Category:commentary

Law 48 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 …
Continue reading assume formlessness – law 48 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 47 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 …
Continue reading do not go past the mark you aimed for; in victory, learn when to stop – law 47 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 46 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 …
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Law 45 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 …
Continue reading preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once – law 45 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 44 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 …
Continue reading disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect – law 44 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 43 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 …
Continue reading work on the hearts and minds of others – law 43 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 42 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 …
Continue reading strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter – law 42 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 41 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 …
Continue reading avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes – law 41 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 40 What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or 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 …
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Law 39 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. –{{Robert Greene}}, …
Continue reading stir up waters to catch fish – law 39 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 38 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 …
Continue reading think as you like but behave as others – law 38 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 37 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. –{{Robert Greene}}, {{The 48 Laws of Power}} …
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Law 36 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 …
Continue reading disdain things you cannot have: ignoring them is the best revenge – law 36 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 35 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 will carry you to …
Continue reading master the art of timing – law 35 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 34 The way your 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 …
Continue reading be royal in your own fashion: act like a king to be treated like one – law 34 – #48laws by robert greene

Law 33 Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usually an insecurity, and 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. –{{Robert Greene}}, {{The 48 Laws of Power}} (review)