Key Laws of Power

1. Never outshine the master – Ensure those above you feel superior.
2. Never put too much trust in friends – Friends are more likely to betray; focus on empowering former enemies.
3. Conceal your intentions – Keep people in the dark to prevent defenses.
4. Always say less than necessary – Powerful people impress by speaking less.
5. Guard your reputation – Build and protect your reputation vigilantly.
6. Court attention at all costs – Visibility enhances power.
7. Get others to do the work for you – Use others' skills while taking credit.
8. Make others come to you – Control the situation by making others act first.
9. Win through actions, never through argument – Actions carry more weight for influence.
10. Avoid the unhappy and unlucky – Emotional states are contagious; associate with the fortunate.
11. Make people depend on you – Foster a dependency to secure your power.
12. Use selective honesty – Disarm others through gestures of honesty while maintaining ulterior motives.
13. Appeal to self-interest – Focus requests on what's beneficial for others.
14. Pose as a friend, work as a spy – Collect intel to stay ahead in the game.
15. Crush your enemy totally – Leave no chance for recovery for those who oppose you.
16. Use absence to increase respect – Withdraw to enhance your image.
17. Keep others in suspense – Unpredictability can unsettle and distract opponents.
18. Do not build fortresses – Isolation makes you vulnerable; stay connected.
19. Know your opponent – Recognize triggers and avoid offending sensitive individuals.
20. Do not commit to anyone – Stay independent to maintain power dynamics.
21. Play a sucker to catch a sucker – Make your target feel superior.
22. Use the surrender tactic – Yield temporarily to buy time and regain control later.
23. Concentrate your forces – Focus your resources for maximum impact.
24. Play the perfect courtier – Master the subtleties of power dynamics in social structures.
25. Recreate yourself – Forge your identity to command attention.
26. Keep your hands clean – Maintain a spotless public image by using others.
27. Work on hearts and minds – Appeal emotionally to win loyalties.
28. Interact with boldness – Confidence breeds admiration and opportunity.
29. Plan all the way to the end – Anticipate outcomes to avoid pitfalls.
30. Make accomplishments seem effortless – Conceal hard work to enhance perceived skill.
31. Control the options – Frame choices to benefit your interests.
32. Play to people's fantasies – Offer hope and dreams as power tools.
33. Discover each man’s thumb screw – Find and exploit others' weaknesses.
34. Be royal in your own fashion – Carry yourself with confidence to command respect.
35. Master the art of timing – Patience and observation lead to advantageous opportunities.
36. Disdain things you cannot have – Ignoring desires maintains strength.
37. Create compelling spectacles – Visuals enhance authority and engagement.
38. Think as you like, behave like others – Blend in while holding unique ideas privately.
39. Stir up waters to catch fish – Create chaos for your advantage while staying calm.
40. Despise the free lunch – Value is often tied to cost; avoid hidden strings.
41. Avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes – Forge your own identity rather than live in someone else's shadow.
42. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter – Neutralize disruptive leaders to claim control.
43. Work on hearts and minds of others – Gain loyalty through emotional appeal.
44. Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect – Reflect enemies’ behaviors to destabilize them.
45. Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once – Introduce change gradually to maintain stability.
46. Never appear too perfect – Displaying flaws prevents envy.
47. Do not go past the mark you aimed for in victory – Know when to stop and avoid overreaching.
48. Assume formlessness – Remain adaptable to protect against predictability.