Key Concepts of
The 48 Laws of Power
One of the underlying concepts of The 48 Laws of Power is the notion that morality is not an asset when it comes to getting and keeping power. Many have called this book an amoral handbook to bad behavior. But if power is the goal, Robert Greene contends that it is necessary to see the quest for power as a game. And in a game, morality is rarely, if ever, a factor in determining winners and losers. Rather, usually a combination of luck, cunning, and ruthless ambition takes the prize. Morality then is nothing but a nicety—a lovely notion for those on the sidelines but a waste of time for those seeking to gain a seat at the power table.
Greene looks at people who have wielded power successfully through the ages, examining what did and did not work for them. He distills these lessons of history into forty-eight laws for getting and keeping power, and uses examples of the famous and infamous to illustrate these laws. Rather than considering what is good or bad, moral or immoral, Greene looks strictly at what is effective and why it works.
The lessons he draws from history can be grouped into several broad categories. Greene finds that honesty is rarely the best policy and that appearance is extremely important. He also advises readers to appear to be humble, take mercy off the agenda, and study your friends and your enemies.
I. HONESTY IS RARELY THE BEST POLICY
We are taught from an early age that it is important to tell the truth. Yet as children we are regaled with tales of nocturnal visitations from such mythical characters as Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. We are awed by the story of a young George Washington bravely facing his furious father and admitting that he chopped down a cherry tree, despite the fact that historians know this never happened—a moral lesson about truth that is actually a lie.
As we go through life, we are confronted daily with evidence that while honesty may be the best policy, morally speaking, it is rarely practiced. It is also one of the least effective ways to get what you want. So honesty or the lack thereof is a significant subject in The 48 Laws of Power. Greene says that sticking to a regimen of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth will land you only a seat on the sidelines. It’s better, he says, to approach the truth as a tool in a toolbox; use it sparingly, and only when it seems that it will lead to the results you seek.
In Law 14, for instance, Greene recommends posing as a friend while gathering information about those who can further your position in life; you can do this by using spies or becoming a spy yourself. Many powerful people have used this technique with great success, but it requires suspending your sense of forthrightness. Once you know a target’s tastes, preferences, and daily habits, you can use that information in ways that can be very advantageous.
Greene says people want to believe that everyone is basically honest, and you can take advantage of that by revealing some “truth” about yourself to your intended target, even if it is actually a lie. The target (someone who can help you get what you want), believing that you have shared an intimacy, will then be likely to open up to you and reveal valuable information that you can use to obtain your goal.
Along those same lines, Law 3 says never let others know what your intentions are. Instead, leave a false trail of intentions that will confuse and distract people from your true goal. Or better yet, create a diversion so compelling that it will completely distract attention from what is actually going on. And while doing so, Greene suggests putting on a modest, unassuming demeanor—the kind of mask that hides ambition or any hint that a quest for power is under way.
But when it comes to chasing power, honesty is not out of the question. It can be used selectively. Law 12 suggests offering just enough honesty and generosity to charm and cajole your target. Being honest about some innocuous thing is a great way to deflect attention from your ultimate ambition. A well-timed act of kindness or generosity, a sudden or unexpected confession—these can cause the target to let down his or her guard and even confide in you. This can give you ammunition to accomplish your ultimate goal without revealing your true intentions.
Because it is often so unpleasant and difficult, the truth can often be a good way to stir up resentment and anger. Law 32 says it’s better to spin tales of wealth and wonder. People are generally attracted to such stories and will seek out those who tell them convincingly. After all, who wouldn’t rather hear about a mysterious but wildly profitable investment opportunity than a financial institution that promises small but reliable returns?
Are you seeking to part a fool from his money? In that case, Law 21 advises you to pretend that you are even more of a fool than the fool you’re going after. By making your targets believe that you possess a minimum of intelligence and cunning, they relax their defenses and become an easy mark.
For those who have ideas outside of the mainstream, Law 38 dictates that it is fine to have such thoughts. But it is far better for one’s well-being to espouse commonly held ideas and beliefs. There are many historical examples of men and women who have lost everything, including their lives, by publicly announcing their radical ideas.
