The 48 Laws of Power
Robert Greene
Law 4 Always Say Less Than Necessary
The human tongue is a beast that few can master. It strains constantly to break out of its cage, and if it is not tamed, it will run wild and cause you grief. 33
Law 6 Court Attention At All Cost
Society craves larger-than-life figures, people who stand above the general mediocrity. 48
That is the power of the mysterious: It invites layers of interpretation, excites our imagination, seduces us into believing that it conceals something marvelous. The world has become so familiar and its inhabitants so predictable that what wraps itself in mystery will almost always draw the limelight to it and make us watch it. 52
Law 9 Win Through your Actions, Never Through Argument
Demonstrate, do not explicate. 69
If you have to explain yourself your power is already in question. 313
The power of {action} is that everyone understands you without anything being said. 73
Law 13 When Asking For Help, Appeal To People's Self-Interest, Never To Their Mercy Or Gratitude
The shortest and best way to make your fortune is to let people see clearly that it is in their interests to promote yours. (Jean de La Bruyere, 1645-1669) 100
Law 16 Use Absence To Increase Respect And Honor
What withdraws, what becomes scarce, suddenly seems to deserve our respect and honor. 117
Only what is seen, appreciated and loved will be missed in its absence. 122
Law 27 Play On People's Need To Believe To Create A Cultlike Following
People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. 215
Law 28 Enter Action With Boldness
When you are as small and obscure as David was, you must find a Goliath to attack. The larger the target, the more attention you gain. 232
If boldness is not natural, neither is timidity. {The latter} is an acquired habit, picked up out of a desire to avoid conflict. 234
Law 32 Play To People's Fantasies
Fantasy can never operate alone. It requires the backdrop of the humdrum and the mundane. 266
Law 37 Create Compelling Spectacles
People love what is grand, spectacular, and larger than life. 316
Law 48 Assume Formlessness
Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. 419
The laws that govern circumstances are abolished by new circumstances. 429
