48 Laws of Power
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Despite being my first reading on the author, very few phrases in the book managed to surprise me. If I had read it at 15, it would have been a revelation. But the knowledge that feeds this work is more or less the same as I have acquired over the years.
I disagree with a few rules, very few, because I believe they are counterproductive for achieving lasting power. Law 42 is quite false. And Law 7 is counterproductive, to cite the most striking ones.
Others, I abhor, but I do not deny their utility; simply, conquering power is not in my worldview. My vision consists of being able to live outside power. Create my own power outside of society. Threatening enough that it is not worth challenging, scarce enough not to attract attention.
How to cite
Greene, Robert. (1998). Las 48 leyes del poder (Spanish Edition). Espasa.
Comments on chapters
Law 1. Never Outshine the Master
It is a fatal but very common mistake to believe that by flaunting one’s talents one will gain the affection of the boss.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 11). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
I learned this principle when I worked with the head of maintenance at a university. He was a dedicated, conscientious, and intelligent man. His assistants were two “left hands.” When I expressed my surprise to my coworkers, one gave me the exact answer: “He chose them himself, so they wouldn’t outshine him.”
In the context of a civil servant dependent on others, he preferred to sacrifice himself and work more at the cost of making himself indispensable and blocking his replacement.
Related to [[48 Laws of Power#Law 11. Learn to Keep People Dependent on You]].
Law 2. Never Put Too Much Trust in Friends, Learn How to Use Enemies
Friendship is earned over the years and can be shattered in a minute. It is not a solid foundation per se.
Law 3. Conceal Your Intentions
It takes patience and humility to let one’s brilliance pale, to wear the mask of inconspicuousness. But do not despair at wearing it—often impenetrability is what attracts people and makes one seem a powerful person.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 21). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Resist the vanity of showing yourself to the world.
Law 4. Always Say Less Than Necessary
Be especially careful with sarcasm:
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 26). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
This appears to be the opposite of the next law, which talks about using sarcasm against people. It’s simply about understanding the consequences of sarcasm before using it. If they are intended, go ahead. However, as stated later in [[48 Laws of Power#Law 19. Know Who You’re Dealing With—Do Not Offend the Wrong Person]], one must consider that an offended person will never forget.
Law 5. So Much Depends on Reputation—Guard It with Your Life
At first, one must work to build a reputation for a prominent characteristic,
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 29). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
In university, before earning a reputation as a student, I had trouble even passing an exam. Reviewing a perfect exam that the professor graded a 6, he told me, “I didn’t know it was you; I thought you copied the result,” as I used a method not described in the course to solve circuit matrices (nothing esoteric, a standard method in any circuit theory book).
Once a reputation is earned, things become much easier.
more subtle tactics, such as satire and ridicule, to weaken the opponent while one remains a charming rogue.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 31). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Sarcasm as a method of attack. It is a personal attack on anyone who tries to raise their voice against our reputation. The author, if he could do it without legal consequences, would suggest assassination; after all, it is a book about power.
Law 6. Court Attention at All Costs
A sense of humor is one of those personal qualities I exhibit to draw attention and get noticed. It is part of the reputation but not the whole; otherwise, it can lead to becoming a jester.
Law 7. Get Others to Do the Work for You, but Always Take the Credit
This law talks about being vultures of others’ work. This is the first law I openly despise and detest as wrong. I work in a sector where vultures try to take advantage of others’ work, but the supply is scarce, and it is easy to spot who they are, as they are not particularly intelligent. Their fate is to end up relegated to commercial positions. Then, yes, a symbiosis occurs; they take the credit and social success in exchange for providing skills (sales, public relations, marketing) that industrial designers neither possess nor want to possess.
There is another variant, from which the chapter’s quotes, starting with Newton standing on the shoulders of giants, derive. It’s different from being a vulture. And it is as simple as citing and giving recognition when appropriate, especially if it is a contemporary creator/author, to the sources of our creation. Being a vulture leads to contempt and the stake. Fortunately.