Examples from The 48 Laws of Power
• In 1872, two men pretending to be prospectors—John Slack and Philip Arnold—convinced some of the world’s richest men that they had found a diamond mine in Wyoming. It wasn’t true, but they even brought renowned geologists to the so-called mine to observe them digging up not just diamonds, but also rubies and other precious stones. The wealthy men, who felt themselves far above the two prospectors in status, intelligence, and common sense, were anxious to form a consortium that would, they were promised, yield $1 million in diamonds each month. But first they had to buy out the prospectors, which they did for what they considered a paltry sum: $700,000, which in those days was considerable wealth. Once the prospectors had taken the money and disappeared, the wealthy men discovered the mine was a fake. The two had outwitted the world’s wealthiest men by pretending to be naive.
• In the mid-1920s, Ethiopian leader Haile Selassie was consolidating his fractured country, uniting the various warring tribes. One particular tribal leader, Dejazmach Balcha, wanted to seize power and planned to have Selassie imprisoned or put to death. Balcha was invited to a banquet, along with his six hundred bodyguards, while Balcha’s thousands of warriors camped nearby. Selassie begged Balcha to join him, appearing weak and desperately in need of Balcha’s help. When Balcha returned to his camp, fully prepared to launch an attack against Selassie, he discovered that his warriors were gone, bought off or run off by Selassie’s forces. Attempting to escape, Balcha then found himself and his bodyguards surrounded by Selassie’s forces. The warrior spent the rest of his life in a monastery, repenting his arrogance and in awe of Selassie’s cunning.
Applying the Concept
• Practice selective honesty. Most of us are raised with the notion that it is always better to tell the truth. But even as youngsters, we often found that it was more expedient to bend, stretch, and even break the truth. And if you think about it, it would be a disaster if you were 100 percent honest all the time at work. It’s never wise to always tell your boss exactly what you think about his or her ideas, to express your impatience with coworkers, or to be frank about what parts of your job you do not enjoy. We call this being professional or playing office politics. Greene is simply saying that if acquiring power is the goal, you must be selectively honest. If you seek a promotion, use your storytelling skills to create a new persona for yourself. Subtly hint that your competitor for the position has personal or professional shortcomings. Pretend to be less qualified than your competitor, watch as that person lets down his or her guard, and wait for an opportunity to seize the prize.
• Truth can lead to resentment. In many situations, telling the truth may put you on the moral high ground, but it is not likely to land you in a position of power. People are often put off by the truth because it is often unpleasant. If you are honest about your skills, for instance, you might expect those around you to be impressed and offer you more power. But it is more likely that your peers will resent you and your superiors will feel threatened by you. Rather, use honesty only when it serves your purpose. That is the path to power.
II. APPEARANCE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
It’s no secret that first impressions are crucial, and most of us try hard to present an acceptable appearance every day, if for no other reason than vanity. But according to The 48 Laws of Power, appearance is essential for acquiring power. It’s not necessarily how well groomed you are (although that never hurts); rather, it’s what you appear to be that is important in the quest for power.
For instance, the very first law is a warning not to appear smarter, better dressed, or more prepared than your superior. Rather, Greene says it is far better to hold back and let your superior bask in the light of recognition and achievement. If you attempt to show off your superiority, even if it is apparent that you have greater skills or abilities, you will succeed only in making an enemy of the person who has your fate in his or her hands. So Greene urges using great restraint in showing your talents. If you truly are the more capable person, there will come a time when you can reveal your abilities. But doing it at the expense of a superior is a recipe for disaster.
Law 46 bolsters that view and urges people never to appear too perfect. That is because such an appearance will inevitably inspire envy, especially in those close to you. Never seem as though you are without faults, Greene cautions, or be prepared to deal with the envy of others.
While it is one thing to let your superiors look good and get credit for work you have done, it is better to get others to work for you and be sure to take the credit. This is Law 7. There are too many examples, Greene says, of brilliant people who are now unknown because their ideas were stolen and the credit was taken by those less talented but more politically astute.
