What is the main message of The 48 Laws of Power?

The main message of The 48 Laws of Power is to understand and leverage power dynamics in order to achieve success.

How long does it take to read The 48 Laws of Power?

The reading time for The 48 Laws of Power varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in a matter of minutes.

Who is the author of The 48 Laws of Power?

The author of The 48 Laws of Power is Robert Greene.

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The 48 Laws of Power Book Summary - The 48 Laws of Power Book explained in key points

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The 48 Laws of Power summary

Name: The 48 Laws of Power
Rating: 4.1 (2301 reviews)
Author: Robert Greene

Robert Greene

The secret methods to getting what you want

4.1 (2301 ratings)

33 mins

Brief summary

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is a riveting exploration of the timeless principles of power and manipulation. Drawing on the examples of history's most successful figures, it provides a guide for mastering the art of power in every aspect of life.

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Entrepreneurship Persuasion Success

Table of Contents

The 48 Laws of Power
Summary of 12 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 12

What’s in it for me? Discover the history, secrets, and inner workings of power.

Whether we like it or not, we humans are born into an ongoing game: the game of power.

The game has been underway since the dawn of history, and, whether wittingly or unwittingly, every one of us is a player. Sometimes the game is bloody and overt. But more often it is indirect, subtle, played in the shadows.

The question is: Do you know the rules – and are you playing to win?

Some people choose to ignore it, deceiving themselves into thinking that the game of power is something we can opt out of. Or they might protest that the game is evil and asocial, a relic of less moral and democratic times. These players are easily dominated by those who embrace the game.

Others, like domineering playground bullies or charismatic business titans, seem to be natural adepts, dominating without even trying. But the game is not rigged in their favor. Their skills can be learned and mastered by anyone who studies the game and plays it well.

In The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene maps out the rules of the game, using historical examples from civilizations across the globe, drawing on three thousand years of history. He distills the lessons from master manipulators that will teach you how to outmaneuver your opponents and become a master player, a modern-day Machiavelli.

In this Blink, we’ll give you a glimpse – a first taste – of power by distilling 12 of the book’s 48 laws. After all, we wouldn’t want to give away all the secrets, now would we?

In this Blink, you’ll find out

how a beginner’s mistake can help you win big;
why a finance minister was cast into a dungeon for preparing a glorious party for his king; and

how sometimes your best chance to win a battle is by surrendering.

Don’t outdo the master.

Have you ever tried to impress your boss, only to have your efforts backfire on you? Well, you may have accidentally violated the first law of the game of power, which is, in Greene’s words, to never outshine the master.

The first law of power dictates that we should appear humble to our superiors, the people who have more power than we do.

After all, powerful people want to be the center of attention; trying too hard to impress them can shift attention away from them and onto you, hurting their pride in the process.

But what’s even worse is acting superior to them, a move that could lead your boss to think of you as a threat to their position. If this happens, they may – they probably will – attempt to remove you from your position entirely.

Take the relationship between King Louis XIV of France and Nicolas Fouquet, the king’s finance minister. A smart and loyal advisor, Fouquet became indispensable, but this didn’t guarantee him the position of prime minister when the incumbent minister died. To gain the king’s favor, Fouquet threw a lavish party at his extravagantly furnished chateau to show the king how well-connected and influential he was.

The next day, Fouquet was arrested by order of the king. Louis XIV felt overshadowed, and he accused the minister of stealing to amass such extravagant wealth. The veracity of the accusation was beside the point. Fouquet lived out his remaining days in a prison cell.

So now you know: acts of extravagance and demonstrations of personal brilliance might not impress your boss. Quite the contrary. So how can you gain favor? Well, a better strategy is to always make the person in charge look better than everyone else, including yourself.

Take Galileo Galilei as an example. He desperately needed funding for his research and found an ingenious way to get it. He had spent years begging various patrons for funding, but would usually receive gifts instead of the necessary cash. So he decided to focus on one family – the Medicis – when, in 1610, he discovered the four moons of Jupiter.

Shortly before, Cosimo II de’ Medici had established Jupiter as the symbol for the Medici dynasty. When Galileo discovered Jupiter’s four moons, he linked his discovery to the enthronement of Cosimo II de’ Medici, proclaiming it a cosmic event that heralded the family’s ascendancy. He said that the four moons represented Cosimo II and his three brothers, while Jupiter itself was Cosimo I, the father of the four Medici brothers. This tickled his patron’s ego, who interpreted the discovery as a heavenly omen confirming the family’s greatness.

