THE 48 LAWS OF POWER

American writer Robert Greene wrote his first book, ''The 48 Laws Of Power". Book has sold millions of copies and is one of the bestsellers. 

I read this book recently, and I wanted to share my thoughts with all of you. Greene introduced 48 laws by which one can feel powerful, so let's directly move to the laws. 

1. Never Outshine The Master: This law is like the Indian version for Americans. You can never disregard your superior, no matter what. Even if you have all the talents to prove your boss wrong, never do that. Make them appear superior with whatever skills you have. It must feel like having power in a way. 
2. Never Put Too Much Trust In Friends, Learn How To Use Enemies: Friends will betray you more quickly than your enemy. Enemies are good, so you must have some. If you have not, try to make some enemies rather than friends.
3. Conceal Your Intentions: Never tell what your plans are. It is more like being truthful but not enough to say to them your intentions. I think this is what we call PRIVACY, right? 
4. Always Say Less Than Necessary: Impressing someone while you talk will make you common. Be a little spectacle so one can have the curiosity to know you better. It is always good to talk less, and you have fewer chances to do something foolish.  
5. So Much Depend On Reputation-Gaurd It With Your Life: I think the law says it all. You have to make your reputation. So many things depend on one's reputation. You have to make one and save it. 
6. Court Attention At all Cost: Never let yourself be unseen. Be conspicuous at all costs. Try to make yourself the center of attention. Now I don't know whether you feel powerful in these moments or not, but you can always try. 
7. Get Others To Do The Work For You, But Always Take The Credit: Always use other people's knowledge, wisdom, and hard work for your cause. I can relate to this one, as Government always does this. They hire intelligent, hardworking people and take all the credit. All the big businesses work like this. So hire people who are smarter than you.
8. Make Other People Come To You-Use Bait If Necessary: This law is more like playing chess. You hold your move until the opponent comes to you. 
9. Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument: It is important to understand that you can never win by arguing or doing unnecessary things. It is the actions that speak. 
10. Infection: Avoid The Unhappy and Unlucky: It could be very infectious to be unhappy. The one who is not happy will always find a reason. Try to be with the happy ones. 
11. Learn To Keep People Dependent On You: The more people depend on you, the more your importance is. Never teach them enough so they can do it without you.  
12. Use Selective Honesty And Generosity To Disarm Your Victim: Selective honesty means you need not tell each and everything but tell enough so that you can gain their trust. Selective honesty is enough to disarm someone.   
13. When Asking For Help, Appeal To People's Self-Interest, and Never Do Their Mercy Or Gratitude: If you want someone's help, you have to tell them what they get from it rather than about yours. This is more like the principle I have shared in my previous blog (How to influence people and win friends). You must read that in case you missed that. 
14. Pose As A Friend, Work As A Spy: Being a spy in friendship is artful. It is always helpful to know the weakness and intentions of other people.
15. Crush Your Enemy Totally: All great leaders know how to crush their enemies, and it is always better to destroy them completely. 
16. Keep Others In Suspended Terror: Cultivate An Air Of Unpredictability: Human behavior is very predictable, and we like predictability. Try not to be predictable all the time. 
17. Use Absence To Increase Respect And Horror: Too much circulation makes you common. Temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about. But you must know when to leave. It can go wrong as well.
18. Do Not Build Fortresses To Protect Yourself-Isolation Is Dangerous: The world is dangerous, and enemies are everywhere. Everyone has to protect themselves, but isolation is more dangerous. It cuts you off from people and makes you an easy target. 
19. Know Who You're dealing with-Do, Do Not Offend The Wrong Person: You must know with whom you are dealing. Never offend the wrong person. Otherwise, they will seek revenge for the rest of their lives.
20. Do Not Commit To Anyone: It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. By keeping yourself independent, you can become masters of others. 
21. Play A Sucker To Catch A Sucker-Seem Dumber Than Your Mark: No one likes feeling stupider than the next person. The trick is to make your victims feel smart- not just smart, but smarter than you. 
22. Use The Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness Into Power: When you are weaker, never fight for honor's sake. Always choose to surrender. It will give you time to think and wait for others' power to wane. Do not give others the satisfaction of fighting and defeating you. 
23. Concentrate Your Forces: You must know and understand your sources of power. Conserve your forces by concentrating on your strongest point. 
