The 48 Laws of Power

by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers

Law 1

Never Outshine the Master

Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.

Law 2

Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies

Be wary of friends-they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.

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 5

So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life

Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.

Law 6

Court Attention at all Cost

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses.

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 8

Make other People come to you – use Bait if Necessary

When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains – then attack. You hold the cards.

Law 9

Win through your Actions, Never through Argument

Any momentary triumph you think gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.

Law 10

Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky

You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as disease. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.

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 12

Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim

One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose.

Law 13

When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest,

Never to their Mercy or Gratitude

If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.

Law 14

Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy

Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself. In polite social encounters, learn to probe. Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses and intentions. There is no occasion that is not an opportunity for artful spying.

Law 15

Crush your Enemy Totally

All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.

Law 16

Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor

Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.

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.

Law 18

Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous

The world is dangerous and enemies are everywhere – everyone has to protect themselves. A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from – it cuts you off from valuable information, it makes you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to circulate among people find allies, mingle. You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd.

Law 19

Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person

There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.

Law 20

Do Not Commit to Anyone

It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others – playing people against one another, making them pursue you.

Law 21

Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark

No one likes feeling stupider than the next persons. The trick, is to make your victims feel smart – and not just smart, but smarter than you are. Once convinced of this, they will never suspect that you may have ulterior motives.

Law 22

Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power

When you are weaker, never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait for his power to wane. Do not give him the satisfaction of fighting and defeating you – surrender first. By turning the other check you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.

Law 23

Concentrate Your Forces

Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper, than by flitting from one shallow mine to another – intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find the one key patron, the fat cow who will give you milk for a long time to come.

Law 24

Play the Perfect Courtier

The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts power over others in the mot oblique and graceful manner. Learn and apply the laws of courtiership and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court.

Law 25

Re-Create Yourself

Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define if for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.

Law 26

Keep Your Hands Clean

You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat’s-paws to disguise your involvement.

Law 27

Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following

People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold power.

Law 28

Enter Action with Boldness

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.

Law 29

Plan All the Way to the End

The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.

Law 30

Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless

Your actions must seem natural and executed with ease. All the toil and practice that go into them, and also all the clever tricks, must be concealed. When you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of revealing how hard you work – it only raises questions. Teach no one your tricks or they will be used against you.

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.

Law 33

Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew

Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usual y an insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a small secret pleasure. Either way, once found, it is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage.

Law 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; In the long run, appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself and inspires the same sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a crown.

Law 35

Master the Art of Timing

Never seem to be in a hurry – hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.

Law 36

Disdain Things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best Revenge

By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to leave things alone. If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt for it. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.

Law 37

Create Compelling Spectacles

Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of power – everyone responds to them. Stage spectacles for those around you, then full of arresting visuals and radiant symbols that heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing.

Law 38

Think as you like but Behave like others

If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you look down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend in and nurture the common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and those who are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.

Law 39

Stir up Waters to Catch Fish

Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and objective. But if you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage. Put your enemies off-balance: Find the chink in their vanity through which you can rattle them and you hold the strings.

Law 40

Despise the Free Lunch

What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full price – there is no cutting corners with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.

Law 41

Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes

What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after. If you succeed a great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double their achievements to outshine them. Do not get lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making: Establish your own name and identity by changing course. Slay the overbearing father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by shining in your own way.

Law 42

Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter

Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual – the stirrer, the arrogant underling, the poisoned of goodwill. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them – they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source of the trouble and the sheep will scatter.

Law 43

Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others

Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. A person you have seduced becomes your loyal pawn. And the way to seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften up the resistant by working on their emotions, playing on what they hold dear and what they fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.

Law 44

Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect

The mirror reflects reality, but it is also the perfect tool for deception: When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as they do, they cannot figure out your strategy. The Mirror Effect mocks and humiliates them, making them overreact. By holding up a mirror to their psyches, you seduce them with the illusion that you share their values; by holding up a mirror to their actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist the power of Mirror Effect.

Law 45

Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once

Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.

Law 46

Never appear too Perfect

Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.

Law 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 too far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal, and when you reach it, stop.

Law 48

Assume Formlessness

By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes.

