The 48 Laws Of Power

Vermeerforhisscambecauseheunderstood

fantasy:

The

paintings

would

seemreal

precisely

becausethe

public,

andthe

experts

as

well,

so

desper-

ately

wantedto

believe

they

were.

Remember:The

key

to

fantasy

isdistance.Thedistanthasallureand

promise,

seems

simple

and

problem

free.What

you

are

offering,

xhen,

shouldbe

ungraspable.

Neverletitbecome

oppressively

familiar;

itisthe

mirage

inthe

distance,

withdrawing

asthesucker

approaches.

Neverbe

(nodirectin

describing

the

fantasywkeep

it

vague.

As

a

forget

of

fantasies,

let
your

victim

comeclose

enough

toseeandbe

tempted,

but

keep

himfar

awayenough

thathe

staysdreaming

and

desiring.

Image:

The

Moon.

Unattainable,

always

changingshape,

disappezuing

and

reappear-

ing.

Welookat

it,

imagine,

wonder,

and

pine——neVer

fa.-

miliar,

continuous

provoker

ofdreams.Donotoffer

theobvious.Promise

the moon.

Authority:

Alie

isan

alluremeut,

a

fabrication,

thatcanbeembell-

ishedintoa

fantasy.

Itcanbeclothedintheraimentsofa

mystic

conception‘

Truthis

cold,

sober

fact,

notsocomfortabletoabsorb.

Alieismore

palatable.

Themostdctested

person

intheworldis

theonewho

always

tellsthe

truth,

who

never

romances..

..

Ifounditfarmore

interesting

and

profitable

toromancethanto

tellthetruth.

{Joseph

Weil,

a.l:.a.“TheYellow

Kid,”

l875wl976)

LAW 32 269