The 48 Laws Of Power

How you present yourself and behave in society, in addition to the scale of the rewards you ask from others, determines how you are treated. Greene gives the example of the 15th-century explorer, Christopher Columbus, who was able to extract generous patronage for his expeditions from royals because “he projected a sense of confidence that was completely out of proportion to his means” (512). His calm self-assurance reflected that of the nobility itself, which has never felt the need to prove anything to anyone.

Greene emphasizes that “it is within your power to set your own price” and that limitations on worth are often self-imposed, as how we treat ourselves models to other people how they should treat us (512). We can employ what Greene calls The Strategy of the Crown to emanate an aura of regal radiance and cause others to think that there are good reasons why we should feel confident. In turn, they will respect us.

Greene urges his readers to “become a detective of the right moment” (519), learning when to stand back and observe and to act decisively. Many fall down by trying to crest the wave of a trend. However, they would have more power in letting the fad pass and being one of the first to stage a reaction to it.

Greene draws attention to the fact that time is a human construct that depends on our perceptions. There are three types of time we can make use of. The first is long-time, which involves observing patiently and trusting that the right moment or opportunity will come to us. Then, there is forced-time, whereby we manipulate others by controlling their experience of time—for example, giving them a deadline. If we allow others to be masters of their own time, they will serve their own interests rather than ours, and we will lose power. Lastly, there is end time—the opportune moment when we must strike ahead with what we have been planning.

Greene argues that “the more attention you pay the enemy, the stronger you make him” (536), as you lock yourself into an interdependent relationship with him and lose your initiative. Instead, showing contempt for what you cannot have wins you back your independence and makes you seem superior. King Henry VIII of England played such a tactic when he ignored Pope Clement’s dictum that he could not divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn by divorcing himself from the Catholic Church first. Henry made it seem that he did not care about the Pope’s opinion at all, and so diminished the latter’s power, both over him and in general.

Contempt can also be a powerful tool in the game of seduction, as when you ignore your target, they will likely seek to influence you and chase you. However, this law must be applied with care, as there are occasions when an enemy cannot be ignored with cold contempt and must be defeated with swift action.

Greene argues that visual imagery and symbolic gestures are a great front for power, as they inspire people and can disguise a naked will for dominance. They appeal to emotions more directly and concretely than any verbal explanation, which can put people on the defensive. Greene argues that if you have to explain your greatness, then your virtues are already questionable. Instead, in the visual dimension of a symbol, they are plain for everyone to see. As sight is the primary sense, you should never neglect visual appearances.

Diane de Poitiers became 16th-century French King Henri’s mistress for over 20 years. Even though she was 20 years older than the King, she retained her appeal as she aged through symbols and images that associated her with her namesake, the chaste, elusive Roman goddess of the hunt, Diana. Her crescent moon insignia elevated her and suggested that her and Henri’s relationship occupied a mystical realm, different from the torrid associations the public normally associated with the king’s mistress.

People mistrust those who flaunt their unconventional ways, as they believe that such people are on a mission to outsmart them. Instead, it is safer to “nurture the common touch” and appear like everyone else (567). This will ensure that you remain unpunished and can carry on as you please.

Cultures’ rejection of eccentricity stems from the fact that they have norms shaped by shared ideals and beliefs. They punish those who show disrespect for these, either actively or by ignoring them, and putting them in an ultimate position of powerlessness. The wisest maintain the outward appearance of thinking like others, “but in the course of your disagreement you give those ideas expression and exposure” (575). You thus stay protected while ensuring that potential disciples will understand you. For Greene, the time to display your more unconventional ideas is once you have already attained a position of power.

Greene argues that demonstrations of anger can undermine you. When you are outwardly angry or frustrated, you appear to have lost control of yourself, and others feel that they can control you.

However, if you can stir the pot enough so that others become emotional and unreasonable, then you will be able to control them. Greene argues that “when the waters are still, your opponents have the time and space to plot actions that they will initiate and control” (589). However, if you stir the waters and “force the fish to the surface, get them to act before they are ready” (589), then you will maintain control of the situation. The more flustered your opponents get at this surprise attack, the more they will lose their reason and you will be able to control them.

It is important not to take attacks in the social realm personally, as many of the attacks on you are nothing to do with you, but instead relate to the attacker’s previous wounds. If you see others’ angry outbursts as disguised power moves, rather than taking them personally, you will keep your reason while they lose theirs.

Greene cautions against stirring the pot when your enemy is significantly more powerful than you. When this is the case, you stand to lose greatly from baiting them.