Law 8. Make Other People Come to You—Use Bait if Necessary
And the most effective action is often to maintain distance and calm and let others get frustrated.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 44). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
It’s about not wasting energy to maintain an advantage. As the [[Tao Te Ching]] states, mold the power situation into a natural balance that requires more energy to break than to maintain. Like a river that shapes the terrain along the path of least resistance.
Law 9. Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument
If in the long run it doesn’t matter whether the other person agrees or not—or if time and experience make them understand—then it’s better not to bother with a demonstration. Save your energy and walk away.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 51). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
It is always good policy to avoid arguments. It’s a form of action that solves nothing and consumes energy. Except when it can really bring a benefit, which is almost never.
Law 10. Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky
There is only one cure for infection: quarantine.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 55). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
It is a kind of instinct to avoid sick people. Or those who talk about illnesses. They seem like a magnet, and who knows if it isn’t a contagious condition.
Law 11. Learn to Keep People Dependent on You
There is only one cure for infection: quarantine.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 55). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Find our position in society. A position where we add value to the whole. Being indispensable is proof of that value.
Create a situation where we can always turn to another master or boss, but where our boss cannot find another with our particular talent.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 60). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
I am horrified when the idiotic generation of my parents claims to encourage their children to study something they like. Idiots! Encourage them to study something that the market values! Happiness comes with the first paycheck, security with the knowledge of playing a demanded role, and satisfaction with gaining knowledge in a specialized field that makes us more indispensable.
That’s how it goes with people complaining on social networks about having three degrees and a doctorate and not finding a job. Then you discover they don’t know how to do a derivative, and the doctorate is, in fact, in “sports science.” Damn them.
Law 12. Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm Your Victim
It is also dangerous to simply ask for what you need, no matter how politely you do it: unless the other person sees some advantage for them, they will end up resenting it.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 64). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
As the chapter later states, a gift is a double-edged sword. It delights, breaks down barriers but can be a poisoned candy offered precisely for that purpose.
Law 13. When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest, Never to Their Mercy or Gratitude
Generosity is offered; it is never asked or demanded.
Self-interest moves people.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 71). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
And compound interest moves the world.
Law 14. Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy
If you have reason to suspect someone is lying to you, act as if you believe every word they say. This will give them the courage to continue; they will become more and more vehement in their assertions and ultimately betray themselves. Similarly, if you sense that someone is trying to hide something but only partially succeeds, look at them as if you do not believe them. Your opposition will provoke them to the point of revealing the whole truth and using all their strength to overcome your incredulity. ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER, 1788-1860
The quote is not from the author. One way to try to access what is hidden. The author describes others, such as making them lose their temper, patience… The problem is that they work once. That’s why the spy has a character, a mask. Once exposed or exploited, they must change and adopt another. When we don’t play a character, we must be very careful with the techniques to manipulate others.
Law 15. Crush Your Enemy Totally
The objective of achieving total victory is the axiom of modern war, as classified by Karl von Clausewitz, the foremost philosopher of war.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 80). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
This is one of the chapters where
the author bites his tongue not to directly suggest homicidal action.
Law 16. Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor
—people whom distance magnifies, but up close are not much. SELECTED FABLES, JEAN DE LA FONTAINE,
An anecdote by Vice Admiral Gonzalo Rodríguez Garat tells something similar. How a few simple fishermen almost jeopardized the operation on Perejil in 2002. Fear magnified them to the point of being special operations commandos.
Law 17. Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability
Animals have patterns of behavior; that is why we can hunt them.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 88). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Giving too much importance to this law brings the danger of falling into ridicule.
Law 18. Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself—Isolation is Dangerous
In times of uncertainty and danger, one must fight the desire to turn inward.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 94). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
It is a desire I will not fight; I do not share this law personally. But I do not deny its validity for reaching a position of power in society. Simply put, my life goal is not to achieve power.