By making the Medici family appear glorious and aligning their name with the cosmos, Galileo secured himself a salaried position as the official philosopher and mathematician of Cosimo II. He never had to beg for funding again.

Take credit for other people’s work and be sure to protect your own.

Would you ever consider claiming parts of another person’s work as your own by plagiarizing a few clever snippets? Did you ever slyly steal answers from a classmate during a math test? Maybe you did or maybe you didn’t, but the truth is that attaining power often means using the work of others to your advantage.

Why waste your energy doing things if somebody else can do them for you? Did you know that the Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla worked for the famous inventor Thomas Edison? And it was actually Tesla, not Edison, who played the crucial role in creating Edison’s famed dynamo by improving Edison’s rather primitive design?

Gaining power over somebody means getting to know them – and posing as their friend.

Maybe you’ve encountered this problem before: you’re striving to outmaneuver the competition but can’t quite manage to accurately predict your competitors’ strategies. How can you get around this?

Well, another trick to gaining power is to gather important information about the people you want to control. And to get something from someone, you need to know about them. After all, knowing a person’s plans, weaknesses, and desires will help you both win their favor and guide their actions.

Act unpredictably to confuse the competition.

You probably know that most people don’t like sudden changes, but did you know that you can use unpredictability to your competitive advantage? Acting unpredictably can keep your competition off balance. Here’s how.

In competitive scenarios, your opponents will likely try hard to figure you out by monitoring your habits and decision-making, and they won’t hesitate to use this information against you. In this situation, your best move is to act erratically. Being unpredictable will protect you from being understood by your opponents, which will intimidate and unnerve them.

Surrendering to a stronger opponent will help you gather power later.

Have you ever taken on an opponent knowing that you’ll never win? While it’s common for people to fight for glory against all odds, it’s not the route to power. So what should you do when faced with a more powerful opponent?

Give up.

If you want to be treated like a superior, you’ve got to act like one.

Are you higher up the ladder than someone else? If so, it’s essential to act the part – unless, of course, you prefer to be seen as their equal. But a word of warning: acting as if you’re equal to others while holding a superior position will only inspire contempt.

Take Louis-Philippe, King of France during the 1830s and 1840s. He despised royal ceremonies and all the symbols associated with the throne. In defiance of the formalities required of his position, he was infamous for wearing a gray hat and holding an umbrella in place of his crown and scepter. He didn’t even keep the company of royalty, mostly befriending bankers instead.

Seduction works better than coercion to gain power over others.

Picture yourself as Chuko Liang, head strategist for the ancient Chinese state of Shu. War has just been declared on China from the south by King Menghuo, and it’s up to you to stop him and save the country.

But before learning what you should do, it’s essential to know what you shouldn’t.

In your quest for power, avoid your friends and collaborate with your enemies.

When you find yourself in a tricky professional situation, it’s only natural to want to recruit your friends. After all, who better to soften the pain of a business ordeal than a supportive friend? Well, actually, anybody.

Counting on your friends is a major misstep. The reason is simple: your friends are most likely to compare themselves to you and therefore be envious of what you have. That’s why the smartest move is to create distance between you and them.

Convince people through artful action rather than argumentation.

Have you ever gotten into a heated debate that went late into the night, eventually resulting in the other person begrudgingly conceding? It’s easy for the most stubborn among us to count such events as victories, but beware: the truth is quite different.

In reality, working to convince others by debate is a total waste of time, and can even be dangerous, especially if they’re powerful.

When seeking another person’s help, rely on their self-interest, not their good will.

Assuming power is no easy task and, if you want to succeed, you’ll need to ask others for help. But how you ask is important. After all, you could ask people to aid you simply out of the goodness of their hearts. But that would be a mistake.

In the 1400s, there was an Italian prince in the town of Lucca. This prince was famous thanks to the support of a powerful family, the Poggios. However, after rising to power, he forgot all about the family, solely pursuing his own interests.

Being overly available will turn people off; holding back is the key to desirability.

Practically every person who has tried dating has been frustrated by human nature to one degree or another. After all, there’s a basic formula when it comes to love: if your lover returns your calls, you immediately lose interest; if they ignore you, you go mad with desire. But this doesn’t just apply to love. It’s another basic law of power.

It might sound simple, but the truth is that being too accessible will make people lose interest in you. In the eighth century BC, Medea, a city in what is now Iran, was inhabited by people who were against monarchs and any individual who held too much power. However, without a ruler, chaos was almost inevitable.

Instead of isolating yourself out of fear, surround yourself with those on whom you depend.

When people find themselves surrounded by others, some of whom are obvious enemies, it’s only natural to seek out protection. During times like these, building a fortress to hide in can feel like the perfect solution. But, actually, isolating yourself in this way is counterproductive because it also cuts you off from power and influence.

