imagined own benefits —> placebo effect
• If you anger crowd following, there will be massive anger

Enter Action With Boldness

Doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Mistakes you make with audacity will be corrected with audacity.

• Boldness psychological profile
  • Boldness hides deficiencies, so the bolder the lie, the better
  • People can sense hesitancy and can use it against you
  • Boldness —> fear —> authority (esp. swift)
  • Hesitancy creates problems, boldness eliminates
  • Boldness makes you stand out
• Ex: Count Lusting ‘sells’ Eiffel Tower
  • Largeness of scale deviates the eyes
• Ex: Ivan the Terrible takes throne from Shuisky’s
  • Boldness of kiling threw Shuiskys off
  • Don’t negotiate with people like Shuiskys —> will destroy you
• Ex: Arentino and satire of death of elephant and pope
  • Larger the target, the more attention you will recieve especially of others think the same
• Cannot be intimidated by potential consequences
• It can enlargen the smallest of people
• Too much boldness can be offensive

Make Accomplishments Seem Effortless

All toil, practice and tricks that go into something should be concealed. Telling people will raise questions and can be used against you.

• Ex: Sen no Rikyu tea ceremonies and effort concealing
  • Height of beauty: natural. Therefore, try to approximate the power of nature
• Ex: Houdini’s antics
  • Houdini hid all the hard work and research he put
  • Makes you look like a god because only effect seen
• Avoid temptation of showing cleverness and conceal mechanisms
• Make hiding a humorous game, don’t get too touched
• Partial closure should only be used for effect

Control the Options

Best deception is one where people have choice and seem to have control. Make both of the options bad so that there is no escape.

• Ex: Ivan the Terrible forces people to give him despotic people
  • False withdrawl to show why he was so necessary
  • Made sure that alternative was even worse
• Ex: Ninan de Lenclose payeur or martyr
  • Everyone happy as they had choice, both of which satisifed her
  • If people have choice, forget about missing options
• Ways to limit options:
  • Color choices: make one choice obviously better. Insecure masters
  • Force resister: push for opposite of what you actually want
  • Alter field: force the hand via leverage
  • Shrink options: keep raising the stake for indecisve people
  • Weak man: like color choices except more aggresive and emotional
  • Brothers in crime: both did something bad, easy to manipulate
  • Horns of dilemma: both options equally bad
• Limiting options leaves no revenege, can only blame themselves
  • Cloak involvement in option limiting as much as you can
• Sometimes giving freedom leads to more information

Play to People’s Fantasies

Never play to truth/reality unless you are prepared for anger. Everyone flocks to people that can conjure fantasies.

• Ex: Mamugna → Bragadino and gold alchemy
  • Created myth that bankrupt Venice would believe in
  • People don’t like hard work so promise imagination
• Reward should be instant, quick and gratifying. Ungraspable
• Fantasy not always be so fantastical

Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew

Everyone has weakness that can be used for your benefit

• When finding weakness:
  • Pay attention to gestures and signals: look at daily behaviours, tell your own ‘secret’, look at details
  • Find helpless child: childhood trauma —> wants and esires
  • Contrasts: overt behaviour reveals the opposite weakness
  • Weak link: find group’s power player/weak person
  • Void: fill in insecurity/unhappiness —> lots of power
  • Feed on uncontrollable emotions
• Ex: Richelieu rise to power
  • Used mother and king’s character as weaknesse
  • Look for power link and find weakness
  • If victim is helpless, push into bold ventures —> dependent
• Ex: Count Lusting conned Loller with counterfeit
  • Looked at weak person (need for social validationa and greed)
• Ex: Catherine de Medici flying squadron (courtesans)
  • Used weakness of women to stop power grabs. Look at obvious passions
• Ex: Duveen and Arabella Huntington
  • Used validation need. Keeps people coming back
• Ex: Bismarck convinces king to build army
  • Played on sense of majesty and honor
• Playing with weakness might unleash beast that can ruin plan