Greene advocates that the wise pay their way through everything, knowing that whatever is offered for free or as a gift comes with a “psychological price tag—complicated feelings of obligation, compromises with quality, the insecurity those bring, on and on” (595). The powerful reject all this, learning that their most valuable resource is independence and being indebted to no one.

Generosity and flexibility with money is also essential if you are to get your hands on power. Your money should always be circulating, and you should pay people well, as this will buy their acquiescence far better than miserly behavior. Accruing a reputation for being generous earns you others’ admiration, whilst simultaneously distracting them from your real intent.

Greene gives the example of Pietro Aretino, the Renaissance Italian son of a shoemaker who had artistic talent, but little disposable income. Still, he understood that if he was going to attract patronage to his work, he had to be considered generous and gift-giving. Greene shows that “by keeping money in constant circulation, Aretino bought an ever-expanding circle of influence that in the end more than compensated him for his expenses” (609). He understood that the use of money contributed to empowerment more than the amount he possessed, as he imagined himself an equal to the aristocrats and appeared to spend as freely as them. Instead, the miserly hoarder of money will not have influence, as they isolate themselves from networks of other people.

Often, the giving of a gift, especially when it is a surprise, can work well on intimidating people, as it reduces them to a childlike state of gratitude and indebtedness.

Greene warns that you should be aware of and avoid those who are financial sadists and withhold your pay, those who are obsessed with bargains, or those who lose sight of the human side of money, as you may end up imitating them.

Greene warns that if you have been born into privilege and are the successor of a renowned predecessor, you should avoid getting “lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making” (623). Instead, you would do far better to set on your own course and establish your name in your own way. Greene contrasts the predicaments of Louis XV, the French king who succeeded the mighty Louis XIV with Alexander the Great of Macedonia, whose father Philip was a powerful king who had conquered most of Greece. While Louis XV was the typical pampered son of fortune who was inert because he had never had to seek power on his own terms, Alexander sought to surpass his father’s achievements by mounting a wild horse Bucephalus and conquering new lands. He knew that the only way to distinguish himself was to chart his own course and set off on a restless path of achievement. Greene writes how one should be “merciless with the past,” not just with one’s father successes, but with one’s “own earlier achievements; in the game of power there is never time to rest” (635). Alexander thus ascended to power because he created the impression of a void where there was none.

Greene cites Alexander as a rare example of a privileged man’s son who manages to surpass him. This is because the father amasses his fortune from nothing, and so seeks to fill a void; whereas the son is secure and has no-one else to compete against. Most sons of powerful men do not become Alexanders, but are instead cautious and timid, as they are terrified of losing what their fathers acquired.

While Greene advocates making your own name, he warns against refusing to learn from predecessors’ wisdom. He states that if you are unremarkable rather than inspired, it may be safer for you to follow in the path of a beloved predecessor rather than being rebellious. He also advises keeping an eye on the young, who view you in a paternalistic manner and are looking to make their own name against yours.

Greene argues that power often concentrates in a single charismatic individual. In an organization, such people can be dangerous, as they can lead others to follow when they stage a rebellion. Greene maintains that “in every group, power is concentrated in the hands of one or two people” and once they are defeated, the agitation they have stirred up will lose momentum (654).

Instead of trying to negotiate with this disturber of the peace, it is better to banish them, putting them in a space where they can no longer influence others. Isolation can be physical—firing or getting rid of the person—or psychological, where you attack their reputation. You can also use isolation when attempting to seduce, or staging a con, as once people are separated from the contexts they are familiar with, they are easier to deceive.

Still, this law should be exercised with caution, as you should ensure that your enemy does not have the means to isolate you in return.

Rather than coercing others to bend to your will, “you must seduce them into wanting to move in your direction” (659). Showing people that you have seen and understood their individual psychology and playing on their emotional weaknesses will earn you loyalty and power over them.

People who are indifferent to others’ nature and preferences will never gain or maintain power, as they do not appeal to others’ self-interest. As Greene writes, “in the game of power, you are surrounded by people who have absolutely no reason to help you unless it is in their interest to do so” (670). By taking the time to find out about this other person and treating them as an individual, you soften them and stand a greater chance of bending them to your will. You must also show how the thing you are seeking will benefit them, or their interest will wane.

While the mirror appears to reflect reality, it is also the perfect agent for deception, as you mirror back your enemies to themselves, and they cannot figure out what you are doing. Whether you use the mirror to mock others or reflect back an idealized version of themselves or reality, few can resist “the Mirror Effect […] because it operates on the most primitive emotions” (676).