If you approach your march for power like a courtier making his or her way up the royal ladder, then you will learn the subtleties of courtly behavior—which rely heavily on appearances. Law 24 includes the previous edict to let your superiors shine, even at your own expense. But it also advises you to make sure those below you in rank are afraid of you enough that they do not try to take your place on the food chain.
If you are too solicitous, however, you will appear to be groveling, and no one cares for that. Similarly, if you are too overbearing to those below you, you will appear cruel. That will not serve you, either. Knowing when, who, and how much to compliment; where to make friends and who to ignore; what to wear to dazzle without seeming foppish; how to be jovial without seeming foolish and serious without seeming too intense—these are all lines that must be navigated successfully by the intrepid courtier who wants to find herself closer and closer to the center of power, according to Greene.
Law 34 reminds you that kings who have tried to act like commoners have met with disaster. Although it is a good strategy to remain humble and divert attention from yourself to those above you, unfortunately people will believe you if you give them the impression that you are not worthy of power.
Law 25 suggests that if you are not satisfied with the persona you already have or if it is getting in the way of your path to power, then by all means create a new persona. You are the one in charge of what people see, Greene says, so you get to determine what that looks like.
Though you do not want to outshine your superiors, you definitely want to make your accomplishments known at some point. When that happens, make sure people don’t see how much effort went into it. The crowd will be much more awed if you follow Law 30 and take pains to make whatever you do look as if it was done with little or no effort.
In the final law—Law 48—Greene suggests not to build a protective wall around yourself and your persona, but learn to be flexible and adapt to different situations. Because life guarantees nothing but a series of changes, it is important not to rely on one set of practices for too long just because they have been successful. If nothing else, a rival will study those practices and learn to overcome them. By being fluid, amorphous, and flexible, you can quickly adapt to whatever changes come your way.
Examples from The 48 Laws of Power
• Greene references Nicolas Fouquet, the finance minister for Louis XIV, to illustrate the dangers of not following Law 1, which says you should never look better than your superior. Fouquet was inclined to live extravagantly and decided to impress King Louis XIV by throwing a party the likes of which France had never seen before. Everything from the gardens to the guest list was designed to dazzle the king and make him feel closer to Fouquet. However, the day after the party, Fouquet was arrested on charges of stealing from the treasury, and he spent the rest of his life in prison.
• Law 48—staying flexible and fluid—uses the example of the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta. It created an empire by shunning classical Greek culture, economics, and other such social pillars. Instead, it focused entirely on having a powerful military to defend itself. This worked very well until the rival city-state of Athens was conquered. At that point, the cultural and economic influences of Athens crept into Spartan society. Sparta could not adapt, and it eventually disintegrated.
• Make sure you don’t wind up like the great inventor Nikola Tesla, who is responsible for such monuments of scientific achievement as electrical power, radio transmission, and other technological breakthroughs. You’ve never heard of Nikola Tesla? Exactly. At one time, he worked for Thomas Edison, and later he worked for George Westinghouse, both of whom are famous as brilliant innovators. But the fact is, Tesla is the man who made it possible for the world to know them. He was a great inventor and a brilliant scientific mind. But as a power player, he was sorely lacking.
Applying the Concept
• Camouflage your true self. Greene suggests that you make sure to polish your reputation as someone of integrity, while at the same time carefully making sure your superiors look good. You don’t want to project the image of a slacker, but you do want to keep a low profile while you examine the landscape and make your plans. Once you have your road map to power in place, create a persona for yourself that will dazzle your colleagues, make your work appear to be easy, and keep yourself ready and willing to adapt at a moment’s notice to changes in the situation. While all of this may not reflect how you truly feel, for centuries courtiers used these techniques to find their way to the centers of power. Those who were not adept at their use found themselves far from the king and the circle of those he trusted. So if it’s power and influence you’re after, take heed of these laws and put aside any desire to reveal your “true self.” Be who you need to be—with each person and at each moment.
