The 48 Laws of Power from Robert Greene is a classic and bestselling book. But it’s also a little polarizing. For some, it is a necessary read for young people or anyone struggling to understand power. For others, it’s a manual for power-hungry sociopaths. In fact, because of concerns that this book could give dangerous people tools to manipulate more successfully, it is the second most banned book in prisons according to this article from TIME.
But many people of the former opinion strongly recommend the book despite these worries. This is because people who are power-hungry often understand and apply the lessons from this book without having to read it. They understand them instinctively or have learned them through experience. And if they know these laws of power while those not as interested in power do not, then the power-seekers will be able to manipulate the naive with ease.
So, in many ways, this book can be a defensive measure for people who would like to avoid manipulation from others.
A law like law 12 – “Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim,” is a perfect example of a law that people should be prepared to defend against. This chapter dives into the ways that con men and leaders build trust before they betray someone. The lesson to naive people: Don’t let a few kind gestures lure you into a scam.
But there are plenty of laws in this book that are about being respectable and more practical in your interactions. These laws have little to do with manipulation, and are useful to just about anyone looking to advance their career or avoid being disrespected. Below is a list of my 3 favorite laws of this sort.
Law 4: Always say less than necessary
My favorite part of this law is stated plainly on page 31:
“The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.”
Robert Greene
Most of us have never talked ourselves out of a position of high counsel and into death like Greene explains the ancient Roman Coriolanus did. But plenty of us are guilty of rambling about things that we know are irrelevant or needlessly controversial.
Do coworkers really need to hear about our take on the next election? Or the dumb stuff we did in college? Probably not. And there’s some chance that by rambling, especially if the rambling is arrogant, those listening to us feel annoyed or even resentful.
America’s 30th president Calvin Coolidge said it best:
“No man ever listened himself out of a job.”
Calvin Coolidge
Rambling, bragging, and giving hot takes is generally bad for our reputations. So, is the opposite true?
Greene argues that it is. Keeping your statements short and staying quiet is good for our reputations. The example Greene uses on pages 33-34 to illustrate this comes from King Louis XIV. The king would listen to lengthy arguments from nobles and ministers on important matters, and all he would say in response was: “I shall see.”
By saying so little, Louis kept people from knowing what he wanted to hear. Since people didn’t know what he wanted to hear, it was harder to manipulate or undermine him. Plus, since he talked so rarely, people attached great value to what he said.
There’s no mystery in over-explaining things. But if we talk less, allow more silence, and keep our answers short, there’s room for curiosity and deciphering. People will assume profundity instead of insecurity.
Law 13: When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude
In this chapter Greene tells a story of two territories in 433 B.C. that were preparing for war with each other: Corcyra and Corinth. They each wanted the support of Athens, so both sent ambassadors to the strong city to make their case for why they should receive it.
Corcyra admitted they did not have a history of friendship with Athens. But, they could help strengthen Athens’ navy, making them an even more powerful force in the area. Corinth made their case by reminding Athens about their history of alliance and the debt Athens owed to them for their loyalty.
Athens voted to support Corcyra. They did not care about how loyal they should be to Corinth. In fact, hearing they should consider themselves indebted to these allies irritated them. They decided to form an alliance with someone who could benefit them the most instead.
In this story, which Greene tells on pages 97 and 98 of The 48 Laws of Power, the Athenians are ruthlessly pragmatic. Hopefully our peers and superiors care a little more about friendship and loyalty than they did. But blindly assuming they do is naive.
The worst part about Corinth’s case for why they should get Athens’ support is that they asserted they deserved it. The idea that they deserved support was irritating to the Athenians. Who was Corinth to tell Athens what they should feel obligated to do?
We often make this mistake ourselves. For example, many new graduates like myself feel that we deserve a quality job out of college. This isn’t exactly the case. People get hired because of what they can do for the employer, not because they deserve a job. Hiring based on who is most deserving of a job would be impractical and nearly impossible to determine.
Of course, some people do genuinely want to help. And appeals to self-interest would only confuse or frustrate them. But, it’s better to assume that we have to earn support through benefits. Not just because we’ll usually be right, but also because doing so prevents the resentment often felt when we think we deserve something that we don’t have.
Law 28: Enter action with boldness
In this chapter, Greene tells stories of powerful people using boldness to catch people off guard and advance their personal agendas. For example, one con man pulled off a scam in which he “sold” the Eiffel Tower to a wealthy businessman. The boldness of this lie made it hard to doubt – no con man would have the guts to try scamming someone into “buying” a well-known landmark, right?
Understanding boldness of this sort is fascinating and well worth reading about. But my biggest takeaway from this chapter is Greene’s point about the nature of timidity.
On page 233, he claims timidity is really a selfish impulse disguised as care for others. We act like the reason we shy away from a discussion about salary or boundaries is because we care about not bothering the other person.
But Greene argues the real reason why we shy away from conflict of this sort is because we worry about what other people think of us. We fear that we’ll come across in some unwanted way, and so we instead let other people push us around.
Being bold is not necessarily a guarantee that we’ll be viewed in a negative light. In fact, Greene argues that being bold makes people more comfortable around us. But even if the imagined negative consequences of boldness came true, would they be worse than the consequences of timidity?
Imagine that during a negotiation, you set your price high and you don’t back down when the other side tries to fleece you. They may get frustrated and think of you as stubborn. But isn’t this better than letting them rip you off because you’re afraid of their opinion? Plus, if you develop a reputation for being a pushover, this likely won’t be the last time you deal with this problem. Favoring boldness actually seems safer long-term.
Also, getting pushed around damages our self-image. It makes us frustrated, resentful, and perhaps ashamed. It makes us replay moments in our heads that we regret and wish we could do over. The perceived short term gain of timidity is not worth it. As Greene tells us on page 234, the consequences of timidity are worse than those of boldness.
It is possible to be too bold or too stubborn. But timidity is not a virtue. The saying does not go “fortune favors the timid.”
If you’re naive…
You’re the exact person this book aims to help. The 48 Laws of Power aims to even the playing field for those of us that are less power-hungry. Because even if you don’t want control over others, you still almost certainly want control over yourself.
Some may think certain chapters are manipulative. But it’s worth reiterating that learning about manipulation is a defensive measure for naive people more often than it’s a suggestion for power-seekers.
People have been using manipulative tactics for centuries before this book even existed. Tyrants, backstabbers, and con-men used tactics discussed in this book despite having no access to it. They did not need to learn about manipulation from a book, they learned from trial and error. But those of us who don’t wish to try manipulation should probably read about it. That way, we can understand it and defend against it.
Plus, as I’ve shown with the chapters I discussed, many of the laws in this book are not manipulative. They simply provide insight into how power operates, how to get respect, and perhaps most importantly, how to avoid shooting yourself in the foot. This book is a great read, especially for naive people like me.