1. Never Outshine the Master 做人要低调

2. Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies 不要太信任朋友，要利用敌人

3. Conceal your Intentions 隐藏好你的意图

4. Always Say Less than Necessary 不多话

5. So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life 赢得好名声——用一生守护它

6. Court Attention at all Cost 不惜一切赢得关注

7. Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit 让别人帮你做事，自己得到声誉

8. Make other People come to you – use Bait if Necessary 让别人来找你——必要的时候用诱饵

9. Win through your Actions, Never through Argument 用行动而不是争吵来获胜

10. Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky会传染，得避开不快和不幸的人

11. Learn to Keep People Dependent on You 学会让人依靠你

12. Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim 用有选择的诚实和大方来缓和与你受害者的矛盾

13. When Asking for Help, Appeal People’s Self-Interest, Never to their Mercy or Gratitude 寻求帮助时，迎合他人自己的兴趣而不是他们的仁慈和感激

14. Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy 以朋友的姿态像间谍一样地工作

15. Crush your Enemy Totally 打击敌人不遗余力

16. Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor 利用缺席提升地位和名气

17. Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability 让别人陷入不知名的恐惧中，让你周围的空气充满未知性

18. Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous 不要用围城保护自己——隔离是危险的

19. Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person 知道你正在对付的人是谁——不要得罪错了人

20. Do Not Commit to Anyone 不要向任何人承诺

21. Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark 扮猪吃猪——巧妙掩饰你的智慧（自认为翻得好玩的一句）

22. Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power 使用投降策略：把弱点转化为优点

23. Concentrate Your Forces 集中火力

24. Play the Perfect Courtier 溜须拍马

25. Re-Create Yourself 重塑自己

26. Keep Your Hands Clean 保持双手干净（身家清白）

27. Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cult like Following 满足群众需求以培养一群信徒

28. Enter Action with Boldness 大胆地行动

29. Plan All the Way to the End 预先想好所有的方法

30. Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless 让你的成功看起来毫不费力

31. Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards you Deal 控制选择：让别人打出你想要的牌

32. Play to People’s Fantasies 满足人们的幻想

33. Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew 找出每个人的死穴

34. Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act like a King to be treated like one 忠于自己的风格：你当自己是个人物，别人也当你是个人物

35. Master the Art of Timing 把握时机

36. Disdain Things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best Revenge 轻视你得不到的：忽略他们是最好的报复

37. Create Compelling Spectacles 做出引人注目的事迹

38. Think as you like but Behave like others 想一套（你喜欢的）做一套（像别人一样的）

39. Stir up Waters to Catch Fish 混水摸鱼

40. Despise the Free Lunch 天下没有免费的午餐

41. Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes 不要模仿大人物

42. Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter 打败领头者，跟风者将会一哄而散

43. Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others 用别人的想法工作

44. Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect 善于利用（消除或者激化）镜像效应

45. Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once 鼓吹变化的需要，但切不可一次改变太多

46. Never appear too Perfect 永远不要表现太完美

47. Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed for; In Victory, Learn when to Stop 不要超过既定目标，面对成功，知道什么时候停步

48. Assume Formlessness 无招胜有招



来源：《权力的48条法则》



另外一个不完整的版本：

第一条 永远不要比你的上司更出色。
　　要一直让你的头有舒适的优越感。如果你要利用他们或者要给他们好印象，就不要走的太远，把自己的天才全部暴露出来往往会带来相反的结果。他们会觉得恐惧和不安全。让你的上司显得更聪明一点，那样你会得到更多的东西。
　　
　　第二条 不要太相信你的朋友，学会使用你的敌人
　　小心朋友，因为人都是善妒的,所以他们可能会很快的背叛你。就算他们不背叛你，他们也很有可能在朋友的名义下，变得骄纵和控制欲极强。正相反，而如果你雇用了你以前的敌人，为了要证明忠诚，他们会作的更多，他们会变得比你的朋友更可靠。实际上，你其实应更害怕你的朋友，而不是敌人。如果你很不幸没有敌人，那就想办法制造出几个。
　　
　　第三条 掩饰你的目的
　　让人们找不到关键，让他们在黑暗中摸索，永远不要让他们弄清你行为后面的真实目的。如果他们没有线索你到底在干什么，他们就不可能准备反抗。你也可以将他们引向错路，在制造点烟雾，当他们恍然大悟时，已经太晚了。
　　
　　第四条 话留三分，比应该说的东西还要再少说一点
　　当你希望用语言给别人好印象时，往往你说的越多，你显得越普通，导致你对局面失去控制。其实那怕是最平凡的东西，只要你少说一点就会显得不平凡。例如可以说得模糊一点，缺少结局，或者干脆残缺不全。有权利的人通常用少说来给别人加深印象和给与威胁。你说的越多，你说的东西就越傻。
　　
　　第五条 呵护你的名誉，这是一辈子的事，他太重要了
　　名誉是权利的基石。同过名誉你可以不战而屈人之兵。如果你的名誉受损，哪怕你什么都还在。四面楚歌的情况一定会出现。让你的名誉变得无懈可击。警惕子潜在的威胁，消灭一切威胁于未然之中。于此同时，给你敌人的名誉开几个洞，然后你就可以躲在旁边看着公众审