Be Royal in Fashion: Act Like King to Be Treated Like One

In the long run, vulgarity and commonality leads to disrespect behaviour from you. Acting regally and confident and it will seem as if you are destined for the crown

• Ex: Bourgeois King, Louis Philippe
  • Seemed too common, so no one respected
  • Maintain distance with those below
• Ex: Christopher Columbus rise from humble background
  • Carried himself like noble and everyone believed him
• Strategy of the Crown: believe you are destined for greatness and it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy
  • Maintain seperation with dignity
• Columbus strategy: be bold in demands
• David and Goliath strategy: if opponent is great, you are great by association
• Give gifts and seems as if you are in same plane
• Don’t be arrogant and humiliate others

Master the Art of Timing

Always be patient and sniff out trends that will lead to power. Stand back when time is ripe and strike when it has come to fruition.

• Ex: Fouche in Revolutions, Directory and Consulate
  • Fouche could detect trends that would carry him to power. Look for future Napoleons
  • Don’t always go with trend, but anticipate consequences (Revolutions)
  • Be patient and bide time until opportune
• Emotional control —> time moves slower —> patient
• 3 types of time:
  • Long: drawn out, years long. Managed by patience
    • Should not act impulsively and wait for opportunity
    • Hurrying up may cause more problems. Waiting is an opportunity
    • Can encourage people to hurry and will lead them into failure
    • Mind uncluttered —> sees traps, flexible and build foundations. Find real friends
  • Forced: short-term that can disrupt opponents
    • Make them hurry and wait so that they abandon their pace —> open time for you
    • Wait: use as distraction and they become irrational
    • Rush: make mistakes by setting harsh deadline
  • End: plan execution with speed and force
    • Use speed to surprise and paralyze opponents

Disdain Things You Cannot Have: Ignoring is the Best Revenge

Paying attention to a petty problems lends credibility and legitimacy to the problem. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.

• Ex: Wilson’s Punitive Expedition for Pancho Villa
  • Made America a laughing stock and Villa became popular because of intervention
  • Ignoring or not drawing attenion takes away problem’s credibility
• Ex: Henry VIII ignoring Catherine of Aragon and Pope Clement
  • By ignoring them, they couldnt do anything
• Ignoring leads to desire/makes them play by your rules
• Commitment and engagement to puny force —> you are weak and others can manipulate you
• Other side gains sympathy if you pay attention and crush them
• Often just leave mistakes as fixing them can make them worse
• Showing disdain: roast the thing you want, deflect attention from small attachments, show it quick to master to prevent anger
• Sense problems that are small and deal with them then. Distinguish what is a nuisance vs. a problem. Show disdain publicly, but keep watch privately

Create Compelling Spectacles

When dazzled by appearance, people will be intimidated

• Ex: Dr. Weisleder, moon doctor of Berlin
  • Make spectacle appeal to emotions —> everything else imagined
  • Aims straight for heart, bypassing skeptical head
• Ex: Diane de Poitiers, mistress of henri II. Diana god image
  • Weaved images into king’s passions and weakness
  • Transformed her other than a courtesan
• Images are much more powerful than words
• Find symbol/mythology to represent cause

Think As You Like But Behave Like Others

Unorthodox will lead to people looking down on you. Only share your insights with trusted/tolerant people.

• Ex: Pausanias and hate speech about Greek way of life and love for Persia
  • Went too far —> thought he was a traitor ⇒ killed
• Ex: Camparella atheism. Managed to be free and not be called heretic
  • Feigned madness, wrote book opposite of his beliefs and book that masked real thoughts
  • Covered himself because the time was not right for his ideas
• Don’t argue with people because they have to change their thinking
• Don’t display aberrant ideas until in power position
• Make big show of otrhodoxy and no one will suspect
• Litttle gestures can also create appearance more common
• Leave behind self and have mask for whoever you are talking to (not the same mask for everyone), like Bismarck

Stir Up Waters to Catch Fish

Put enemies off balance by using emotion.

