Psychology Business Strategy

The 48 Laws of Power (Summary)

by Robert Greene

In 17th-century France, the finance minister Nicolas Fouquet threw the most spectacular party Europe had ever seen to honor his king, Louis XIV. The palace was magnificent, the food was prepared by world-renowned chefs, and the entertainment was a new play by Molière. But the next morning, Fouquet was arrested by the king's men and spent the last 20 years of his life in solitary confinement. His crime? He had outshone the master, making the king feel insecure. This is the brutal reality of power: it is a game of appearances, where offending the wrong ego can be your undoing.

Never Outshine the Master

Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.

Galileo Galilei wanted the patronage of the powerful Medici family. Instead of just asking, he dedicated his discovery of Jupiter's moons to them, naming them the Medicean Stars. By tying the Medici name to the cosmos, he made them look brilliant and godlike, securing him a position as their court mathematician and philosopher.

Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument

Any momentary victory you gain through argument is a pyrrhic one. The resentment you create is stronger and lasts longer than any temporary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word.

When the mayor of Florence criticized the nose of Michelangelo's magnificent statue of David as being too large, Michelangelo didn't argue. He climbed the scaffold, pretended to chisel away at the nose while secretly dropping marble dust he'd hidden in his hand, and asked for the mayor's opinion. The mayor, fooled, declared it perfect. Michelangelo won his point without creating an enemy.

Conceal Your Intentions

Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them down the wrong path and by the time they realize your true intent, it will be too late.

Otto von Bismarck, the architect of a unified Germany, cultivated an image as a bumbling, unserious country squire. He used his folksy charm and loud, rambling speeches to lull his political rivals into a false sense of security, all while he was meticulously maneuvering behind the scenes to consolidate power and outwit the empires of Austria and France.

Court Attention at All Costs

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd or buried in oblivion. Stand out and be conspicuous. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, and more mysterious than the bland and timid masses.

P.T. Barnum, the great showman, understood that all publicity is good publicity. He once purchased an old, decrepit elephant and began a public debate claiming it was the 161-year-old former nurse of George Washington. The controversy created a national sensation, drawing huge crowds who paid to see the 'historic' animal, making Barnum a fortune.

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