The 48 Laws Of Power

100 LAW 13

way

inside

the

other

persorfs

mind,

toseetheirneedsand

interests,

to

get

ridofthescreenof

your

own

feelings

thatobscurethetruth.Masterthis

an

andtherewillbenolimitstowhat

you

can

accomplish.

Image:

ACord that

Binds.Thecordof

mercy

and

grati-

tudeis

threadbare.

and

will

break

at

the firstshock.

Do not throw

suchalifeline.

The cord 0 f

mutual self-inter-

estiswovenof

many

fibersand

cannot

easily

be

severed.Itwillserve

you

wellfor

years.

Authority:

Theshortestandbest

way

tomake

your

for

tuneistolet

people

see

clearly

that

itisin

their

interests

to

promote yours.(jean

de

La

Bruyere. l645—169(i)

REVERSAI.

Some

people

willseean

appeal

to

theirselfiinterest

as

ugly

and

ignoble.

Theyactuallyprefer

tobeable

to

exercise

charity,mercy,

and

justice,

whicharetheir

ways

of

feelingsuperior

to

you:

When

you

beg

themfor

help,youemphasize

their

power

and

position.They

are

strongenough

to

need

nothing

from

youexcept

thechancetofeel

superior.

Thisisthewine

thatintoxicatesthem.

They

are

dying

tofund

yourproject,

to

introduce

you

to

powerfulpeople———provided,

of

course,

thatallthisisdonein

public,

andfor

a

good

cause

(usually

themore

public,

the

better).

Not

everyone,

then,

canbe

approachedthroughcynical

self—interest.Some

people

willbe

put

off

by

it,

because

they

dorftwanttoseemtobemotivated

by

such

things.They

need

opportunities

to

display

their

good

heart,

Donotbe

shy.

Givethemthat

opportunity.

It’snotasif

you

arecon»

ning

them

byasking

for

help——it

is

really

their

pleasure

to

give,

andtobe

seen

giving.

Youmust

distinguish

thedifferences

amongpowerfulpeople

and

figure

outwhatmakesthemtick.When

they

ooze

greed,

donot

appeal

totheir

charity.

When

they

wantto

look

charitableand

noble,

donot

ap-

peal

totheir

greed.