III. APPEAR TO BE HUMBLE
Humility is for saints and other spiritual leaders, but Greene says it is also for those seeking power or seeking to maintain it. The difference, in Greene’s world, is that humility itself does not matter so much as the appearance of humility. There are many instances, Greene says, in which pretending to be humble, while having anything but humble intentions, will bring those seeking power closer to their goal.
For instance, Law 18 warns power seekers that isolation, the realm of the self-centered person, is very dangerous. It is better, Greene says, to constantly mingle and socialize with everyone so you can constantly monitor the landscape. Also, a person who is known to everyone is in a far better position to be recognized and admired than a person who is never seen. It may take humility for important and powerful people to mingle with those below them on the social ladder, but its benefits are worthwhile, Greene says.
On the other hand, Law 16 advises to not make yourself too easily available to others, on the premise that absence increases respect and honor. This is true in a love affair and is also true for those who are in the public eye. Visibility is a good thing, but too much of a good thing can create boredom and contempt.
While you’re playing humble, don’t forget Law 4, which urges you to say less than is necessary. Those who feel the need to constantly talk end up being seen as people with little knowledge and power. Conversely, those who are quiet and speak very little are perceived as mysterious, powerful, and worthy of attention. When those who withhold words finally speak, their words are accorded far more weight than the words of those who are always chattering on about everything.
If you find yourself in a conflict and it’s clear you are not going to emerge the victor, Greene points to Law 22 as the wise move. He says when you are weaker, appear humble and surrender rather than give someone the satisfaction of beating you. Surrendering gives you time to recover your energy and resources, and in so doing, probably baffles your opponent. If you choose to ignore humility and instead take a stand that you are bound to lose, you will ultimately be seen as just that—a loser. This is not the road to power.
While you’re busy being humble, decline any invitation that involves taking the reins from someone who is seen to be great. That is the premise of Law 41, which cautions that if you come after someone great, you’ll have to accomplish at least twice as much to be seen as worthy of being their successor. Rather, Greene suggests, avoid the promotion and instead forge your own path to greatness.
With humility comes the recognition that if you are given the opportunity to radically change a situation or a culture, avoid the temptation. Follow Law 45 instead, and implement changes slowly and carefully. While it may seem advantageous to re-create something entirely, Greene notes that people like what is familiar and comfortable, even if it becomes unpopular. Too much change too fast creates a dangerous void in which anger and discontent can foment. If you don’t heed this law, you may establish a new order, but in all likelihood you will pay for it by losing whatever position you’ve attained.
Sometimes humility just means being careful and not assuming that everyone will react the same way to your plans and strategies, per Law 19. Therefore, know who you are dealing with and don’t offend people who will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. In fact, Greene says the historical record shows that misreading someone’s character was a fatal mistake for some con artists, who then wound up becoming lifelong obsessions for some of their victims. Greene says that people with any of the following five character qualities are particularly dangerous: utterly lacking in humility; extremely unsure of themselves; constantly expecting to be taken advantage of; quiet in their victimhood, but nonetheless scheming revenge; and lacking in imagination and basic intelligence—these are the hardest of all to fool.
Examples from The 48 Laws of Power
• Isolation, the decision to cut oneself off from “inferiors,” can be a fatal choice, as demonstrated by the first emperor of China, Ch’in Shih Huang Ti. Through military might and brilliant diplomacy, he managed to unite the various nations around him into what became China. But the emperor slowly became fearful of being seen in public. He built a huge palace in which he spent most of his time, and to gaze upon the emperor became a crime punishable by death. When he was forced to travel, he did so in the guise of a peasant. During one of these trips, he died, alone and unattended by his family or loved ones.
• Conversely, King Louis XIV was constantly surrounded by members of his court. He rarely, if ever, left the public eye. His every word was eagerly noted; his every act was observed and interpreted. Louis lived to be a ripe old age and died a happy man, his kingdom intact and his realm at peace.