• Ex: Napoleon’s outburst against Talleyrand
  • Napoleon’s outburst hurt his reputation. Calm Talleyrand humiliated him
  • Tantrums only create doubts about power
• Ex: Haile Selassie vs. Rus Gigsa. Battle that was premature
  • Selassie weakened army by bribing allies and getting Church support
  • Used tribesman as play for early action
  • Stir water to get them to act before they are ready
• People that love control not fighting you, but fighting for bigger cause (childhood, heartache, etc.)
• People that lose control have few options
• Talleyrand tactic: maintain composure while they lose control. Makes them look extremely bad
• Do not do this against impossibly strong people
• Use outbursts sparingly

Despise the Free Lunch

Always pay for anything that has worth. Free things cause guilt, dependence and insecurity

• Practice strategic gifting as generosity softens people
• Types of people when it comes to wealth
  • Greedy fish: always want more money. Easy to manipulate
  • Bargain demon: aalways finding better bargain. Avoid
  • Sadist: use money to torture others. Avoid
  • Giver: insecure and uses money to buy relationships
• Failures:
  • Gonzolo Pizarro and El Dorado: lust for money drove Spain down as he led expedition after expedition to find golden city
    • Do not let greed override power
  • Duchess of Marlborough and Blenheim: sadistic use of money (made architects continually redo residence)
• Observances:
  • Arentino and Duke of Mantua: used strategic gifting to curry favour
    • Money must circulate for power and gifts = (equality or more)
  • Rothschild French feasts: spent a lot to gain acceptance
    • Money used to gain intangible, like people’s heart
  • Medici use of money: used for patronage to buy influence and distract people
  • Louis XIV influence: gave gifts to placated nobles and command influence
    • Especially useful if unexpected and used sparingly

Avoid Stepping Into Great Man’s Shoes

What comes first always seem better than what comes after. Establish your own name and identity.

• Ex: Louis XV from Louis XIV
  • No necessity to force a man’s actions —> inertia
• Ex: Alexander the Great vs. father Phillip
  • Alexander’s success <— ambition to beat father
  • Must start from ground zero psychologically to throw off legacy
• Power based on filling void. If void already filled, there is no point
• How to escape past: belittle, symbolize distance, find vacuums to shine
• Be careful that you do not return to the past too
  • Constantly re-create yourself
• Do not simply remove all past knowledge, just distinguish your power from theirs

Strike the Shepherd and Sheep Will Scatter

Neutralize the individual that starts and plans trouble

• Ex: Ostracism in Ancient Athens
  • Got rid of people that put social order at risk
  • Get rid of person before they infect others with bad attitude
• Ex: Dante Alighieri of Florence and neutralized by pope
  • Pope isolated Dante —> Florence fell apart
  • Isolate individual with physical/political/psychological power
• Power might seem democratized, but strong people still control a lot
• Separate individual from power based and isolate from normal social environment
• Only isolate if person has no means of revenge

Work On The Hearts and Minds of Others

Must seduce people into wanting your path via individual emotions

• Ex: Marie Antoinette and disregard for people
  • Did not pay attention to others and paid price
• Ex: Chuko Liang and numerous captures of Menghao
  • Tried to win over heart of Menghao and soldiers (divide and conquer strategy)
  • By winning hearts, you eliminate future animosity
• When meeting someone, acknowledge individuality and psycology
• Use individual weakness of heart and mind to win them over
  • Best: contrast. Give pleasure rather than pain, happiness rather than sadness
• Do not have a general technique. Individualize
• Try to get as many people on your side

Disarm and Infuriate With Mirror Effect

Mirroring enemies will confuse them and sometimes point out flaws with their strategy, humiliating them

