The 48 Laws of Power
What’s inside
The 48 Laws of Power is a book by Robert Greene. He first thought about writing a book when he was a writer in Hollywood. This book explains to us how leaders act and behave in certain circumstances. This book helps us learn some valuable lessons, that some of the greatest leaders of our times had to learn the hard way. Robert Greene has also taken inspiration from the philosophies of Carl Von Clausewitz, Machiavelli, and other influential leaders.
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Lesson 1. Try not to outshine your boss or your superior.
Impressing your boss is one thing, but try not to steal the limelight.
As weird as this may sound, but trying to always outshine others can sometimes lead to worse situations. This is a proven theory, that all powerful people want to be the center of attention. If you try to rob them of their limelight, things can get messy for you. Always trying to be productive and successful will always shift the focus on you, which is a good thing, but it has its demerits as well. People will become envious and jealous, and your superiors will definitely not appreciate this change. Just keep this in mind the next time you try to outshine someone. There is an incident that can explain this concept even better. Under the rule of King Louis XIV in France, Nicolas Fouquet was the finance minister. Fouquet was loyal, hard-working, and smart. But he was blinded by the power he held. When the Prime Minister died, he was the favourite for the position.
To show the king how influential and powerful he was, and to gain support, he threw a lavish party and invited the king as well.
His plan backfired, and he was arrested by the order of the king, for possession of a suspiciously large amount of wealth. In reality, the King felt overshadowed and outshined, and he decided to get Fouquet arrested.
Therefore, instead of trying to act all influential and powerful, you should always try to make the person in charge look smarter.
This would not only boost his ego, but will also be beneficial for your growth. The person in charge will support you because you have gained his trust.
Lesson 2. Sometimes, it is okay to take “Inspiration” from other people.
Imagine that you have to submit a research paper tomorrow. You haven't even started working on it yet and your mind is absolutely blank. Now what would you do in this scenario? There are so many research papers online, and you know it is morally wrong to copy and take credit for their work. But sometimes, this is the only option you have. If the work is already available for you to use, why waste your time doing it again? You need to learn to utilize this to your advantage. Most people might think this to be wrong, and the truth is that this is not the right thing to do, but you can use this to your
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Famous quotes from The 48 Laws of Power
- Never Outshine the Master -Robert Greene
- Never Put Too Much Trust in Friends, Learn How to Use Enemies -Robert Greene
- Conceal Your Intentions -Robert Greene
- Always Say Less Than Necessary -Robert Greene
- So Much Depends on Reputation—Guard It With Your Life -Robert Greene
- Court Attention at All Costs -Robert Greene
- Get Others to Do the Work for You, But Always Take the Credit -Robert Greene
- Make Other People Come to You—Use Bait if Necessary -Robert Greene
- Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument -Robert Greene
- Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky -Robert Greene
- Learn to Keep People Dependent on You -Robert Greene
- Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm Your Victim -Robert Greene
- When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest, Never to Their Mercy or Gratitude -Robert Greene
- Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy -Robert Greene
- Crush Your Enemy Totally -Robert Greene
- Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor -Robert Greene
- Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability -Robert Greene
- Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself— Isolation is Dangerous -Robert Greene
- Know Who You’re Dealing With— Don’t Offend the Wrong Person -Robert Greene
- Do Not Commit to Anyone -Robert Greene
- Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker— Appear Dumber Than Your Mark -Robert Greene
- Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power -Robert Greene
- Concentrate Your Forces -Robert Greene
- Play the Perfect Courtier -Robert Greene
- When you show yourself to the world and display your talents, you naturally stir all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity... you cannot spend your life worrying about the petty feelings of others -Robert Greene
- If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid. -Robert Greene
- Keep your friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent -Robert Greene
- Do not leave your reputation to chance or gossip; it is your life’s artwork, and you must craft it, hone it, and display it with the care of an artist. -Robert Greene
- Never waste valuable time, or mental peace of mind, on the affairs of others—that is too high a price to pay. -Robert Greene
- Lord, protect me from my friends; I can take care of my enemies. -Robert Greene
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Unlock The 48 Laws of Power Lessons!
- Lesson 1. Try not to outshine your boss or your superior.
- Lesson 2. Sometimes, it is okay to take “Inspiration” from other people.
- Lesson 3. By acting as their friend, you can learn a lot about people.
- Lesson 4. Unpredictability is your ally.
- Lesson 5. Sometimes, giving up is the best decision.
- Lesson 6. If you want to be treated like a superior, you have to act like one.
- Lesson 7. People can be manipulated.
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FAQs
In the summary of The 48 Laws of Power book, there are 7 key lessons. These lessons include:
- Lesson 1. Try not to outshine your boss or your superior.
- Lesson 2. Sometimes, it is okay to take “Inspiration” from other people.
- Lesson 3. By acting as their friend, you can learn a lot about people.
- Lesson 4. Unpredictability is your ally.
- Lesson 5. Sometimes, giving up is the best decision.
- Lesson 6. If you want to be treated like a superior, you have to act like one.
- Lesson 7. People can be manipulated.