• Making sure you know who you are dealing with is another act of humility that will serve you well, as illustrated by the tale of Muhammad, a leader of Khwarezm, an area in what is now Turkey. He was a well-armed leader with an army of two hundred thousand, and his name was known and feared throughout the land. One day, a young warrior from a nearby kingdom approached Muhammad, bringing him gifts in the hope that he could collaborate with him to open the Silk Road for trading. After several such entreaties—each one rejected out of hand by Muhammad—the young warrior, whose name was Genghis Khan, attacked and conquered the country, and single-handedly controlled the Silk Road.
Applying the Concept
• Become a silent weapon. So you want to make your way to the executive suite? Your inclination may be to act confidently and speak decisively, to demonstrate that you have the stuff leaders are made of. You may think that will get you a key to the executive washroom. But according to Greene, you are mistaken. Instead, use Law 4, the power of silence, to make yourself seem mysterious. If you talk too much, others will think you just like to hear the sound of your own voice. But if you are judicious about your words, people will automatically listen to what you have to say.
Did a beloved executive just resign, leaving that particular job available? Consider very carefully if you really want to fill that person’s shoes. It will probably be better for you to find a way to leave your mark on the company without the burden of being compared to a legendary figure. Apply Law 41 and create your own legend instead.
• Surrender. Does someone else who is too powerful to do battle with threaten your next step up the ladder? In that case, follow Law 22 and just surrender. Bide your time, gather your resources, and watch for opportunities to make your move. That’s far more constructive than choosing to fight a battle you know you can’t win. Humility, or the appearance of it, will keep your opponents off guard and make you a much harder target to hit. It will make you seem much less of a threat and give you the element of surprise when it comes time to make your move.
IV. TAKE MERCY OFF THE AGENDA
You want to appear humble, but genuine humility has never won a battle, earned anyone a corner office, or wooed an elusive heart. While the world sees you as humble, inside you’ve got to be ready to destroy your opponents, according to Greene. When you see your opportunities, you cannot afford to take other people’s feelings and well-being into account. When the time comes, you have to act without mercy or remorse.
Nothing exemplifies this notion quite like Law 15: Crush your enemy. Greene insists that once you have the upper hand, you must not allow mercy to guide your actions; instead, destroy your foe once and for all. That may seem ruthless, but Greene points out that your opponent would do the same. If you show mercy to someone now, that person will likely not show gratitude later; instead, he or she will eventually attempt to destroy you. The pursuit of power, Greene insists, is a serious journey, one without morals and good manners. You must be willing to suspend your inclination to kindness and adopt a steely resolve to achieve your goals. Having the willingness to obliterate your opponent not only takes you very far in that direction, it shows others how serious you are. This is a good message to send to potential adversaries.
Law 33 suggests that you find your opponent’s weakness and exploit it to your advantage. Greene says everyone, no matter how powerful, has a weakness; if you pay close enough attention, you can find it. Just as a card player would do, look for clues in unspoken gestures, or listen carefully for telltale signs in what is said or how something is said. What is the person wearing? Who does that person admire? Pretend to share a secret with the person so he or she feels comfortable about sharing a secret with you. There are many ways to find a weakness, and once you do, be ready to take full advantage of it. Your opponent, if worthy, is certainly doing the same with you.
Law 42 is reminiscent of the advice one often hears about going to prison—find the biggest prisoner and challenge him to a fight. Even if you lose, the other prisoners are less likely to mess with you. That’s the idea behind this law. If a single strong person is causing trouble in an area where you are in charge, others will no doubt be drawn to that person. This is trouble you don’t need, and the way to end it is to eliminate the strong person. This will cause the followers to disperse and will make you look stronger.
Do not make the mistake of believing power will come to you by verbal persuasion, Greene warns. Law 9 says that to truly grasp power, you must be able to win through actions, not arguments. Although winning an argument feels good for a few seconds, it does little more than cause bad feelings with others. It is far more powerful to show people your abilities through concrete actions.
While you’re busy showing people what you can do, make sure not to try to do too many things. Rather, heed Law 23 and focus your energies on the things you do the best. It may be tempting to wow observers by demonstrating your prowess in many areas, but you run a serious risk of losing admiration from overreaching. Choose instead to concentrate on one or two skills you excel at, and you’ll bring yourself closer to your power goals.
