The 48 laws of power/ How to be a Sociopath or Politician

Hey yall,

As an avid reader Im always looking for something new to stick my nose into, have recently read Robert Greenes book called the 48 laws of power which is based on Machiavelli's writings.

This book give 48 rules that if followed will apparently make you influential and successful.

How this differs from other self help books is that it actually encourages deception, selfishness, manipulation, Greed etc etc

As a history buff I find it a great book as it has many anecdotes from history describing transgressions or observances of the laws and their consequences.

What is disturbing is that alot of whats in the book you can see TPTB doing to us now, heres a few examples

Law 3
Conceal your Intentions
Keep people off-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, envelope them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.

Law 4
Always Say Less than Necessary
When 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 you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

Law 7
Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit
Use 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 11
Learn to Keep People Dependent on You
To 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 without you.

Law 17 seems particularly relevant to all thats happening in the world

Law 17
Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability
Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of control. Turn the tables: Be deliberately unpredictable. Behavior that seems to have no consistency or purpose will keep them off-balance, and they will wear themselves out trying to explain your moves. Taken to an extreme, this strategy can intimidate and terrorize.

One that could describe every election in the world

Law 31
Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards you Deal
The best deceptions are the ones that seem to give the other person a choice: Your victims feel they are in control, but are actually your puppets. Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose. Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils, both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the horns of a dilemma: They are gored wherever they turn.

Law 32
Play to People’s Fantasies
The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes for disenchantment. Life is so harsh and distressing that people who can manufacture romance or conjure up fantasy are like oases in the desert: Everyone flocks to them. There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses.

A full list of all 48 laws is here 48 Laws Of power

The book is definitely worth a read, Im sure the full book would be online somewhere.

Has anyone else read it? what did you think?

Cheers

reply to post by IkNOwSTuff


Haha. It appears we have stumbled upon TPTB Bible (aka how to be a complete douche). Good eye Jones.

some of it seems very useful, but also very devious!

not exactly the noble path to success, but does explain some of the c#### i've worked with in the past

So these are the laws OBAMA lives by/
Thanks for the info
Good to know
people can recognize some of the tricks now
very psychological
alot of this you see every day but isn't recognized