24. Play The Perfect Courtier: The perfect courtier mastered the art of indirection. He flatters yields to superiors, and asserts power over others most gracefully. Learn and try to apply the law of courtship.
25. Re-Create Yourself: Do not accept the roles that society puts on you. Recreate yourself by forging a new identity that demands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your image and not make anyone define it. It will make you feel powerful and make your character larger than life.
26. Keep Your Hands Clean: Try not to be soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat-paws to disguise your involvement.
27. Play On People's Needs To believe To Create Cultlike Following:  People have the desire to believe in something. Become that something or focal point of such desires by offering them a cause.  
28. Enter Action With Boldness: If you are unsure of your actions, do not attempt them. Your unsure attitude and doubts about yourself will ruin your execution. It is always better to enter with boldness. Everyone admires the bold. There is no place for timidness. 
29. Plan All The Way To End: Human brain thinks a lot, and if you think carefully, you somehow already know your next step. What makes you different from others is making these decisions more consciously. The ending is everything. You can not plan out everything. But thinking about all the possible consequences, obstacles and twists will help you understand where you want to reach out. 
30. Make Your Accomplishments Seem Effortless: Your actions must seem effortless and natural. You must practice thousands of times or go deep down into it. Make your tricks work on them, and never reveal them. Avoid showing how hard work you did. 
31. Control The Options: Get Others To Play With The Cards You Deal: The best deception is when people think they have a choice. They must believe that they are in control, but your puppets. 
32. Play To Peoples Fantasies: The truth is often harsh and ugly. Never appeal to the truth and reality until and unless you are prepared for the anger that comes from disenchantment. There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses. 
33. Discover Each Man's Thumbscrew: Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. Now it could be anything like a secret desire, insecurity, or emotion that can be turned into an advantage. 
34. Be Royal In Your Own Fashion: Act Like A King To Be Treated Like One: The way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated. To get respect like a king, behave like one. In the long run, use your confidence as a power to empower. 
35. Master The Art Of Timing: Never HURRY. Hurrying shows lack of control over yourself. Always seem patient. Learn to stand back when the time is not right and strike when it is the time. 
36.  Disdain Things You Cannot Have: Ignore Them Is The Best Revenge: The more attention you give to the things you can't have will create unnecessary problems. It is sometimes best to leave things alone and show less interest in them. 
37. Create Compelling Spectacles: Striking imagery gestures create an aura of power. Everyone responds to it rather than cares what you are doing. So dazzle them with appearances.  
38. Think As You Like But Behave Like Others: Sometimes, expressing your ideas and showing what you think can go wrong. Share with only tolerant friends and those who appreciate it. 
39. Stir Up Waters To Catch Fish: Anger and emotion are two important parts of your personality, and keeping it calm should be the goal. 
40.  Despise The Free Lunch: What is offered for free is dangerous. It always contains a hidden obligation. It is often wise to pay the total price. 
41.  Avoid Stepping Into A Great Man's Shoes: Avoid comparing yourself with a great man. It could be a father or mother. Try to gain power in your way.
42. STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP WILL SCATTER: Do not wait for the trouble to multiply, do not try to negotiate.  
43. Work On The Hearts And Minds Of Others: You must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. 
44.  Disarm And Infuriate With The Mirror Effect: The mirror reflects reality but is also the perfect tool for deception. When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as they do, they cannot figure out your strategy. 
45.  Preach The Need For Change, But Never Reform Too Much At Once: Never bring the change in one go. Take it slow and respect the process.
46.  Never Appear Too Perfect: Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but the most dangerous is to seem with no faults.  
47.  Do Not Go Past The Mark You Aimed For; In Victory, Learn When To Stop: The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going so far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head.   
48.  Assume Formlessness: The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability. 

Not all the 48 ways are applicable to me, I guess. They may vary from person to person. There are things we already believe and don't want to change. But to have the power, we need to take some steps and this book is beneficial. I hope you like it.