A particularly effective method of bringing down an adversary while showing yourself to be in control is to contrive a way to anger or upset your opponent. Law 39 suggests offering your opponent an opportunity to display rage and lose control, particularly in front of others. Meanwhile, keep your own cool and rational demeanor while the other person vents. The result will be that you look like you’re in charge, rising above the drama, while your opponent looks at least a little bit crazy, hardly encouraging his or her promotion.
Meanwhile, formulate a strategy and execute it deliberately. Law 28 says timid action is not a path to power. Rather, the one who moves in a confident fashion and seems sure of her actions will inspire trust in others. If you are not confident about the action you plan on taking, don’t do it. On the other hand, Greene suggests that if you take an action that turns out to be a blunder, take an equally bold action to extricate yourself from it. People are impressed by assuredness, not by lack of confidence.
As you make your way through the corridors of power, it is important to heed Law 10, Greene says, and stay away from those who are constantly miserable and unlucky. Such people cannot be helped, and the danger is that they may involve you in their never-ending drama, which will only drain your energy and resources. Generally, you can spot these people: they never have a good day, they never accomplish anything, and trouble always seems to find them. Just don’t let them find you.
Another excellent tactic for crushing your opponent is Law 44, which advises you to mimic your enemies. Greene suggests several ways to do this. One is the old schoolyard trick of simply reflecting your opponent’s words and/or actions. This will confuse the person enough to become easily manipulated, Greene says. Or you can get more sophisticated and mirror the person’s inner desires, the things he wants most—in other words, become a reflection of the person’s inner self. It will give you a lot of power for your opponent to see himself in you. Or if someone has hurt you, you could mirror that person’s hurtful behavior to make him feel the same kind of pain that was inflicted on you. A mirror image can seem like the real thing, although it clearly is not. Magicians and con artists have used this device for centuries to fool people, reflecting a “reality” that is not really there.
Examples from The 48 Laws of Power
• Hollywood agent Irving Lazar wanted to sell Jack Warner (of Warner Bros. Studios) a play he knew Warner wouldn’t care for. Lazar had a meeting with Warner, but chose not to mention the play at all. Rather, he waited until he went to a spa in Palm Springs two weeks later. Warner would also be there, and Lazar knew Warner would be naked. Warner did not feel comfortable being seen without clothes on, and that’s exactly when Lazar made his pitch. Warner bought the play.
• Mao Tse-tung would not have taken over as leader of China had his predecessor, Chiang Kai-shek, followed Law 15 and crushed Mao in 1934 when he had the chance. But the Nationalist party leader believed he had killed enough of Mao’s soldiers and instead turned his attention to the invading Japanese army. A decade later, Mao returned and drove Chiang Kai-shek from the country. Mao remembered Law 15, and his Communist party has been in power ever since.
Applying the Concept
• Use tools strategically. It is unlikely that you will find it necessary to literally crush your opponents in the workplace, in a political campaign, or wherever you find yourself in a struggle for power. But you can use these tools in more symbolic ways. For instance, if a colleague at work is making you look bad, do a little research and find out what that person’s weaknesses are. Then during a meeting or some other public gathering, do or say something that will infuriate your opponent. Maintain your cool as the person rants and rails at you. From then on, you will be seen as the rational one, but your opponent will be branded as a hothead. Who do you think will get the next promotion?
V. STUDY YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR ENEMIES
In the quest for power, you must be willing to study the landscape and your opponents. Greene is clear that you must do your research in several respects if you are to successfully make your way up the power ladder.
Law 11 dictates that it is important to position yourself as indispensable. You do that by taking a careful inventory of the situation and attaching yourself to the leader—assuming that the leader is not yet on their way out the door. Become the trusted right hand, and stand by your boss even when everyone else opposes them. Then consider who is most likely to take the boss’s place and become indispensable to that person. No, that will not make you a paragon of loyalty, but you will survive and maybe even go on to be a leader yourself.