　　第六条 用所有代价换取注意
　　任何事情的评价都只是表面上的。看不到的什么也不是。永远不要让你自己在人群里丢失，被人遗忘。站出来！变得与众不同，用所有代价。让你自己变成注意力的中心，要比其他温和的，羞怯的人群更大，更多彩，更神秘。
　　
　　第七条 让别人为你工作，但要相应的回报。
　　用别人的智慧，知识，和跑腿来扩展你自己的能力。这不仅仅给你节省了宝贵的时间和精力，还给你像神一样有效，快速的气质。最后他们会被人遗忘，而你会被永远记住。永远不要去作别人可你为你做的工作。

　　第八条 让别人向你走来，有必要时用用诱饵
　　当你使他人行动时，你是一个领导并控制着局面。如果你能让你的对手也走向你并放弃他自己的计划，那就更好了。用一些难以置信的诱饵把他引诱过来，然后攻击，你就稳操胜卷了。
　　
　　第九条 通过行动取胜，而不是观点。
　　当你用观点获取的胜利都是虚幻的。观点带来的胜利会挑动起怨恨和病态的意识，他们会比观点胜利本身更强大，更之久。用行动来取得别人的同意会更有力，一个字都不要说。不用去证明，去解释。
　　
　　第十条 传染：回避不快和不幸
　　你会在别人的怜悯下死掉，心态可以像疾病一样传播。你可能觉得你在帮一个失落的人，但实际上你可能在促成你自己的彻底失败。不幸有时会带来新的不幸，也同样会带到你身上。用快乐和幸运来代替吧。

　　第十一条 学会让别人依靠你
　　为了保持你的独立性，必须一直有人想到你，需要你。你越被人依赖，你就有越大的自由。让人们为了他们的快乐和成功依靠你， 你有没有什么好害怕的了。不要教他们太多，让他们学的太多，他们就不需要你了。
　　
　　第十二条 用选择后的坦诚和慷慨去解除猎物的武装。
一旦你选择后的坦诚将他们的戒备开了个洞，你就可以随心所欲的陷害和操纵他们了。暂时的礼物--一个特洛伊木马--目的是一样的。
　　
　　第十三条 当寻求帮助时，要从对方的利益出发，而绝不是怜悯和感恩。
　　如果你需要向你的盟友求救，不要提醒他你曾经的帮助和做过的好事，这会给他带来烦恼。他会想方设法找到一种解释来忽略你说的东西。与此相反，你应该在求助和联盟中，暴露一些可以给他带来好处的东西，并且把它从其他部分中突出出来。当你的盟友看到他能的得到的东西，他就会满怀热情的回应你。
　　
　　第十四条 作出朋友的姿态，但干间谍的工作
　　了解你的竞争对手是决定性的。使用间谍去收集有用的资料，走在你的敌人前面。最好让你自己来做间谍。在一个彬彬有礼的社交见面中，学会刺探情报。问一些迂回的问题，让人们暴露他们的弱点和目的。一个有间谍艺术的人总能找到机会在任何场合。
　　
　　第十五条 痛打落水狗，彻底打垮你的敌人。
　　伟大的领导摩西让世人知道一个令人恐惧的敌人必须被彻底打倒。一些伟人通过艰难的历程才学到这一点。如果一堆余灰还有一点火星，不管它烧得有多弱小，火焰都可能随时爆发出来。给敌人一条生路和彻底歼灭他们相比，往往会给你带来更大的损失。敌人会恢复，会寻求报仇。打垮他，不仅仅是肉体上的，还是精神上的。
　　
　　第十六条 用缺席来增加尊敬和面子
　　太多的巡回出席会让你掉价。如果你被人们更多的看到和听到，你就显得越普通。如果你已经在一个队伍中建立的自己的地位，暂时退出一下，这会让你成为人们谈论的话题，而且获得更多的尊重。你必须学会在什么时候应该离开。从畏惧中增加你的价值。
　　
　　第十七条 给别人无所依靠的恐惧感，培养不可预测的气氛
　　人们天生有一种习惯去永无终止的了解和熟悉别人的行为。当他们可以预测你的行为是，他们觉得可以控制局面。把这一切都翻个个，故意的让形势不可预测。行为表现出没有一贯性和没有统一的目的，让他们的不知所措。他们会绞尽脑汁去了解你的意图。当这一点推向极致时，可以用来威胁和恐吓。
　　
　　第十八条 不要用建立城堡的方式保护你自己--孤立是危险的
　　这个世界是危险的，敌人到处都是，每个人都不可不保护自己。一个城堡看来是最安全的。但是孤立会给你带来更多的危险。他会把你断绝你有用的消息来源，他会上让你变成靶子，让别人容易以你为目标。如果走在人群中就好多了，找到盟友，跟他们混在一起，你周围的人群会成为你的保护网。
　　
　　第十九条 明白你在跟谁打交道，不要冒犯错误的人
　　在这个世界上有很多种人，你不能保证每个人对你的策略都有相同的反应。当有些人被欺骗和被人用巧击败时，他们会用余生来追求报复。他们是披着羊皮的狼。慎选你的猎物和敌人。不要冒犯错误的人。
　　
　　第二十条 不要效忠任何人
　　那些总是急于站队的人是傻瓜。不过要效忠任何一边和任何事，除了你自己。保持你的独立性，你会变成别人的主人。学会让别人彼此反对，让他们追随你。

