The 48 Laws of Power

by Robert Greene

Law 1

Never outshine the master

Law 2

Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies

Law 3

Conceal your intentions

Law 4

Always say less than necessary

Law 5

Guard your reputation with your life

Law 6

Seek attention, stand out

Law 7

Get others to do the work but always take credit

Law 8

Make others come to you, use bait if necessary

Law 9

Win through your actions, never through argument

Law 10

Avoid the unhappy or unlucky

Law 11

Learn to keep people dependent on you

Law 12

Use selective honesty to disarm

Law 13

Get help by appealing to people’s self-interest

Law 14

Pose as a friend, work as a spy

Law 15

Crush your enemy totally

Law 16

Raise your value through scarcity

Law 17

Cultivate an air of unpredictability

Law 18

Don’t isolate yourself behind a fortress

Law 19

Know who you’re dealing with, beware

Law 20

Don’t fully commit yourself to anyone

Law 21

Play a sucker to catch a sucker, seem dumber

Law 22

Use the surrender tactic

Law 23

Concentrate your forces

Law 24

Play the perfect courtier

Law 25

Recreate yourself

Law 26

Keep your hands clean

Law 27

Play on people’s need to believe

Law 28

Enter action with boldness

Law 29

Plan all the way to the end

Law 30

Make your achievements seem effortless

Law 31

Control the options

Law 32

Find your opponent’s weakness and harm

Law 33

Act like a king to be treated like one

Law 34

Master the art of timing

Law 35

Ignore things you cannot have

Law 36

Create compelling spectacles

Law 37

Think as you like but behave like others

Law 38

Stir up waters to catch fish

Law 39

Avoid taking freebies from people

Law 40

Avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes

Law 41

Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter

Law 42

Work on the hearts and minds of others

Law 43

Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect

Law 44

Preach change, but never reform too much at once

Law 45

Never appear too perfect

Law 46

Don’t go past the mark you aimed for, know when to stop

Law 47

Assume formlessness