Book Discussion 48 Laws of Power

[Xenophon]

My point of question was a hope to practically put into everyday use no matter who the master or non master is.
Politicians seem to use these everyday.
Managers seem to use these everyday.
Lawyers seem to use these everyday.
Insurers seem to use these everyday.
Psychiatrists seek to use them as well.

So why not usurp the masters?
Whose life is it for all of us?

Perhaps number one is a complicated matter. Moving on to number two...

Post automatically merged: Nov 25, 2023

For easy reference...
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 - SO MUCH DEPENDS ON REPUTATION—GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE

LAW 6 - COURT ATTENTION AT ALL COST

LAW 7 - GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE CREDIT

LAW 8 - MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO YOU—USE BAIT IF NECESSARY

LAW 9 - WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT

LAW 10 - INFECTION: AVOID THE UNHAPPY AND UNLUCKY

LAW 11 - LEARN TO KEEP PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON YOU

LAW 12 - USE SELECTIVE HONESTY AND GENEROSITY TO DISARM YOUR VICTIM

LAW 13 - WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF-INTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR ...

LAW 14 - POSE AS A FRIEND, WORK AS A SPY

LAW 15 - CRUSH YOUR ENEMY TOTALLY

LAW 16 - USE ABSENCE TO INCREASE RESPECT AND HONOR

LAW 17 - KEEP OTHERS IN SUSPENDED TERROR: CULTIVATE AN AIR OF UNPREDICTABILITY

LAW 18 - DO NOT BUILD FORTRESSES TO PROTECT YOURSELF—ISOLATION IS DANGEROUS

LAW 19 - KNOW WHO YOU’RE DEALING WITH—DO NOT OFFEND THE WRONG PERSON

LAW 20 - DO NOT COMMIT TO ANYONE

LAW 21 - PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKER—SEEM DUMBER THAN YOUR MARK

LAW 22 - USE THE SURRENDER TACTIC: TRANSFORM WEAKNESS INTO POWER

LAW 23 - CONCENTRATE YOUR FORCES

LAW 24 - PLAY THE PERFECT COURT

Greene is down with usurpation. He just insists it is best done carefully. Me, I lead with the chin.

 

[pixel_fortune]

Yeah that list of rules comes across as some Andrew Tate shit

MRA / red pill grifters always present as "telling the real truth" about how the world is, but they're really just telling the truth about themselves

They're mostly addressing depressed and lonely people - people whose poor mental health acts as a negativity filter on how they see the world. Tell them the world is a hard and cynical power-obsessed place and it will have the ring of truth, because it's all their worst fears about the world confirmed, it's what they believe in their hearts. Tell someone with depression about the positive and unselfishly loving parts of the world and it sounds like fluffy-bunny bullshit to them - again, because of poor mental health.

Have you ever seen someone try to tell an incel that they're actually pretty good looking? You'd think they'd want to hear that, but they don't, it infuriates them. They want their worldview confirmed, even though it's awful and making their mental health worse

It's the same with people who think every relationship revolves around power games. They literally can't handle the truth - that plenty of people are pretty nice, not obsessed with power, and only selfish to a reasonable degree

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Would you kids quit inventing slang words? What pray tell, is an incel?
I'm offended you find me attractive as an incel.

 

[Lazarus]

48 Laws of Power = head games for the insecure.

There are just enough little “nuggets of wisdom” in it to make one think the whole thing has merit.

As for the powerless and what they do?

They invent phantoms and conspiracy theories to justify their situation. There is no such thing as powerless, only fear and/or laziness.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

48 Laws of Power = head games for the insecure.

There are just enough little “nuggets of wisdom” in it to make one think the whole thing has merit.

As for the powerless and what they do?

They invent phantoms and conspiracy theories to justify their situation. There is no such thing as powerless, only fear and/or laziness.

I can see that. Fear is the mind-slayer, and conspiracies are largely based on fear.

"The oldest and strongest emotion is fear, and the oldest and strongest type of fear is fear of the unknown." .. HP Lovecraft