Isolation breeds difficulty in gesticulating and leads to greater abandonment, as people start avoiding contact.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 95). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
There is a certain level of knowledge that demands isolation and abandonment. And knowledge also leads to power. But yes, in the short term, isolating oneself in a defensive position is a suicidal gamble.
Law 19. Know Who You’re Dealing With—Do Not Offend the Wrong Person
If you deceive or manipulate certain people, they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 97). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
I see myself reflected in the description.
Law 20. Do Not Commit to Anyone
We need to stir the pot, arouse interest, attract people with the possibility of having us. For this, one must yield to their will occasionally, but never go too far.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 103). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Similar to [[48 Laws of Power#Law 4. Always Say Less Than Necessary]]. Contain vanity, learn to take pleasure in saying “no” is a trained act. And in contradiction with [[48 Laws of Power#Law 11. Learn to Keep People Dependent on You]].
Law 21. Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker—Seem Dumber Than Your Mark
Disguising as a pig works wonders with those who, like tigers, are arrogant and overconfident: the easier they think it is to catch us, the easier it is for us to turn the situation around.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 108). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Be careful, as if the opponent is smarter, they will see through the deception.
Law 22. Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power
This is the power behind surrender: it gives time and flexibility to plan a strike.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 112). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Contradicts [[48 Laws of Power#Law 15. Crush Your Enemy Totally]], but in the opposite field. A surrender gives the enemy the power to apply that law precisely.
Law 23. Concentrate Your Forces
Have your mind set on a single purpose, total concentration on the goal, and use these qualities on people with less concentration.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 116). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Concentrate on a single book, carry out a single project, love a single person, study a single subject. These are the most effective ways to invest time. When time is dispersed, two tasks of one hour each, taken individually, take 5 hours in total.
In the long run, the master serves the slave.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 117). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Applied to work, a job allows one to dedicate concentration to a single project. I don’t think I could work on my own without neglecting my clients.
Law 24. Play the Perfect Courtier
Stand out, be careful with sarcasm, be pleasant, make yourself indispensable… a compendium of the rest of the laws in the book.
Law 25. Recreate Yourself
The first step in the process of self-creation is self-awareness.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 117). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
The concept of identity precedes actions. How shaping identity changes behavior.
If others need a certain type of person, the environment, the author talks about adapting to that identity like a river. To gain favor or service.
Law 26. Keep Your Hands Clean
Contrary to the chapter’s postulates. If it were possible to cover up a fault, it would make sense. But nothing can be hidden, and someday everything comes to light. It is better to bring one’s own faults to light before others do. This way, the narrative can be controlled. The employee who never apologizes does not seem innocent; they seem foolish and are asking for the gallows (or dismissal).
Interesting mention of the cat’s paw. It does the dirty work, but it is not necessary to deal with it through deceit. It’s enough to pay it well and let it enjoy its work. There is no shortage of such people in the world, and their loyalty is simpler and cleaner than that of a lover.
Law 27. Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following
If you replace point 1 with creating a common enemy, you get the steps to create a political movement. And point 3 with public salary positions. I think point 1 and point 5 are not interchangeable then, because one thing is the common enemy, and another is rivals, the other players in the political game.
Law 28. Enter Action with Boldness
People have a sixth sense for the weakness of others. If, in a first encounter, you demonstrate a willingness to compromise, retreat, and backtrack, even a non-bloodthirsty person will become a lion.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 144). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
The quote is not very related to the chapter, but the first time I heard something similar, I was surprised. When I was 20, in a talk given by a businessman who was also a teacher at a business school. He said that in a negotiation, when two parties are facing each other, one tends to give in a little. And, he didn’t know why, in that situation, what happened was that the party ended up giving in entirely. Life has taught me that this is true. As it will later say in [[48 Laws of Power#Law 31. Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards You Deal]], you must always go to a negotiation knowing that no agreement or the complete breakdown of agreements is a desirable and wanted option. And be prepared to fulfill that threat gladly. Only then will there always be an option before a bad deal.
