The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

Three Point Summary | Thrilling dark human psychology

The 48 Laws of Power

The 48 Laws of Power is a New York Times Bestseller by Robert Greene. “Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive” is the official description of the book on Goodreads. It’s ideas are useful for dealing with people and refining how you act around others.

“It is advisable to let everyone of your acquaintance—whether man or woman—feel now and then that you could very well dispense with their company.”

—Robert Greene

Specific Laws

LAW 4: ALWAYS SAY LESS THAN NECCESARY

LAW 9: WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER ARGUEMENT

LAW 10: INFECTION: AVOID THE UNHAPPY OR UNLUCKY

LAW 13: WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE

LAW 16: USE ABSENCE TO INCREASE STRENGTH AND HONOR

LAW 21: PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKER, SEEM DUMBER THAN YOUR MARK

LAW 28: ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS

LAW 30: MAKE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SEEM EFFORTLESS

LAW 32: PLAY TO PEOPLE’S FANTASIES

LAW 34: BE ROYAL IN YOUR OWN FASHION, ACT LIKE A KING TO BE TREATED LIKE ONE

LAW 36: DISDAIN THINGS YOU CANNOT HAVE: IGNORING THEM IS THE BEST REVENGE

LAW 43: WORK ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OTHERS

LAW 46: NEVER APPEAR TOO PERFECT

LAW 48: ASSUME FORMLESSNESS

Quotes

“‘Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies’…Be wary of friends—they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical.”

“Most people are open books. They say what they feel, blurt out their opinions at every opportunity, and constantly reveal their plans and intentions…By being unabashedly open you make yourself so predictable and familiar that it is almost impossible to respect or fear you, and power will not accrue to a person who cannot inspire such emotions.”

“In seduction, set up conflicting signals, such as desire and indifference, and you not only throw them off the scent, you inflame their desire to possess you.”

“It is often your unreadability that draws people to you and makes you appear a person of power.”

“When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.”

“A person who cannot control his words shows that he cannot control himself, and is unworthy of respect.”

“It is better to be attacked, even slandered, than ignored.”

“Do not let yourself get angry or defensive at the slanderous comments of your enemies—that reveals insecurity, not confidence in your reputation. Take the high road instead, and never appear desperate in your self-defense.”

“Never appear overly greedy for attention, then, for it signals insecurity, and insecurity drives power away.”

“Learn to use the knowledge of the past and you will look like a genius, even when you are really just a clever borrower.”

“Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.”

“You can die from someone else’s misery—emotional states are as infectious as diseases. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.”

“The shortest and best way to make your fortune is to let people see clearly that it is in their interests to promote yours.”

“To have ultimate victory, you must be ruthless.”

“Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.”

“Make yourself less accessible and you increase the value of your presence.”

“The only thing that constant human contact cannot facilitate is thought. The weight of society’s pressure to conform, and the lack of distance from other people, can make it impossible to think clearly about what is going on around you. As a temporary recourse, then, isolation can help you to gain perspective…The danger is, however, that this kind of isolation will sire all kinds of strange and perverted ideas. You may gain perspective on the larger picture, but you lose a sense of your own smallness and limitations.”

“Never assume that the person you are dealing with is weaker or less important than you are…There is nothing to be gained by insulting a person unnecessarily. Swallow the impulse to offend, even if the other person seems weak.”

“Desire is like a virus: If we see that someone is desired by other people, we tend to find this person desirable too.”

“Keep yourself free of commitments and obligations—they are the device of another to get you into his power. You have only so much energy and so much time. Every moment wasted on the affairs of others subtracts from your strength. You may be afraid that people will condemn you as heartless, but in the end, maintaining your independence and self-reliance will gain you more respect.”

“You should know that foolish people are a hundredfold more averse to meeting the wise than the wise are indisposed for the company of the foolish.”

“Given how important the idea of intelligence is to most people’s vanity, it is critical never inadvertently to insult or impugn a person’s brain power.”

“In general, then, always make people believe they are smarter and more sophisticated than you are. They will keep you around because you make them feel better about themselves.”

“It is also well to avoid correcting people’s mistakes in conversation, however good your intentions may be; for it is easy to offend people, and difficult, if not impossible to mend them…If you feel irritated by the absurd remarks of two people whose conversation you happen to overhear, you should imagine that you are listening to the dialogue of two fools in a comedy.”

“Working on yourself like clay should be one of your greatest and most pleasurable life tasks. It makes you in essence an artist—an artist creating yourself.”

“It is never prudent to prattle on about yourself or call too much attention to your actions. The more you talk about your deeds the more suspicion you cause.”

“Do not wait for a coronation; the greatest emperors crown themselves.”

“Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.”

“If you enter an action with less than total confidence, you set up obstacles in your own path…Your fears of the consequences of a bold action are way out of proportion to reality, and in fact the consequences of timidity are worse.”

“If we believe we are destined for great things, our belief will radiate outward, just as a crown creates an aura around a king. This outward radiance will infect the people around us, who will think we must have reasons to feel so confident.”

“Understand: It is within your power to set your own price. How you carry yourself reflects what you think of yourself. If you ask for little, shuffle your feet and lower your head, people will assume this reflects your character.”

“Arrogance may seem the king’s entitlement, but in fact it betrays insecurity. It is the very opposite of a royal demeanor.”

“Always keep your sense of humor about yourself.”

“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.”

“Success that is built up slowly and surely is the only kind that lasts.”

“By ignoring people you cancel them out. This unsettles and infuriates them—but since they have no dealings with you, there is nothing they can do.”

“When you show yourself to the world and display your talents, you naturally stir all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity...you cannot spend your life worrying about the petty feelings of others.”

“Desire often creates paradoxical effects: The more you want something, the more you chase after it, the more it eludes you. The more interest you show, the more you repel the object of your desire.”

“Tantrums neither intimidate nor inspire loyalty. They only create doubts and uneasiness about your power.”

“To speak angrily to a person, to show your hatred by what you say or by the way you look, is an unnecessary proceeding-dangerous, foolish, ridiculous, and vulgar.”

“What is offered for free is dangerous-it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit…Nothing is more costly than something given free of charge.”

“When trying to seduce people, it is often wise to isolate them from their usual social context. Once isolated they are vulnerable to you, and your presence becomes magnified.”

“It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable…Never be so foolish as to believe that you are stirring up admiration by flaunting the qualities that raise you above others.”

“Accept the fact that there will be people who will surpass you in some way, and also the fact that you may envy them. But make that feeling a way of pushing yourself to equal or surpass them someday. Let envy turn inward and it poisons the soul; expel it outward and it can move you to greater heights.”

“Train yourself to take nothing personally. Never show any defensiveness. When you act defensive, you show your emotions, revealing a clear form. Your opponents will realize they have hit a nerve, an Achilles’ heel. And they will hit it again and again.”

“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 fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes…The ability to gain victory by changing and adapting according to the opponent is called genius.”

“The highest form of the art of power is the ability to distinguish the wolves from the lambs, the foxes from the hares, the hawks from the vultures.”