The 48 Laws Of Power

196 LAW 25

sandsof

years,onlykings

andthe

highest

courtiershadthefreedomto

shape

their

public

image

anddeterminetheirown

identity.Similarly,only

kings

andthewealthiestlordscould

contemplate

theirown

image

in

art,

and

consciously

alterit.Therestofmankind

played

thelimitedrolethat

society

demandedof

them,

and hadlittle

selficonsciousness.

Ashiftinthisconditioncanbe

detected

in

Velézquez’spainting

La:

Marinas,

madein1656.Theartist

appears

attheleftofthe

canvas,

standing

beforea

painting

thatheisinthe

process

of

creating.

butthathasitsback

tous——-wecannotseeit.Besidehimstandsa

princess,

her

attendanw,

and

oneofthecourt

dwarves,

all

watching

himwork.The

peopleposing

forthe

painting

arenot

directly

visible,

but

we

canseethemin

tiny

reflectionsina

mirror

onthebackwal]—-—the

king

and

queen

of

Spain,

whomustbe

sitting

somewhereinthe

foreground,

outsidethe

picture.

The

paintingrepresents

adramatic

change

inthe

dynamics

of

power

andthe

ability

to

determineone’sown

position

in

society.

For

Velazquez,

the

artist,

is

farmore

prominentlypositioned

thanthe

king

and

queen.

Ina

sense

heis

more

powerful

than

they

are,

sinceheis

clearly

theonecontrol»

ling

the

irnage--theirimage.

Velazquez

no

longer

sawhimselfastheslav-

ish,

dependent

artist.Hehadremadehimselfintoaman

of

power.

And

indeedthefirst

people

otherthan aristocratsto

playopenly

withtheir

image

inWestern

society

wereartistsand

writers,

andlaterondandiesand

bohemians.

Today

the

concept

ofselflcreationhas

slowly

filtereddownto

therestof

society,

andhasbecomeanidealto

aspire

to.Like

Velazquez,

you

mustdemandfor

yourself

the

power

todetermine

yourposition

in

the

painting,

andto

create

your

own

image.

The first

step

inthe

process

ofself—creationisself-consciousness-

being

awareof

yourself

asanactorand

taking

controlof

your

appearance

andemotions.AsDiderot

said,

thebadactoristheonewhois

always

sin-

cere.

People

whoweartheirheartsontheirsleevesoutin

society

aretire-

some

and

embarrassing.

Their

sinceritynotwithstanding,

itishardtotake

them

seriously.

Thosewho

cry

in

publicmaytemporarily

elicit

sympathy,

but

sympathy

soon turns to scorn and irritation at their self-

obsessiveness-«~they

are

crying

to

get

attention,

we

feel,

andamalicious

part

ofuswantsto

deny

themthesatisfaction.

Good actors

control themselvesbetter.

They

can

play

sincereand

heartfelt,

canaffectatearanda

compassionate

lookat

will,

but

they

don’t

havetofeelit.

They

externalizeemotioninaformthatotherscanunder-

stand.Method

acting

isfatalintherealworld.Norulerorleadercould

possiblyplay

the

part

ifalloftheemotionsheshowedhad

to

be

real.So

learnself-control.

Adopt

the

plasticity

ofthe

actor,

whocanmoldhisorher

faceto

theemotion

required.

Thesecond

step

inthe

process

ofselflcreationisaVariationonthe

George

Sand

strategy:

thecreationofamemorable

character,

onethat

compels

attention,

thatstandsoutabovetheother

players

onthe

stage.

Thiswasthe

game

AbrahamLincoln

played.

The

homespun,

common

country

man,

he

knew,

wasakindof

president

thatAmericahadneverhad