Law 29. Plan All the Way to the End
This law and the previous one are related. Despite their contradiction, it talks about being bold once the plan is drawn.
According to Cardinal de Retz, “The most common cause of people’s mistakes is having too much fear of present danger and not enough of the danger that is far off.”
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 148). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Regarding planning, I like the quote from Cardinal Retz, which talks about bringing all future dangers to the present world. All that can occur. It’s somewhat similar to what happens in Reinforced Learning. Using Markov decision chains, each decision considers the reward of the next state, but also all future rewards of all possible paths, brought to the present moment, weighted by a probability model.
Law 30. Make Your Accomplishments Seem Effortless
Baldassare Castiglione describes the highly elaborate and coded behaviors of the perfect courtier. And yet, explains Castiglione, the courtier must execute these gestures with what he calls sprezzatura, the ability to make the difficult seem easy.
When a biography shows superhuman effort or a life sacrifice to achieve something, it ceases to be attractive. The biography of Dr. Ortiz de Landázuri made me abhor the life and character; that of St. Xavier still causes me horrors and nightmares. There is something unnatural in these titanic efforts, like a slow-motion suicide.
On the other hand, there are efforts that, taken as a whole, are titanic but have been built stone by stone. And their construction has been manageable and admirable. It’s a matter of perspective. Never show the abyss, but the smooth path leading to the summit.
Law 31. Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards You Deal
One must always give themselves an alternative: break the playing field. Better than being cornered. Bring chaos before compromising freedom.
People who choose between alternatives hardly believe they are being manipulated or deceived; they cannot see that they are being allowed a small realm of freedom in exchange for a much more powerful imposition of another person’s will.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 157). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
On the other hand, the technique of offering alternatives at work is very common. Whoever produces/systematizes the alternatives controls the final decision.
Law 32. Play to People’s Fantasies
Those who can weave a fantasy around an oppressive reality have access to an inordinate power.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 162). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Stories of people who maintain sanity amid chaos and adversity are good proof of this. But not always. Viktor Frankl recounted that when a prisoner in a concentration camp where he was also imprisoned had nightmares at night, they did not wake him; they did not believe the nightmare could be worse than the nightmare upon waking.
Law 33. Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew
As Sigmund Freud noted, “No mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him from every pore.”
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 168). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
The chapter talks about how to discover hidden intentions in others. What motivates their actions. It gives indications on how to proceed, but in general, they are impractical. As in [[48 Laws of Power#Law 14. Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy]].
The two main emotional voids that need filling are insecurity and unhappiness.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 169). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Gracián’s quote clarifies more than the entire chapter. Understanding the origin of men’s motivations to predict their behavior.
Law 34. Be Royal in Your Own Fashion: Act Like a King to Be Treated Like One
By expecting less from the world, we accept limitations that are actually self-imposed.
Demonstrating distance, feigning security, constructing a false identity to act, acting as if doing the world a favor. Related to the anecdote at the beginning of the book, where a failed writer pretends to be desired to sell himself.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 173). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
The quote at the end of the book is false; the only emperor self-crowned was Napoleon, and he was never respected in life.
Law 35. Master the Art of Timing
One must learn to stay on the sidelines when the time has not yet come and strike fiercely when it is the moment.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 177). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Read the times to avoid wasting forces. Divide the times concerning action into three: time to plan, time to disrupt and create confusion, and time to act.
There are three types of time we need to deal with; each presents problems that can be resolved with skill and practice. The first is long time: that prolonged time of years that must be handled with patience and gentle guidance. Then there is forced time: short-term time that we can manipulate as an offensive weapon, disrupting our opponents’ time calculation. Finally, there is final time, when a plan must be executed quickly and forcefully. We have waited, found the moment, and must not hesitate.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 178). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
And an interesting reflection at the end. Not acting is itself an action. And not necessarily the wrong one:
Sometimes not acting in the face of danger is the best move; one must wait and deliberately slow down actions. As time passes, opportunities that were not imagined will present themselves.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 179). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Law 36. Disdain Things You Cannot Have: Ignoring Them is the Best Revenge
That was the soul of King Louis XIV—if he disliked someone, he acted as if they were not there, maintaining his superiority by cutting off the dynamics of interaction. This is the power one has when playing the card of disdain, periodically showing people that one can do without them.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (pp. 183-184). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
We do not own other people. It makes no sense to try to control their behavior. If their actions harm us, we must isolate them.