　　第二十条 不要效忠任何人
　　那些总是急于站队的人是傻瓜。不过要效忠任何一边和任何事，除了你自己。保持你的独立性，你会变成别人的主人。学会让别人彼此反对，让他们追随你。
　　
　　第二十一条 扮猪吃出猪，表现得呆一点
　　没有人喜欢比别人更傻。做个陷阱，让你的猎物感觉自己很聪明，不仅仅是聪明,而且比你更聪明。如果你让他相信了这点，他们就不再怀疑你有隐藏的动机。
　　
　　第二十二条 使用投降策略，通过交出权力传递弱点
　　如果你是个弱者，不要为荣誉而战，选者投降。投降可以给你时间恢复，给你时间去烦扰和激怒征服者。并且可以等待他的权力变弱。不要让他有和你战斗并击败你的快感，先投降。用你的厚颜无耻激怒，扰乱他。让投降成为获得权力的武器。
　　
　　第二十三条 集中你的力量
　　把你的力量和精力集中在他们最强的点上。找到一个富矿挖的越来越深，这远比你在各个贫矿中这挖一块，那挖一点强多了。强度永远战胜广度。当你在寻找力量的源泉时，寻找那个关键的资源，一个胖的奶牛可以给你提供更长时间的牛奶。
　　
　　第二十四条 做一个完美的马屁精
　　在这个世界上，在权力和政治斗争的周围，一个完美的马屁精总能茁壮成长。他是含蓄艺术的大师。在极度倾斜和优美的表演中，他对当权的谄媚宣布了他比别人有更多的权力。学习并运用马屁精的法则，将使你在权力场前途无量。
　　
　　第二十五条 再造自我
　　不要接受社会悄悄塞给你的角色。用一个可以控制注意力并永不让人厌烦的新个体重新铸造自己。做一个创造你自己形象的大师，而不是让别人定义你。给你公众场的姿态和举止加点戏剧性的东西，你的权力会增强，而且你会显得更有性格。
　　
　　第二十六条 不要玷污你的双手
　　你要看起来像端庄和效率的典范。你的双手不能沾染上任何错误和肮脏的事件。保持完美无暇的表面，让别人做你的爪牙或背黑锅，把自己隐藏起来。
　　
　　第二十七条 运用人们对信仰的可望，创造宗教仪式
　　人们总是不可救药的可望信仰什么。给他们一个由头，一个新的忠诚，把所有这些可望集中在一点。保持语句十分模糊，同时给他们全部的承诺。要突出热情把合理的事情和清晰的思路掩盖掉。给你的新弟子一个宗教仪式去表演。让从你的行为中产生恐惧。在缺少有组织的信仰和强大的动机下，你的新信仰会给你带来不可言喻的权力
　　
　　第二十八条 勇敢无畏的开始行动
　　如果你不确定一种行动的会带来什么，不要尝试它。你的疑惑和犹豫会影响你的决断。胆怯是危险的，最好无畏的开始行动。因大胆而犯下的任何错误都是很容易通过更大胆来改正。任何人都尊重大胆，而没有人尊重胆怯。
　　
　　第二十九条 计划所有通向结局的路
　　结局是一切。计划所有的路到那里，把所有可能的结果，障碍，还有那些可能会让你的努力白费或把功劳让别人拿走的坏运气，全部都考虑进去。如果你计划了这些，你就不会被环境因素征服，也知道什么时候应该刹车。如果你想得很远，你就能够促进好的运气，并且帮助确定你的未来。
　　
　　第三十条 让你的成就看起来好像很容易就得到了
　　你的行为必须显得自然，做起来也很容易。所有的辛苦，实践，和一切狡猾的诡计都必须掩盖起来。当你的行动显得越容易，你就会得到越多。回避那些想挖掘你辛苦工作的企图，这只会带来问题。也不要叫别人你的诡计，他们会被用来对付你自己。