• Effects:
  • Neutralizing: shielding own strategy. Can use in spying fo if you have no strategy of your own
  • Narcissus: reflect their psyche and they will like you out of self-love
  • Moral: copy actiosna dn they will relaize that it was a bad move, increasing guilt
  • Hallucination: copy something fo dummy/camo purposes
• Ex: Fouche and spying on Napoleon
  • Mirrored Napoleon to conceal him and always be ahead of him
• Ex: Alcibiades and mirroring on Athens, Sparta and Persia
  • Get more support absorbing people than arguing
  • Imposing ego just makes them warier. Mirror action, reduces ego
  • Be careful of using all the time: past people will feel betrayed
• Ex: Marie Mancini and Louis XIV love
  • First studied prey —> mirrored prey’s ideals and feed their fantasies
• Ex: Ivan IV and use of weak Simeon as replacement ruler
  • Simeon was a mirror of boyar behaviour, made them feel bad
• Ex: Erickson use of mirror effect on psychic patients
• Constructed symbolic analogy oas mirror of situation
  • If people idealistic, do not shatter their world but rather play in their world and show way out
• Avoid events that mirror past events, especially if they have a bad outcome
  • Ex: Wagner mirrored stay in Bavaria and Lola Montez

Preach Need for Change But Never Reform Too Much

Too much innovation is traumatic for society and people will revolt. Change should feel like gentle improvement of past.

• Ex: Thomas Cromwell Protestant reforms under Henry VIII
  • Too many Protestant reforms at once. Sweeten reforms by going slow
• Ex: Mao and association with Chinese history
  • Always cloaked change as part of past
  • Borrow legitimacy from past to cloak actions
• Appear to safeguard tradition and watch zeitgeist
• If past is ugly, fill void with anything and disassociate with past

Never Appear Too Perfect

Envy creates silent enemies. Appear human and approachable

• Ex: Joe Orton and Kenneth Hallwell. Death of Orton due to Hallwell’s envy
  • Either downplay Orton success (failure) or flee Hallwell
  • Nothing can cure envy so run far away (find new friends, display defection)
• Ex: Cosimo’s humblesness in Aberzinni fight and afterwards
  • Cosimo Medici: envy is a weed that should not be nurtured
  • Made alliacnes with lower people, never falunted wealth and concealed influence
  • Flexing only causes downfall
• Seeing superior people makes us question own identity
  • Start to fell envy: excessive criticism/praise
• How to deal with envy: accept and use envy to make yourself better
• Recognize early when envy has taken a person (puts obstacles, comments)
• Situations leading to envy: natural superiority, sudden improvements in fortune (emphasize luck) and sudden power (show sacrifice ⇒ pity
• Deflect envy by having harmless vice
• Don’t help those with envy, seems very condescending
• Sometimes, best to go full out if in unimpeachable position

Do Not Go Past the Mark You Aimed For and Learn to Stop

Arrogance and overconfidence creates more enemies after your victory. Set a goal and do not go overboard

• Ex: Cyrus overextends and invated Massagetai
  • Victories clouded reasoning and killed himself
  • When you win, be cautious and analyze objectively
• Ex: Madame de Pompadour - played nice with everyone and served Louis XV
  • Realized that success came from her plans, so she did not let that get to head
• Should always control yourself when you reach victory
  • Napoleon: the greatest danger occurs at the moment of your victor
• Recognize the factor of luck in victories so you can still attain victories without particular circumstances
• Lull enemy into inaction during your victory
• Crush enemy in victory but dont create new enemies

Assume Formlessness

By taking shape or having a visible plan, people can destory it early. Be adaptable; nothing is fixed

• Ex: Sparta’s fall ⇐ single-minded focus on army
  • Problem: Sparta required stasis, which is unachievable
  • Societies/people that cannot adapt lose in the long run
• Ex: Communist win over Nationalist
  • Communists were very fluid and kept harassing superior armies
• Power must be hard to understand by enemies
• Make yourself formless (no face, no showing of weakness)
  • Don’t take any weakness personally
• Conform to surface but break enemy down inside
• Size —> form —> failure. Don’t always listen to others