Law 37. Create Compelling Spectacles
A rather impractical chapter but emphasizes the value of symbols. All political movements, companies, etc., value this weapon.
Law 38. Think as You Like, But Behave Like Others
They will find a way to punish us for making them feel inferior. It is much safer to blend in with the general current and feed off it.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 192). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
It talks about how the desire to punish extravagance comes from a desire for revenge due to a feeling of inferiority. None of that. Extravagance is an unconscious sign, like the colorful flowers of poisonous plants or the lanternfish, loaded with venom. There is an unconscious reaction to extravagance, as even in humans, a tattoo, colorful hair, or a strange appearance is an unconscious symptom of disease. It is the sense of protection that acts, distancing the sick from the herd, especially if they seek attention. Only if they need nothing from anyone do they cease to pose a danger.
Wise and intelligent people learn very early that they can display conventional behaviors and utter conventional ideas without having to believe in them.
This, I believe, is the way to free oneself from political correctness. Build a way of life where others depend on us.
The example of Jonas Salk contradicts [[48 Laws of Power#Law 7. Get Others to Do the Work for You, but Always Take the Credit]].
Law 39. Stir Up Waters to Catch Fish
A reprise of [[48 Laws of Power#Law 33. Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew]], [[48 Laws of Power#Law 17. Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability]], and timing management.
People in a state of agitation tend to seem ridiculous.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 198). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Instead of reacting obsessively and letting people’s emotions become a trap, we should take advantage of their loss of control for our benefit: keeping a cool head while they lose theirs.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 199). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
And take advantage of irrationality, and anger is a state of irrationality, to manipulate the situation, usually by ridiculing the opponent, targeting their reputation, or luring them into a trap.
Nothing is more irritating than a man who maintains his composure while others lose theirs.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 200). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
And, of course, mastering one’s own anger.
Law 40. Despise the Free Lunch
It is worth paying for what truly has value. By paying what is due, one frees oneself from gratitude, guilt, and fraud.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 202). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
It helps a lot to consider that nothing in life is free. Either we have paid for it, or we will pay for it, or we are taking advantage of someone who may someday seek revenge.
On the other hand, people who have no other topic of conversation but money are abominable.
Law 41. Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes
Power depends on the ability to fill a void, to occupy an area that has been cleared of the lifeless burden of the past.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 209). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
About the power of novelty per se. Maybe it exaggerates, but it is true that there are short-term changes (victory or defeat itself creates a change in conditions) and long-term ones; the “spirit of the times.”
How often our early triumphs turn us into a caricature of ourselves.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 210). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
The curse of triumph, especially when it comes early or without understanding how. It idolizes, fossilizing strategies that perhaps were never optimal. And it shrouds future success.
Law 42. Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep Will Scatter
I think the whole chapter embodies a huge mistake. And a very common one. Perhaps because it is simple, accepted, and brief, the author believed it blindly. To decapitate a movement, a criminal gang, a terrorist group, or a problem, one must always attack the base; the exposed part, the weakest link. An incessant attack with the least possible energy. If it is possible to attack the top with the same economy of forces, then better; but the advantage of the base is that it is not very exposed and is protected. They are too abundant. That’s where the dogs of war should strike.
When there is a leader, my theory is that the leadership position exists before the person. Having someone occupy it is a mere formality. Like an ecosystem. Someone occupies it and remains because that is the position of equilibrium; the position of minimal energy. If someone expends energy to decapitate them, the niche will offer a new equilibrium position to another species, which will occupy it, spending the least energy. I don’t speak of ecosystems as living entities, but I use this active narrative form to illustrate the similarity between niche, ecosystem, and organization.