The mythic Greek hero Perseus was able to defeat the gorgon Medusa, who turned everyone who looked at her into stone, by reflecting back her hideous image at her in a mirrored shield. While Medusa was turned to stone by her reflection, Perseus, who was protected by the shield, was able to sever her head and destroy her. Educators often use this technique by mimicking their students’ unpleasant behavior to humiliate them into submission.

In contrast, when you reflect a person’s desired self back to them, you stand to fulfil their narcissistic desire for their idealized self. As most people are so self-absorbed, others cannot resist the people who also appear to be interested in them and are reflecting back the best version of themselves. Deceivers who use the Mirror Effect create a reality that will make their targets comfortable enough to let their guard down.

When you find yourself mirrored, try to escape the situation as soon as possible, as “you have little or no control over the reflections and recollections that will be connected to you, and any situation beyond your control is dangerous” (702).

While human beings theoretically understand the need for reform, at heart, they are creatures of habit. You should “never underestimate the hidden conservatives of those around you” (708). Greene shows that it is far easier to gain trust and support for your reforms if you make it seem like they are past habits. Instead, if you pursue radical reforms, you become “the scapegoat for any kind of dissatisfaction” and spark a counter-revolution (708).

Mao Tse-Tung, the Chinese Communist leader, learned that instead of staging a radical war with the past, he stood a far greater chance of aligning with the traditional Confucius-loving peasantry if he spoke of his Communist endeavors as a continuation of historical Chinese ideas. He saw that an appeal to history gave his ideas gravitas rather than making them seem like flash-in-the-pan innovations.

Greene advises paying attention to the zeitgeist. Conservatism and returns to the past appeal during turbulent times, while sweeping reform works best in times of stagnation. If you start a revolution, appeal to the past will better ensure that you will remain around to see its results.

Greene asserts that appearing too perfect can be dangerous as it will incite the envy of others who will become your “silent enemies” and attempt to undermine you (717). This is because your talent shows up their inferiority and competes with their likely inflated view of themselves. Additionally, envy turns particularly poisonous because it is a taboo emotion in society and so remains locked inside. They may display their envy by either censuring you or showering you with compliments as they put obstacles in your path and work toward your fall.

It is therefore wise to circumvent envy by displaying a minor flaw and talking up the role of luck in your success. You should however, refrain from displaying false modesty, as this will be seen through. Another way of deflecting envy and rising to power at the same time, is to seem unambitious as “people cannot envy the power that they themselves have given a person who does not seem to desire it” (732). Thus, you make your elevated role seem more like an obligation than a privilege.

When you recognize envy in others, the best strategy is usually to cut the envious out of your life or place yourself in a position where they cannot harm you. However, occasionally it is appropriate to dazzle them with your brilliance and leave them to stew in their miserable admiration. 

Greene asserts that the moment of success can be a dangerous one, as it can make you think you are infallible and, consequently, act rashly. It is important to step back and “understand the part played by the particular circumstances of a situation, and never simply repeat the same actions again and again” (741). Once you do this, you will be able to adapt your future actions to new circumstances instead of repeating the tired formula that will eventually lead to failure. You will thus also remain aware of potential changes in your fortune and keep the laws of power close to hand. Greene argues that “power has its own rhythms and patterns” and that “those who succeed at the game are the ones who control the patterns and vary them at will, keeping people off balance while they set the tempo” (746). This was the case with Louis XV’s mistress, Madame de Pompadour. When her poor health meant that she could no longer satisfy the king in the bedroom, she organized a brothel to cater to his lust and found other ways to have influence in court and maintain her position. Instead of fighting the changed situation, Madame de Pompadour accepted it and learned to thrive in a different way.

Greene also warns that when you defeat your enemy, you should refrain from going on such a power-trip that you overreach and make new ones.

People who appear to have a form or visible plan for their success leave themselves far more open to attack. Instead, those who accept that everything changes stay adaptable and open to addressing the circumstance that arises.

Greene states that protective armor, habit, and ritual can be inhibiting and keep you out of power. Only formlessness and changing your tactic enables you to keep your enemies on their toes, as you gain the advantage of time and control the situation. In order to master formlessness, you must learn to take nothing personally and avoid becoming defensive. Showing defensiveness reveals vulnerability that allows your enemy to gauge how to attack you.

Throughout history, queens have adopted the guise of formlessness. These female rulers’ flexibility and shapeshifting prospered in the face of the prejudice they received because of their gender. However, this approach “proved immensely seductive to those who have served under it,” as they “feel less coerced, less bent to their ruler’s ideology” (767).

Greene emphasizes that in your shapeshifting adaptations it is vital to see “events through your own eyes, and often ignoring the advice that people constantly pedal your way” (771). You throw out the laws preached by others to find the ideal strategy for the circumstance you face.