23 November, 2008

Be Thy Powerful ^_^

It all started with this revised quote: "No matter how much or how good you fight, some great battles are really hard to come by. That is why "retreat was invented/done" since there's always another day to fight."

I posted this as a status message on my yahoo messenger with some things on my mind that's why I was able to come up with such a quote. And then an office mate (Irvin) gave me a message asking if I'm in trouble, I'm mad at somebody or if I'm picking up a fight or something that I chose to retreat. I just laughed and told him that it was kind of symbolic or has a double meaning for me and that was something I dont intend to share.. I mean..the details.. But he gave me something that really had caught my interests. The thought was actually from a book "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers.

The laws were actually like the dos and donts when you're trying to manipulate somebody or the people around you. If you are the type of person who always want to stand out without wanting everybody to notice you, or if you're planning on some scheme that you really want to succed which involves other people or just somebody who wants to be the boss, the dominant one or if you want to rule the world, then read on. haha.. :D

Now let me share to you excerpts from the book or simply the half of the laws. I will be posting the other half of it next time..haha.. ;)


"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. 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. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. 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.


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. 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. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen.


Law 6 - Court Attention at all Cost

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Stand out. 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. 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. Lure him with fabulous gains – then attack. You hold the cards.


Law 9 - Win through your Actions, Never through Argument

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. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you.


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. 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. 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. 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. 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

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

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

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. 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. Make surrender a tool of power.


Law 23 - Concentrate Your Forces

Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. 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.

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What do you think? Arent these a piece of art? from a genius mind? A master plotter? hmmm. I think I gave some aspiring conquerors the real driving force towards achieving their goals..hahaha. Well, these are really motivating and "powerful" thoughts to consider. Just watch out for the last batch of these powerful laws or you can check out the link and you'll eventually realize and maybe unleash that powerful side of yours..haha! More power! :D




1 comment:

jacob said...

wow this is such a powerful laws made by powerful person with his powerful mind..

all i can say is that its "POWERFUL"

to much power..and i noticed that i was using to much power word in this powerful post... *kewl*

nice ang post ah...makakuha nga ng tactics jan..i was planning to use it.. muahaha..xnxa na got carried away from this power..

i was wondering dito kaya nkuha ni Ka Ernie ang tagline nya? "Kung walang knowledge, walang POWER..babye" ahihi..

ingats lagi ^_~ muahh