Law 43: Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others Coercion eventually backfires, you must seduce others into doing what you want. You must pay attention to their emotions, and slowly break down their defenses. If you ignore their hearts and minds, they will grow to hate you. Louis XVI married Marie-Antoinette. The French had grown sick of the mistresses that Louis XV … Read more
Law 42: Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter A single individual can be the cause of trouble, this person is the stirrer, the arrogant subordinate, or the poisoner of goodwill. Strike at him to put an end to his poison. At the end of the sixth century B.C, Athens established a democracy that … Read more
Law 39: Stir Up Waters to Catch Fish A monkey, whilst munching a ripe pear, was pestered by the bare-faced importunities of a wasp, who, nolens volens, would have a part. After threatening the monkey with his anger if he further hesitated to submit to his demand, he settled on the fruit; but was as … Read more
Law 37: Create Compelling Spectacles Grand symbolic gestures can be used as a powerful tool to influence, distract, and project an aura of power. Words are not as powerful, they are dangerous and often misinterpreted. We often reflect on what others say to us, and eventually believe in the opposite of what they say – … Read more
Law 33: Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew Everyone has a weakness. Usually, it is an insecurity, an irrational need, or an emotion. It can even be a secret pleasure. When it has been discovered, it can be used as an advantage. Most people want to be left alone, to do things their way, so they put … Read more
Law 32: Play to People’s Fantasies Avoid telling people the ugly truth unless you are prepared to face the anger that will result. Life is harsh and distressing. If you can conjure up a fantasy or add romance to people’s lives, people will flock to you. Venice enjoyed a long period of prosperity and its … Read more
Law 26: Keep Your Hands Clean Folly consists not in committing Folly, but in being incapable of concealing it. All men make mistakes, but the wise conceal the blunders they have made, while fools make them public. Reputation more on what is hidden than on what is seen. If you can’t be good, be careful. … Read more
Law 24: Play the Perfect Courtier In this chapter, Greene persuades us to be the perfect courier. Of course, courts, king and couriers are antiquated terms, but the modern world is not without their equivalents. Since power exists, a hierarchy of power exists; the employee is the modern courier and the employer is the modern … Read more
Law 22: Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power A man who had climbed upon a certain fig tree, was bending the boughs toward him and plucking the ripe fruit, which he then put into his mouth to destroy and gnaw with his hard teeth. The chestnut, seeing this, tossed its long branches and … Read more
Law 21: Play a Sucker To Catch a Sucker—Seem Dumber Than Your Mark You should always appear dumber than you are. Make others feel smarter than you, and they will never suspect that you have hidden motives. We find the idea that others are more intelligent than us intolerable. We justify it by either saying … Read more