The same goes for the fight against drugs. Small crimes are ignored to allow surveillance that leads to a bigger fish, and it is overlooked if this fish can lead to an even bigger one. It is a waste of time and money. We must go for the first one that appears, relentlessly. And the more miserable and innocent, the better; it will be easier to neutralize without opposition.
For years, the fight against ETA terrorists has been marked by police successes. Every time the leadership was dismantled, it was celebrated in the news, and the Ministry of the Interior officials announced it as a decisive step towards the end of the group. They never ended anything; until mass surveillance systems came into play to detect the movements of the last sympathizer in the most remote forest of the Pyrenees, the group had no trouble operating, and the leadership was recreated.
No one should take all this seriously. I am not speaking in absolute terms. Another way to end an organization is to surrender to it. Satisfy its leaders. And this is a principle that works in history.
However, half of the terrorist group ended when Spain abandoned the nuclear development program that annoyed France by competing for the Western Sahara resources needed for its own nuclear project, still nominally in the hands of Spanish companies. Once the instigator was satisfied, the instigated abandoned their own creature. And I have my doubts if the end of the group was a similar case, disguised as police efficiency.
Law 43. Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others
In the game of power, one is surrounded by people who have absolutely no reason to help unless it is in their own interest.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 218). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
The entire book [[How to Win Friends and Influence People]] is a guide to manipulating people. But it is an honest and well-intentioned guide. It does not appeal to dark techniques but aligns our interests with those we ask for help.
Men who have changed the universe have not done it by manipulating leaders but rather by mobilizing the masses. Manipulating leaders is the method of intrigue and only leads to secondary results. Handling the masses, however, is the stroke of genius that changes the face of the world. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, 1769-1821.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (pp. 219-220). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
I have highlighted this quote because it partially supports my view on the error of [[48 Laws of Power#Law 42. Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep Will Scatter]].
Law 44. Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect
By masking one’s strategy behind the mirror, invisible traps are set, or opponents are pushed into the trap they themselves have prepared.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 224). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
The strategy is old, often confused with the Socratic method, but it has nothing to do with it. It is a practical application of a valid principle to destroy the rival. In an argument, since the examples of mirror tactics in armies make little sense.
Law 45. Preach the Need for Change, But Never Reform Too Much at Once
If change is necessary, it should be felt as a gentle improvement of the past.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 227). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Although the testimonies refer to forms of politics and government, personal change also happens when operated in small changes. Changing
abruptly, in my experience, leads to breaking the strategy, and sooner or later, things return to their course. The book [[Tao Te Ching]] explains it as a universal principle.
The powerful pay attention to the spirit of the times. If the reform is too ahead of its time, few will understand it, it will cause unease, and it will inevitably be misunderstood. The changes made should seem less innovative than they are.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 230). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
The paragraph is a political lesson. Changes, at least since the existence of mass media, seem less harmless because they are camouflaged under the appearance of the old system.
Law 46. Never Appear Too Perfect
Half of the problem of envy arises because we do not recognize it until it is too late.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 233). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
The text talks about how to identify envy and appease it even at the cost of making mistakes.
Law 47. Do Not Go Past the Mark You Aimed for; In Victory, Learn When to Stop
The powerful vary their rhythms and patterns, change course, adapt to circumstances, and learn to improvise.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 238). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
Excessive force produces a counter-reaction; excessive cunning, no matter how ingenious, becomes predictable.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 239). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
On the one hand, victory itself completely changes the playing field. On the other hand, there is a slower but unstoppable change, what is called the “spirit of the times.”
Law 48. Assume Formlessness
When acting defensively, one demonstrates emotions, clearly revealing a form.
Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power (Spanish Edition) (p. 244). Espasa. Kindle Edition.
This law says the same as [[48 Laws of Power#Law 25. Recreate Yourself]], by adapting the image like a river. But it bases the change on changing needs and times.