48 Rules For Power

Recommended by Mr. Rip, similar to How to Win Friends and Influence People by Carnegie. Heavily criticized by If Books Could Kill; I take it with a grain of salt. They say it is a brick of anecdotes and shady tricks. The author distanced himself from it a few years ago.

It is a stark book about how manipulation works. Like Cialdini’s and maybe Carnegie’s, it draws fierce criticism, and people often blame the messenger. I am glad these books exist; I am not glad that many have treated them as a bible and then taken advantage of others. But it is not the knife’s fault if you use it to kill. And this is a sharp knife.

All in all, the book is off-putting. It reads as if it assumes that everyone around us is plotting, so you must strike from behind, lie, and generally be unpleasant to get ahead.

Then you realize it is sadly like this in many environments. This is not a rulebook to follow (absolutely not), but more a collection of warrior and strategist behaviors we should know, so we do not get taken advantage of. So there is something sensible buried in this hefty book.

I read it quickly because it is long, and Greene adds four, five, six anecdotes for each rule, almost always with some Roman/Chinese/French general and some trick. Got it. Still, the anecdotes are sometimes nice (when true), and if you skip the rest the reading stays light. It could have been a tenth as long, in my view.

Notes

Summary of all the rules (many overlap, some are conflicting)

• Honesty is a blunt instrument; it can offend people. Learn to shape your words well and tell others what they want to hear
• Skilled liars use a boring, unsuspecting front without drawing attention
• The more words you say, the more ordinary you seem, the less control you have. Appear cryptic
• 🔑 Once words are out, you cannot take them back. Keep your words under control, especially sarcasm
• Reputation is everything for power. You can intimidate and win, but you can also lose it easily. Make yours unassailable, and target others’ reputations
• Attention is a component of success; the worst fate for someone powerful is to be ignored
• Do not complain; there will always be vultures (see Tesla and Edison). Join the game, however dirty it is, and protect yourself.
• Those who make people come to them seem powerful and command respect
• Judge your actions by long-term consequences. You can let go of a battle to win the war. And do not waste time arguing if it is not worth it; they may hold a grudge
• Avoid the sad and the unlucky. You will always need allies, and they should be at your side
• Sincere, heartfelt gestures can lower the guard of even the most suspicious
• 🔑 If you need an ally, do not waste time reminding them when you helped them in the past. Explain what they gain. We are all self-interested, do not expect people to be kind. Everyone has desires, and we should attach to those
• Be elusive; otherwise everything is boring and there is no imagination. Stendhal -> court the sister
• Unpredictability is frightening; that is why natural disasters scare us
• Do not isolate yourself; the world is full of enemies and you need to keep an eye on them. If you isolate yourself, you lose information
• The ability to size people up and understand how they think is the most important. Without it, you are blind. You can pick poor allies or make enemies if you do not know
• Do not reveal the true extent of your intelligence; be humble and make others feel at ease and in control. Otherwise they will feel envy
• Sometimes it pays to surrender; some wars are not worth fighting
• Keep a scapegoat to use if something goes wrong in your plans
• Hide your true objective; appear unpredictable. Your rivals could react in a counterintuitive way that helps you
• 🔑 Timidity is dangerous; enter with boldness. Your doubts and hesitations will slow you down, while audacity is usually seen positively
• If you are small and obscure, find a Goliath to attack to gain fame and attention
• Be clear about your objectives; do not get lost behind a vague plan
• Your actions should look natural and easy. Hide your tricks. If others know them, you lose your aura of mystery and give them ideas to beat you
• 🔑 Give the illusion of choice, ideally with both options in your favor. People do not like to feel cornered
• The truth is often ugly; do not appeal to it. Appeal to fantasies, to the dreams of the masses. People often do not take responsibility; they prefer to think something else will save them
• We all have insecurities and weak points. Discovering them gives us a great advantage
• Present yourself as a person of power (clothes, behavior) to convey that idea. Like Columbus, who was a mediocre explorer but knew how to sell himself very well
• Show patience, never haste. Haste clouds judgment
• You choose what bothers you. Do not waste time getting irritated by things that will not benefit you if solved. If you overdo it, you look weak and not in control
• Visuals are much more powerful than words
• If you have a formidable predecessor, try to distance yourself and take a unique turn. You need space and to avoid too many comparisons. See Caesar and then Augustus
• Do not waste time confronting an enemy on all fronts. Find the command center and neutralize it
• 🔑 The fastest way to persuade someone is to show them how your actions will benefit them. Remember we do only what benefits us. We are self-interested
• Mirror them. It gets on their nerves
• Do not change everything too quickly; people like the past
• At the same time be adaptable; do not be like the Spartans, who did not face the world and shut themselves inside their own system.