This is similar to what Anne Applebaum describes as a motivation for some of the figures in her book, Twilight of Democracy.īe careful who you choose to keep close to you. It’s a paradox that our friends are more likely to betray us than our enemies, but that’s one of the many quirks of humans.įriends can tend to expect too much and become slighted if they don’t get what they believe they deserve. A man suddenly spared the guillotine is a grateful man indeed and will go to the ends of the earth for the man who pardoned him.” “While a friend expects more and more favours, and seethes with jealousy, these former enemies expected nothing and got everything. This surprised his enemies and turned them into loyal servants of Sung. Then when he conquered new lands, instead of killing the rulers of those lands he spared their lives and gave them ranks in the imperial courts. Instead of appointing his friends as advisers, he gave all his generals land and titles to ward off their threat. Instead, it was Basilius who betrayed him after he was made head of the army, stabbing him one night, proclaimed himself Emperor and rode through the streets of Byzantium with Michael’s head on a pike.Įmperor Sung of China took a different approach. Michael was wary that Bardas would conspire against him. This was in spite of his uncle, Bardas, who had helped Michael to the throne and was an intelligent and ambitious man. When Michael III became Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, he made Basilius, a man who saved Michael’s life a few years before, his chief councillor as he considered him a friend. The 48 Laws of Power summary Takeaway 1 – Don’t trust your friends too much if you’re in a position of powerįriends will betray you quicker than enemies.
The book focuses on how to gain power in any situation, regardless of whether it’s morally right or wrong, and it uses specific anecdotes from history to illustrate these “rules of power.” These laws may seem scandalously frank, but you can apply them without violating any of the strictures of public morality, which, according to Robert, is the way to get the best results. This book explores the nuances of manipulating people around you for establishing power. Instead, the laws focus on how one can increase their influence over any situation, regardless of their moral consequences.
These laws are amoral as they themselves don’t take into account any sense of right or wrong. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is a collection of “laws” based on historical and philosophical anecdotes. You invariably have to disguise both your means and your ends.
This seems paradoxical but the fact remains that you cannot honestly and forthrightly pursue power. The one who can disguise his pursuit of power with his care for others ends up becoming the most powerful. It is widely held that those who seek power must seem to have no interest in it, and on the contrary they must pretend to care only about others. Though a fundamental human behavior, the desire for power is considered impolite and selfish. Power is like a drug that makes you stronger each time you taste it. Those who pretend to have no desire for power are either deceiving themselves or attempting to deceive others. When one feels that he has no power over others or events, he is likely to be depressed. The desire for power is a fundamental human expression. Power is li The 48 Laws of Power: Chapter by Chapter Summary About This Book of Robert Greene!
The 48 Laws of Power: Chapter by Chapter Summary About This Book of Robert Greene! The desire for power is a fundamental human expression.