Speaking of loyalty, in Law 2 Greene insists that it is a mistake to place too much faith in friends. They will be quicker to turn against you than your enemies, because friends will be more quick to envy you. Of course you want to bring your friends closer as you achieve power, because who can you trust more? But your friends know you better than anyone, and once they feel more envy than friendship, they know where and how to strike to do the most damage. Conversely, give your enemies a place at the table; they will have to work harder to prove their loyalty and worth.
There will come a time when you will need to ask for someone’s help on your way to power. When that time comes, follow Law 13, which says that when you seek help from someone else, appeal to their self-interest, not their generosity, mercy, or gratitude. Greene points out that people don’t want to be reminded that they’re indebted to someone else, so they are far more likely to respond in a helpful way if you make it seem like the favor really is in their favor.
Another reason to study the people around you: someday you may have to use Law 26—keep your hands clean. This is necessary if you make a mistake, and you need someone to blame it on. Greene insists that mistakes you make must be covered up and handed off to someone else. To achieve power, you need your reputation to remain intact. So it is imperative to find someone else who can be used to pass the blame for your transgression.
Examples from The 48 Laws of Power
• Greene uses the story of Michael III, ruler of the Byzantine Empire, to illustrate the importance of Law 2—never put too much trust in friends. Michael bypassed his uncle, Bardas, when it came time to choose a trusted advisor. Instead, he chose his old friend Basilius, who was in charge of the stables. Michael showered Basilius with wealth and power, and in the end he was rewarded with treachery; Basilius, took over the army, killed his old friend, and took the throne for himself.
• When Genghis Khan invaded China, he was inclined to sack the country. But a Chinese statesman named Yelu Ch’u-Ts’ai used Law 13—when asking for help, appeal to people’s self interest. He didn’t advise Khan that thousands of years of culture were at stake or that it would be morally wrong to kill so many people. Such arguments would have fallen on very deaf ears. Instead, Ch’u-Ts’ai appealed to Kahn’s self-interest and told him that he could make a lot of money by taxing the Chinese rather than killing them—a suggestion the warlord gladly took. He also convinced Kahn that China’s engineers, artists, and workers could be put to use for the benefit of the Mongol empire. Kahn agreed, and China was spared from devastation.
Applying the Concept
• Keep your hands clean. Let’s say in the course of your job you somehow misplace a very important presentation that is due on your boss’s desk first thing in the morning. Without that presentation, you are likely to lose your job, or at least a great deal of standing. This is the time to summon Law 26—keep your hands clean. Find a coworker to blame for the loss; devise some tale so that no matter how many times the coworker denies it, the blame still gets laid at that person’s feet. Then if you do find the presentation, you can always redeem the coworker and have him or her forever in your debt. Or should it remain lost, you walk away with clean hands and a good reputation.
Key Takeaways
• Never look better than your superiors, Greene emphasizes. This is a sure road to disaster and resentment from those above you. Conversely, do not try to appear as if you are someone below your station, because that, too, will be likely to backfire. Make sure you use the way you look and act to broadcast who you are so you don’t have to explain it in words—which is when you run the risk of being misunderstood.
• To achieve power, you need to be ruthless, relentless, and manipulative. Even so, says Greene, it is important to present yourself to the world (especially your competitors) as a humble person. Humility will put your enemies (and your friends) off guard, making them far less likely to prevent you from taking your place at the seat of power. Putting on the persona of humility will give you more opportunities to take advantage of.
• Backing away from an opponent when you have clearly won a battle is considered the “right thing to do.” But Greene insists this is a road to misery for you and perhaps a triumph for your competitor. By crushing your enemy, you ensure that your victory is not only complete, but long lasting. There is no point in going to the trouble of winning if your victory is only a partial one. Conversely, if you are sure you are going to lose a battle, surrender before you are defeated. This avoids the appearance of public defeat and gives you time to marshal your resources for another day.
• Of course you want to know who your enemies are and how they operate. But Greene says it’s even more important to know who your friends are, because friends are more likely to turn on you, particularly if you give them power. Know who you are dealing with and what their strengths and weaknesses are, and do not be blinded by friendship.