I recently came across a very interesting book called the “The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene. The title caught my attention after a friend recommended it to me, stating that “The laws are so ruthless that it annihilates all morals that we have been raised up with”, so I decided to go to the bookstore and purchase it immediately; fortunately I found the last copy. In fact I was surprised to know that this book has been first published in 2000, and that it has been a best seller since then. The 48 Laws of Power book offers a set of power laws that are ruthless, cunning, instructive and amoral. I paused over the word amoral, which means that the laws don’t take into account any sense of right or wrong regardless of any moral considerations, just absolute power. The laws are based on and distilled from 4000 years of history, using many power figures such as Al Capone, Henry Kissinger, Machiavelli and a lot of Chinese and Greek myths among others. The book is basically an incredible compilation of the history of power and how others have successfully and not so successfully played power games. I found that some of the laws are repetitive and that you cannot really concentrate on 48 laws as a guide for oneself, some were ruthless, however I also found a few really useful laws that would make afine guide for people in general, of course this is just my opinion, and is destined for variance from other people. But since the book is focusing on power which it self is harsh and cruel, I began to understand the laws and decide which of them best suited me. In a materialistic, merciless world many of these laws would be the ideal guide to follow. But I am convinced that in spite of everything, we have some good in this world. I am certain that as much as power can destroy and manipulate – it can also have countless uses in the philanthropic aspect too. I don’t agree with several of the laws that Greene proposed in his bestselling book, nevertheless they are enlightening in many aspects, especially in realizing how others use such laws to move ahead and prosper in life. I am not a perfectionist, however the mere idea of crushing other people really doesn’t fascinate me - even if I am in no doubt that some people wouldn’t mind it at all… While reading the laws I was uttering “OH MY GOD, so and so behaves exactly the same way”. I would like to share some of the ruthless laws with you, Law number 2 says “Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use your enemies” which also goes along the same line as law number 14, “Pose as a friend, work as a spy”. Law number 3, “Conceal your intentions”, which relatively goes along the same line with Law number 12, “Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your enemies” and Law number 15, “Crush your enemy totally”, these 3 laws are so unethical that we will be increasing the immorality and ruthlessness in our world. The previous three laws may seem contradicting to Law number law 47, “Do not go past the mark you aimed for; in victory, learn when to stop” as well as law number 16, “Use absence to increase respect and honor” and law number18, “Do not build fortresses to protect yourself - isolation is dangerous”. However by using common sense you will find that all these laws have a certain context of use.Below I’ve selected 10 laws which I favored in this book;

 

Law 1: Never outshine the master, which dictates that you should make those above you feel superior. How many of us have left a job because of an ignorant boss, and we literally spelled this out to other people or the boss himself. In today’s professional and competitive business environment, it might be wise to keep your talents to yourself in a smart way that your superiors would unconsciously depend on you. A guide to humnaatunre

 

Law 4: Always say less than necessary, while trying to impress others with what you say, sometimes you seem common and less in control. The more you say the more you are liable to say something foolish. However you have to be smart and cautious enough in applying this law, since sometimes silence may suggest weakness.

 

Law 5: So much depends on reputation - guard it with your life; I absolutely agree with Mr. Greene, reputation is the corner stone of power. A good reputation will ultimately win you many battles and easily influence others.

 

Law 19: Know who you’re dealing with - Do not offend the wrong person, not everyone would react in the same way to situations.

 

Law 23: Concentrate your forces, as the author states “intensity defeats extensity every time”. By concentrating your forces on your strongest point you will progress in work , spreading yourself too thin will eventually destroy you, just as spreading a piece of dough which will eventually be torn.

 

Law 25: Re-create yourself; don’t allow society define your image, you have to make your own image by re-creating yourself. Everyone has his/her strongest point or talent which they can develop tremendously. If you are unhappy with what you do and see that you have potential in another career or place – simply go ahead.

 

Law 28: Enter action with boldness; the author explains that “if you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it”. Calculated boldness is fine; however boldness without preparation and sufficient information is bound to stupidity.

 

Law 29: Plan all the way to the end; having a good and clear plan is everything, as the author states the end is everything. You must take into account all twists and turns so you will be ready to deal with them and know exactly when to stop. Several people have commented that this law leads to inflexibility, however I tend to disagree with them, since planning with caution and envisioning that there may be obstacles on the way makes you more flexible to re-modifying your initial plan.

 

Law 34: Be Royal in your fashion - act like a king to be treated like one; impressions in our world are incredibly important, when you act nobly even if you are not, people will tend to respect and look up to you.

 

Law 35: Master the art of timing; time is everything. This law mainly advises us to be patient and wait for the right moment to grab the opportunity that we were anticipating. Patience is an essential key.

“ Finally, I would recommend this book for my dear readers, it’s a wonderful piece of art – teaching us how to manage people, especially for those who are struggling in today’s professional life, and it will be helpful for those who are not, it will help you recognize certain situations and avoid being the victim. Upon first glance some might assume that this book is about how to get a ‘one up’ on others, yet you will find that this book will point out things that you already knew and will help you master yourself...”