Oysters open completely when the moon is full; and when the crab sees one it throws a piece of stone or seaweed into it and the oyster cannot close again so that it serves the crab for meat. Such is the fate of him who opens his mouth too much and thereby puts himself at the mercy of the listener.

LAW 1 - NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTERLAW 2 - NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIESLAW 3 - CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONSLAW 4 - ALWAYS SAY LESS THAN NECESSARYLAW 5 - SREPUTATION—GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFELAW 6 - COURT ATTENTION AT ALL COSTLAW 7 - GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE CREDITLAW 8 - MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU—USE BAIT IF NECESSARYLAW 9 - WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENTLAW 10 - INFECTION: AVOID THE UNHAPPY AND UNLUCKYLAW 11 - LEARN TO KEEP PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON YOULAW 12 - USE SELECTIVE HONESTY AND GENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIM

Volume 1

Thus a wise prince will think of ways to keep his citizens of every sort and under every circumstance dependent on the state and on him; and then they will always be trustworthy

CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONSKeep people of-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 far enough down the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.

LAW 3

COURT ATTENTION AT ALL COSTEverything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious than the bland and timid masses.

LAW 6

MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU—USE BAIT IF NECESSARYWhen you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains—then attack. You hold the cards.

LAW 8

NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTERAlways make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please and 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 more﻿brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power﻿.

LAW 1

When I have laid bait for deer,I don’t shoot at the first doe that comes to snif ,but wait until the whole herd has gathered round.

ALWAYS SAY LESS THAN NECESSARYWhen 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 yousay, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

LAW 4

LEARN TO KEEP PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON YOUTo maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them enough so that they can do withoutyou.

LAW 11

It is easier to cope with a bad conscience than with a badreputation.

GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE CREDITUse the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.

LAW 7

Everything turns gray when I don’t have at least one mark on the horizon. Life then seems empty and depressing. I cannot understand honest men. They lead desperate lives, full of boredom.

SO MUCH DEPENDS ON REPUTATION — GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFEReputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputationalone you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.

LAW 5

WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT 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.

LAW 9

INFECTION: AVOID THE UNHAPPY AND UNLUCKY 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.

LAW 10

To have a good enemy, choose a friend: He knows where tostrike.

USE SELECTIVE HONESTY AND GENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIMOne sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will.

LAW 12

NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE ENEMIES.Be wary of friends—they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.

LAW 2

LAW 12 - USE SELECTIVE HONESTY ANDGENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIMLAW 13 - WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-INTERESTLAW 14 - POSE AS A FRIEND, WORK AS A SPYLAW 15 - CRUSH YOUR ENEMY TOTALLYLAW 16 - USE ABSENCE TO INCREASE RESPECT AND HONORLAW 17 - KEEP OTHERS IN SUSPENDED TERRORLAW 18 - DO NOT BUILD FORTRESSES TO PROTECT YOURSELFLAW 19 - KNOW WHO YOU’RE DEALING WITHLAW 20 - DO NOT COMMIT TO ANYONELAW 21 - PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKERLAW 22 - USE THE SURRENDER TACTICLAW 23 - CONCENTRATE YOUR FORCESLAW 24 - PLAY THE PERFECT COURTIER

Next Volume

The most important of these skills, and power’s crucial foundation, is the ability to master your emotions.

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control – from the author of The Laws of Human Nature. In the book that People magazine proclaimed “beguiling” and “fascinating,” Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have distilled three thousand years of the history of power into 48 essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz and also from the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum.   Some laws teach the need for prudence (“Law 1: Never Outshine the Master”), others teach the value of confidence (“Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness”), and many recommend absolute self-preservation (“Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally”). Every law, though, has one thing in common: an interest in total domination. In a bold and arresting two-color package, The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your aim is conquest, self-defense, or simply to understand the rules of the game.

Understand yourself and those around you.

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Robert Greene is an American author of books on strategy, power, and seduction. He has written six international bestsellers, including The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law, Mastery, and The Laws of Human Nature.