You can’t attain any significant power without a sense of what’s happening around you. Just take an example from China in 220 BC. Ch’i Shih Huang Ti was not only emperor of China but also the most powerful person in the world. However, toward the end of his life, he became paranoid that people were out to harm him. So he retired to a lavish palace, protected by a maze of secret passageways that let him move from room to room without ever being seen.

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What is The 48 Laws of Power about?

The 48 Laws of Power (1998) takes an irreverent look at the fundamental characteristics of power – how to understand it, defend against it, and use it to your advantage. This Blink offers compelling insights, backed by historical examples, into the dynamics of competition and control.

The 48 Laws of Power Review

The 48 Laws of Power (1998) is a thought-provoking book that delves into the dynamics of power and how to wield it effectively. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Packed with timeless wisdom, it provides readers with practical strategies and insights into the art of power.
By analyzing historical figures and their tactics, the book offers fascinating examples that showcase the principles of power in action.
With its engaging storytelling and thought-provoking perspectives, it ensures that readers are never bored, making it an intriguing and stimulating read.

Who should read The 48 Laws of Power?

Entrepreneurs looking to gain the upper hand in their market
Anybody who wants to acquire power – or protect themselves and others from it
People interested in the history of power dynamics

About the Author

Robert Greene is an American author, public speaker, and graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. The 48 Laws of Power is the first of five international best sellers penned by Greene about strategy, power, and success.

Categories with The 48 Laws of Power

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The 48 Laws of Power FAQs

What is the main message of The 48 Laws of Power?

The main message of The 48 Laws of Power is to understand and leverage power dynamics in order to achieve success.

How long does it take to read The 48 Laws of Power?

The reading time for The 48 Laws of Power varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in a matter of minutes.

Is The 48 Laws of Power a good book? Is it worth reading?

The 48 Laws of Power is worth reading as it offers valuable insights on how power operates in different settings and can help readers navigate interpersonal dynamics successfully.

Who is the author of The 48 Laws of Power?

The author of The 48 Laws of Power is Robert Greene.

What to read after The 48 Laws of Power?

If you're wondering what to read next after The 48 Laws of Power, here are some recommendations we suggest:

The Daily Laws by Robert Greene
The Art of War (new version) by Sun Tzu
12 Rules For Life by Jordan B. Peterson
How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes
Beyond Order by Jordan B. Peterson
The First Minute by Chris Fenning
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

The 48 Laws of Power summary

Brief summary

The 48 Laws of Power Summary of 12 key ideas

What’s in it for me? Discover the history, secrets, and inner workings of power.

Don’t outdo the master.

Take credit for other people’s work and be sure to protect your own.

Gaining power over somebody means getting to know them – and posing as their friend.

Act unpredictably to confuse the competition.

Surrendering to a stronger opponent will help you gather power later.

If you want to be treated like a superior, you’ve got to act like one.

Seduction works better than coercion to gain power over others.

In your quest for power, avoid your friends and collaborate with your enemies.

Convince people through artful action rather than argumentation.

When seeking another person’s help, rely on their self-interest, not their good will.

Being overly available will turn people off; holding back is the key to desirability.

Instead of isolating yourself out of fear, surround yourself with those on whom you depend.

Key ideas in The 48 Laws of Power

Introduction

Don’t outdo the master.

Take credit for other people’s work and be sure to protect your own.

Gaining power over somebody means getting to know them – and posing as their friend.

Act unpredictably to confuse the competition.

Surrendering to a stronger opponent will help you gather power later.

If you want to be treated like a superior, you’ve got to act like one.

Seduction works better than coercion to gain power over others.

In your quest for power, avoid your friends and collaborate with your enemies.

Convince people through artful action rather than argumentation.

When seeking another person’s help, rely on their self-interest, not their good will.

Being overly available will turn people off; holding back is the key to desirability.

Instead of isolating yourself out of fear, surround yourself with those on whom you depend.

What is The 48 Laws of Power about?

The 48 Laws of Power Review

Who should read The 48 Laws of Power?

About the Author

Categories with The 48 Laws of Power

Book summaries like The 48 Laws of Power

People also liked these summaries

The 48 Laws of Power FAQs

What is the main message of The 48 Laws of Power?

How long does it take to read The 48 Laws of Power?

Is The 48 Laws of Power a good book? Is it worth reading?

Who is the author of The 48 Laws of Power?

What to read after The 48 Laws of Power?

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The 48 Laws of Power
Summary of 12 key ideas